Author: Momo Chan

Just as I was about to go to sleep, someone tagged me in the class group chat: “Mr. White, why did I only get a 61 in Physics? I want to see my exam paper!” It was Chloe, a student from the Electronic Technology major. I immediately pulled up her exam to double-check. Her raw score was 37. Take the square root of 37, multiply by 10, and you get 61. 【Chloe, 61 is your final, adjusted score.】 【You purposely tanked my grade and now you’re acting all high and mighty? We’re college students, don’t play these games with us! I’m going straight to the academic affairs office to file a complaint!】 1 To make the final physics grades look less disastrous, I used the “saving formula” invented by the legendary physicist Qian Xuesen: take the square root of the raw score and multiply by 10. This ensures the majority of the class doesn’t fail. Chloe’s 61 came from exactly that. 【Chloe, if you have questions about your grade, you can come talk to me privately.】 【Talk privately? Mr. White, what do you have to say that you can’t say in front of everyone? Are you feeling guilty? Do you really think you can treat us students like this just because you have a little bit of power?】 I was getting annoyed and didn’t want to keep arguing with her, but she seemed relentless. 【A male teacher wanting to ‘talk privately’ with a female student late at night? Are you hinting at something, Mr. White?】 That accusation made me panic a bit. Several universities had major scandals regarding sexual harassment this year, causing massive public outrage. Being associated with something like that was social suicide. 【Chloe, please don’t misinterpret my words. I meant that if you have questions, you can come to my office tomorrow to discuss them.】 【Sorry, too late. Since you don’t want to explain, I’ll see you at the academic affairs office!】 Boosting students’ grades to help them pass is a common practice among professors, but it’s certainly not something you can broadcast publicly. The professors know it, the administration knows it, and there’s an unspoken agreement. But now that Chloe was demanding a formal review, this was definitely going to blow up. I worried about the unnecessary trouble it would cause, so I sent her a private message. 【Chloe, your grade was actually curved up. Don’t go asking for a review, or it’s going to look bad for everyone.】 The moment I sent it, Chloe took a screenshot of my message and posted it in the class group, tagging me again. 【Mr. White, are you threatening me? What do you mean it’s going to ‘look bad’?】 I was doomed. The more I tried to explain, the worse it looked. Thankfully, Mia, the class representative for physics, chimed in to help me out. 【The physics exam was pretty hard this time, so Mr. White gave everyone a reasonable curve. Let’s not make a big deal out of it.】 Seeing that I wasn’t replying but someone else was defending me, Chloe immediately aimed her fire at Mia. 【You got a 90, of course you’re taking his side because he gave you a huge curve! He lowered our grades just to make sure you guys got the ‘Excellent’ marks, didn’t he?】 Generally, universities have a rule capping the “Excellent” grade rate at 30%. Having all “Excellent” grades significantly boosts a student’s chances of getting a recommendation for graduate school. This was likely the real reason Chloe was so upset about her 61. Mia, probably speechless, fired back: 【I’m just stating the facts!】 【Stating the facts? Then tell me, what were you doing bringing a huge bag of stuff to Mr. White’s office a few days ago?】 That single sentence made the group chat explode. Students who failed or scored in the low 60s started getting restless, sending passive-aggressive emojis. 2 Seeing the group chat teetering on the edge of chaos, I immediately called the academic counselor and asked her to talk to a few of the students so we could sort it out in my office tomorrow. Meanwhile, Chloe was still riling everyone up in the chat. 【Looks like I got a 61 because I didn’t ‘show my appreciation’ to the teacher. Look at what a 90 gets you!】 Several students who scored in the 60s started joining the mob. 【Yeah, there’s obviously a reason she gets to be the class rep.】 【Thanks for speaking up, Chloe! I support an exam review!】 Soon, many others started a chain message showing their support. Mia was probably crying from the stress. She came from a poor, mountainous region, and her parents were farmers. When I found out they had some local produce they didn’t know how to sell, a few other professors and I pitched in to buy it to help her out. But this was something I couldn’t easily explain. Mia was a prideful girl, fiercely independent with top grades. I didn’t want to announce to the whole class that I was doing it to help a student from a low-income family. Just then, Chloe tagged me again: 【Mr. White, instead of fixing the problem, you’re trying to use the administration to silence us?】 【What’s going on?】 The chat immediately went into gossip mode. 【I just got a call from the counselor telling me to stop making a fuss. Am I the one making a fuss? I’m the victim here! But whatever, I recorded the call. See you all online!】 Crap. My intention was to keep the situation contained, but now I had dragged the counselor into the crossfire. Shortly after, Chloe posted a link to her social media account. 【Everyone, please like and share this to blow this up! Otherwise, certain teachers are just going to keep doing whatever they want!】 Watching Chloe’s actions, my head started pounding. 【Mr. White, this isn’t over. I’m filing a formal complaint tomorrow!】 According to university policy, a student just needs the administration’s approval to review their exam paper. Chloe could have completely resolved this by simply submitting a request. But she clearly wanted to make a huge scene and went straight to writing a formal whistleblower complaint. The next day, right after my morning classes, the administration called me in and handed me a document. 【To the Esteemed Leadership of Academic Affairs: My name is Chloe, a student in Electronic Technology Class 1702. I am officially reporting Professor Liam White for severe and intentional grade suppression on the recent Advanced Physics final exam. There is a massive discrepancy between my actual exam score and the final grade posted. Professor White refused to explain this discrepancy. Furthermore, late at night, he hinted that as a female student, I should ‘communicate privately’ with him. When I sternly refused, he resorted to personal threats. To uphold fairness and justice, I demand the following: First, the immediate public release of my original exam paper and the detailed grading rubric; Second, the formation of an independent third-party committee by the university to regrade ALL exam papers; Third, the termination of Professor Liam White!】 The manipulative phrasing sent a chill down my spine. Sitting across from the Director of Academic Affairs and the Vice President, I realized this situation was officially out of my control. “Professor White, what exactly is going on? This complaint didn’t just come to us; Chloe posted it all over social media. There are tens of thousands of people following the story online.” “Private late-night communication,” “personal threats,” plus a male teacher and a female student. In the current social climate, it was impossible for those buzzwords not to go viral. I had already seen her video the day before. Tens of thousands of comments were accusing me of abusing my power to exploit students. Some people had painted me as a corrupt, lecherous academic tyrant, when in reality, I was just a stressed-out junior faculty member. I didn’t dare hide anything. I immediately gave them a completely honest account of how I curved the students’ grades. The Director thought for a moment. “This method of curving grades to save students is something everyone uses, it’s just never discussed openly. However, since a student has formally reported it, we have to handle it seriously.” The Vice President nodded. “Right now, it’s not just about the grades. The more pressing issue is managing the public fallout. Try to accommodate the student’s demands as much as possible. Director Lee, arrange this and handle it quickly. I’ll have the PR department contact you. Once we have a result, the university committee will discuss it and issue an official statement.” As I was nearing the door, the Vice President called out one last instruction. “Of course, it would be best if you could resolve this with the student through mediation. After all, word getting out that we arbitrarily boost grades to ensure passing rates isn’t exactly honorable. It’s an academic incident and it damages the university’s reputation.” 3 The department quickly organized an internal mediation session. Chloe, seeing both the department heads and me present, remained incredibly arrogant. “Dean, my demands are simple. First, fire Professor White. Second, regrade the exams. Not just mine, but every single person’s exam must be thoroughly reviewed!” “Chloe, let’s put aside your first demand for now. If you have doubts about your own grade, the university is certainly willing to help you review it. But regarding other students’ grades…” “No! The university limits the percentage of ‘Excellent’ grades. If you only check mine, even if I actually scored a 90, Mia could just be curved up to a 100!” The Dean frowned. Director Lee, sitting next to him, coughed. “Miss, regrading all the exams is an enormous amount of work. Furthermore, individual grades are the privacy of other students. Without sufficient justification, it’s very difficult for us to do that.” Chloe rolled her eyes, stood up, and pulled out her phone. “Justification? Are tens of thousands of eyes watching this online not enough justification? Is Professor White admitting to curving grades in WeChat not justification? If other people got a 50-point boost and I got nothing, what’s the point of only checking my paper?” As Chloe got more worked up, Director Lee hastily stood up. “Okay, okay. Please don’t get excited. The exam papers are all still here. If you insist on checking them, we can do that. As for your claims about Professor White threatening or harassing you, I’ve reviewed the WeChat logs and it appears to be normal communication…” “Normal communication? If the university refuses to handle this, I’m calling the police right now!” Before any of us could react, Chloe dialed 911. The Dean and the Director watched this unfold, visibly annoyed. She was calling the cops in the middle of an internal mediation. I wasn’t going to say anything, but seeing Chloe’s relentless, scorched-earth attitude, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Chloe, do you realize that if your regraded score is failing, you lose your eligibility for scholarships and honors this year? And you’ll permanently lose your eligibility for a grad school recommendation…” “Professor White, stop trying to scare me with that! I just want fairness and justice! I can’t let you teachers do whatever you want!” The absolute hard requirement for a grad school recommendation at our university is zero failed classes. Even if every other grade is an A, if you have one fail, you’re out. If you don’t fail, your extracurriculars, research, and competitions can boost your chances. But a single failure disqualifies you from recommendations, honors, and scholarships entirely. Chloe was currently under review for a scholarship this year. All this fighting was just to bump her ranking up slightly for the grad school recommendation list. If her actual grade was published, both her grad school hopes and this year’s scholarship would vanish. You can’t save someone who’s determined to jump