Chapter 1 Demi Moone Is Dead

Demi Moone was dead.

That day, when a big truck had collided with them, she had immediately reached out to protect Michelle Leary, her mother. However, Michelle had instantly tried to protect Demi's sister, Ana Pitt.

Demi could only watch helplessly as Michelle dragged Ana out of the car before slamming the car door shut with a bang.

That also cut off her only path to survival.

The flames engulfed her in its entirety, and Demi was burned alive.

As she listened to the sounds of her flesh burning, she saw her two brothers rushing toward Ana.

Not a single person remembered her.

Afterward, for some inexplicable reason, her soul had lingered around them for seven days.

On the first day, Ana, who was overwhelmed with fear, slept for an entire day and night. The Pitt family pulled every connection they could and summoned several top medical experts, all of whom waited on standby under bright lights.

…

The scene of the major car accident was fully cleared on the second day. Michelle received a call from the police asking about the identity of the corpse found in the luxury car registered under her name.

"A corpse?"

Demi knew her two brothers and her mother finally remembered her then, for their faces turned pale simultaneously.

Demi thought she would see remorse and pain in their expressions, but after a moment of deathly silence, she heard Michelle murmur, "She was our housekeeper."

…

On the third day, Stephen Pitt, her father, rushed back from abroad. After watching the footage of the car accident, he raised his hand and slapped Michelle across the face.

"Demi protected you, yet you still shut the car door in her face! She was our biological—"

"Dad!"

"Honey!"

When Ana's well-timed sob broke the tense silence, her brothers and Michelle hurriedly cut off Stephen's words.

…

The entire family returned to the Pitt residence on the fourth day. They had spent the whole day discussing how to handle Demi's body but couldn't reach a decision.

They feared that a grand funeral would invite outside speculation, but they also felt uneasy about taking it too lightly.

Amidst the stifling atmosphere, Demi's younger brother, Alex Pitt, returned home from his studies abroad.

He was unaware of the situation, so when he saw everyone silently sitting around, he asked curiously, "Why is everyone just sitting here and not saying anything? Where's Demi? I want to eat her cooking.

"Also, my limited-edition shoes need cleaning. She's lived in the countryside for 15 years, so this is the least she can do…"

…

By the fifth day, the Pitt family had devised the perfect solution. They held a press conference and portrayed Demi as a loyal housekeeper who had given her life to protect her bosses.

To honor her heroic sacrifice, they purchased the best cremation plot in the area for her and donated a substantial amount to all the victims of the car accident.

The Pitt family's reputation rose, and their company's stock prices skyrocketed. Everyone praised Ana for her brilliant idea and called her the Pitt family's lucky charm.

…

On the sixth day, Demi's charred remains were burned into ashes once more. Her ashes were solemnly laid to rest in front of the grieving faces of the Pitts and the flashing cameras of reporters.

Then, on the seventh day, Michelle secretly summoned an occultist in the dead of night. They proceeded to place a seal over her cold and desolate gravestone.

…

"Miss, you're finally awake! Your IV drip is done to the point where there's blood backflow. Why did you come for the drip alone?"

Demi groggily opened her eyes and spotted a little girl from the neighboring hospital bed staring at her with concern.

"Where are your parents? Didn't you call them to come with you?"

At that moment, Demi knew she had been reborn. She had been reborn to the very moment when the fire had consumed everything.

She could still feel the terrifying heat as the flames had engulfed her inside the car.

She touched her face and murmured, "I don't have parents."

The little girl felt like she had said something wrong. She wore an expression full of pity and was about to apologize when a nurse walked in.

The nurse was somewhat surprised to see Demi awake and reached out to feel her forehead.

"When you showed up at the hospital's entrance, your whole body was red, like you'd been boiled alive. The thermometer's reading was more than 170 degrees Fahrenheit. You scared us half to death! How did your fever go down so quickly?" she asked.

The girl beside them mumbled, "Our teacher said the human body gets damaged at just over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. How can anyone reach 170 degrees? The thermometer must've been broken."

"Very smart," Demi praised while smiling. "It definitely must've been an issue with the thermometer."

