I Died in the Year I Loved Him the Most

I woke up to find myself ten years in the past. Ethan Shaw, my husband, had just told me he’d traveled back in time from the future. He slapped me hard across the face: “Ten years from now, you’ll betray me and sell out our family business to our competitors, you bitch!” He claimed that in the future, only his first love Olivia Parker truly loved him. To cure a gravely ill Olivia, he believed in some quack remedy and took me, five months pregnant, to an illegal clinic. He forcibly removed our unborn child, just to use the placenta as medicine for Olivia. I finally gave up on him. Since he claimed I would betray him to his competitors in ten years, why not do it now? I rushed to his office, seeing him for the first time since my “rebirth.” With a lump in my throat, I said: “Ethan, I’m sorry.” After a brief moment of shock, his expression turned cold. “Go ahead, tell me how you’re going to torment me this time.” During that final explosion in my past life, I remember Ethan didn’t make it out. He knelt beside me, always impeccably dressed, and said: “Olivia, don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.” He was 38 years old then. Worth hundreds of millions, he gave it all up without hesitation. To die with me in the inferno. … It was a midsummer evening, the setting sun blood-red outside the window. A stuffy breeze blew into the room. I woke from my dream, sitting dazed on the bed. The clock in the corner ticked away, the calendar lying quietly on the desk. “Ma’am, Mr. Shaw called earlier to say he won’t be home tonight,” the housekeeper’s voice came from the living room, calm and peaceful. I looked down at the shiny new wedding ring on my finger. I closed my eyes briefly. I had really returned to ten years ago. The raging inferno from before my death, and the warm, strong embrace – it had all felt so real. In our final moments, Ethan had told me: “Don’t be afraid, Olivia. I waited too long for you in this life. In the next one, I’ll find you much sooner.” Was this a dream or reality? I pinched myself hard, feeling a dull pain in my thigh. The sound of a car horn outside jolted me from my confused thoughts. After the initial shock, a wave of lingering pain and bitterness washed over me. A misunderstanding, fabricated by others, had caused me to hate Ethan for many years. During that time, his business rivals used every tactic to undermine him. Barely giving him room to breathe. At home, I treated him coldly, so he rarely came back. Ethan’s parents had died young, and he had few relatives. He guarded a business empire alone, living half a lifetime that way. Later, when the misunderstanding was cleared up, we had a brief period of happiness, even expecting a child. But before I could tell him about the pregnancy, we met with an untimely death. … “Ma’am, the flowers have arrived. Are you ready to leave?” the housekeeper came in to ask. “What?” My mind was still in a confused state. “The flowers. Weren’t you going to visit Mr. Brown?” Noah Brown… Hearing that name suddenly, I was stunned. A thread emerged from the tangled mess in my mind. So it was this day. Noah Brown was my childhood friend. He was also a talented actor. But unfortunately… an “accident” left him with severe burns all over his body, requiring long-term hospitalization. In my past life on this day, I had gone to the hospital with a bouquet of flowers. After spending Noah’s birthday with him, I left the hospital to find Ethan sitting in his car, a cigarette burned down to the filter between his fingers, completely unaware. I didn’t want to explain anything, I didn’t even want to see him. “Olivia.” Ethan noticed me, stubbed out his cigarette, and got out of the car, his tone melancholic. “…Today is my birthday.” I stopped, turning back to look at him coldly, “So?” Ethan’s dark eyes gazed at me, saying nothing. I said: “Today is also Noah’s birthday. To marry me, you used any means necessary, ruining his face and his future. How do you expect me to treat you?” Ethan opened his mouth, explaining futilely: “That was just an accident…” “If you hadn’t invited him that day, he wouldn’t still be lying in the hospital. How can I believe it was an accident?” Ethan fell silent, finally saying to me: “I’m sorry.” From that day on, my relationship with Ethan took a sharp downward turn. We began a long and painful cold war. Later, I learned that the “accident” even Ethan believed to be true was merely a scheme by certain people to drive a wedge between us. “I’ve already put everything in the car for you, ma’am. If we leave any later, we’ll hit traffic.” The housekeeper came back to call me. Outside, the sun was half-set, the light growing dim. I came to my senses, hurriedly putting on a coat and getting