off a cliff. I decided to keep my mouth shut. 4 Before long, a police cruiser pulled up outside the academic building. A crowd of students gathered, and rumors immediately started flying that someone was going to jump off the building because they failed a class, drawing an even larger crowd. The police officers looked at the “evidence” Chloe provided with a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “We can’t handle the grading review; that’s an internal university matter. As for the harassment and threats… we’ve looked at the chat logs, and it constitutes normal communication.” “Telling me to ‘communicate privately’ in the middle of the night isn’t harassment? Telling a female student to secretly meet a male teacher late at night, isn’t that disgusting?” “Miss, you have to look at the context. You asked a question, and the teacher gave a single reply regarding your question. Furthermore, he didn’t tell you to come find him in the middle of the night!” “Fine. Then what did he mean when he privately messaged me saying it’s going to ‘look bad for everyone’? Is he saying he’s going to make me look bad if I ask for a review? If that’s not a threat, what is?” I was so angry I stood up to explain, but the officer waved me off. “The teacher said the grades were adjusted. If this is made public, everyone will be embarrassed. ‘Look bad’ means exactly that—it’s an embarrassment. It doesn’t mean he’s going to attack you! I’m an outsider and I understand that perfectly. Are you telling me a college student doesn’t?” Chloe wasn’t buying it and started questioning the police. “Why are you just trying to sweep this under the rug? Do you only take things seriously when someone actually dies?” The officers’ eyes went wide. “Alright, then both of you are coming down to the station to give official statements!” “I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s his problem! Why should I go? Do you have any sense of logic?” The officers were completely stunned by Chloe’s thought process. “This is standard police procedure! Both the person reporting the crime and the involved party need to give statements!” “That’s so annoying. Fine, I’m not reporting it anymore!” The two officers were instantly furious and began reprimanding her. “Miss, calling the police is a very serious matter, and you’re treating it like a joke?” “Why are you yelling at me? Is this how you serve the public?” At this point, not only was my jaw on the floor, but the university administrators were also staring in shock. “Miss, I am now officially summoning you to the police station. Please come with us!” Hearing this, Chloe aggressively shoved the officer. “What are you doing?!” Seeing the situation escalating, the Dean quickly stepped in to block the officers. “Officers, please, I’m so sorry. She’s just a student, she’s young and doesn’t know any better. We will definitely strengthen our disciplinary education…” 5 The Dean spent a long time pleading before the officers finally agreed not to press charges. As they left, they kept shaking their heads, muttering about “what’s wrong with college students these days.” I thought that after experiencing that, Chloe would calm down a bit. But perhaps she hadn’t fully vented her anger at the police, because she immediately turned her sights back on us. “Teachers, if you want to keep protecting this unethical professor and refuse to regrade everyone’s exams, I will continue exposing this to the media!” The Dean was losing his patience. “Chloe, do you know what the most important prerequisite is for a grad school recommendation at this university?” “I know. No failed classes!” “Then have you ever considered what the consequences will be if your regraded physics score is a failing grade?” The Dean’s words made Chloe freeze for a second, but she quickly recovered. “Dean, you don’t need to try and scare me with that. I know what my actual score is!” The Dean, completely exasperated, slammed his hand on the table. “What exactly will it take for you to drop this? Why are you so dead-set on creating a media circus?” Seeing the Dean get angry only made Chloe more smug. “If the university can truly be fair and transparent, what are you afraid of being posted online? If you’re afraid, it means the university is hiding something!” Every single teacher in the room was left speechless. Watching Chloe’s smug, fearless demeanor, I was practically shaking with anger. “Dean, no matter what, my unauthorized adjustment of the students’ grades counts as an academic incident. You can discipline me however you see fit. As for Chloe’s demand to regrade all the exams, I support it! And regarding the incident with Mia bringing things to my office, the entire physics department knows exactly what happened. You can just go ask them. I also have the transfer records for the payment we made to her.” “Who knows if you just faked those transfer records later!” Chloe snapped. “Look for yourself!” I slammed my phone with the transfer records down in front of her. “Professor White, calm down.” The Dean placated me, then turned back to Chloe: “Is there truly no room for mediation?” Chloe pretended to think about it. “Actually, it’s not impossible to mediate…” Seeing a sign she might yield, the Dean immediately pressed: “Tell us, what are your conditions?” “Give me a guaranteed spot for the grad school recommendation program!” 6 That single sentence plunged the entire room into dead silence. I let out a cold laugh. “So this is the ‘fairness’ you’ve been demanding? In your eyes, ‘fairness’ is just a bargaining chip?” “It’s not like there isn’t a precedent. Are there really that few reports of this kind of thing online?” I finally understood. From the moment she sent that first WeChat message, her goal was to blow this up as much as possible, and this was her ultimate endgame. Her logic was actually: Some universities give students grad school spots to silence online PR disasters, so why can’t my university do the same? “Absolutely not! Grad school recommendations are evaluated based on a comprehensive review of grades, research capabilities, competition results, and moral character. They are not bargaining chips for negotiation.” The Dean immediately rejected Chloe’s proposal. I wasn’t going to hold back anymore either. “Dean, let’s just follow Chloe’s demands and regrade every single student’s physics exam. I am willing to accept any punishment from the university!” The Dean’s face was dark. “Very well. I will report this to the university leadership immediately. Pending the investigation, Professor White is suspended from all teaching and research duties, and is disqualified from all upcoming promotion and honors evaluations!” With that, he turned and left without looking back. I understood. This was an academic incident, and I could accept this level of discipline. Chloe hadn’t expected the Dean to refuse so flatly. But hearing that my teaching, research, promotions, and honors were all suspended, she looked at me with smug satisfaction. “Chloe, have you ever considered what you’ll do if your grade really isn’t a 61?” “Impossible. I checked my answers against the key. Besides, students who are worse than me scored in the 70s. How could I possibly only have a 61?” Seeing her absolute confidence, I sighed. “But what if? What if your grade is a fail? Your future honors, grad school recommendations, and scholarships will all be gone!” Chloe sneered. “Professor White, you can’t even save yourself right now. Who are you trying to scare?” 7 Soon, the university agreed to regrade everyone’s physics exams. To ensure fairness, in addition to the professors from the physics department, they specifically invited several PhD students from the graduate school to jointly review all the exams. Furthermore, the university’s PR department publicly promised that, with the students’ consent, they would release the original exams for public review. Chloe was incredibly smug, feeling that the university had completely capitulated to her demands. She figured the moment they found an issue, she would demand I be fired. Of course, she likely also planned to use it as further leverage to negotiate for that grad school recommendation spot. Seeing the official notice from the university, the students who had scored in the 60s and joined the mob in the group chat started messaging me privately. “Professor White, we were misled by Chloe. She said we could fight for higher grades, and that the university would try to quietly settle this. She even said we might get grad school spots. Could you… maybe not regrade our papers?” Looking at these students, I knew exactly how they had been dragged into this. But they had also fanned the flames. If even one of them had spoken up for me, it wouldn’t have escalated to this point. They weren’t innocent. “I’m sorry, but this regrading is organized by the university. I have no power over it. You’ll have to talk to the administration.” Chloe had completely obliterated the option of “private communication.” I wouldn’t do it, and the university certainly wouldn’t do it. Who knew if these students would just turn around and report us again after the communication? The university also spoke with me. They told me to prepare myself: if I truly had maliciously suppressed grades targeting specific students, the university wouldn’t be able to protect me. I had nothing to prepare for. My conscience was clear, and all the exams could stand up to scrutiny. Chloe continued to vocalize her grievances on social media. Her targets were no longer just me; they now included the “corrupt university protecting an unethical teacher,” the “useless police trying to sweep it under the rug,” and the “incompetent administration.” Driven by her relentless narrative, more and more people started following the story. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that public opinion is a double-edged sword. However many people supported her now, even more would turn around and cyberbully her once the results came out. Everything she was doing now was just laying the groundwork for her own future destruction. After a week, all the exams had been reviewed by multiple different people, and the final results were submitted to the academic affairs office. To ensure absolute accuracy, the office randomly selected several exams and sent them to an external university for a final audit. Once everything was fully prepared, the university published the official handling of the incident on its website. 8 Because Chloe filed a formal complaint, the academic affairs office had to give her an official response. Before the public announcement, Chloe and I were called into the office. Director Lee pulled out Chloe’s exam, along with the results of the cross-audit by the two external professors, and handed them to her. “Chloe, this is your exam paper. It shows Professor White’s original grading, as well as the cross-audit by two other professors. Your final, actual score is a 37!” Hearing that score, Chloe froze in place, seemingly completely unable to believe it. She frantically flipped through her exam, muttering to herself, “Impossible, impossible, I checked the answer key, it should be at least a 70…” “Actually, according to university policy, a score between 40 and 60 allows you to take a makeup exam. However, a score below 40 requires you to retake the entire course. You will need to pay the retake fee, and since Physics is only offered in the Fall semester, you will have to wait an entire year!” I suspected the academic affairs office did that on purpose. Chloe hadn’t even processed the shock of the 37 before they delivered another fatal blow. Hearing that she didn’t even have the chance for a makeup exam, her face turned stark white. Of course, whether it was a makeup exam or a full retake, the difference for her wasn’t that big. Either way, her eligibility for grad school recommendations, honors, and scholarships were completely wiped out. “What about Mia? What about everyone else? Are you guys targeting me?!” Chloe frantically threw her exam paper on the floor and rushed at Director Lee. But Director Lee remained completely calm. “Out of 50 students, 45 had originally ‘passed.’ But after the regrade, the raw scores of 17 of those students were actually below 60. Fortunately, the majority of them scored above a 40, so they only need to take the makeup exam next semester.” Chloe stood frozen. In that moment, she seemed to finally realize that the grad school recommendation she had obsessed over was permanently out of reach. The scholarship she was supposed to get this year had vanished, and any hope for honors next semester was dead. More importantly, how was she going to face the 16 classmates she had dragged down with her, and the hundreds of thousands of netizens who had supported her crusade? “I don’t believe it, I need to see for myself!” She crawled on the floor, picking up the pages of the exam she had thrown, organizing them, and checking every single question one by one. But how could three different physics professors all make a mistake?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394492”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The night I was kicked out of my marriage with nothing, I wandered the streets alone. By chance, I saw a small flyer on a lamppost: [Wanted: Stepmother for a child. Age and appearance not an issue; must be patient with children. Room and board included.] The “room and board included” part caught my eye. That very night, I dragged my suitcase to the address. And walked into the home of the city’s richest man. Later, my ex-husband asked me with a condescending tone: “Chloe, do you realize your mistake now?” The four-year-old little tyrant roared: “What mistake?! My mom is the best in the world!!!” The billionaire put his arm around my shoulder: “My wife, even if she is wrong, she is right.” 1 I never expected that the flyer posted on a telephone pole belonged to the richest man in the city. Right now, I was standing at the entrance of a grand villa. Beside me was a haughty butler. “Our employer is looking for a stepmother for his child, not a wife for himself. You must remember that.” “Our employer is very wealthy; do not entertain any inappropriate thoughts.” I kept my head slightly bowed, my gaze fixed straight ahead. I deeply sighed; this job was absolutely perfect for me. To put it bluntly, isn’t this just hiring a high-end nanny for the child? I just got divorced this morning. If you asked me to remarry right now, I honestly wouldn’t have the energy for it. But taking care of a child meant I had a place to stay, and I wouldn’t have to spend money renting an apartment. For someone as destitute as I was right now, this was like receiving a delivery of coal in the middle of a snowstorm. I nodded respectfully. “I understand. I will absolutely not entertain any inappropriate thoughts.” The butler nodded and led me into the dining room. Next to a massive, long dining table, a young father was engaged in a tug-of-war. The intense-looking man held a bowl and a spoon, his expression displeased. A melancholic little boy bit his lip, refusing to open his mouth, not backing down an inch. Time seemed to stand still. After a long while, the man sighed, the first to concede defeat. He put down the bowl in frustration. His knuckles, sharp and defined, pinched the bridge of his nose. He lowered his voice: “Just one bite, just a tiny bite, okay?” The butler stepped forward: “Sir, another applicant has arrived. This one seems quite grounded today.” The man slowly turned around. He was wearing simple black trousers and a white dress shirt, with the top button undone, faintly revealing the shadow of his collarbone. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong, pale forearms. I had seen this face on the financial news. He was striking and excessively handsome, the kind of face you’d never forget after seeing it once. Earlier, I had secretly worried if this might be a scam. Now, seeing his face, I completely relaxed. A man of his status had absolutely no reason to spend effort scamming a destitute, divorced woman like me. The man’s deep gaze swept lightly over me. His voice carried a trace of exhaustion. “What’s your name?” I guessed he had probably just finished a busy day at work and hadn’t even had time to change his clothes before coming to feed the child. Only to suffer a heavy blow. Feeding a child was probably harder for him than signing a billion-dollar contract. “Chloe Hastings,” I said. He gave a barely perceptible nod and handed the bowl to me: “You try.” After the man finished speaking, he stood up, moved to the sofa, and crossed his arms, watching me with a relaxed posture. This must be the job interview. I had to perform well. If I could stay, at least I wouldn’t have to sleep under a bridge tonight. Holding the bowl, I curved my lips into what I considered a motherly smile and walked toward the boy. But before I could take two steps, the boy darted under the table with a whoosh. Only a pair of large, dark eyes, like black grapes, peeked out. He yelled angrily at the man: “I don’t want to! Tell her to get out! I won’t let her feed me! They are all bad women!” It seemed that before me, the boy had already dealt with who knows how many “stepmothers.” Then I really needed to show what I could do. I glanced around and noticed Ultraman toys scattered everywhere in the room, and an idea popped into my head. I grabbed a few Ultraman figures and placed them on the floor next to the boy under the table. I smiled and said: “Don’t worry, I’m not feeding you. I’m feeding Tiga and Seven. You don’t need to worry.” With that, I pretended to feed the Ultraman figures: “Eat up. You need to be full to save the world.” “Kids who don’t like to eat have skinny arms and legs. If you can’t even protect yourself, how can you protect humanity?” “Oh, you want vegetables? Good boy, eating spinach gives you strength.” The boy lay pitifully to the side, looking like he had been forgotten. He smacked his lips a few times, but I pretended not to notice. It wasn’t until his nose turned red with anxiety and he was about to cry that I acted as if I had just discovered him: “Oh my! Why is there a baby Ultraman here? Tiga, can you share some of your leftover food with him? He needs to eat to grow strong like you.” Tiga: “Yes.” I smiled: “Alright, since Tiga said so, I’ll share a little with you. But you can’t eat too much, or you’ll grow bigger than Tiga, and he’ll be sad.” The boy nodded vigorously. Before my spoon even reached him, he opened his mouth and took a big bite. After eating several large mouthfuls, he even accused me with his eyes: “Why aren’t you giving me vegetables? Are you afraid I’ll surpass Tiga? Bad woman!” I turned to look at the man. His brow had relaxed, and he gave me a look of approval. 2 That night, I moved into the villa. The villa had three floors. I lived on the second floor with four-year-old Leo Vance, while Ethan Vance lived on the third floor by himself. The butler repeatedly instructed me: “You are absolutely not allowed to go up to the third floor. Before, there was a woman who didn’t know her place and sneaked up in the middle of the night to climb into Sir’s bed, and she was thrown out the window by Sir.” I nodded repeatedly, promising not to cross the line. Like father, like son; the billionaire’s son could sleep by himself at four years old, which saved me a lot of trouble. The next afternoon, when Ethan came home from work, I was at the front door feeding Leo. Leo had a dog leash around his neck, sitting side-by-side on the ground with a large Golden Retriever. One bite for the Golden Retriever, one bite for Leo. They were having a grand old time. Ethan’s face darkened on the spot. “Chloe, what do you think my son is!” His voice was fierce and cold, startling me. “Woof!” Leo spoke first, “Dad, Chloe and I are playing a role-playing game. Look, I’m eating way more than the Golden Retriever! Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof woof!” Ethan’s frown deepened, and he slowly turned to the butler. The butler’s expression was complicated. He hesitated before speaking: “Sir, although Miss Chloe’s method is a bit peculiar, the results are obvious! Before, we had to chase him to feed him, and the young master still wouldn’t eat. But this afternoon, the young master has already eaten two bowls of rice, swearing he must eat more than the Golden Retriever.” Ethan’s face was a mask of dark lines, his thin lips pressed tightly together. He coldly watched his son take big bites of rice, vegetables, and meat, and slurp down soup. He let out a breath: “Um, people and dogs still need to use separate utensils.” I immediately replied: “Don’t worry, Sir. Your dog is very clean; he hasn’t even touched the young master’s spoon.” Ethan was stunned, his face darkened further, and he turned and walked into the villa. Leo inhaled two and a half bowls of rice in one go. His stomach was bloated like a balloon, and he kept stretching his neck, hiccuping continuously. I had no choice but to take him and the Golden Retriever for a half-hour walk in the downstairs garden to help him digest before heading upstairs. What I didn’t know was that Ethan was standing at the second-floor window, watching us. Watching his son happily race the Golden Retriever, barking “woof woof woof,” the corners of his tightly pressed lips curled into a long-absent smile. The butler sighed repeatedly: “This Miss Chloe is truly unorthodox! The young master, who usually doesn’t like to eat, doesn’t like to talk, and doesn’t like to exercise, has changed so much in just one day. Sir, it seems we’ve found the right person this time.” When I went upstairs, Ethan was sitting on the sofa on the first floor, his long legs crossed, exuding an outstanding aura. I took the dog leash off Leo. Just as I was about to take him upstairs for a bath, Ethan called out to me: “Chloe, let’s talk.” “Oh, okay, Mr. Vance.” I handed the child over to the butler and sat properly across from Ethan. “You’re very good at interacting with children. Have you had children before?” “I haven’t had children, but I helped take care of my ex-husband’s sister’s child for two years.” At that time, my ex-husband’s family felt I was earning too little and ordered me to quit my job. After I quit, they felt I was lazy, so they fired his sister’s nanny and made me take care of the child. Ethan nodded: “Your profile says you are divorced?” “Yes.” “What was the reason?” “We were from different social classes.” Ethan gave me a deep look: “You saw the job posting yesterday. I want to find a mother for Leo. The child lacks a sense of security and only wants to stay at home. He refuses to go out, let alone go to kindergarten. I’m very busy with work, so I want to find a patient woman to be his mother.” “I will sign a prenuptial agreement with you and have our assets notarized.” I nodded: “I understand.” 