But Demi knew better—the thermometer wasn't broken.

When she had teleported out of the car, her body temperature had actually been close to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

She was still alive, and she had managed to teleport because, at the exact moment the fire had engulfed her, the Demi from the world of cultivation had awakened and returned to this body.

Chapter 2 She's a Cultivator and an Alchemist

Demi remained in the hospital for three days. She should have been able to leave after she woke up, but because she had first arrived at the hospital with an abnormally high body temperature—and had self-healed too quickly—a group of experts from the hospital had insisted on researching her blood.

After extensive tests, it was confirmed that there was nothing unusual, so they reluctantly allowed her to leave.

…

As the sun began to set, Demi suddenly appeared outside the gate of a courtyard—she had used teleportation.

Demi took a deep breath and pushed open the gate.

This was Margaret Moone's home. Margaret was the elderly lady who had raised her.

Demi was a daughter of the Pitts. As for why she carried the family name "Moone", it was because she was abandoned in the countryside for some reason, where she had suffered hardship at the hands of her adoptive parents.

At the age of nine, her cruel adoptive parents had planned to sell her to a fool as a child bride, but she had managed to escape.

Later on, Margaret, who had been scavenging, had taken her in.

When Demi was 15 years old, she was found and taken back by the Pitt family.

However, Ana, the adopted daughter of the Pitts, was greatly affected by this incident. She fell ill and even thought about suicide.

Thus, the Pitts discussed this with Demi and decided to have her pretend to be a housekeeper in the household before officially acknowledging her after some time.

Demi waited for a year, but even after her death, the Pitt family never acknowledged her.

The courtyard was quiet. When Demi pushed open the door, she saw her grandmother lying peacefully on the bed.

Margaret's face was ashen, and her frail body beneath the blanket was reduced to skin and bones. Her breathing was also faint.

Demi didn't need to diagnose her to know that Margaret was ill and in an unconscious state.

In Demi's previous life, Margaret's health had already been poor even before Demi had gone with the Pitt family. Margaret suffered from countless major and minor illnesses, but she had never gotten any proper treatment as they had no money.

In her previous life, Demi had stayed with the Pitts not only because she had longed for familial affection but also to earn money to treat her younger brother and Margaret.

Not only had Margaret taken Demi in, she had also adopted a younger son, Timothy Moone, who was autistic and likewise couldn't afford treatment.

Back then, Demi used to think that if she could save a bit more money, she could return to take Margaret to see a doctor.

Who would have thought that after her soul left her body in that fire and wandered around the Pitts for seven days, she would cross over into the world of cultivation?

In that world, she became an alchemist, cultivated for 300 years, and then inexplicably crossed back into the real world.

In the other world, there was no illness she had been unable to cure. So, Margaret's illness shouldn't be a problem either.

Demi thanked the heavens for giving her this chance. She placed her hands on Margaret's wrist and gently closed her eyes as she began diagnosing Margaret's condition.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside.

A trace of joy appeared on Demi's face. She opened her eyes, and sure enough, she saw her younger brother, Timothy, returning.

Timothy was carrying a basket of ragweed on his back. When he saw Demi, he froze in place. His eyes widened in confusion, and his mouth was agape.

Demi was confused. Why was he looking at her as if he didn't recognize her?

The two of them stared at each other for a long time before she finally realized that her current appearance was worlds apart from how she looked in her previous life before the fire.

In the 300 years she had spent in the world of cultivation, she had consumed numerous rare herbs. Moreover, one of her seniors had crafted countless beauty-enhancing and anti-aging pills for her that she had practically eaten like meals.

When combined with her cultivation, her body and appearance had been completely transformed. Her current appearance looked like a former version of herself but with a ton of beauty filters applied.

Demi approached Timothy and gently patted his head. She said softly, "Timmy, it's me. Your sister is back."

Timothy hadn't seen Demi in a long time. He thought that since she had gone to live a good life with a wealthy family, it made sense that she would undergo a transformation and become more beautiful. Besides, her voice hadn't changed, so he was certain that she really was his sister.

