While walking and live streaming to my followers, I smiled weakly at the camera and slowly collapsed. As my viewers frantically called for help in the chat, armed sentries appeared in everyone’s view. I let myself faint, falling against a soldier’s solid chest. In my previous life, my advisor Dr. Marcus Reed stole core experimental data and sold it overseas. But the security footage showed me as the last person to access the lab. Two minutes after I left, a fire erupted, triggering an explosion in the research building and destroying all evidence. I had been asleep in my dorm. No one could provide me with an alibi. Convicted of arson causing massive property damage, I was sentenced to life in prison. I eventually died in a prison fight. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the fire. Since he could forge surveillance evidence against me, I would use ironclad proof to tear off his hypocritical mask. Without me as his scapegoat, how could he convince the university to accept responsibility for hundreds of millions in losses? **1.** I had been live streaming for half an hour of walking. Without any beauty filters, my face had become visibly pale. The chat comments had shifted from “This streamer is actually a PhD student, such advanced concepts!” and “Holy crap, the method she’s explaining could solve my current technical problem!” to “Streamer, do you researchers not exercise? You’re breathing really hard!” and “I recognize this road. Just a few more steps ahead, there’s a military base. Go there for help, you look like you’re about to pass out!” and “Oh my God, someone’s about to collapse right on my phone screen!” I looked up at the screen weakly. You could clearly see my forehead covered in cold sweat.”I really don’t feel well. Probably low blood sugar. I’m sorry.” Comments flooded the screen: “Stop talking! Someone please save her!” “Soldiers, help! This citizen is about to die!” Finally, I saw the base gates. I used my last bit of strength to hurry forward, stumbling as I crossed the yellow line. “Halt! State your purpose!” The sentry at the gate raised his weapon. Seeing someone with a selfie stick charging straight past the security line, he immediately went on alert. I kept my head down. The camera could capture my pale face and half-closed eyes, but the sentry couldn’t see. From his perspective, an unidentified person was ignoring his warning and rushing toward the military installation. One sentry raised his rifle while another called for backup, approaching me cautiously. Then I crashed heavily into him and collapsed limply to the ground. Squinting at the time through barely open eyes: 9:48 PM. Seven minutes until the fire. I gasped heavily as my tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and my consciousness began to fade. I felt someone shaking me. Struggling to open my eyes, unable to see the face clearly, I tried to speak loudly but my voice came out barely audible, until he put his ear close to my mouth. “I’m sorry… I’m not a threat… I’m still streaming. Could you help me turn it off?” The last thing the stream captured was a military cap. As consciousness faded, I saw my previous life. Being dragged out of bed with the covers ripped off became my lifelong nightmare. Standing in thin pajamas, surrounded by police and university administrators, facing their harsh questions about why I set the fire, all I could do was weakly deny it. “I didn’t do it.” Nothing else. As the cold handcuffs locked around my wrists, I felt my entire life being shackled. During my days and nights in prison, I ran through countless scenarios. The best possibility was that it had been an electrical short circuit, not intentional arson, which might have meant a lighter sentence. But I had no way to prove that the last person to access the lab wasn’t me. The surveillance clearly showed me entering and leaving the building. The lab access logs showed my credentials. The evidence was solid enough to crush me. It wasn’t until a year later, when my advisor took a teaching position in America and published research results based on my core technology, that I understood. The fire’s purpose wasn’t to destroy something, but to cover something up. And now, without my cooperation, who else could help him smuggle things right under everyone’s noses? **2.** I felt someone moving me. I struggled to open my eyes. My vision was too blurry. I could only desperately grab onto whoever was wearing the uniform. “Miss, let go so the medic can examine you.” I didn’t want a medic. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I needed to stay under the base’s surveillance. Someone was prying my fingers open. It hurt. Tears streamed down continuously, but I refused to let go no matter what, using every ounce of strength. “She’s probably scared from earlier. Nothing serious, just low blood sugar. Since she won’t let go, just carry her to the duty room.” I stopped struggling, letting them carry me through the base gates. I stared up at the security camera at the entrance. Such solid evidence. Someone put a piece of candy in my mouth. Slowly, I regained a bit of strength and could sit up. A group of people surrounded me. None of the stern, cold faces from my previous life. Their concerned expressions made tears pour down my face. “Miss, feeling better?” Seeing some life return to my eyes, a lieutenant next to me asked with concern. The grievance in my heart surged up like a flood breaking through a dam, unstoppable. I began sobbing uncontrollably. The clock on the wall seemed like a countdown, bringing me closer to safety. 9:50 PM. Marcus Reed must already be in the lab copying my data, right? I had considered reporting him to catch him in the act, but then I realized he hadn’t just forged my access card but had also tampered with the university’s surveillance footage. That wasn’t something a newly returned PhD advisor of less than a year could accomplish alone. 