into the car, suddenly realizing that this was ten years ago – everything could still be changed. The driver merged into traffic, “The road to the hospital is already jammed. Should I call Mr. Brown and ask him to wait a bit…?” “We’re not going to the hospital,” I said, gazing at the changing traffic lights outside the window. “Go to the office.” … Actually, I didn’t have much impression of Ethan’s company. When I was young and hated him, I never came once. Later when I loved him, he was being targeted by enemies, surrounded by danger, so I didn’t dare visit. Now as I stood among the towering office buildings, I felt lost. Which one was his office building? Passersby curiously eyed me: holding a huge bouquet, dressed elegantly, made up – I looked like a girl about to confess her love. Feeling uncomfortable, I took out my phone and pulled up Ethan’s contact. Just his full name, not even listed as an emergency contact. I pressed dial, expecting to wait a while. But after just two short rings, he picked up. His cool, distant voice came through the receiver: “What is it?” Hearing his voice again, my eyes suddenly grew hot, my own voice choking up. “Ethan, where’s your office? I can’t find it…” The passersby looked at me even more strangely. A woman who couldn’t find her husband’s office, standing on the curb, sobbing loudly. There seemed to be a meeting going on on Ethan’s end. He paused briefly, saying: “We’ll stop here for today.” Then he said to me: “Go stand on the sidewalk. I’ll come down.” A few minutes later, Ethan walked out of an office building. His tall figure cut through the neon lights, impeccably dressed in a suit, refined and aloof. In contrast, looking in a mirror, my eyeliner had run down with my tears, making me look like the lead in a horror movie. Damn, it was all ruined. “Why are you here?” His tone was flat, almost cold. I turned around. The tall, handsome man was looking at me coolly, his pupils reflecting my ghastly face, his expression stiffening slightly. No matter when, Ethan was always impeccably put together. Like a flower blooming on a cliff edge, untouched by a speck of dust. “I’m sorry,” I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. “I’ve disturbed you…” “Today…” He only said two words, not continuing. I knew what he wanted to say. Today I should be spending Noah’s birthday with him, not appearing here. But it did remind me of something. I shoved the flowers into his arms, mumbling: “Happy birthday.” A long silence. I snuck a glance at him, seeing him staring at the bouquet, not looking very happy. After a while, he raised a bitter, mocking smile. “Olivia, these are the ones he didn’t want, right?” “What?” I realized his mood was off, my gaze suddenly falling on the bouquet, my heart sinking. Oh no! Ice blue roses. The flower meaning was: I’ll give you the stars and sea. Noah’s favorite was also the stars and sea. My memories were so jumbled upon waking that I had been single-mindedly focused on finding Ethan, overlooking these details. “I’m sorry, I—” “Thank you for the birthday gift.” Ethan’s tone was almost stiff. “It’s getting late. Have the driver take you home.” He turned to leave. I quickly grabbed the hem of his jacket. “Wait!” Ethan hadn’t expected me to do this. Unable to stop in time, he stumbled, causing me to lose balance and crash hard into his back. The back of his designer suit now had colorful stains. Ethan turned back, staring at my fingers for a long time in silence. I stubbornly insisted, “Ethan, I’m not going back.” His expression was desolate as he asked, “Olivia, how are you going to torment me this time?” That question was really hard to answer. In my memories, Ethan and I had just gotten married, and I was fighting with him. I was 23, he was 28. The arguments were almost entirely one-sided output from me. I said whatever hurtful things came to mind. Even when giving him gifts on holidays, I deliberately chose things that would hurt him. I was like the boy who cried wolf. After calling “wolf” too many times, he stopped believing me. Thinking back to how I had handled things in my past life after the misunderstanding was cleared up, my methods had been quite direct and crude – just pouncing on him was enough. This man may look cold, but he was surprisingly easy to coax. But that method might not work right now. Besides, Ethan had endured too much torment and grievance. I wanted to make amends somehow. After pondering for a while, I said: “Let me treat you to a meal.” Ethan lowered his eyes coldly, “No need. I have work tonight.” “Then let’s order takeout!” I shamelessly followed behind him. “I’ll order you some longevity noodles.” Ethan said nothing, not even acknowledging me. He still clutched that bouquet tightly in his hand. Passing a