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After leaving Dr. Li’s clinic, I wandered alone through the streets at night.
Dr. Li and I talked about almost everything, but I never told her—just like with Xing Jun and Bai Shikun—that the first time I met her, I knew we had never met before, but we were already acquainted.
That’s why I kept returning to her clinic for treatment.
I think, in my previous life, there must have been some entanglement with them.
What kind of experience could have been so profound that it transcended time and space, carried over into the next life?
Thankfully, I really haven’t had any more nightmares. I think those nightmares weren’t caused by stress, but because…
They were things that happened in my previous life.
Still, as Dr. Li said, living in the present is what matters most.
All those nightmares about my past life have disappeared. I think that, finally, I can live my life well in this one.
So, I really did break up with Xing Jun.
Ah Ming and I don’t share the same interests, and he earns a lot less than I do. I know this won’t change.
But so what? After all, he loves me and cares about me deeply.
Today, I have a career, a husband who loves me, and a filial son. I may not have the best, but compared to many, I have more than enough. What more could I ask for?
Although, I still often have that sense of déjà vu: that I’ve done those things, been to those places, met those people… and to this day, it hasn’t changed.
No!
None of this matters. Not at all. My life in the present is what matters most.
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The Slums • Midnight
Huh? How did I end up here while wandering around?
“Oh no, it’s so late already—I need to hurry home.” I looked at my watch, but a sudden chill surged in my heart.
I remembered that after work, I had driven to the clinic, and parked my car in the lot next to it. How did I end up walking here?
Ever since I joined the workforce and moved out of this slum, I never came back.
Late at night, there were few pedestrians in the slum, but at the end of the long street, St. Mary’s Primary School was brightly lit at midnight.
How could this be?
That was my old primary school, run by the Sisters of St. Mary. But I never became a believer, and after graduation, I never visited again.
And tonight, what drew me back here?
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For years, St. Mary’s Primary School’s old layout hadn’t changed—it was just as it was when I was a student.
I gently pushed open the gate; it wasn’t even locked?
Beyond the gate was the playground. I remembered that in one corner stood a statue of the Virgin Mary, but it always felt inconspicuous. In my six years at the school, I never really looked at her.
Then, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
At midnight, in this school, there was a little girl in a St. Mary’s uniform, kneeling in front of the statue, hands pressed together, praying in a low murmur.
I quietly walked up to her and stopped about two meters behind her.
“Little one, what are you doing here? It’s very late. Where are your parents?” I asked in a low voice, a chill creeping up from my heels—because that feeling had returned.
I had seen her before.
Even though I hadn’t seen her face yet, I knew I recognized her!
But she seemed not to hear, still murmuring her prayers.
No… I need to leave.
I hurried to go home, though leaving a child alone on an empty school playground at midnight seemed wrong.
But that’s not my responsibility.
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“Holy Mother above, please, grant me a handsome, capable, and wealthy husband soon, so I can live a happy and prosperous life. Let no one look down on me! Thank you, Holy Mother.”
The child suddenly spoke her wish out loud, startling me in the eerie silence!
I almost laughed. Are kids nowadays so precocious? Her voice was so childish, but her words were so worldly—it was indescribably comical.
The little girl, still unwilling to give up, pleaded in her sweet voice, “Please, Holy Mother, please grant my wish. If you make my dream come true, I’m willing to give you my soul!”
Startled by her words, I couldn’t help but get angry. “Hey, that’s too much! You can’t just make such a vow so casually!”
This time, the girl heard me. She was silent for a while, then sighed deeply and quietly said, “What does a soul matter? Compared to the poverty I live in every day, what does a soul matter?”
When she finished, I felt as if my body had plunged into an ice cellar.
Because I suddenly remembered—that exact sentence, I had once said before.
At her age, I had spoken those exact words—word for word!
I stared at her, forcing out the words, “…you…who are you…”
The girl didn’t reply.
At the same time, all the sounds of the city disappeared. It wasn’t just silence—it was like a vacuum.
“You…who are you!
No!
What are you!
What’s your name…!”
I screamed.
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I knew, now I should just run, escape to the parking lot, find my car, and drive home as fast as I could. Once I got home, I would dive into bed, into Ah Ming’s arms, and tell him, “Ah Ming, I love you! Let’s emigrate, leave this small town, and never come back.”
But the whole playground was flooded with my fear. Somewhere, thick black slime oozed out, surging toward me from all sides, gluing me in place, unable to move.
The slime also engulfed the kneeling girl’s thighs, but she seemed unaware.
She slowly turned around.
I knew, if I let her turn around and see her face, if she said those words, my life would be destroyed.
What chilled me most was that I knew exactly what she was about to say!
It wasn’t foresight—it was because I’d heard it before!
I remembered, I had heard her say it many, many, many times.
The black slime rose higher and higher, up to the girl’s waist.