3 That’s how these wealthy families operate. Although my previous marriage was based on free will and love. But because of the huge difference in status, we also signed a prenuptial agreement. So when the feelings faded and we divorced, I was left with nothing, even my wedding ring was taken back. For a top-tier wealthy family like Ethan’s, marriage was treated with even more caution. “Actually, just having a place to stay is enough for me. We don’t need to get the marriage certificate,” I said. Ethan insisted: “Getting the certificate is for Leo. I want to find him a long-term mother, and marriage is the most solid contract.” I nodded submissively: “Then we’ll do as you say.” “Don’t worry, I will give you an allowance of a hundred thousand a month for your expenses.” This was the issue I cared about the most, having been burned in this area before. “Mr. Vance, I’d like to ask, if we get divorced in the future, can I take the allowance you give me?” “Naturally, that money is given to you.” “That works.” “Regarding marital intimacy, I currently have no such needs. Therefore, you will still sleep on the second floor.” “Okay, I don’t have any either.” And just like that, on the third day after my divorce, I was married again. Just like my first marriage, there was no wedding ceremony. At dinner, the butler specially added a few more dishes. Ethan handed me a diamond ring. I waved my hand and said: “There’s no need.” Ethan said: “It’s for Leo.” “Oh, okay, thank you for the expense.” That night, just as I lay down, Leo pushed open my bedroom door and stood there, looking extremely conflicted. “What’s wrong?” I asked. He twisted his fingers, speaking awkwardly: “Chloe, can you read me a bedtime story?” “What?” I thought I heard wrong. Leo bit his lip: “I’ll ask my dad to give you a raise. Of course, if you don’t want to, forget it.” “Come here.” I beckoned to him. I lifted the covers, and the little boy happily crawled in. That night, after finishing the book, Leo fell asleep in my bed. Early the next morning, Ethan was very shocked to hear about it, and admiration appeared on his face once again. “Chloe, thank you for your hard work. I’ll add another fifty thousand to your monthly allowance.” “Mr. Vance, that’s too much!” It really was too much. After all, I contributed much more in my previous marriage, yet when we divorced, I was so poor I couldn’t even afford a motel. During the day, I took care of my ex-husband’s sister’s child. At night, I cooked for my ex-husband, fulfilled his physical needs, and then had to get up in the middle of the night to clean the house. Because my mother-in-law said: “Even though we don’t lack the money to hire a nanny, it doesn’t look right for Chloe to just sit around the house every day doing nothing.” Even so, during the divorce, the Davis family claimed I had enjoyed three years of luxury. “Mr. Vance, you’re giving me too much. I actually really like Leo; he’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and very kind. I’m just reading him a book, it’s no trouble at all.” As we were talking, I suddenly felt something warm grab my right hand. I looked down and saw Leo holding my hand, looking up at me. His little face was serious, but his large, black, grape-like eyes were watery and cute. I didn’t expect him to be moved so easily. Ethan said: “The women who came before only cared about pleasing me and ignored Leo’s feelings. Adding the fifty thousand is settled.” Unable to decline, I could only say thank you. From that day on, Leo and I were inseparable. Ethan was very busy, so most of the time, it was just the two of us at home. Until the day I needed to go to the hospital for a follow-up and to get my medication. The butler had explicitly told me that Leo couldn’t go out the main gate of the villa, or he would have a stress reaction. So I discussed it with him, asking him to wait for me at home and promising I’d be back as soon as possible. I didn’t expect Leo to hold onto my hand tightly, refusing to let go. He didn’t speak, just looked at me with those beautiful, melancholy eyes. The butler sighed: “He’s afraid you’ll leave and not want him anymore.” I patted his head: “I’m not leaving. I’ll come back and read with you as soon as I see the doctor. You play by yourself for a bit, okay?” While I was trying to explain to him, he took the lead and climbed into the car. The butler asked anxiously: “Young Master, are you also going to the hospital with Auntie Chloe?” Leo nodded silently. The butler instantly burst into tears: “The heavens have eyes! God bless the Vance family!” 4 The doctor said my depression had improved recently and encouraged me to continue staying positive and relaxed. Before I left, he prescribed a bunch of medication for me. Coming out of the consultation room, Leo asked awkwardly: “Chloe, are you sick?” “Yeah, Auntie didn’t eat properly, so she got sick. Leo, you must absolutely not be like Auntie!” “Will it hurt?” His large eyes were full of worry. “If it hurts, I can give you candy.” Saying that, he pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket and placed it in my hand. “Eating candy makes you forget the pain. My dad told me that.” Looking at his innocent and concerned little face, my tears fell without warning. During my three years with the Davis family, whenever I cried, they said I was being dramatic, that my lower-class background made me unfit for the life of a young madam. When I said I had depression, Mark said I was being melodramatic, intentionally trying to annoy him and cause trouble. Even the little nephew I had carefully looked after for over two years called me an ugly monster who caused trouble during the divorce. But this cold-faced child was willing to give me his favorite candy to comfort me. Unable to hold back, I pulled Leo into my arms. He curled up quietly in my arms, a tiny little bundle, and patted my back with his chubby little hands. “Chloe, I will definitely eat well. When I grow up, I can protect you.” I broke into a smile through my tears: “Then you need to grow up fast!” When the two of us came out of the hospital with red eyes, a low-profile Maybach was parked at the entrance, and Ethan was leaning against it. His tall, straight figure and cold, noble face immediately attracted a lot of attention. I took Leo’s hand and walked over. “Mr. Vance, why are you here?” Ethan picked up his son, looking at his calm demeanor, his eyes reddened slightly, and his voice was a bit hoarse. “I heard from the butler that Leo went out with you. I was worried, so I came to check.” Leo leaned against Ethan’s chest, holding my hand. “Dad, as long as I’m with Chloe, you don’t need to worry.” Ethan gave me a deep look and nodded. “Dad knows.” That night, Ethan wanted to increase my allowance again. I was so terrified I repeatedly refused. He asked again: “Chloe, if you have any requests, you can mention them.” I hesitated for a long time before saying: “Could you help me find a used car? Something around five thousand dollars total, so it’s easier for me to get around.” Ethan said: “You can go to my garage and pick any car you want.” “The cheapest car in your garage is over two hundred thousand, I wouldn’t dare drive it.” Ethan nodded: “Okay.” Early the next morning, a five-thousand-dollar minivan was parked next to Ethan’s luxury cars. He also invited a psychologist, supposedly globally renowned, to the house. The diagnosis was the same as the hospital’s. Except the medication prescribed to me was entirely replaced with imported drugs I couldn’t bear to spend money on before. Before leaving, the doctor advised Ethan: “Mr. Vance, your wife needs her family’s companionship, don’t put too much pressure on her.” Ethan nodded: “I’ll remember that.” The next day, I drove Leo out to play. He lacked a sense of security before, and even a slight scare outside could make him hysterical, so he had been to very few places. Now, I wanted to show him more of the outside world. We went to the amusement park first, then to the wet market. The little tyke followed behind me, helping me carry a lively, flopping fish, his handsome little face drawn into a tight line. “Chloe! I don’t want to carry this!” “But my hands are too full, can you please help me?” I acted pitiful. Leo gritted his teeth, holding the fish as far away as possible, looking incredibly disgusted, but said: “Fine! I’ll only help you this one time!” “Don’t buy fish next time!” I chuckled secretly. But when we got to the parking lot, I heard a familiar voice. “Chloe?” 5 It was Mark, my ex-husband. He wore a crisp suit, his hair perfectly styled, looking very handsome and suave. Hearing this voice again after over a month, my heart involuntarily clenched. Mark and I got together in college, and after graduation, he overcame all obstacles to marry me. I had received a lot of neglect in my family of origin, and Mark swore at our wedding to protect me for life. But later, after he took over his family’s business, he increasingly felt that I was holding him back and couldn’t help his career. He started finding fault with everything. He made me quit my job, made me take care of the entire Davis family, made me babysit his sister’s child, and made me walk on eggshells around his family. I could endure all of this. After all, we married for love. I didn’t receive much love from my original family either. Now it was just a change of environment. But later, I caught Mark kissing a glamorous woman at a high-end club. I could no longer suppress my emotions. I cried, I made a scene, I demanded he swear he would never do it again. The entire Davis family thought I was making a mountain out of a molehill. They thought I didn’t appreciate what I had. “What successful man doesn’t have a woman on each arm?” Mark even said that the way I was acting was because he had spoiled me. From that day on, our cold war began. He stopped coming home and blocked all my contact information. My condition worsened. The doctor warned me not to endure any more stress. In utter despair, I asked for a divorce. Mark thought I was using marriage to threaten him. The Davis family told him not to let me get my way, otherwise, I would just push my luck. He immediately had a lawyer draft a divorce agreement, demanding I leave with nothing. I signed it without hesitation. Four years of dating, three years of marriage, abruptly ended. At this moment, while I was still immersed in the sorrow of the past, Mark had already walked towards me. He glanced at the groceries in my hand, then at Leo beside me, his gaze finally landing on the minivan next to me. A trace of contempt showed in his eyes. He smiled mockingly: “Chloe, a graduate of a top university like you running off to be someone’s nanny, what were you thinking?” “None of your business.” “Chloe, why don’t you understand? From the day you married into the Davis family, you no longer represented just yourself; you represented the face of the Davis family.” “Mark, we’re already divorced. I have absolutely nothing to do with your Davis family now.” The mockery in Mark’s eyes deepened: “Chloe, after a divorce, you’re my ex-wife. When people mention you, they will still bring me up. Can you please stop embarrassing me? Can you think before you act? Stop letting your emotions dictate your actions all the time.” I didn’t want to hear his words anymore. Even less did I want to let these words pollute Leo’s ears. I immediately took Leo’s hand to get in the car. Mark grabbed my hand: “Chloe, you’ve been out for so many days, it must have been tough, right? Are you missing the life of a young madam at the Davis family?” “If you admit your mistake and genuinely reform, I can consider remarrying you.” “Those women outside are just flings. The position of my wife, I haven’t considered anyone else for now, I’ve saved it for you.” “As long as you change your terrible temper and bow your head to apologize to my family, I—” I forcefully shook off his hand: “No need to save it. President Davis can give that prestigious position to someone else, I don’t want it!” 6 On the way back, another number called me. It was Mark’s little nephew, the child I had carefully looked after for two years. Although I blocked the Davis family, I only kept his number, feeling that the child himself wasn’t at