My husband knows that I can be reborn every time I die. So after that landslide, he didn’t hesitate to cut out my heart to save his true love. When he received my emptied body from the doctor, he said, “You’ll be fine after a nap.” But what he didn’t know was that it was my last chance to be reborn. Ryan Quinn carried my lifeless body into the underground room of the Search and Rescue (SAR) Team base. My internal organs had been removed, leaving only an empty shell. My face, however, was rosy, as if I were just sleeping. He skillfully opened the cryogenic equipment, his movements clean and precise. As he placed me inside, his hands were steady, without even a hint of hesitation. “Sleep for now,” his voice was terrifyingly calm. “Didn’t you say that dying doesn’t matter?” Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. I had prepared a table full of delicious food at home and bought his favorite red wine. Seeing him come home on time for once, I was as happy as a fool. When the phone rang, he had just picked up his wine glass. It was his deputy calling: “Captain, Bella got caught in a landslide while patrolling the mountain area. She’s trapped inside…” His hand trembled, and the wine glass fell to the floor, dark red liquid splashing onto my new dress. “How badly is she hurt?” His voice was already hoarse. “It’s serious, her internal organs…” He didn’t wait for the other person to finish. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out. I caught his hand, “I’ll go too. I can help.” He turned back to look at me, his eyes complex, not with concern, but as if he were calculating something. At the scene, Bella had already been rescued, but her heart was severely damaged and urgently needed a transplant. He looked at the unconscious Bella on the stretcher, his fingers trembling. It was a panic I had never seen in him before. Then he looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot. “I’m sorry,” he said. Before I could understand what he meant, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. As I lost consciousness, I saw him nod to the doctor. They had prepared for this all along. Miraculously, as I was pushed into the operating room, it was as if my soul floated out of my body. I felt myself hovering in mid-air, witnessing everything. I saw him standing right next to the operating table. As the surgeon’s scalpel cut open my body, he watched without expression, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion, as if this body was nothing more than a tool to be disposed of at will. “Her organs are in good condition, and the match is compatible,” the doctor’s voice seemed to come from far away. “It’s enough to save Bella.” I watched as my heart was taken out, placed in an ice box, and sent to the adjacent operating room. He followed the ice box out, not even sparing me a final glance. After putting me in the cryogenic equipment, he sat nearby dealing with documents, occasionally looking up at me. I floated in front of him, wanting to see if there was even a hint of guilt in his eyes. But his gaze passed through my soul and fell on his phone – it was a message from the doctor: The surgery was very successful, she’s recovering well. He smiled with relief, casually tossed my medical record aside, and left the underground room. The part of the medical record that was open clearly stated: “Organ donor – voluntary donation.” He didn’t even bother to make up a lie, thinking I would wake up soon anyway. But what he didn’t know was that this time, I really wouldn’t wake up again. Because the chance that allowed me to be reborn had already been used up the last time I saved his teammate.
My ability to be reborn was real. Three years ago, before I was pulled out as the sole survivor of that plane crash, the system informed me that I had gained three lives. The first time, I used it on myself, allowing myself to survive that plane crash. Ryan was the SAR team leader who came to investigate the accident. He was tall, wearing a dark blue uniform with straight shoulder lines. Standing in front of the plane wreckage, he was surrounded by an aura of coldness, like a general who had walked out of an old photograph. I was shivering on the stretcher when he turned his face towards me, his well-defined jawline tense. When those pitch-black eyes swept over me, it felt like they could see through to my soul. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “You’re safe now.” His voice was deep and pleasant, like warm water slowly being poured into my heart. At that moment, I was smitten. The system said that if I maintained a three-year marriage with my destined person, I could stay in this world forever. Looking at this stern man before me, I decided to take a chance. This was the first time that 28-year-old Lily Hart had ever been so determined to want something. Ryan looked to be in his early thirties, very tall, with a lean and muscular build from years of training. He walked with a special rhythm, probably due to his military background. Every time I passed by the SAR team, I could recognize his silhouette at a glance. I started to approach him as an ordinary person. I would bring coffee to the SAR team every day and prepare late-night snacks for the team members working overtime. I knew I was like a desperate groupie, but I didn’t care. They said Ryan never accepted anything from women, but he took my coffee. He was always polite and gentle, but he always kept his distance from me. The people in the SAR team felt sorry for me, saying I couldn’t see reality clearly. “Captain Quinn never gives hope to any woman. Don’t waste your efforts.” But what I didn’t tell them was that every time I pretended to lose my balance, he would always be the first to steady me. He would tell me to be careful, but his hand would linger. Until one day, I heard him on the phone calling a woman “Bella,” his tone affectionate. It turned out to be his former deputy team leader, Bella White. They were said to be childhood sweethearts. Bella was very beautiful, and everyone said they were a perfect match. I should have known better and given up. But at that time, I still had two lives left. Young and reckless, I thought I could always make it through three years. If I had known earlier that the second life would be used to save his teammate, and the third life would be ended by his own hands, I would have stayed far away from him from the very beginning. But alas, love is blind when you’re in it.
