Chapter 1 — From the Ashes to the Pinnacle

In my previous life, in that fire. My mother stood outside the door for three seconds, then turned around to save her illegitimate son who had no blood relationship with me. I crawled on the hot floor, screaming all night, in return for having my legs amputated and sixteen years confined to a wheelchair. She coldly said: "You're fourteen years old, don't you know how to run?" I came back to life, back to the night of the fire. Thick smoke poured in, and there were those hesitant footsteps outside the door. This time I didn't call, I didn't cry, and I didn't beg anyone. I locked the door, climbed through the window and jumped down. The firelight flashed on my face. I watched her rush out holding her illegitimate child, her face filled with a motherly look. I stood in the yard, my legs still intact. I laughed. In this life, I not only want to live in an upright position, but also want you to kneel down and give it all back. 【Chapter 1】 The moment the thick smoke rushed into my throat, I thought I was still sitting in a wheelchair. The body felt a strong burning sensation, and the eyes were blurry and could not see clearly. But the next second— I felt my legs. Two legs. A complete pair of legs, still feeling. There was a "bang" in my head, like something exploded. I lowered my head and looked down—a fourteen-year-old body, thin and fragile, wearing an old T-shirt that had been washed and faded. The bedroom curtains caught fire. Tongues of fire shot up to the ceiling, emitting crackling sounds. I'm alive. No, that's not right. I have returned. There were footsteps outside the door. It's you. The footsteps were very light, coming to my door and stopping. Three seconds. One, two, three. Then, the footsteps moved to the right, faster and faster, farther and farther away. In my previous life, at this time, I was lying in bed calling "mom" until my throat bled. I called for five minutes. No one came. She went to save the "poor orphan" of Lam Kien Quoc's family in the next room. The child has been kept by her side for six years, calling her "aunt" even more intimately than when I call "mother" — Lam Phong. This life? I covered my mouth and nose with the blanket and turned around to get out of bed. Going to the door, I didn't open it. My hand reached toward the lock—“Clack.” Lock tight. This is the first principle I understood in my previous life. Asking for help from someone who doesn't love you is like giving a knife to the other person yourself. I turned around and walked towards the window. On the second floor, below is a soft soil flower bed. I pushed the door frame open, the thick smoke was blown away by the night wind, and my vision immediately became clear. I climbed onto the window sill, stepped on the drain pipe outside the wall, and grabbed the edge of the roof with my hands. The body was incredibly light—for fourteen years old, less than forty-five pounds, which turned out to be an advantage. I let go. The moment he hit the ground, his knees shook, the soil sank more than an inch, and his ankles felt numb. But I stood firm. I'm on my feet. I lowered my head and looked at my two feet stepping in the mud, my toes clawing hard at the ground. Eye sockets heat up. In my previous life, I had this dream ten thousand times—standing up, running, stepping on real ground, feeling every grain of sand under my feet. Every time I wake up, the only thing I touch is the cold armrest of the wheelchair. Now, the dream has come true. “Cough—cough cough—” A violent cough came from the main door. I rounded the corner and saw her. My mother, Trieu Ngoc Phan. She held a baby boy in her arms and staggered out of the living room on the first floor. The boy was wrapped tightly in a wet towel and protected very carefully. Lam Phong. Twelve years old, two years younger than me. Six years ago, his father Lam Kien Quoc passed away from a traffic accident. Trieu Ngoc Phan used the reason "neighborhood" to adopt him. Since then, in this house,