trash can, I thought he would throw it in without hesitation, but he didn’t. I followed him all the way into his office. It was empty. A cold boxed meal lay untouched on his desk. Was this how he planned to get through the night? My heart ached inexplicably. I took out my phone and ordered him a bowl of longevity noodles. Clear broth, light on salt, no green onions. I added some tomato beef and a few vegetable dishes, all non-spicy. In the past, Ethan had always ordered very strongly flavored food to accommodate me. It wasn’t until later that I learned he had a sensitive stomach and couldn’t eat anything too spicy, oily or salty. After placing the order, I sat on the couch, not knowing what to say. Anything I said didn’t seem quite right. Ethan was unwrapping the flower packaging, about to put them in a vase. The ice blue roses pained my eyes. Without thinking, I went over and snatched them away, throwing them in the trash. He was stunned, looking at the drop of blood on his pricked thumb. With a tired sigh, he said: “Olivia, have you had enough?” “No.” I held back the ache in my heart, angry that he was so passive, like a clay figure with no temper. “Forget those. You don’t like them, I’ll buy you something else.” Ethan pulled out a tissue to press on the wound, his eyes lowering slightly as he said resignedly: “Forget it.” I ignored him, picking up the trash and saying, “Wait here,” before hurrying out. On summer evenings, the roadside was full of flower vendors. Compared to the hundreds or thousands spent at flower shops, the quality was a bit lower. I ran to several stalls, buying up all the red roses and roughly tying them into a bouquet with simple wrapping paper. The takeout had just arrived, so I carried everything back upstairs. The 19th floor was even quieter than before. The few employees working overtime had already left. Only Ethan’s office still had a small lamp on. I softened my footsteps, pushing open the door to enter. He stood with his back to me by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his silhouette lonely. The feeling was like an abandoned stray dog. The heavy flowers and takeout banged against the door with a thud. Ethan’s figure stiffened, turning back abruptly to see me nearly crushed under the weight. “Hey, what are you standing there for? Help me!” I panted. He seemed not to have expected me to return. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly walked over, taking the flowers and food with one hand while supporting me under the arm with the other, helping me to the couch. I caught my breath, sweating a bit, but still smiling, “For you. I bought all the roses from the street vendors.” Ethan’s handsome face showed a brief blank expression. Oh no, the current him didn’t seem able to adapt to how I was treating him. Did I have to… insult him for things to feel normal? Seeing he was about to go back to eating the cold boxed meal, I let out an exaggerated groan. Ethan immediately looked over, his eyes flashing with barely concealed concern. I leaned back on the couch, raising my chin impatiently, “Can’t you eat something hot? Just looking at you eat that boxed meal irritates me.” Ethan: “…” For the next half hour, my complaints echoed through the office. “Don’t you know how to eat?” “Can’t you see that big piece of beef?” “Not eating your vegetables? Still picky at your age?” “Slurp your noodles! Did I buy them just for you to look at?” After my painstaking urging, the steaming bowl of noodles was finally emptied. Worried Ethan wasn’t full enough, I had added two small buns and even gave him the osmanthus cake I’d brought for myself. If I had to nag like this every day, how would I survive? My throat was parched from all the talking. Suddenly a glass of water appeared before me. Looking up, I saw Ethan staring at me. “Wet your throat before you keep scolding.” His expression had softened considerably. Though his eyes were still dull and lifeless, at least the icy wariness was gone. I restrained the urge to hug him, saying: “Ethan, let’s have a good life together from now on.” Hearing this, he lowered his gaze, silently clearing away the dishes without directly answering my question. “Put on your coat. I’ll have the driver take you home.” “But I just got here…” He quickly pushed open the door and left, as if escaping something. After all, tasks like taking out the trash didn’t require a CEO to do them. I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. Reborn once, why did this man seem even harder to coax? I sat on the couch, formulating my next strategy. Should I just pounce on him directly, or pour my heart out first before pouncing? A sudden phone ringtone interrupted my thoughts. I absent-mindedly answered. A familiar voice from long ago came