Bella had been Ryan’s partner since their special forces days. Everyone in the SAR team knew that they were once the most outstanding sniper and spotter. On the battlefield, a spotter and a sniper need to be in perfect sync to complete their missions. So after retiring from the military, Ryan and Bella joined the SAR team together, working in perfect harmony as if they were one person. I once secretly looked through Ryan’s old photo album. In the photos, Bella wore a uniform, her eyes bright and spirited, exuding a charm that ordinary people like me could never achieve. And Ryan stood beside her, looking down at her with such gentle eyes. Later, people in the team told me that Ryan had pursued Bella for five whole years. From boot camp to special forces, from training grounds to battlefields, everyone thought they would end up together. But in the end, Bella still rejected him. “We’re not suitable for each other. You deserve better,” she said. She said this just before a mission, and Ryan still loaded her bullets for her. They remained the best partners, as if nothing had happened. But in the dead of night, Ryan would practice shooting alone on the training ground until his fingers bled. Later, Bella voluntarily applied for a transfer to a remote SAR branch. On the day she left, Ryan stood outside the airport, watching her silhouette disappear into the security check. His fingers unconsciously fiddled with the ring he had never given her. The team said that was the most lost and dejected they had ever seen Ryan. I met Ryan six months after Bella left. At that time, he was like a dead pond, even his smile was cold. But I didn’t care. Young and impetuous, I thought time would wash away all the past. “He’s never had eyes for anyone else. You think he’s being gentle? That’s just his professional habit. Not just you, even those Instagram models who send him flowers, beautiful women, he smiles and accepts them, then throws them away as soon as they leave.” That’s what an old team member once told me. They couldn’t stand seeing me running to the SAR team time and time again, kindly warning me not to embarrass myself. But I didn’t believe them. I told myself that the past was in the past. Even if I was just continuing someone else’s story, I accepted it. Even the on-duty nurse at the SAR team couldn’t bear to watch anymore: “Lily, why don’t you understand? Ryan goes to the border to see Bella every year without fail. They may be separated by mountains and rivers, but their feelings are deeper than every day you spend by his side.” I really didn’t understand. I didn’t understand why Ryan would accept my pursuit, why he would marry me. Thinking back now, perhaps from the day I used my second life to save his teammate, he had already been planning something.
The rescue that changed everything happened in my second year of knowing Ryan. Heavy rain caused a landslide, burying an entire village. Ryan led the team at the forefront, with his lifelong friend Leo Sanders covering the rear. No one noticed the massive boulder teetering overhead. “Ryan!” Leo’s voice cut through the curtain of rain. The moment Leo pushed Ryan away, the boulder came crashing down. “No!” Ryan rushed towards the rubble like a madman, held back by three team members. Back at the SAR team compound, he knelt in the rain, his whole body shaking like a wounded animal. It was the first time I had seen him lose control. Ryan, who was always calm and composed, could actually be driven to such despair. Leo was Ryan’s brother in all but blood. They had grown up together, joined the military together, entered the special forces together, and later retired to join the SAR team together. Their relationship was closer than real brothers. When Leo was rescued, his heart had already stopped beating. The doctor said that even if they could save him, he would need a heart transplant, and the treatment would cost at least five million dollars. “Please, you must save him,” Ryan gripped the doctor’s hands, his voice hoarse. “I’ll find a way to pay, no matter how much it costs.” But he had only recently retired from the military, and his salary was mostly going towards his mortgage. His teammates pitched in, a thousand here, ten thousand there, but they only managed to gather half a million. I watched him pacing back and forth in the hospital corridor, his eyes bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept for days. “It should have been me,” he kept saying. “Why did he save me?” At that moment, I felt like I was suffocating from heartache. I couldn’t hold back anymore. “I can donate my heart,” I pushed open the door and walked in. “My tissue type is a perfect match for Leo.” Ryan jerked his head up. “Are you crazy?” His voice was raspy. “You’ll die!” I smiled at him and whispered in his ear: “Trust me, I have a superpower. I won’t die.” He still didn’t agree, but I went ahead with the surgery behind his back. Not only did I donate my heart, but also my liver and kidneys to a rich man’s daughter. The wealthy man transferred five million dollars to Ryan’s account. Three days later, I woke up. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ryan keeping vigil by my bedside. He hadn’t slept for three whole days. Dark circles under his eyes, yet he stubbornly refused to leave. “You’re awake,” his voice was hoarse as he carefully held my hand. “Does it hurt?” It was the first time I had seen him so gentle. Leo recovered quickly, and Ryan started visiting me in the hospital frequently. He would peel apples for me, help me drink water, his gaze so focused it made my heart tremble. Sometimes when I was asleep, I would feel someone gently kissing my forehead. He began to tell me his stories, about the fun times training with Leo when they were young, about the rigorous tests in the special forces, and about how much he feared losing important people. When he said these things, his eyes were gentle, but there was also something in them that I couldn’t quite understand. Later, he proposed to me. I nodded, tears streaming down my face. He kissed away the tears on my face and held me tight. After that, I applied to join the SAR team as a contract nurse, so I could be by his side. It was at this time that Bella was transferred back to the main team.