I was terrified, not because I didn’t understand, but precisely because I was beginning to understand what it was all for—this mysterious girl, all the bizarre things in my life.
“No… don’t say it… don’t say it…” That was the only phrase left in my mind.
Because I already knew who she was.
“My name is Wang Rong. I am you. Don’t you remember? You’ve been dead for a long time.” The girl finally turned her face to me.
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Of course, I recognized myself.
She was me.
In her hand, she held a little red flower.
No, it was a flower oozing blood, so it looked red.
The black slime surged up instantly.
In a flash, I lunged at the girl, pressing her head into the black water. She struggled, but I didn’t care, fiercely gripping her delicate neck in the black water until she went completely still.
The girl was motionless, face up, half-floating in the black water.
I gasped for breath, drenched in sweat.
When I came to, the black water seemed to be receding.
At last, I could run, sprinting back to the parking lot near the clinic, fumbling to unlock my car, and as soon as I got in, I started the engine.
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I sped down the highway at top speed through the night. Finally, I screeched to a halt downstairs at home, got out, and dashed into the building, frantically pressing the elevator button.
Finally, I reached my front door. I quickly unlocked it, and as soon as the door opened, I saw Ah Ming standing in the entryway, dressed in home clothes with a windbreaker and sneakers, as if about to head out.
Looking at the clock on the living room wall, it was exactly 3 a.m.
“Where the hell have you been!”
Ah Ming was stunned at first, then shouted at me. “I thought you’d had an accident! I was just about to go out and look for you!”
I said nothing, just hugged him tightly. He was so tall, I had to stand on tiptoe, hook my arms around his neck, and give him a deep kiss.
“Hey—what on earth—” He pulled away, bewildered, trying to figure out what had happened.
But I wouldn’t let him react, just kept kissing him until, without realizing it, I started crying, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ah Ming pulled me into his arms, comforting me, “Don’t be afraid… it’s okay… I’m here…”
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At that moment, our son opened his bedroom door, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Dad, Mom, why aren’t you asleep? What are you arguing about…”
“It’s nothing, your mom’s not feeling well. Since you’re up, go make a cup of hot milk in the kitchen.” Ah Ming instructed. Seeing that I was upset, our son obediently did as he was told.
My husband helped me to the bedroom. Our son came in, handed him the hot milk, and looked at me with concern. My husband patted him on the shoulder, “Good boy, go to sleep.”
In the bedroom, I held the cup with both hands, trembling and sobbing. Ah Ming held me without a word, silently wiping away my tears.
Once I’d calmed down a bit, he carefully asked, “…Rong, don’t be afraid. Tell me what happened… Did someone… bully you?”
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Ah Ming looked at me, eyes full of concern.
But I cried even harder.
I felt there had always been a high wall in my heart, separating Ah Ming and me.
Now, that wall had collapsed.
“Honey, you’re… so good to me… but I… I’ve let you down!” I sobbed in repentance.
With my head down, I finally told him about secretly starting an affair with Xing Jun three years ago. Of course, I also told him that the relationship lasted only about a year, then I broke it off, and we never contacted each other again.
Ah Ming sat silently on the edge of the bed, sometimes clenching his fists, head down—I couldn’t read his expression.
“Honey… I’m sorry…” My tears had dried, and I said no more, just waited for his verdict.
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“Rong, I’m relieved that you finally told me.” Ah Ming was silent for a long time, then took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
“One night three years ago, I saw you and a man—your boss, I suppose—coming out of the Lihua Hotel together.”
I felt as if struck by lightning. So… he’d always known!
“You have no idea how much it hurts to be betrayed by the woman you love…” Ah Ming bent over, covering his face, his voice choking. “But what hurts even more is when your wife treats you like a fool, thinking she can deceive you.”
At this, Ah Ming looked at me, his eyes rimmed red. “But I endured it, because… I didn’t want to lose you, our son, or this family. I told myself, Rong is still young, just immature and fooling around, but she doesn’t really want to leave us. Right? Rong?”
I walked over, knelt in front of Ah Ming, and lay on his legs, crying, “Ah Ming… I’m sorry…”
I was sobbing so hard I could only say those three words.
Ah Ming bent down to hold me, patting my back, gently saying, “Silly girl, don’t cry. Just be good from now on.”
Then he helped me up, easily carried me to the bed, kissed my tear-streaked face, and whispered with warm breath, “Besides… you still want me, don’t you? …Rong…”
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That night, we made love fiercely—it had been so long since we’d felt such passion. It was as if we both desperately needed to confirm something in each other.
“Rong… are you okay…”
Feeling my strange shuddering, he whispered hoarsely in my ear, his hot breath filling my ear. He propped himself up a little to look at me, his eyes blazing in the darkness, so intense, so full of concern.
“Ming… I’m fine… I just like… when you hurt me…” I gasped out between breaths, and instantly felt the intense change in his body.