fault, but rather the adults guiding him. Besides, after taking care of him for two years, I felt we had formed a bond. “Hello, Kevin.” I adjusted my emotions, making my voice sound as gentle as possible. “Chloe! Abandoned woman! My mom wants to talk to you!” Kevin yelled viciously. All my tenderness was choked in my throat. Then, Mark’s older sister took the phone: “Chloe, I heard from Mark that you went to be someone’s nanny?” “Can’t you look at the bigger picture? By doing this, aren’t you directly slapping Mark in the face, slapping the Davis family in the face? What will people say about our Davis family behind our backs?” “Chloe, no wonder I looked down on you. You really are, as always, degrading yourself, unfit for high society!” I hung up and blocked the number. Pulling the car over to the side of the road, I finally couldn’t control my emotions, leaned on the steering wheel, and sobbed out loud. I don’t know how much time passed, but the pent-up frustration I had accumulated for so long finally dissipated somewhat, and I wearily sat up straight. Yet I still felt a deep sense of powerlessness. “Chloe, here’s a tissue, wipe your face.” Leo suddenly spoke. I then remembered Leo was still sitting in his car seat in the back, and right now he was looking at me eagerly. A small hand offered a tissue. “I’m sorry, did I scare you?” I tried my best to curl the corners of my lips upwards. The butler had repeatedly told me Leo couldn’t handle stress, and I was afraid that scene just now would leave him with childhood trauma. But Leo slowly shook his head. “Chloe, I’m not scared. You can cry slowly, I’ll wait for you.” “It’s not embarrassing for adults to cry, I won’t laugh at you.” I was amused by his childish words. “Thank you, you little sweetie. Auntie has cried enough, and won’t cry again. Let’s go home!” That night, because I wasn’t in a good state, I returned to my room early. A knock sounded on the door. “Chloe, may I come in?” Ethan asked. I had just finished showering and my hair wasn’t dry yet. I carefully pulled my bathrobe tight, confirming nothing was exposed that shouldn’t be, before speaking: “Come in.” Ethan was wearing light gray loungewear, his dark hair falling loosely over his forehead, his tall figure looking somewhat more refined. He sat on the chair by my bed, glanced at my damp hair, unnaturally turned his head, and began to survey the guest room. “The clothes in the walk-in closet, how come I haven’t seen you wear them?” he asked. “Those clothes are too expensive, I’m not used to them.” Being married into the Davis family taught me a lesson. If it’s not your circle, don’t force your way in. Otherwise, when you get kicked out, you’ll look pathetic. Although I got a marriage certificate with Ethan, in essence, I was just a high-end nanny. What nanny wears limited-edition dresses? What’s the difference between that and putting lipstick on a pig? Ethan didn’t understand: “Are the styles not to your liking? If you don’t like them, I’ll have the designer come to the house to custom-make some for you.” I hurriedly waved my hand: “No need, no need. Mr. Vance, besides taking care of Leo every day, I have no occasion to wear clothes like that, I really don’t need them.” He fell silent for a few seconds, then asked: “I heard you ran into your ex-husband today. Your ex-husband’s last name is Davis? Is it the Davis family in medical devices?” I froze. I guessed Leo had told him. I pursed my lips and nodded: “It’s that Davis family, but it’s all in the past.” He saw I was unwilling to talk more about the Davis family, so he changed the subject: “Chloe, since you came to the house, Leo has been much happier. Thank you.” His thanks were very sincere, his dark eyes looking closely at me. I felt a bit uncomfortable: “You’ve given me so much money, this is what I should do.” “Chloe, you can make requests of me, I should be able to satisfy them all.” He added. “Mr. Vance, I really don’t need anything.” Ethan was silent for a moment again, his fingers subconsciously clenching, before he nodded and left. 7 Lately, Ethan had been coming home from work very early. Every night he would have dinner with Leo and me. After dinner, he even played family games with us for a while. As the richest man, this unusual behavior worried me. He wasn’t going bankrupt, was he? I wasn’t actually worried about him going bankrupt. I was worried my monthly salary of a hundred and fifty thousand would be gone. “Mr. Vance, why are you coming home so early lately? If you have business, go attend to it, I’m here for Leo.” Ethan picked up a red building block, his expression natural: “The doctor said you need the companionship of your family. Right now, Leo and I are your family, we have to shoulder this responsibility.” What kind of family are we? I thought to myself. But I didn’t dare say it. “Actually, having Leo accompany me is enough. The doctor said my condition is improving largely because of Leo.” Ethan looked up at me, that one glance containing an indescribable emotion. I didn’t think much of it, taking Leo’s hand: “Come on, Auntie will read with you, Dad still has to work.” Leo obediently let me lead him away, but his dark eyes glared at Ethan. I don’t know if it was my illusion, but in that glance, there seemed to be a bit of disappointment in his father’s lack of progress. “Chloe!” Ethan suddenly called out to me. “What’s wrong?” The tips of Ethan’s ears were actually a bit red, he coughed lightly: “Tomorrow night, I have to attend a banquet, and it’s required to bring a female companion. Can you go with me?” “Me?” I blinked. “Yes, you. Because time is tight, it’s a bit too late to find someone else. I can pay you an appearance fee,” he said. There’s still a whole day left, and with his status, he can’t find a female companion? But I didn’t probe further. After all, there was an appearance fee to be earned, and I’m not stupid. I nodded: “Of course. It’s just that I don’t really understand your social etiquette, will I embarrass you?” Although the Davis family was also wealthy, Mark never took me to high-end events like this. Because his mom said I was an empty vase unfit for public display: “You reek of a petty background, don’t go out and embarrass us!” Ethan’s brow relaxed: “You just need to stay by my side, don’t worry about the rest.” The butler chuckled: “Miss Chloe, you don’t need to understand social etiquette; our Sir is the social etiquette.” Okay, I had no objections to that. After all, Ethan was the man with the most authority in this city. The next afternoon, a styling team arrived at the house. I say “team” because there were five or six people, mostly foreigners. Some were responsible for clothes, some for makeup, some for hair. They gathered together discussing for a long time, looking very professional. It showed how big of a deal the billionaire’s household was, and I instantly became a bit nervous. Ethan came home from work to pick me up. The moment he saw me, a flash of amazement crossed his eyes. Leo held my hand, asking proudly: “Dad, look how pretty Chloe is!” Ethan corrected him: “Call her Auntie.” Leo turned his head with a “hmph,” ignoring him. I patted his head: “It’s okay, call me Chloe, it makes me feel young.”

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After I went blind, my husband started sneaking out every night to fool around. Afraid I’d find out, he asked his best friend to come over and “take care” of me. Unaware of the switch, I treated his best friend just like my husband, doting on him. Until one day, I caught my husband and his friend swapping shifts. His friend asked, “Liam, aren’t you worried your wife will find out you’re keeping a mistress on the side?” My husband replied dismissively, “She can’t see anything anyway. Just don’t make a sound, and you’ll be fine.” No wonder last night, when I praised him for his stamina, he didn’t say a word. It turned out it was a completely different person. I sighed and continued pretending to be blind. Later on, my husband discovered my affair with his best friend. He couldn’t bear to blame me, so he just chased his friend around, trying to beat him up. I sat there eating snacks, listening to them brawl. After all, I’m just a blind woman. If I cheated, it was obviously because I was forced into it. 1 The moment Carter walked through the door, I planted a kiss right on his cheek, right in front of Liam. Liam was so terrified he didn’t dare make a sound. I then slipped my hand under Carter’s shirt, trailing from left to right, top to bottom, feeling every inch of his abs. Liam’s face turned completely dark, but he had to endure it silently. After feeling his abs, I wasn’t quite satisfied, so I reached toward Carter’s waistband. Liam panicked and frantically signaled Carter with his eyes, gesturing for him to push me away. Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he gently pulled my hand out. I sat on the couch, looking disappointed, and threw a tantrum. “You’re my husband! Why won’t you let me touch you?” “The internet was right. When a man hits twenty-five, he might as well be sixty-five.” Carter stood to the side, trying his hardest not to laugh, while Liam crouched on the floor, trying to coax me. “Honey, can we just take it easy for a bit? I haven’t been feeling well lately. I’m afraid I won’t perform well and you’ll be disappointed.” Sneaking out every night to cheat on me—no wonder he’s drained. It’d be a miracle if he could perform well. I kicked him lightly. “Help me back to the bedroom. I want to sleep.” Liam pulled back the covers and helped me sit on the edge of the bed. After I lay down, he patted my back to soothe me to sleep. He didn’t even pat me for two minutes before pulling out his phone to text his mistress. The mistress sent him a selfie—the kind featuring lingerie that would make even a woman blush, let alone Liam. The blood rushed to his head, and he immediately sat up. He reached out and pinched my cheek a few times to confirm I was asleep. Then, he got dressed, got out of bed, and left the bedroom. His best friend, Carter, was in the living room drinking water. I quietly leaned against the door to eavesdrop. Liam asked Carter, “Has your sister-in-law been this clingy the past few days?” Carter shook his head. “No. As soon as you leave, she goes to sleep. I usually just sit in the living room and work. If she’s thirsty, I get her water. If she gets up to use the bathroom, I help her.” Liam nodded. “Don’t get too absorbed in your work. Keep an eye on her so she doesn’t fall.” Carter asked, “Are you still going to see her? It’s been so long, aren’t you bored yet?” “Of course not.” “You have no idea how seductive Chloe is. She’s so uninhibited and bold. I worshipped her like a goddess in college and never even dared to look at her. I never expected that after I got married, she’d throw herself at me.” “Don’t worry, I’m just playing around. Once your sister-in-law’s eyes heal, I’ll break it off with her.” Carter sounded incredibly reliable. “Then you should come back a bit earlier. I’m worried she’ll wake up in the morning looking for you.” Liam trusted him implicitly. “Bro, take my advice and get a girlfriend soon. Being celibate for too long is bad for your health.” 