I came in second. Are not. It's Tuesday. Lam Phong is first, she is second, and I am not even as good as the dog in the house. Trieu Ngoc Phan put Lam Phong on the ground, patted his back, his voice trembling: "Tieu Phong! Tieu Phong, are you okay? Are you burned anywhere?" Lam Phong coughed twice, his eyes were red, calling hoarsely: "Auntie...huhu...""It's okay, it's okay, I'm here."Trieu Ngoc Phan hugged him, his chin resting on top of his head, his body still trembling. From start to finish. She did not turn her head to look at the second floor once. Nor did he call out "Ve Duong". I stood in the dark three meters away, watching this scene. In my previous life, I had never seen it. In my previous life, I was still locked on the second floor, screaming until my vocal cords were torn, waiting for someone who would never come. From afar came the sound of a fire truck. The neighbors ran out one by one. "Mr. Trieu's house is on fire!" "Quickly call 119!" "Are they all out? Are they all out?" Aunt Vuong was the first to run over and support Trieu Ngoc Phan: "Ngoc Phan! Where are the children?" Trieu Ngoc Phan hugged Lam Phong, trembling and said: "Tieu Phong... Tieu Phong is out..." Aunt Vuong was stunned: "Where is your Ve Duong?" Trieu Ngoc Phan's body stiffened. Just for a moment. Then she turned her head to look up at the second floor—the window was wide open, the curtains had been burned to black shreds. The expression on her face was very complicated. Not afraid, not impatient. It was a guilty conscience. "Ve Duong said..." "I'm here." I walked out of the corner. Everyone's eyes simultaneously turned towards me. Trieu Ngoc Phan saw me standing there, my legs were healthy, there wasn't even a blister on my body. Her eyes widened momentarily. Not happy. It's surprising. Kind of surprised as if asking: "How could you run out by yourself?" I saw very clearly. "Ve Duong!" Aunt Vuong ran over, looking at me from top to bottom: "Are you okay? How did you get out?" "Jumped through the window." My voice was very calm. "Jumped from the second floor?" Aunt Vuong took a deep breath: "Didn't your mother come to call you?" The space was silent for two seconds. Trieu Ngoc Phan opened his mouth. I answered for her: "No time. The fire was too big, she saved Tieu Phong first." When I said this, my voice was very calm. No self-pity, no condemnation. But Aunt Vuong's expression changed. She turned her head to look at Trieu Ngoc Phan, her eyes carrying an indescribable emotion. Trieu Ngoc Phan squeezed Lam Phong's shoulder, his throat tensed: "The fire broke out so fast, at that time I... I..." "It's okay." I interrupted her: "I can get out on my own." I smiled slightly. That smile was illuminated by the firelight, making even me feel cold. In my previous life, after this fire, I was paralyzed. Both legs were amputated and he had to use a wheelchair for sixteen years. Trieu Ngoc Phan has never felt guilty even for a day. Her original words were: "You're twelve years old, don't you even know how to run outside?" Fourteen. I was fourteen years old then. She doesn't even remember my age clearly. Later, when Lam Phong passed the high school exam in the provincial capital, she gave him all the last savings in the house to pay his tuition. I sat in a wheelchair and asked her: "What about the money for my recovery treatment?" She didn't even lift her head: "You can't walk anyway, treatment is just a waste of money." After that, Lam Phong graduated from college and worked at an investment bank, with a yearly salary of millions of yuan. Trieu Ngoc Phan meets everyone and says: "I didn't raise him in vain, this child is very filial." And I live in a rented house, rely on minimum allowance and take on online translation jobs to get by. In the winter of my thirtieth year, the heating system stopped working. I fell out of the wheelchair, the back of my head hitting the floor

brick. In my last moments of consciousness, I heard my phone ring. It's a WeChat message. Trieu Ngoc Phan sent, sent to everyone: "Tieu Phong has been promoted! Deputy general director! Only thirty years old! I'm really so proud!"I died that winter. Died in silence, without a sound. It wasn't until three days later when the landlord came to collect the rent that he discovered the body. When Trieu Ngoc Phan came to claim the body, she just signed her name, her face expressionless. "It's good to die. It's less suffering." Those were the words she gave me. And now. I stood in the yard, both legs intact, fourteen years old. The fire truck hasn't arrived yet. The fire was burning fiercely, the entire second floor was swallowed. I looked at that firelight, letting the memories of thirty years of my previous life flash through my head. Then, I said something to myself. In this life, I will not beg anyone to love me. But the debt needs to be paid, don't try to lose even a single penny. Trieu Ngoc Phan. Lam Phong. There were also those who later stepped on my wheelchair and stepped forward. Line up neatly. One by one, they came one after another. 【Chapter 2】 The fire has been extinguished. The fire department arrived late, the second floor was burned, and the whole house was considered completely destroyed. Neighbors stood around chatting. Trieu Ngoc Phan squatted on the side of the road, hugging Lam Phong and crying. I stood at the edge of the fire truck's light, wearing an old shirt that Aunt Vuong found for me. "Ve Duong." Aunt Vuong brought a cup of hot water and gave it to me. She lowered her voice: "Your mother... really didn't come to call you?" I took the glass of water and took a sip. "Aunt Vuong, when a fire breaks out, everyone panics, it's normal." Aunt Vuong's lips moved, wanting to say something but she swallowed it. She patted my shoulder, her eyes showing pain. I know what she is heartbroken about. But in her previous life, Aunt Vuong's heartache had no effect. She is a good person, but in things like this, good people can only sigh and not take action. I don't need it in this life either. What I need is something else. At three o'clock in the morning, people from the residential area came to do the registration procedures. "Mrs. Trieu Ngoc Phan, your house has basically been completely destroyed. We will now arrange for everyone to temporarily stay at the residential area's location." Trieu Ngoc Phan wiped her tears and nodded. The temporary location was renovated from an abandoned neighborhood committee office. Three folding beds crowded into one room. Trieu Ngoc Phan took the only clean blanket and covered Lam Phong's body. I was given an old army jacket. She didn't even look at me once. I wrapped my jacket tightly and closed my eyes. No need to rush. These small things are not worth wasting my emotions at this time. I'm planning more important things. My past life memories gave me one thing—timeline. Timeline of sixteen years later. I remember every important moment. First milestone: three days later. Dad's phone will call. Tham Ve Quoc. My father. When he divorced Trieu Ngoc Phan, I was only six years old. Before leaving, he told Trieu Ngoc Phan: "Ve Duong let me take him away." Trieu Ngoc Phan absolutely refused. Not because she couldn't bear to leave me, but because she was afraid Tham Ve Quoc wouldn't pay her alimony. At that time, Tham Ve Quoc was just a construction worker working at a construction site, earning less than three thousand yuan a month. He has no money to sue, nor the ability to fight for custody of his children. The day he left, he squatted in front of me, his eyes red, holding my hand and saying: "Dad will come pick you up. When I earn money, I will definitely come pick you up."I waited eight years. He didn't come.