through the phone. “Olivia, where are you?” My previously excited mood instantly plummeted as I remembered this person still existed. “Oh, it’s you…” My tone wasn’t particularly warm. Noah’s voice was gentle: “I’ve been waiting for you a long time. Didn’t we agree you’d spend my birthday with me?” Recalling everything that happened in my past life, my fingers gradually tightened until my knuckles turned white. “Noah, we’re… childhood friends who grew up together, right?” Noah sensed something was off and corrected me: “Olivia, we’re family.” “Family.” I repeated the words, suddenly asking, “You… don’t have anything you want to tell me?” He paused, sighing, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have secretly eaten some cake without you.” See? Why can the person being cared for carelessly lie, make demands, joke around? While Ethan always has to stand in the background, bearing everything? My whole body went cold. I couldn’t even force a smile anymore. “I have something to do today, so I won’t be coming over. Happy birthday.” Hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath, my chest feeling tight. I thought of the phone call Noah made to me before I was kidnapped, asking where I was. I fell into deep thought. He was the person I trusted most. But what if from the very beginning, that explosion was orchestrated by someone familiar? Looking up, I saw Ethan standing in the doorway, his profile hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable. After hesitating for a long time, I asked: “Did you… hear all that?” “Mm.” “I—” “Let’s go.” His tone carried a kind of forced calmness after intense suppression. “The car is waiting downstairs.” I opened and closed my mouth, not knowing how to explain the events that would happen in the future. Afraid he’d think I was crazy. I followed him out the door, feelings of guilt surging. “Ethan.” He only slowed his steps slightly, not turning back. “That was Noah calling me just now,” I spoke rapidly, “Yesterday I did promise to spend his birthday with him, but today’s me is different. I’m from the future—” Ethan suddenly stopped, turning around with a layer of ice in his eyes. “Enough.” He closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his emotions before saying: “The meal today was very good. I’m also very happy you could spend my birthday with me.” I stared at him intently, seeing the pain hidden deep in his eyes. Ethan’s lips were very pale. Every word seemed to tremble out of someone in extreme pain: “So in the end, if you want to go find Noah, I accept that. Because that’s the price.” In my past life, Ethan once told me that back then, every bit of kindness I showed him had to be exchanged for even more suffering. So he never dared to hope for anything, always prepared for me to leave at any moment. These words now felt like a knife stabbing into my heart. Twisting painfully. In my past life on this day, while I was gone, his dinner was just that cold boxed meal. No one said “happy birthday” to him. Is that why he waited for me outside the hospital? Ethan just wanted to hear me say “happy birthday,” but I told him not to meddle and to stay away from me. The belated truth made it hard for me to breathe. He looked away. “I’m sorry, I misspoke. It’s not safe when it’s dark. If you’re going to the hospital, hurry—” I suddenly grabbed Ethan’s hand, forcefully intertwining our fingers. His whole body stiffened, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he asked in a hoarse voice, “Olivia, what are you doing? Haven’t you humiliated me enough?” I raised my head, suddenly grabbing his tie and pulling him down. “Darling, don’t move.” Those four short words were like a spell, completely immobilizing him. I stood on tiptoe and kissed Ethan’s cold lips. The elegant scent of pine was chaotically disrupted by my clumsy movements. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing him against the wall, carefully comforting him… From his initial rigidity, to shock, and finally to surrender, he closed his eyes in defeat, allowing me to “ravage and humiliate” him. His pristine white shirt became a crumpled mess. Without realizing it, he had gripped my waist, gradually tightening his hold until he greedily pressed my back, pulling us tightly together. The lights overhead flickered on and off. Finally, we separated in the darkness, foreheads touching as we caught our breath. “Olivia,” Ethan’s tone was low and gruff as he said with difficulty, “Don’t do this…” “You don’t like it?” “It’s not that.” He was silent for a long time before saying: “Don’t tempt me. While I still have some reason left, go to him.” “Can you bear it?” I softly blew on his ear, pouting pitifully, “Aren’t you jealous? Angry? Can you stand me kissing someone