1 I was working my usual delivery route when I stumbled upon a young couple having a massive argument in the middle of the street. The girl slammed a bag of expensive cherries onto the asphalt, her finger practically boring a hole into the young man’s nose as she screamed about how useless he was. Right then, a cascade of glowing text started scrolling across my vision like live chat comments on a streaming video. Oh, my poor baby girl! Please don’t be mad at him just because he couldn’t buy you that designer handbag. He’s been hauling bricks at a construction site all day! Just wait until he gets his memories back and returns to his billionaire family! This is the classic bratty-heroine trope. She throws tantrums, and he just spoils her rotten. He only endures her because she saved his life. He’s just dirt-poor right now. Don’t worry, this cheap rental-apartment phase will pass soon. I quietly picked up the cherries that were still intact, brushed them off, and slipped them into a plastic bag. Then, I walked over and handed them to the young man—the billionaire heir in disguise. If he was the kind of male lead who paid back his debts of gratitude with interest, then I definitely needed to get in on this action. Young master, your loyal servant has arrived! 2 Xavier had just been scolded to within an inch of his life by Sasha. He stood there with his head bowed, a dark, gloomy shadow hanging over his eyes, when he suddenly registered my presence. I handed him the bag of salvaged cherries. “Take them,” I said. “Cherries are expensive. Even if she doesn’t want them, you should eat some yourself.” Xavier stared at me for a second before offering a low, raspy, “Thank you.” Sasha, standing off to the side, immediately bristled. “I threw those away! Why are you picking them up? I told you, I don’t want cherries! I want a designer bag!” “You promised me, Xavier! Where is my bag?” Even face-to-face with such unreasonable behavior, Xavier did not lose his temper. He kept his head down, his voice quiet as he tried to explain. “I was supposed to get a bonus, but I missed a few shifts last week. I will save up and buy it for you soon, I promise.” Sasha snatched the bag of cherries from his hands, raising her arm to fling them away again. “Are you blaming me for you missing work? You always have an excuse!” I stepped in, raising my hands to catch the bag before she could throw it. “Actually, I’ve never tasted cherries before. If you two are just going to throw them away, could I have them?” Sasha tossed the bag to me with a haughty sniff. “Whatever. I was going to throw them in the trash anyway. Eat them if you want.” She turned on her heel, preparing to head back to their building. “It’s too hot out here. I’m going back to the AC.” “If you don’t get me that bag by the end of the week, I’m never speaking to you again!” 3 With Sasha’s dramatic exit, Xavier and I were left standing on the sidewalk, staring at each other. Xavier motioned toward the bag in my hands. “Go ahead and take them.” I noticed he was standing around, waiting for his afternoon shift at the nearby construction site to start. The scorching midday sun had already left him looking pale and exhausted. I walked over to a nearby public faucet, thoroughly washed the cherries, and walked back to him. “I can’t just eat your expensive fruit for free,” I said, offering the bag. “Let’s share.” “It’s a waste to let them sit. Besides, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you?” It was the peak of the afternoon heat, the only break the construction workers got all day. Instead of eating, Xavier had spent his entire break buying cherries and arguing with Sasha. “We are both working-class people,” I urged him. “If you don’t eat, you’ll pass out on the job, and then you’ll lose a whole day’s wages.” My practical reasoning finally got through to him. He reached into the bag and began eating the cherries with me. While we ate, my eyes caught his work schedule sticking out of his pocket. I was genuinely shocked by his grueling hours. “You must make a decent amount with all these shifts, right?” Xavier looked slightly embarrassed. “My expenses are high.” “I want to save up for a house and a car. I guess I’m just not working hard enough.” Once the cherries were gone, he wiped his hands and headed back to the construction site. I watched his retreating figure, deeply amused. Not working hard enough? You are a billionaire heir, young master. You have probably never worked this hard in your entire life. But don’t worry. Your loyal future assistant is on her way. 4 After finishing my evening delivery shifts, I set out to find Xavier to build up some goodwill. Thanks to the scrolling comments in my vision, I could easily pinpoint his exact location. The text was constantly debating and analyzing his life, sometimes scrolling so fast it made my eyes hurt. It was late at night, and I had already finished my workday. I saw Xavier preparing to head back into the construction site. “You’re working the night shift too?” I asked, genuinely shocked. Since the cherry incident, we had established a