He reached out and grasped Demi's wrist before glancing back and forth between Margaret and Demi with reddened eyes.

Although he didn't say anything, Demi understood what he meant.

"It's okay. I'm back now, and I'll help Grandma get treated." Demi stroked Timothy's head while gently comforting him.

Chapter 3 Meeting the Pitts Again

A few days later, Demi received a call inviting her to participate in a show called "I Love Nature: A Live Variety Show".

Ana was a famous celebrity, and Demi had been her assistant in her past life.

Once, when the crew was short of an extra actress, the director had asked Demi to step in. As a result, by sheer coincidence, she had begun acting too, though only in small villainous roles.

It wasn't until she met a director named Matt Hahn that things changed.

Matt had thought that she was perfect for the lead role in "Moonlight", which he had been filming at the time. That was the only movie in which Demi had starred in as the female lead in her previous life.

She could say that Matt was her benefactor for recognizing her talent and giving her an opportunity.

Thus, she agreed to the invitation.

…

Demi went to the address given by the crew and entered a café in town.

As soon as she entered, she saw a few members of the Pitt family there. Ana and Michelle were there, along with Demi's two brothers, Daniel Pitt and Thomas Pitt.

They were sitting with their backs to her and facing a middle-aged man.

Demi recalled what had happened.

In her past life, Ana had been invited to participate in this very show. The Pitt family was worried about her being mistreated, so they had gone to make sure that Thomas, who was already an A-list celebrity in the entertainment industry, could also join the show to protect her.

With a look of hesitation and concern on her face, Michelle asked the director across from her, "Mr. Jameson, your show seems quite dangerous, no? If it's too dangerous, my daughter won't participate."

Richard Jameson, the director of "I Love Nature", replied with a smile, "It might get a little tough, but we have all the necessary security measures in place to ensure the safety of our participants."

"What events and setups will the program have? I'd like to hear more," Michelle said.

"Mrs. Pitt, please wait a moment. I have another celebrity to meet, and then I'll explain everything to you together," Richard said, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

Michelle looked a little displeased by this, but she maintained her composure while elegantly sipping on her coffee.

Just then, the old phone in Demi's pocket rang. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before answering the call, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Demi, where are you? Are you almost here?" Richard asked.

"I'm here," Demi replied calmly before walking toward Richard's table with steady steps.

Demi?

When the Pitt family members heard that name, their expressions immediately changed, and they subconsciously turned to look behind them. Then, they saw Demi, who was perfectly intact, approaching them.

Instantly, the Pitt family members began trembling, and their faces were filled with shock. Michelle even spat out the coffee from her mouth.

Was that Demi? She was fine? Could this person just share the same name and appearance as the Demi they knew?

After all, they had seen Demi being engulfed by the fire in the footage. Although they couldn't find her body, she would've had burns on her face and body even if she survived, right?

But the person before them had smooth skin and no injuries at all. Moreover, she seemed to have completely transformed—she was more beautiful than before. She was so stunning that they couldn't look away.

Michelle's and the Pitt family members' minds were reeling in chaos. They didn't even bother to wipe up the coffee that Michelle had spat out.

The eldest son, Daniel, was seated next to Michelle. The coffee had not only spilled on her but also on him.

"Here! Demi, right? Over here!" Richard stood up and waved at Demi.

Demi quickened her pace and walked over.

"Demi, I'm Richard Jameson, the director of 'I Love Nature!'" Richard extended his hand to Demi.

"Hello, I'm Demi Moone," Demi said as she reached out to shake hands with Richard.

"Come and sit here." Richard gestured for Demi to sit next to him as the opposite side was taken up by the Pitts.

The Pitts stared at Demi, seemingly stunned into fools. They confirmed that it really was Demi.

She was fine. But if she was fine, why didn't she go home? Was she intentionally making them worry?

When Michelle thought about this, she felt her anger surge.

Over the past few days, because of her mistake, she had been internally condemning herself every day. Her husband had slapped her, and she couldn't lift her head up in front of him.