else—” Ethan seemed provoked. He suddenly lowered his head, covering my mouth, reversing our positions. He picked me up and tossed me back onto the couch. Before I could react, his large hand cupped the back of my head. Venting his frustrations, he kissed me again… I smiled slightly. If I didn’t use some drastic measures, he really could endure quite a lot. But the subsequent developments went a bit beyond my control. “Ethan!” I suddenly became alert. “What… what are you doing? I meant we should go home first and then…” I only heard his voice, warm and rich: “I gave you a chance. You didn’t leave.” “Now, that chance is gone.” With those words, I was flipped over, lying face down on the back of the couch. The man’s voice floated softly into my ear, sexy and alluring: “Olivia Sanders, prepare to suffer.” I thought that given Ethan’s personality, he wouldn’t do anything too outrageous. But I forgot that in my past life, he was the kind of madman who dared to die with me. Deep down, there was a bit of a savage side to him. “You… you—” My weak protests were swallowed up between our lips. In the end I could only helplessly wrap my arms around his neck, calling out: “Ethan… have some mercy on me…” He seemed to be angry and wasn’t listening to my words at all. I gritted my teeth, hugging him tightly, my nose stinging as tears fell onto his shoulder. Ethan’s whole body stiffened. He carefully stopped, saying, “I’m sorry.” I rested my chin on his shoulder. Looking up, I could see the bright moonlight outside the window. “Ethan, I’ve already thought of names for our child.” In my past life, I had pondered for a long time but never got to tell him. “Olivia, don’t say it.” His voice was hoarse as he murmured softly. “You don’t believe me?” I was met with endless silence. He probably didn’t dare to hope that we could have a child together. I said, “One boy and one girl. I’ll let you choose the nicknames—” Little did I know, the man who had just regained his senses would fall back into the web of losing control. Ethan didn’t give me a chance to say anything more. He picked me up and carried my half-dazed self through the small door to one side of the office. The door closed gently. The wind lingered outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The moonlight was clear and bright. On the other side of the door were soft murmurs. ? In the early hours of the morning, I got bratty and kicked him, saying I didn’t want him anymore. Ethan wordlessly dragged me back, asking: “If you don’t want me, who do you want?” He asked very seriously. I blushed furiously. “Anyone but you!” “Mm.” He buried his head. “What you say doesn’t count.” That night’s dreams were filled with Ethan’s entanglement, as well as raging fires. I lay in a pool of blood, my body strapped with explosives. Ethan rushed into the fire, picking me up, his whole body shaking. I saw him crying. I could only weakly raise my hand to push him away. “Get lost…” “Ethan, I told you to get lost… Don’t touch me, I’m begging you…” The dream was shattered by the sound of crying. The warm sensation instantly dissipated. I fell back into darkness, suddenly opening my eyes to find my cheeks wet with tears. I had been dreaming. Coming to my senses, I realized I had pushed Ethan to the edge of the bed. Judging by his expression, I must have been talking in my sleep. He handed me a tissue but remained sitting at a distance from me. His fingertips also avoided touching me. My heart sank. He had misunderstood again. “Ethan.” I tried to speak. “I just had a dream.” He was really listening to me attentively. I spoke with a choked voice, “I was in a huge fire with explosives strapped to me. You wanted to die with me.” “So that’s why I yelled those things. Don’t misunderstand.” Ethan’s eyes only brightened briefly, as if realizing something, before returning to their lifeless state. “Alright, I believe you.” After saying this, he tucked me in and picked up his pillow, heading for the door. “Ethan!” I called out to him, saying to his back, “You’re lying.” He said nothing. I grabbed a pillow and threw it hard at his back. “Fine, go then! My whole body aches and you, you ungrateful bastard, are just going to leave me here to fend for myself!” I didn’t look at him after saying this, curling up into a ball and burrowing under the covers. No wonder they say young people are stubborn. The 28-year-old Ethan was rigid in his thinking, not cute at all. After a long silence, the bed dipped behind me. Ethan sighed, “Go to sleep.” “I want to be held while I sleep.” He obediently pulled me over, wrapping me in his arms. The night was still long, but I stared at the boundless darkness, unable to sleep. Since my rebirth, too much information was swirling in my mind. The person who kidnapped me had previously crossed paths with Ethan – a CEO whose company had gone bankrupt. That accident that happened to Noah years ago was actually a scheme by my uncle to drive a wedge between Ethan and me. These were all things I learned in the final year of my past life. My whereabouts had always been closely guarded by Ethan. But I was kidnapped on the way to a prenatal checkup at the hospital. How did the kidnapper find out? The only possibility was that phone call Noah made to me. Including Ethan’s last words before we died: “Thank Noah. Without him, I wouldn’t have found you.” Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back now, what role did Noah, my most trusted childhood friend of over a decade, really play in all this? ? Due to insomnia the night before, I had a splitting headache the next morning. “Ethan, I can’t get up! How could you do this to me!” After kicking him a few times, he said helplessly: “Get up and have breakfast.” “No.” He really was stubborn to a fault. I said resentfully: “You don’t like your younger self at all.” He paused for a moment before good-naturedly asking: “My younger self?” “Yes!” I fiercely snatched the blanket from his hands, wrapping myself up. “I like the 10-years-older you! Go get old and stop bothering me while I sleep!” I wriggled to the warmest spot, comfortably stretching out my limbs, feeling Ethan’s scent all over my body. I slept until the afternoon. He had clearly anticipated the possibility of me waking up hungry. Lunch was neatly arranged on the table. The room was extremely tidy, everything in perfect order. While my big bed was an island of chaos amidst the orderliness. It was a complete mess. Because of my wild behavior last night, the sheets had been pulled into strips, all tangled around Ethan. I have to say, the 28-year-old Ethan was much more innocent compared to his 38-year-old self. I shook my head, trying to clear away those blushing, heart-pounding images from my mind. After quickly freshening up and eating breakfast, I put on Ethan’s shirt, opened the door and peeked out. The office was silent. A video conference was open on the computer. The setting sun cast slanting rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on Ethan in his suit. It nicely balanced out the innate coolness and aloofness in his demeanor. My heart skipped a beat… I unconsciously blushed to my ears. Ethan had always been extremely perceptive. The moment I opened the door, he looked up. Seeing what I was wearing, he suddenly froze. I coughed lightly a few times, uncomfortable. Making sure no one else was around, I walked out red-faced and sat across from Ethan. Opening my phone, I saw Noah had called me five times and sent over a dozen text messages. All late at night. By then, I should have been in a daze, not woken by the ringtone. Could it be… I stared thoughtfully at Ethan. He looked focused, as if he hadn’t noticed my presence. Just pretend, why don’t you. I crossed my legs, swinging them back and forth right in his peripheral vision, not caring if I was flashing him. Ethan’s voice suddenly caught as he was speaking. After a brief pause, he said, “That’s all for today.” With that, he ended the meeting. He leaned back slightly in his chair, frowning. “Olivia.” “Oh? Last night you called me ‘darling,’ now I’m back to Olivia?” Look at that proper, upright appearance. Who would believe he’s the same man who did all those things last night, then pretended nothing happened? I nudged his leg hidden under the desk. “Mr. Shaw, did my phone ring last night?” Ethan calmly lowered his eyes. “I’m not sure.” “Is that so?” I leaned across the desk, grabbing his tie and pulling him closer. His eyes were like hooks. “Olivia, this is work hours.” He seriously reminded me. If not for his slightly uneven breathing, I really would have thought he was above such worldly desires. “Oh.” I lightly kissed him. “Want more?” He was silent for a moment before saying directly: “…Yes.” I kissed him again. “I’ll be next door. Wait for you to finish work so we can go home together.” Back in the room, I received another call from Noah. “Olivia, I’ve been discharged.” His voice on the phone was hoarse, his nose sounded congested, as if he hadn’t slept well all night. I was taken aback. “Why were you discharged?” “I’m not getting treatment anymore.” His tone was dejected. “If it can’t be fully repaired, I choose to give up. I want to live a quiet life with you.” I frowned. “We have no future together. Besides, I’m married.” “Then what about me?” Noah said. “What do you think our promises meant? Is it because my face is ruined that you don’t like me anymore?” I started to speak but stopped myself. “You’re the one who said we had to break up for the company to promote you, for you to go