The day Bella returned, the entire SAR team was in a frenzy. She stood in front of the headquarters building, her military posture still impeccable, her pretty features now enhanced with a touch of mature charm. Ryan stood by the window on the third floor, watching for a full ten minutes. I stood behind him, seeing his hands tremble slightly. “Bella is truly a force to be reckoned with,” the team members gossiped. “She’s done great things at the border these past few years. I heard she even saved an entire village.” At the welcome party that night, Bella raised her glass to Ryan: “Captain Quinn, thank you for your care.” Ryan rarely got drunk, but that night he did. With reddened eyes, he said, “Welcome back.” Just these simple words made the entire table fall silent. Everyone knew how many years he had held back those words. I sat to the side, watching them smile at each other, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding. From that day on, Ryan started staying out late. He said he was preparing for some important rescue mission, but I knew he was helping Bella refamiliarize herself with all the equipment. I would make dinner and wait for him, but he’d say he was in a meeting. Yet colleagues told me they saw the captain taking Bella out for dinner, the two of them talking for hours. When I asked where he’d been, he would come over and kiss my forehead: “I was going over work with Bella. Don’t overthink it.” But I clearly saw his phone light up on the coffee table, a message from Bella. He instinctively turned off the screen, then held me tighter. He became increasingly gentle, so gentle it made me anxious. Every day he would bring home my favorite desserts, comfort me when I couldn’t sleep, and even took time off on my birthday to be with me. As if afraid I would overthink things, he started showing how much he cared for me in front of others. Sometimes in front of Bella, he would deliberately put his arm around me and kiss my forehead. But Bella’s smile was strange, as if she was watching a show. Was he trying to reassure me, or make her jealous?
A few months later, Leo, whom I had saved, finally passed away. The complications came too suddenly, and by the time they were discovered, it was too late for treatment. I clearly remember that day, Ryan kneeling by the hospital bed, holding Leo’s hand and saying, “I’m sorry, Leo. I failed to protect you.” After that, he started having insomnia. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and hold me tightly. “If only we had discovered the complications earlier,” he said, his eyes cold. “If only we could have saved him sooner.” I thought he was blaming himself, but I didn’t notice the resentment in his eyes when he looked at me. In his heart, if my ability to be reborn could have been used more timely, perhaps Leo wouldn’t have died. Days passed like this. I started having frequent nightmares, dreaming of Leo standing by the hospital bed asking me, “Why didn’t you save me earlier?” Ryan would hold me when I woke up startled, comforting me softly. But those kisses seemed to lack the warmth they once had. Until our wedding anniversary. I had just set the table when the emergency call came in. There had been a major landslide in the mountain area. Bella had led the advance team but was trapped inside. We rushed to the hospital. The doctor said, “Extensive internal organ damage. We need to transplant immediately.” I saw Ryan’s hands shaking, but his eyes were eerily calm. He turned to look at me with an expression I had never seen before. At that moment, I finally understood why he had been acting strange lately. But it was too late. “I’m sorry,” he said. As the anesthetic needle pierced my neck, I saw tears in his eyes. “You said you couldn’t die,” his voice was soft. “Bella’s different. She won’t survive a second time.” As I was pushed into the operating room, I heard him talking to the doctor: “Take the heart first.” As the scalpel cut into my body, I remembered what Leo had once said: “Ryan values loyalty, but once he’s set his mind on something, he’ll stop at nothing.” In fact, since Leo’s passing, Ryan had been calculating how to use my ability to be reborn. He was waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a reason to convince himself. And Bella was the perfect reason. The surgery was successful. My soul floated in the hospital corridor, watching two people being wheeled out of the operating room. One was Bella, with a stable heartbeat. The other was me, my body emptied. “Bella’s saved,” the nurse said. “The transplanted organs are in good condition.” Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes red-rimmed. He held Bella’s hand, keeping vigil for an entire night. I floated beside him, watching him tuck Bella in. His hands were steady, as if afraid of hurting her. Afterwards, he stood facing the window for a long time. “You’ve suffered,” he said, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. Who was he talking to? After I had died once to save Leo, he had kept vigil over me in the same way, saying the same words. But now, the body that had been pushed into the morgue didn’t even have a heart. “Captain Quinn,” the on-duty nurse called out to him, “What should we do with Ms. Hart’s remains?”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295608”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic
Leave a Reply