The police had also suspected her of deliberately closing the car door and causing Demi's death. Since the body hadn't been found, they had interrogated her with a fixed bias, and she had lost all her dignity.

Michelle had been living in hell for the past few days.

Meanwhile, Demi was fine, but she had remained silent and was now leisurely coming to meet with the director.

Was Demi taking revenge on them?

Michelle trembled with rage at that thought.

"What's wrong?" Richard asked, looking at the Pitt family with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing," Daniel replied. He was the first to snap back to reality. He then nudged Michelle and his younger brother, Thomas, with his elbows.

"Demi, you're fine? If you were fine, why didn't you return…" Thomas became slightly agitated, and his tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

Daniel quickly turned around and nudged him hard with his elbow, signaling him to be careful with his words.

Thomas held back from saying the word "home" and rephrased his sentence. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"How dare you have the nerve to discuss this with me here?" Demi looked up and gazed coldly at the four people in front of her.

In this life, because she had returned just in time, her body hadn't been found in the car. Thus, the issue of the Pitt family and the media manipulating the situation, as in her past life, didn't occur.

However, it was true that the car door was indeed slammed shut and had cut off her path to survival.

The Pitt family was at a loss for words. The four of them immediately became guilty and flustered.

"We should talk about the contract with Mr. Jameson first." Daniel, an experienced president, quickly regained his composure.

Once he calmed himself, he noticed the coffee stains on him and Michelle. He hurriedly grabbed some tissues to help both of them wipe off the stains.

"My apologies. Due to time constraints, I've invited you all here together," Richard said in an apologetic tone.

Actually, the real reason why Richard had decided to discuss the contracts with both Ana and Demi was because he knew Demi was Ana's assistant.

But now, the atmosphere around them seemed somewhat off.

Richard continued, "Let me first explain the gist of our show."

It was a show where celebrities experienced rural life and went on outdoor adventures, visited remote and desolate places, and were made to fend for themselves.

Michelle frowned when she heard this. "Isn't that too tiring?"

At that moment, Demi asked, "Can you give me the contract? I want to take a look, and if there are no issues, I'll sign it."

When they heard this, the Pitt family couldn't help but look at Demi.

Michelle was slightly upset. She felt that Demi was deliberately blocking her from saying anything. She was asking a question, but Demi was talking about signing the contract. It was almost a direct insult to her.

Richard quickly handed the contract to Demi.

Daniel's gaze flickered slightly, and then he said, "Give us the contract to take a look at as well."

Richard also hurriedly handed the contract over to Daniel.

Daniel flipped through it briefly before handing it over to the two lawyers sitting at a nearby table. "Mr. Rodney, Mr. King, take a look for us."

The two lawyers quickly took it, huddled together, and studied it carefully.

As they read, they raised questions like how safety would be guaranteed, whether Ana could opt out of certain dangerous activities, what would happen if the show breached the contract, and what to do if Ana wished to terminate the contract.

Meanwhile, Demi flipped through the pages quickly, barely glancing at each one.

It wasn't that she wasn't studying it carefully, but her Divine Sense was so strong now that she could absorb all the information with just a glance.

The Pitt family couldn't help but glance at her.

Demi focused on the compensation section. She saw that each episode would pay her 30 thousand dollars, which matched her current worth.

This was an acceptable contract.

Demi turned to Richard and asked, "Sir, do you have a pen? I'll sign it."

Simultaneously, one of the lawyers asked, "Ms. Ana's compensation of eight million dollars per episode is a bit low, isn't it?"

Chapter 4 Severed Ties with the Pitts

"Oh! We can discuss that," Richard said, first addressing the Pitts. He then turned to Demi and asked, "What did you just say?"

"Just lend me your pen, and I'll sign it," Demi repeated calmly.

The Pitt family looked at her. They wanted to ask her if she was really going to sign it so casually. Did she even understand the contract?

"Here." Richard handed her his pen.

Richard was actually somewhat surprised by Demi's decisiveness.

Even though she was currently a minor celebrity, she had just finished working on a film with Matt. Once the movie was released, her status would rise. Shouldn't she at least negotiate for better terms?