9:53 PM. My crying turned to hiccups. The people around me went from being flustered to calm, handing me water and tissues. Marcus had already locked up and left. I didn’t know what method he used to start the fire. Theoretically, the lab had comprehensive power cutoff protection and fire prevention measures. How could it catch fire so easily, let alone spread and cause an explosion in the research building? 9:54 PM. My emotions gradually settled. The lieutenant’s voice couldn’t suppress his amusement: “Miss, you’re the best crier I’ve ever seen.” I smiled sheepishly, pursing my lips. I had been terrified by what happened to me, but also grateful for my second chance. Heaven knows, when I discovered I had been reborn one hour before the fire, the burst of joy nearly overwhelmed me. “Can’t stay in the dorm!” was my only thought at the time. I grabbed my essentials and immediately escaped. Sitting in the taxi, I came back to my senses and started thinking about what else I could do. I usually recorded some videos without showing my face, sharing study tips and methods. Now I decided to stream with my face visible, letting all my viewers bear witness for me. Collapsing at the military base gate was pure coincidence. When I was reborn, I had been up for over twenty hours and was about to sleep. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been sleeping so deeply that I didn’t even know a fire had started. The combined mental and physical pressure was too much. Given my current condition, the low blood sugar hit at just the right time. “Should I call an ambulance for you?” The lieutenant looked at me with a smile. “You’re still frighteningly pale.” 9:55 PM. The second hand seemed to tick against my heart. “Yes, thank you so much.” I stopped my sniffling and thanked him. **3.** The fire trucks arrived before the ambulance. Several fire engines rushed past with sirens blaring. Through the window, I stared blankly as the red lights disappeared into the distance. “We’ve verified all your documents. Here, keep them safe.” I snapped back to attention and accepted the documents the lieutenant handed me. All my IDs: driver’s license, student card, lab access card. “Don’t worry, we’ll go with you to the hospital.” His hearty voice gave me an immense sense of security, so much so that I fell asleep before the ambulance arrived, until my body was suddenly yanked, nearly throwing me out of bed. “Olivia Summers, you’re suspected of arson. We need you to cooperate with our investigation!” The same cold, severe voice from my previous life made me shiver. My head was still somewhat foggy. I looked at the crowd before me without focus and asked in confusion, “What?” “You think hospitalizing yourself will clear you of guilt?” The dean’s voice was hoarse, looking like he hadn’t slept all night. “Olivia Summers, you were caught on surveillance fleeing after committing arson.” Marcus Reed still had that refined, scholarly demeanor, using the gentlest tone to condemn me. “You’ve made no progress on your experiments recently and put too much pressure on yourself.” “I told her I wouldn’t let her delay graduation, but who knew she’d be so extreme? She’d rather destroy everything than admit she wasn’t capable.” He explained to the dean and police like a caring mentor. “This is definitely her fault, but I hope you can go easy on her given her youth and give her a lighter sentence.” The police ignored his soft pleas and said coldly to me, “She’s an adult. She needs to take responsibility for her actions.” “What exactly happened?” I asked, looking completely confused. “Still pretending!” The dean pointed at me furiously. “Last night, minutes after you left the lab, it caught fire!” “The fire spread and caused an explosion. Half the research building was destroyed!” “The entire campus stayed up all night, but you had the nerve to hide in a hospital and sleep!” He turned to the police in frustration. “Captain Wilson, take her away. I have nothing more to say to her.” “I never went near the academic building last night.” I propped myself up on the hospital bed, leaning forward, desperately trying to make them believe me. “I have no reason to burn down the building. Please believe me!” No matter how sincere or anxious I was, everyone around me looked at me coldly, as if I were a clown throwing a tantrum. “You should be grateful no one was hurt, or we wouldn’t be speaking to you so nicely.” “I’m the captain of the city’s detective unit. I’m officially notifying you that you’re under arrest. Take her!” He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed roughly. I stood barefoot on the floor. The icy tiles sent a chill that froze my heart. The female officer next to me gripped my wrist tightly, the cold handcuffs about to snap shut. “What are you doing!” A forceful shout from the doorway interrupted her action. A young man in military uniform stood holding a food container, frowning as he glared at the room full of people. “Who are you?” Marcus asked gently. “Are you Olivia’s boyfriend?” One sentence immediately diminished the authority conveyed by the uniform. “The lieutenant sent me to look after her.” The young soldier ignored Marcus and spoke directly to Captain Wilson in his police uniform. “What’s going on? She’s still a patient!” “She’s suspected of arson causing major property damage. We need to take her to the station.” Captain Wilson responded matter-of-factly. The soldier looked at me with difficulty. Seeing my pleading eyes, he thought for a moment, then stepped directly in front of me. “I’m going with her, and I’ll notify our lieutenant. You’re not taking her anywhere otherwise.”
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