further in your career.” “But you promised you’d wait for me,” he said. “How long am I supposed to wait?” I sighed. “You had countless opportunities, yet you kept making me wait.” My uncle was the type of person who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals. After I was born, my parents abandoned me with the Sanders family and each moved overseas to start new families. I was just a pawn for the Sanders family. Noah was earning rave reviews on the big screen, while I was being backed into a corner by my uncle. That night, I called Noah over and over, but he kept rejecting my calls. The next day, I watched his on-screen first kiss and accepted my uncle’s proposal with a heavy heart. Now, Noah was asking me on the phone: “You… you’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?” I didn’t hesitate at all. “I love him.” After that, Noah didn’t message me again for several days. I thought about many things. To catch the culprit who harmed me in my past life, I would need Ethan’s help. The first step was getting him to accept the fact that I had been reborn. So he wouldn’t have me committed to a mental hospital. “…So after this young miss is reborn, she starts investigating who destroyed her family in her past life. Having insider information from the future is a huge advantage. Aren’t you curious how she turns the tables and succeeds in the end?” I rested my chin on my hands, lying in front of Ethan as I enthusiastically recounted the story. This was already the third rebirth novel I had read to him this month. Ethan listened attentively. “If you like it, I can invest in making it into a TV series.” “It’s not about whether I like it. The point is, do you like it?” He looked at the wrinkled shirt I was wearing and sighed, “If you like it, I like it.” I persisted, making a fist to use as a pretend microphone. “Then tell me your thoughts.” Ethan: “…” Recently, my interactions with him had become much more harmonious. He was very accommodating towards me, almost indulging my every whim. But I still felt like there was something between us. “Ethan,” I pulled my chair closer, sitting in front of him with a serious expression. “I think it’s time to tell you.” He put down his chopsticks, adopting a posture of listening intently. “Go ahead.” I began gravely, “Actually, I’ve also been reborn.” Silence. A long silence. Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly, his lips pressed tightly together. He wanted to laugh. I pointed at him. “Aha, you really don’t believe me!” “Continue, Olivia.” The corners of his mouth twitched, but he forcibly suppressed it. “I believe you.” I decided to go all in, recounting everything that had happened in my past life. At first, he listened like an adult humoring a child telling a story. He thought it was just a new trick I had learned. Gradually, he frowned. I knew I was saying the right things. “…The person who stabbed you was surnamed Lewis, probably an employee of your company who later went out on his own. Of course, that’s ten years from now, so I don’t know where he is now. Also, my uncle was involved. Finally, we need to be careful of Noah—” Before I could finish, we were interrupted by a shrill ringtone. Ethan and I both saw the name displayed on the phone screen. “Noah.” Due to my oversight, Noah’s contact was still saved under a nickname instead of his full name. Ethan’s expression closed off, reverting to his cool demeanor. He stood up, picking up the plates. “I’ll go wash the dishes…” That feeling came back again. He was deliberately avoiding the topic. He was still afraid. I gritted my teeth, grabbing the phone and following him to the kitchen. He stood with his back to the door, turning on the faucet. I pressed the speakerphone button. Noah’s familiar voice came through the speaker. “Olivia, this may be the last time I call you.” Besides his voice, there was also the sound of howling wind. I immediately tensed up. “Where are you?” “On the roof of our old high school.” His voice was very soft. “Olivia, do you remember? The day my parents left me, you said your family didn’t truly care for you either. You said we could be each other’s family from then on.” “When I was 18, I wanted to jump from the roof. You stopped me.” His voice was light, tinged with regret. “Now you don’t want me anymore. I feel like there’s no point in living.” “Noah, don’t do anything rash.” My mind went blank. I turned to grab my coat, putting it on. “Wait for me! I’ll be right there!” Hanging up the phone, I turned to find Ethan still standing by the sink with his back to me. As if he hadn’t heard anything, just the sound of running water. I panicked, rushing over. “Hey, are you stupid?! Why aren’t you changing?”

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