Suddenly, an image of the little red flower and that adorable yet eerie little face flashed through my mind.
I immediately gave my husband a passionate kiss, holding him even tighter.
“Rong…”
“Don’t talk… harder… I want… it to hurt more…” I pressed his head into my neck, not wanting him to see that I was crying in fear.
Yes, make it hurt more.
Until I can believe that this very moment is real.
Afterwards, I lay on my husband’s chest. He held me, stroking my hair, reliving the wonderful storm we’d just shared.
“Wife, where on earth did you go tonight? You worried me to death!” Ah Ming playfully pinched my still-flushed cheek. “Seriously, what happened…”
“Ming, let’s emigrate,” I answered irrelevantly.
“What! …Why…?” Ah Ming was startled by my sudden proposal.
“I’ve saved up quite a bit over the years. Let’s move to San Francisco—the weather’s good, the education’s good, there’s Chinatown, so you won’t feel too out of place. Ah Zheng will like it too. Please, honey, I… want to start a new life somewhere new, start over with you.”
Ah Ming is old-fashioned and conservative—I knew he wouldn’t like living abroad, so I could only plead with him pitifully.
Maybe my earnestness moved him. Ah Ming looked at me for a while, then cupped my face, kissed my forehead, and sighed with a wry smile, “Okay, we’ll do as you say. After all, my whole life is in your hands.”
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Morning
Today I was full of energy. After washing and dressing, I went to the living room. To prevent Ah Ming from changing his mind, I’d already asked for two days off from work so I could go to the immigration agency and put our apartment up for sale.
A delicious aroma greeted me—Ah Ming always made breakfast for our son and me.
Don’t forget, Ah Ming used to work in a restaurant—he’s a great cook. So ever since I became an insurance broker, he’s handled all the meals and household chores, as well as caring for our child.
“Morning, Mom.” Our son had already started eating. The French toast on his plate had been cut into little squares, and his mouth was stuffed as he greeted me.
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“Good morning, my queen! Today I made your favorite—macaroni with sausage and egg.” Ah Ming smiled as he came out of the kitchen, holding a tray with a silver food cover, hiding the dish underneath.
Those half-dome silver covers—you only see them in fancy hotel restaurants.
I laughed, “You need something so fancy just for a bowl of macaroni? Really!”
As I spoke, I went to the living room cabinet to get my keys for my coat pocket, but felt something odd inside.
I pulled it out—it was a little red dried flower. Looking closer, it seemed to slowly ooze fresh blood. Afraid the two of them would notice, I quickly shoved it back in my pocket.
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“Eat while it’s hot. Ah Zheng, don’t just watch TV—you’ll be late!” Ah Ming urged, laughing.
“Ah Ming… what’s under here?” I sat down, staring at the silver food cover, not touching it.
“Macaroni with sausage and egg!” Ah Ming laughed. As he ate his sandwich, he said, “Don’t believe me? Open it and see.”
With trembling hands, I reached out and slowly lifted the silver cover.
It was a heart.
A bloody, still-beating heart.
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Countless scenes flashed through my mind. At last, I remembered—I’d seen this heart countless times: in the fridge of an old, rundown tenement, on the dining table of a luxury house, as the highlight dish at a hotel banquet, as Ah Ming’s mysterious birthday gift to me…
Now, it was the breakfast Ah Ming had made for me.
I looked up at Ah Ming, then at our son. They were both happily eating their sandwiches and French toast, chatting and laughing.
“Eat while it’s hot. It won’t taste good cold.” Ah Ming saw me staring at him blankly, so he smiled again, repeating what he’d just said, with exactly the same tone and inflection.
Our son’s French toast was untouched, so he started cutting it into small pieces again.
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So, I grabbed the heart, brought it to my mouth, and took a fierce bite. I had to finish quickly, so I could head out to the immigration agency.
The two of them kept chatting and laughing while I, in tears, bit into the bloody mass again and again, the blood gushing out from it.
I knew I was going insane, because the flesh in my mouth didn’t taste bloody at all—instead, the blood was sweet, with a strong rose fragrance.
Soon, the blood had risen to half-submerge the three of us. They seemed completely unaware.
Finally, just before the blood covered my head, amid the noise from the TV, I heard that song again:
“Through the same haze, your face appears again, in a looping world that I’m not quite sure......”
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Copyright Notice:
Wang Rong: A Sequel – A Revenge Journey in the Inverted Dream
(Bilibili Title: Wang Rong: Sequel – Revenge Dream)
Episode 12: The Sacred Heart Cannot Escape
Original work by Jing Xixian (Vampire L). Completed on August 30, 2025.
This document is for original record and publication purposes only. All rights reserved. Without written authorization from the author, please do not reproduce, adapt, transport, translate, or use for commercial purposes in any form.
© Jing Xixian (Vampire L), All rights reserved
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