Their program usually started out with a low offer as they expected the guests to ask for more. Additionally, the initial contracts often included harsh conditions.

Perhaps it was because Demi was young and without an agent, and maybe she didn't understand such things. After all, she hadn't even bothered to review the contract.

Demi's straightforwardness—or maybe recklessness—stood out even more, especially when compared to Ana. If she ever encountered bad people, she might not even know she was being taken advantage of.

Demi took the pen from Richard without hesitation and swiftly signed her name with a few strokes.

Daniel finally spoke up after hesitating for a few seconds. He said, "Demi, don't rush to sign it just yet. Give the contract to me, and let me have our lawyer review it."

Demi looked up and gazed at Daniel as if he were a lunatic. Then, she lowered her head again and coldly mocked, "What relationship do I have with your family to use your lawyer?"

Daniel, Michelle, and the others were all stunned by this.

Demi raised her head and sneered at the four of them. She then handed Richard the contract and pen back.

Richard quickly flipped through the contract, admiring her nice, elegant signature. He confirmed that all the necessary signatures were there.

"Demi, I still need two copies of your ID. Did you bring it with you?" Richard asked.

She paused slightly, then apologized, "I'm sorry. My ID and phone were…"

Demi was about to say they were lost, but after catching a glimpse of the displeased and resentful expressions on the Pitt family's faces, she changed her words.

She continued, "Burned in the fire. I'll get it replaced and send it to you, okay?"

Demi thought the Pitts were being utterly ridiculous. She, the victim, had said nothing, yet they looked aggrieved and indignant as if she was the one who locked them in the burning car.

Especially Michelle—her gaze made it seem like Demi was some kind of heartless traitor.

"Sure," Richard agreed without any further questions.

After all, Demi was so straightforward, and he didn't want to seem nitpicky.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now," Demi said as she stood up.

"Alright. I'll have someone send you the program's schedule later," Richard told her.

"Okay." Demi nodded before turning and striding out of the room.

Thomas, who was sitting at the edge of the group, hesitated for a moment before standing up and chasing after her.

"Demi!" Thomas caught up with her outside.

She didn't even turn her head back as she replied, "Get lost!"

Thomas quickened his pace and stopped in front of her.

He angrily asked her, "Since you're fine, why didn't you come back? Do you know we thought you… you… Do you know how heartbroken and guilty we've been? Your mom cried so much that her eyes became swollen!"

Demi's lips curved slightly into a mocking smile. "You guys were so heartbroken that it took a full day and night before anyone noticed I was missing. If the police hadn't called, I would've been completely forgotten, right?

"You would've told them I was just a housekeeper, wouldn't you? And after just a few days, you have the energy to sit here and carefully negotiate Ana's contract with the director."

"How did you know about this?" Thomas asked.

The Pitt family was shocked, and then they were angered. "So, you really escaped from the car and followed us home, huh? Just because you blame us, you intentionally hid and refused to show your face to make us feel guilty.

"Look at how we've been interrogated by the police every single day and how consumed with guilt we were. Are you satisfied now?"

"You're truly calculating and malicious. Why can't you learn from Ana and be as simple as her?"

Demi snorted. "I'm a Moone, after all. I could never learn the Pitt family's art of 'righteousness before loyalty.' Nor could I learn from Ana how to steal someone else's place and play the innocent victim!"

The four Pitts were nearly fuming with rage, but Demi's pointed use of "righteousness before loyalty" clearly referred to how Michelle had deliberately locked the car door during the fire.

They dared not press further as they were afraid that Demi would bring it up now.

Still, Thomas felt humiliated and lashed out, "Just because we're upset doesn't mean we can't handle other matters!"

Demi sneered and coldly said, "Let's reverse the roles. If Ana had been burned alive—or if you thought she had—would you still have the energy to come with me and help me negotiate a contract?"

Thomas had nothing to say to that.

"Thomas, go back and tell your family this. From now on, the Pitts and I have completely severed ties. We're done, and all the bridges have been burned! If we meet again, we're nothing but strangers!"

Demi's expression was dark and looked as icy as a tundra.