casual, friendly report. “They pay a little extra to have someone watch the site at night,” Xavier explained. “I can organize the bricks while I’m here. I need to make whatever I can.” I let out a soft sigh. This kind of off-the-books night watch was technically a labor violation, but the site manager and Xavier had a silent agreement. “You should stop hauling bricks at night,” I told him gently. “The pay might be decent, but it’s incredibly dangerous to work in the dark when you’re already exhausted.” “I know a recycling scrap yard nearby that is looking for a night watchman. The pay is definitely better than what you’re making here.” I had been eyeing that job myself for a long time. But it was a strict overnight shift, which did not fit my delivery schedule. Xavier, who was already working illegal night shifts, was the perfect candidate. Xavier hesitated. “I don’t have an ID.” I blinked. In this day and age, how could someone be a legal ghost? Immediately, a flurry of comments scrolled across my eyes. Oh, the heroine lied to him! She told him he has a criminal record so he’d be too terrified to go to the police station for a new ID. In reality, his wealthy family isn’t stupid. The moment he registers for a new ID, they’ll track him down instantly. There’s no way they’d let him haul bricks in the dirt. The heroine hasn’t fully secured his heart yet, so she’s terrified of him returning to his family. His amnesia was literally caused by her! She’s pushing him away while keeping him close. This toxic dynamic is so good. So that was the truth. To keep their little romance going, these people really went to extreme lengths. They practically treated their lovers like hostages. “Do you want to get one?” I asked cautiously. “The local precinct is just down the road.” Seeing the sudden flicker of hesitation and fear in Xavier’s eyes, I realized he did not trust me enough yet. I decided not to push. “Well, the manager at the scrap yard is a close friend of mine. He won’t require an ID. I can introduce you.” If the heroine could manipulate him to build affection, so could I. Once he returned to his family, he would surely remember the person who had thrown him a lifeline when he was at his absolute lowest. 5 I successfully got Xavier hired at the scrap yard. He looked slightly embarrassed as he thanked me. “I’m really sorry for putting you to so much trouble.” I waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. You shared those expensive cherries with me, and I’d never had them before.” Xavier murmured, “I hadn’t had them before either.” I fell silent for a moment. He had amnesia, so he genuinely believed he was poor. But I was actually living in poverty. The night was long and quiet. The scrap yard only required attention when clients arrived with deliveries, so Xavier spent most of his time sitting in the small office. He actually initiated a conversation with me. “Have you always made a living as a delivery driver?” I nodded. “I had no choice. I graduated right into a terrible job market, and my family is drowned in debt. I had to do whatever paid immediately.” Xavier said softly, “I don’t remember my past, but I have a feeling my family was deeply in debt too.” If only you knew you were a billionaire heir. Yet, here he was, guarding a heap of scrap metal in a dusty yard after a full day of manual labor. If he didn’t have the broad shoulders, narrow waist, and perfect physical build of a romance novel protagonist, he probably would have collapsed from sheer exhaustion by now. This was undoubtedly the darkest period of his life. But I did not pity him. I was in a pretty miserable state myself. I was only acting as a good Samaritan because I had a clear goal in mind. I reached into the office locker and handed him a clean, folded shirt. “Your shirt has a massive tear in the back. You should change.” Xavier took the shirt, thanking me profusely. I truly could not comprehend the mindset of a man who refused to buy himself a cheap new shirt but was willing to kill himself working night shifts to buy a designer handbag for his girlfriend. Perhaps that was the mysterious power of love. As a broke, practical person, it was entirely beyond my understanding. “I’ll bring you some breakfast in the morning,” I told him. “If anything comes up, just call my number.” “The job is simple. A lot of people bring in scrap metal overnight, so you just need to log their names, the weight of the scrap, and the payout amount.” Xavier nodded seriously, noting down every instruction. “Thank you, Valerie.” Suddenly, the comments in my vision started scrolling frantically. Who is this girl? Is she a romantic rival? No, she’s not even in the original novel! The heroine was supposed to apologize to him at the construction site tonight, but this random girl took him to a scrap yard! The plot is completely derailed! Ugh, I don’t want to see another woman near the male lead. Xavier is gone for the entire night. The heroine is going to throw a massive fit tomorrow! I love seeing powerful men submit to their lovers! How dare this minor NPC interfere with our leads’ relationship? I rolled my eyes mentally. Interfere? I was just trying to survive. I just wanted Xavier to remember my kindness. Once he returned to his penthouse, all I needed was a tiny crumb of his wealth to escape my own financial ruin. 6 Xavier had barely finished his first overnight shift when Sasha tracked him down. My uncle, who managed the scrap yard, called me in a panic, his voice dripping with frustration. “Valerie, where did you find this guy? He hasn’t even finished a single shift, and his family is already here causing a massive scene!” When I rushed over to the scrap yard, Sasha was in the middle of a screaming tantrum. “Are you trying to abandon me? Why didn’t you come home last night?” “Didn’t we agree that you have to be with me every single night?” Xavier had left her a detailed note along with a hot meal before his shift, but Sasha was completely inconsolable. She had finally brought herself to go to the construction site to apologize, only to find him gone. Xavier tried to calm her down. “This is a new job I found. It pays much better than the night watch at the construction site.” Sasha refused to listen. She covered her ears, screaming that she wanted both her designer bag and him at home immediately, behaving as if she wanted to split Xavier into two people. Xavier remained incredibly patient, offering endless explanations without a single hint of anger. Living in that cramped apartment together had clearly fostered a deep, intense affection between them. But I was not there to watch a romantic drama. I had a job to protect. “Miss, this is a place of business,” I said, stepping between them. “Please leave the premises.” Sasha glared at me, her eyes narrowing. “You again! Do you think Xavier is handsome? What is your actual angle here?” I shrugged. “The rules are simple. If you keep disrupting our work, we will have to let him go.” “Why don’t you try asking around this neighborhood? See if any other business is willing to hire a guy with no ID. If he gets caught working illegally elsewhere, he might end up in a holding cell.” Sasha’s expression instantly faltered, a flash of genuine panic crossing her face. Xavier added, “The job is great, Sasha. I can buy you that bag much sooner this way.” Sasha bit her lip, looking uneasy. “Fine, whatever. You can work here.” She pointed a finger at me, her voice sharp. “But I’m warning you, don’t you dare try to steal my boyfriend!” 7 I looked at myself, then back at Sasha. “Are you really that insecure?” I asked, amused. Sasha was undeniably beautiful. Even in a simple pair of denim jeans, she looked like a delicate princess who had accidentally wandered into the real world. But comparing herself to me was completely pointless. Once Xavier recovered his memories and returned to his family, she would have to face a swarm of incredibly wealthy, highly educated heiresses competing for his attention. Sasha sniffed, letting out a dramatic yawn. “I’m exhausted. I’m going back to sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep, my skin is going to ruin.” “And since you weren’t home last night, nobody was there to boil hot water for me. How was I supposed to take a shower? I am so sick of that cheap apartment.” Xavier immediately began apologizing again, a look of profound exhaustion and embarrassment crossing his handsome face. “I’m sorry. Can you try to shower a bit earlier next time? I promise I’ll have the water ready for you before I leave for my shift.” The comments in my vision flared up again. She is so bratty! I love this dynamic! The heroine is so delicate. Since she saved his life and is his only anchor in the world, she has every right to be arrogant. Honestly, the moment he goes to work, we lose all the cute, domestic moments. But it’s still satisfying to see him act like her devoted servant even when he’s exhausted, spending all his money on her. Even though Sasha’s demands were utterly ridiculous, Xavier continued to coax her gently. As long as Sasha kept Xavier hidden away in that tiny apartment, his grueling, miserable routine would continue indefinitely. I felt a sudden wave of disgust at the entire situation. The young man had a life of luxury waiting for him, yet he was being forced to endure manual labor and emotional abuse just to satisfy her selfish desire to keep him to herself. All for the sake of some romantic fantasy, a brilliant young man was being dragged into the dirt. I, too, was being dragged down by my father’s debts, working myself to the bone without a single second of relief. I turned to Sasha, but my words were directed entirely at Xavier. “I saw a flyer on the bulletin board down the street. The Kingsley family is offering a massive reward for their missing son. The sketch on the poster looks exactly like you, Xavier. Do you think it’s possible you’re him?” Sasha’s face instantly went paper-white. Her voice trembled with panic. “What… what are you talking about?” She grabbed Xavier’s hand, dragging him toward the exit. “We are leaving. We’re not working here anymore!” “Let’s go home!”
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