2 The second Liam left, Carter climbed into my bed. He woke me up with a kiss and then hurriedly started pulling off my clothes. I let out a cold snort, sat up, and slapped his hand away. “Just a minute ago you wouldn’t let me touch you, and now you’re throwing yourself at me? Cheapskate. Roll over.” He froze for a few seconds, and what followed was a much more ferocious, predatory assault. The normally serious Carter turned into a completely different person in bed, leaving me wanting more… Liam always said he’d never dated before and would stutter just talking to a girl. But in bed, his tongue was incredibly agile. This contrast was intoxicating to anyone. After an exhausting night, I woke up the next morning to find Carter already gone. He had helped me shower, changed my clothes, and even swapped the bedsheets for fresh ones. His attention to detail was terrifying; he had bought the exact same bedsheets. As soon as I stepped out of the bedroom, I bumped into Liam, who had just returned home. His dark circles were prominent—it looked like he hadn’t slept all night. He placed breakfast on the table for me, then went to the bathroom to get a hot towel to wipe my face. “Honey, let me wash your face, then I’ll feed you.” We’d been married for three years, and Liam had always been this attentive. Back in the day, I went through boyfriends like tissues. I’d date someone for a few days, get bored, and break up. I once even dated an entire frat house of handsome guys, one by one, until they all ended up causing a massive scene in front of my dad. My dad, terrified I was completely out of control, arranged a blind date for me with Liam the second I graduated. He happened to be my type, so I married him. Over the years, I played the part of the obedient, sweet wife, coaxing him into waiting on me hand and foot. I thought he was obsessed with me, but I never expected him to cheat. Logically, since he deceived and betrayed me, I should just be the bigger person and divorce him. But I refused to accept that. Why should he get to enjoy himself while I bear the pain? He needed to suffer just as much as I was. I decided to keep pretending to be blind and play them both like fiddles. Anyway, one serves me in bed, and the other serves me in daily life. Either way, I’m not losing out. Whenever I get bored of playing this game, I’ll just bring up the past and divorce him then. 3 After breakfast, Liam was washing dishes, and I sat at the dining table waiting for him. His phone rang. The caller ID said ‘Chloe.’ I conveniently picked it up. The woman on the other end spoke in a cloying, seductive voice. “Liam, babe, today is my birthday. You promised to buy me a Chanel bag. You can’t break your promise! I have a surprise prepared for you tonight.” I’m a polite person, so after taking the call, I immediately passed on the message. I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Honey, your sister called! She said it’s her birthday tonight and she wants you to buy her a Chanel bag.” Liam didn’t have a sister. He turned off the water, rushed over in a panic, snatched the phone back, and yelled at Chloe, “Who told you to call me? You have no manners!” Hanging up, he explained, “That’s Carter’s new girlfriend. She’s young and doesn’t know any better, always demanding gifts for her birthday.” Since my eyes went “blind,” I hadn’t left the house in a long time. I told Liam to take me along. He was feeling guilty and didn’t dare refuse me. After thinking about it, he agreed. Liam held my hand as we walked into the private room. Even though Chloe was the only one in the room, he acted as if it were packed, shouting loudly, “Everyone, make way! My wife’s eyes aren’t good, don’t trip her.” After helping me sit down, he said he had to use the restroom, told me to wait patiently, and then went to coax Chloe. Chloe was throwing a tantrum because I was there; she even threw the gift Liam bought her on the floor. The music in the room was too loud, and her little mouth was moving rapidly—I couldn’t hear what she was cursing about, but she was clearly pissed. After a while, she stopped cursing because Liam pinned her against the wall and silenced her with a kiss. After making out, the two of them left the room. Right then, someone sat down next to me. It was Carter, arriving late to help Liam cover his tracks. I rested my head on his shoulder, my voice shy. “Honey, I’m hungry.” Carter used a toothpick to pick up a piece of orange and brought it to my mouth. I took a bite and spat it out. “I don’t want to eat this. I want to eat something else.” Once you’ve slept with someone, things are different. He instantly understood. He started kissing my neck. Within moments, my face was flushed, and my breathing grew heavy. Just as Liam returned, Carter stopped precisely on time and stood up. I was incredibly frustrated by being teased and left hanging. I shot him a resentful glare. Liam, seeing my flushed face, thought I was lacking oxygen and asked if I wanted to go for a walk outside. I agreed, complaining that the room was too hot. Liam took me to a nearby food street to buy ice cream to cool down. Before eating, I deliberately wiped off my lipstick. After finishing the ice cream, Liam brought me back. The moment I walked in the door, Chloe tripped me. Thankfully, Carter caught me. “Careful, Chloe.” I was angry at him for being a coward—teasing me and then not letting me enjoy it. I smiled, distant and polite. “Thank you, Carter.” After he let go of me, his gaze fixed coldly on my lips. A layer of frost covered his eyes, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly. 4 Perhaps to keep up the lie, Liam called a few other people over to celebrate Chloe’s birthday. Someone suggested playing a game. Everyone who came knew Chloe was Liam’s mistress. To cover for Liam, they all pretended not to know, and the way they looked at me was full of pity. I played dumb and asked Chloe how she and Carter got together. Chloe, glancing between Carter and Liam, said affectionately, “We went to college together. I had a boyfriend back then and didn’t know he had a crush on me. We ran into each other three months ago, had a few drinks, and one thing led to another.” What a coincidence. It just so happened that they got together right after I was in a car accident and supposedly lost my sight. Liam lost the game. He had to spin a bottle on the table, and whoever it pointed to, he had to kiss. Everyone told him to skip the spin and just kiss me. But Carter, sitting on the side, feigned seriousness. “Since we’re playing, we have to follow the rules. We’re all friends here; a little peck on Chloe’s cheek won’t matter.” The bottle pointed to Chloe. They kissed—on the lips. Their friends, afraid I’d get angry, didn’t say a word, just claiming he kissed her on the cheek as a token gesture. Then it was my turn to play. I controlled the force perfectly, and the bottle pointed straight at Carter. Everyone at the table stared at each other, waiting for the drama to unfold. Liam spoke up. “Let’s skip this round. Spin again.” Someone looking for drama protested. “Why? Carter just said we have to follow the rules. So what if you’re married? If you’re going to play, you have to be able to afford to lose.” Someone else tried to smooth things over. “Oh, come on. Chloe can just kiss him on the cheek, that’s enough.” I nodded. “Then I’ll just kiss him on the forehead. A kiss on the forehead between friends isn’t going too far.” When Carter leaned in, I went straight for his lips. After kissing him, I looked shy. “I’m sorry, I can’t see clearly. Did I kiss the wrong place?” The room erupted in laughter. Carter secretly smirked, but a second later, his expression returned to a look of bewildered innocence, as if nothing had happened. Flustered and confused. It was Liam who suddenly lost his temper. “I told you to skip it, but you insisted on playing. You guys are so tasteless. My wife was wronged, she’s going to cry when we get home.” Liam grabbed my hand, intent on taking me home. After helping me into the passenger seat and buckling my seatbelt, he patted my head. “Honey, don’t be mad. They were just teasing you. I won’t hang out with them anymore.” I smiled understandingly. “It’s fine, as long as Carter and his girlfriend aren’t angry.” 5 Liam had promised to drive me home, but the person in the driver’s seat was his best friend, Carter. And Liam was fooling around with Chloe in the backseat. As soon as the car music started playing, the two of them were kissing and groping, practically ready to get a room right there. I had been playing around behind his back, but he dared to do it right in front of me. I was so angry I clenched my fists. But after thinking of a wicked idea, I smirked. When we arrived home, it was Carter who helped me out of the car. We had barely taken two steps before the people in the car couldn’t hold back anymore. Liam was desperate, but Carter was equally eager. As soon as we stepped into the elevator, he pinned me against the wall and kissed me forcefully. I bit his lip until it bled, but he refused to let go. We kissed all the way from the elevator to the bed. It took a lot of energy, and Carter had a habit of drinking water halfway through. While he wasn’t looking, I slipped a sleeping pill into his glass. Carter usually woke up at six, but because of the pill, he slept until eight. And eight o’clock happened to be the exact time Liam came home. When Liam opened the bedroom door, I was naked, tangled in Carter’s arms, whimpering “honey.” Liam’s eyes widened in fury, looking like he wanted to commit murder. Afraid of startling me, he waited until Carter woke up before grabbing him by the throat and dragging him out. The two of them were fighting intensely outside. I pretended not to know and rested my eyes. Knowing they were beating the crap out of each other made me feel incredibly satisfied. I slipped on Carter’s dress shirt and went out to fan the flames. “Honey, why didn’t you bathe me today? I feel all sticky and uncomfortable.” Liam was stunned to see me wearing an oversized, sheer men’s shirt. Afraid Carter would look, he immediately wrapped his own jacket around me. “Honey, why aren’t you wearing your own clothes?” I lowered my head shyly and whined softly, “You tore my dress, and I can’t see to get a new one from the closet. I had to wear your shirt to make do.” “If I had known you were in such a rush, I wouldn’t have worn it. That dress was so expensive, my heart aches.” He caressed my cheek with immense tenderness. “Don’t be sad. If it’s ruined, it’s ruined. Your husband will buy you a new one.” Carter was trained in martial arts; Liam was no match for him. In the few minutes I was resting my eyes, he had already been beaten black and blue. Knowing his best friend had slept with his wife was a humiliation no man could swallow. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, ready for round two. Afraid I would hear the commotion, Liam turned on the TV and put on a boxing match. I opened a bag of chips, eating while I watched them fight. Carter let himself get pinned to the floor and hit a few times, then suddenly flipped Liam over, grabbing his collar and smashing him into the coffee table. The whole sequence was smooth and incredibly cool. If he hadn’t been fighting to uphold a blind woman’s honor, I would have clapped for him. Once I finished my chips, I turned off the TV. Liam lay on the floor, gasping for air. Carter stood up, walked over to me, pinched my chin, and a cryptic smile flashed in his eyes. “Are you happy now, sis?” I blinked, pretending not to understand. “Carter, you’re here. Where’s Liam? Where did he go?” 6 Liam lay sprawled on the floor, letting out a powerless roar. “Carter, stay away from her! Don’t touch her!” Carter ignored him, cast a cold glance in his direction, and left. Liam dragged himself up from the floor. After cleaning up the battlefield, he sat across from me and asked, his heart aching, “Honey, after you lost your sight, when did we first… sleep together?” I played dumb. “Haven’t we been sleeping together every day?” Liam usually coaxed me to sleep before leaving, pretending to go out and buy breakfast the next morning. He said, frustrated, “I mean sleeping together, doing husband and wife things.” I pretended to think about it and said earnestly, “The third day, I think. You suddenly pulled me into your arms and wanted to take my clothes off. I was too tired and didn’t really want to cooperate. You got mad and even tied my hands and feet. You were so fierce that day, honey. I was really scared.” Actually, that day, I realized no one was beside me in bed. I went out to find someone and bumped into Carter, who was working. Having been deprived for so long, the itch was unbearable, so I just went for it. He had some restraint, but not much. After holding back for a few minutes, he carried me to bed. Of course, I couldn’t say that. Carter was a skilled fighter and incredibly cunning. Liam would definitely come off worse if he tried to mess with him. This was my indirect way of punishing Liam. Liam asked again, “And every day after that, did we… do that?” My face flushed red. “Yeah, we’ve been so sweet lately. If it weren’t for my eyes not being healed, I would have wanted a baby.” Liam was filled with intense regret, practically beating his chest. “Honey, it’s all my fault. I’ll protect you properly from now on.” Having swallowed this bitter pill, Liam stopped sneaking out with Chloe and stayed home to guard me every day. He treated me even better than before. I enjoyed this guilt-driven compensation, making him take me to the mall and spending nearly a million dollars. The only downside was that he kept pestering me, wanting to sleep with me. But he had cheated. I found him disgusting and didn’t want to sleep with him. He was paranoid about another man having been in our bed, so he dragged me to the couch. I cooperated with his kisses, but as we kissed, I reached down to feel his abs—and found he didn’t have any. I immediately pushed him away. “Who are you? You’re not my husband! My husband has a great body, a real six-pack. There’s no way a scrawny guy like you is him!” He tried to explain, but I didn’t give him a chance, firing off words like a machine gun. “Let me tell you, don’t think you can trick me just because I can’t see! I love my husband very much, and I would never do anything to betray him!” “If you dare force me, I’ll kill myself right in front of you!” Saying that, I reached for a knife. Liam had just peeled an apple for me, and the knife was on the coffee table. I grabbed it instantly. I gripped the handle and pointed the blade at him. “Get out of here right now! If you don’t leave, I’m going to scream!” Liam, thinking I was having a trauma response, was pulling his hair out in absolute agony. Just then, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID—it was Carter—and answered. “Carter, I don’t know where Liam went, and suddenly a stranger is in the house! He was trying to kiss and hug me, I’m so scared. Can you come over and help me?!” Carter honked his car horn wildly. “Sis, don’t be scared, I’ll be right there.” When Carter burst in, sweating profusely, and saw the standoff between Liam and me, he carefully took the knife from my hand and pulled me into his arms. “You scared me to death! I thought something happened to you.” I ignored him and kept acting. “Honey, is that you? The guy earlier didn’t have any abs. The moment I touched him, I knew it wasn’t you.” He took my hand and placed it on his chest. Is this really the time for flirting? Afraid I’d blow my cover if I kept acting, I shyly pushed him away, saying I had been holding it in for too long and needed to use the bathroom. As soon as I left, Liam started interrogating him. “Carter, you fucked my wife, and you’re still hovering around?!” Carter crossed his legs and raised an eyebrow. “Well, my sister-in-law can’t live without me now. We have no choice but to live together.” “How about this: during the day, you cook for her and keep her company. At night, I’ll sleep with her. You can go wherever you want, or you can stay here.” Honestly, I thought his suggestion was pretty good. Unfortunately, Liam wasn’t having it. “In your dreams! That’s my wife, why should I let you sleep with her?!” “Liam, why are you looking at it that way? We both get to sleep with her, but she doesn’t want to sleep with you. She wants to sleep with me.” “If you don’t agree to the three of us living together, I’ll go confess everything to Chloe. I’ll tell her that while you were sneaking out every night to see a mistress, the person sleeping with her was me.” Liam refused. “No way. If she finds out I cheated, she’ll definitely divorce me.” Carter laughed. “What are you afraid of? She cheated too! When the time comes, you two can just have a chat and forgive each other.” “How could that work? She was tricked into cheating by you, it’s not her fault.” “Bro, I’ve been sleeping with Chloe for almost three months. Do you really think she doesn’t know anything?” Liam’s voice spiked. “Your sister-in-law is so innocent! If you speak too loudly, you’ll scare her to tears! If she knew the person sleeping with her wasn’t me, she would have refused immediately! There’s no way she’d fool around with you for this long!” Carter sneered. “Innocent? Liam, I think you’re just stupid, which is why she’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

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At noon, my online boyfriend sent me a photo of his lunch, fishing for compliments. It was a steaming bowl of braised chicken and rice. [Baby, I ate my lunch properly today. I’m such a good boy, come praise me~] Just as I was typing “Good boy,” my eyes caught something. Printed on the cafeteria tray in the photo were four red letters: Aegis Tech. My heart dropped. Because… the company I work for is also called “Aegis Tech.” I froze right there. Are you kidding me, bro? The online boyfriend I’ve been dating for over a year actually works at the same company as me? 1 It was lunchtime, and I was happily enjoying my favorite braised chicken and rice in the company cafeteria. Remembering my online boyfriend saying he was too busy at work and often forgot to eat lunch, I sent him a kind reminder: [No matter how busy work gets, don’t forget to eat your lunch. Be a good, obedient puppy.] Ten minutes later, my phone lit up with his reply: [Baby, I ate my lunch properly today. I’m such a good boy, come praise me~] [Image] I opened the picture. It was a steaming bowl of braised chicken and rice. I was just about to praise him. But then I realized the photo looked oddly familiar. After a closer look, I found the source of that damn familiarity: The four red letters printed on the tray: [Aegis Tech] And that is exactly where I work. I looked at the braised chicken in front of me, then at the photo my online boyfriend sent. Suddenly, the meat in my mouth didn’t taste as good. The company cafeteria is strictly for employees only. My online boyfriend works at the same company as me? I was speechless! 2 [Baby, why aren’t you praising me? (Puppy pouting face)] [I really listened to you and ate properly. (Puppy crying)] [Are you mad? What did your puppy do wrong? (Puppy crying in the corner)] The messages from my online boyfriend came one after another. I still hadn’t recovered from the shock. Although I knew we were in the same city, I never expected we would be in the same company. This damn fate! “Puppy, what company do you work for?” “Puppy, are you at Aegis Tech?” I typed out the words and deleted them, over and over again. I didn’t know what to say. If I asked, he would probably ask me where I worked too. He might even figure out I’m at Aegis Tech. Then he would try to find me. What would I do then? The thought of some random guy at work calling me “baby” all day made me want to die of embarrassment. Before I could even digest this fact, he sent another message: [Baby, you’re not ignoring me because you’re eating with someone else, are you!!!] [Baby, what’s wrong? I’m panicking…] To prevent him from noticing anything unusual, I replied: [I was eating and didn’t see your messages. Good boy.] Only then did he stop bombarding me. [Baby, I finished eating. Going back to work now~] 3 I breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the cafeteria. There were hardly any people left. Mostly women, and one older man with gray hair. It couldn’t possibly be him. I forced myself to calm down and organize my thoughts. Right now, there were a few pressing questions I needed to figure out: First, who is my online boyfriend? Second, what kind of person is he really? Third, if I find him, do I confess, continue dating online, or break up? (Because it really is too awkward.) Thinking back on our online relationship from the beginning until now. We were both very careful about our privacy. For example, we never sent selfies, nor did we reveal our real names or addresses. He only sent me a few pictures of his abs when I practically begged him to. Based on that alone, it’s really hard to figure out who he is. I can’t just go around lifting guys’ shirts to compare their ab definition with the pictures, right? 4 Back at the office, I looked at my male colleagues. I shuddered. We battle it out every day like sworn enemies. If my online boyfriend turned out to be one of them, I would literally die on the spot. I scrolled through my chat history with him, looking for clues. And I actually found something. Last month, he couldn’t decide which water bottle to buy. [Baby, I’m shopping at the mall with a friend and I want to buy a water bottle.] [Help me pick one! Which one looks better? I’ll buy one for you too.] He sent a few pictures, and I picked out a titanium thermos with a traditional lacquer finish. To protect my privacy, I politely declined his offer to buy me one. [Whatever my baby chooses is the best.] He bought that exact thermos right then and there. So, I just needed to see who in the company was using it. I wandered around the office several times but couldn’t find anyone using it. I messaged him: [Are you using the water bottle you bought?] He replied almost instantly: [Baby, I’m using it right now!] [Image.] The water bottle was sitting right on his desk. That’s weird. Why didn’t I see it? While I was still pondering this, a message from my boss, Mr. Sterling, popped up on the company messaging app: [Chloe, there are some issues with the proposal. Come to my office for a minute!] When I walked into his office, Mr. Sterling was on the phone: “Baby, I miss you too. Come see me at the office tomorrow.” “Oh, right, Liam is coming tomorrow too, you can catch a ride with him.” “Aw, I’m just worried about you driving by yourself, it’s not safe~” “Okay, I’ll listen to you. Just come whenever you’re ready, drive safely.” “I have to get back to work, hanging up now, mua~” I awkwardly turned my face away. I couldn’t bear to look, I really couldn’t. Our Mr. Sterling actually had such a gentle side. He hung up the phone, coughed, and smiled at me. “Chloe, the investors looked at the proposal this morning. They’re generally very satisfied, but they brought up a few points. I’ve noted the specifics on the document, please revise it according to their suggestions.” “Okay, Mr. Sterling.” Just as I was about to leave, I caught sight of a water bottle sitting on the corner of his desk. It was the exact same titanium thermos with the traditional lacquer finish! Identical to the one I picked out for my online boyfriend! In that moment, I felt like I had been struck by lightning, frozen in place! Seeing that I hadn’t left, Mr. Sterling asked: “Hmm? Is there something else?” His voice pulled me out of my shock. I took a deep breath, pretending nothing was wrong. I pointed at the thermos: “Mr. Sterling, that’s a nice water bottle. Where did you buy it?” He slowly uttered two words: “The mall.” Me: “…” Mr. Sterling smiled slightly, his eyes curving into crescents. “Why, do you like it?” I quickly composed my facial expression and waved my hands. “Ah, it’s nothing, just asking casually.” Then, I fled the office in a panic. An absurd thought popped into my head: Mr. Sterling is my online boyfriend! But if I’m his girlfriend, who was he calling “baby” just now? Is Mr. Sterling cheating? Holy crap! 5 I was completely out of it for the rest of the day. I didn’t even reply to the messages my online boyfriend sent me. Suppressing my emotions, I finally finished revising the proposal. I went home in a daze. My phone was full of messages from him. [Baby, what are you doing?] [Baby? Where are you?] [Baby, why aren’t you replying?] [Baby, why are you acting so weird today? Did I do something wrong? Tell me if you’re unhappy, I’ll definitely fix it!] [Baby, don’t scare me!] … With trembling hands, I typed a few words. [Puppy, are you hiding something from me?] He replied instantly: [No, baby. I always answer whatever you ask truthfully.] [Baby, is there a misunderstanding between us?] [No.] I tried to calm my chaotic mind. Now that I knew he was highly likely Mr. Sterling, my next step was to figure out if Mr. Sterling was really cheating. And who the “baby” he was talking to actually was. What if I was misunderstanding him? My online boyfriend sent another message: [Oh right, baby, the new collection from brand V just dropped. Help me pick one out? I want to wear it tomorrow!] [Image.] I specifically picked out a solid black sweater with a logo on the left chest, making it easy for me to identify. I still held onto a sliver of hope. If Mr. Sterling didn’t wear this sweater tomorrow, it would prove he wasn’t my online boyfriend. Then I wouldn’t have to agonize over whether he was cheating or not. 6 The next day, I walked into Mr. Sterling’s office with the revised proposal. He was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, wearing the exact same black brand V sweater I picked out yesterday. Blindingly black. “Mr. Sterling, the proposal has been revised.” He gave me a gentle smile. “Good work, Chloe.” “The investors are coming this afternoon, please be prepared.” “Okay.” I stared at Mr. Sterling’s sweater, pretending to ask casually: “Mr. Sterling, I’ve never seen you wear this sweater before, it looks nice.” He smiled: “Bought it yesterday.” This made me even more certain that Mr. Sterling was my online boyfriend. Sitting at my desk, I absentmindedly stared at his office. He said yesterday that his “baby” was coming to the office today. I really wanted to know who this “baby” was. If it really was what I thought, then this relationship had to end. 7 An hour later, a woman with exquisite features walked straight into Mr. Sterling’s office. I pretended to go get water. As I passed his office, I heard talking and laughing from inside. “Baby, I missed you so much. This sweater looks really good on you, I just realized black suits you.” Mr. Sterling’s voice was gentle: “Baby, as long as you like it. I picked it out specifically. Aren’t we meeting your parents tonight? I was afraid they wouldn’t be satisfied with me.” “How could they? My parents will naturally like the person I like.” Hearing this, it felt like my heart had taken a heavy blow. So he asked me to pick out clothes for him so he could meet his beloved girlfriend’s parents. Then what am I? A secret mistress? The next second, I took out my phone and with great difficulty, typed a few words to my online boyfriend: “You are rotten to the core, let’s break up!” Then, I swiftly blocked and deleted him. 8 Mr. Sterling walked out holding his girlfriend’s hand, watching her leave. He didn’t look sad at all. I felt more and more like a clown. Thinking back to all the moments we shared, I felt a wave of bitterness in my heart. The only thing worth celebrating was that I used an alt account for online dating. Otherwise, I would have been so embarrassed. I consoled myself: since love is gone, I should just focus on work. After all, I’m a rational woman, I couldn’t possibly quit my job over this. 9 In the afternoon, Mr. Sterling sent me a message. [Chloe, the investor has read your proposal and thinks it’s feasible. Come in and give a presentation.] I gathered my emotions, held my head high, and walked in. “Chloe, this is the investor, and also my good buddy, Liam Hayes. Don’t be nervous, just explain your ideas to Mr. Hayes.” I ignored Mr. Sterling and looked at the person sitting on the sofa. And my eyes met Liam’s. Unlike Mr. Sterling’s gentleness, the man in front of me exuded a noble and unapproachable aura. He was wearing a black V-neck suit, the neckline perfectly revealing a black, slim-fit turtleneck sweater underneath. The sweater outlined his pecs, which were ready to burst out but perfectly concealed by the jacket. It left much to the imagination. His long, fair fingers picked up a water glass, and he took a small sip. I was completely intimidated by this man’s aura and nervously swallowed. Urged by Mr. Sterling, I explained my ideas to Liam. Once in work mode, I was confident and poised. When I finished, Mr. Sterling clapped. “Chloe, very well said. Liam, what do you think?” Mr. Sterling and I looked at Liam simultaneously, but Liam’s gaze was fixed on my neck. He suddenly said: “Miss Chloe, that’s a very nice necklace.” I looked down. The neckline of my outfit today was a bit low, and my crystal necklace was perfectly exposed. I panicked a little, because when I bought this crystal necklace, I had sent a picture to my online boyfriend. [Puppy, look at my new necklace, isn’t it pretty?] [Image] The image was a close-up of my neck wearing the necklace. He replied: [Baby looks good in everything.] Now that the necklace was exposed, Mr. Sterling wouldn’t recognize me, would he? I glanced at Mr. Sterling. Thankfully, he didn’t react much. He was still eagerly waiting for Liam’s reply. Of course, he had a girlfriend, and he was just playing with me. Why would he remember these details? Only I remembered every little thing about our online romance. I hurriedly pulled my hand back and said: “Just bought it casually, for fun.” 10 Mr. Sterling sat next to Liam and took a sip of tea. “Liam, let’s get down to business, what do you think?” Mr. Sterling stared at Liam, but Liam stared at me. After a long while, he slowly uttered one word. “Excellent.” Hearing this, Mr. Sterling happily patted Liam on the shoulder. “Liam, you truly are a good buddy, reliable.” I also breathed a sigh of relief in my heart. All those sleepless nights rushing the work weren’t in vain. I finally got a good result. Liam pushed Mr. Sterling’s hand away in disgust, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile as he looked at me. “It’s because Miss Chloe is outstanding enough.” Even though it was our first meeting, I felt a strange sensation. Liam’s gaze made my ears turn red. Mr. Sterling looked surprised. “Oh? This is rare. Our Mr. Hayes actually knows how to praise people.” “But thinking about it, it makes sense. Our Chloe is so outstanding, who wouldn’t want to praise her?” “But you, praising someone for the first time, and a woman at that. The sun must be rising from the west.” “Ah, no, wait, spit spit spit, there’s still sister-in-law. No, wait, sister-in-law dumped you, spit spit spit, look at my stupid mouth.” My little ears perked up, feeling like I was hearing some incredible gossip. What? The legendary business mogul got dumped? Which woman was so blind? The next second, Liam shot me a resentful look. I quickly lowered my head, feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt in my heart. Liam shifted his gaze, took a sip of tea, and said flatly to Mr. Sterling: “If you talk any more nonsense, I don’t mind withdrawing the investment.” Mr. Sterling hurriedly waved his hands. “Hey, don’t, don’t, don’t, look at you, still can’t take a joke.” I suppressed my drumming heartbeat and threw out a sentence in a panic: “Mr. Sterling, Mr. Hayes, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” And fled as if escaping. Back at my desk, Mr. Sterling sent another message. [Chloe, are you free tonight? Mr. Hayes said he still has some questions about the proposal and wants to invite you to dinner to chat about it.] I replied coldly: [No.] [If you go, I’ll double your year-end bonus this year.] Who would say no to money? I agreed immediately. [Okay, send me the address.] Turning off my phone, thinking about how Mr. Sterling was meeting his girlfriend’s parents tonight, I felt a wave of bitterness and mocked myself: Chloe, you’re unlucky in love but lucky in your career.

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My dad used to be a punk. Later, my mom beat some sense into him, and he became a company CEO. But the year he made it big, he was surrounded by women. He always smelled of alcohol and often didn’t come home at night. So my mom didn’t want him anymore. And by extension, she didn’t want me anymore either. So, I hate Arthur Vance. 1. Another night. I got up to cook some spicy ramen. One pack of fire noodles, extra spicy, topped with two fried eggs. “Eat less spicy food, adding two pieces of vegetables would be better.” A cold female voice echoed in my mind. I quickly tossed two slightly wilted vegetables in. Legend has it this is the system my mom bound herself to back in the day. After my mom completed her mission, she left me a system. Besides that, she left nothing. I couldn’t even find a single photo of her in the house. When I missed my mom, I could only run to the cemetery. There was a photo of her there. Her high school graduation photo, which Arthur spent a long time finding. That’s the only good thing he’s done in his life. I scooped out the fire noodles and rinsed them in cold water. The cold female voice reminded me again: “Turn off the stove.” Oh right. I forgot to turn off the stove because I was lost in thought. I rubbed my head, then grabbed a box of pre-cut fruit from the fridge to cool down the spice. I picked up a piece of watermelon and stuffed it into my mouth, asking as I ate, “Auntie System, does this fruit taste fermented to you?” “It tastes a bit sour.” “Spit it out quickly, don’t eat anymore, it’s gone bad.” “The milk in the fridge is fresh.” Even though it was a cold, electronic voice, hearing it warmed my heart. In this world, Auntie System is my only relative. She’s been by my side since I was little. When I cried, she comforted me. When Arthur didn’t come home at night, she kept me company. When I was bullied by other kids, Auntie System would play games with me: “Leo, stand up, let’s have a race.” “Whoever runs home first wins.” I always ran the fastest. When I got home and called for Auntie System, she would always reply after a while: “Leo, good job, you won again.” As I grew older, even if I ran fast, I would still get caught and beaten. Getting beaten hurt too much. So I dyed my hair red, got earrings, and got tattoos on my arms and neck. Sure enough, people avoided me when they saw me. Arthur also avoided me. But he wasn’t afraid of me; he was disgusted by me. He looked at me no differently than he looked at an enemy. It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I like him that much either. Suddenly, a car horn honked outside. I glanced out. Arthur was back. 2. The electronic door lock chimed, indicating a successful unlock. The next second, a tall, straight figure appeared in the doorway. I glanced back. Arthur was wearing an expensive suit, his hair perfectly styled, his gold-rimmed glasses gleaming with a cold light. His gaze fell on my newly dyed hair, and he frowned deeply. My hand gripping the chopsticks paused. I should have been used to this by now. I kept my head down and ate my noodles. The extra spicy fire noodles made my eyes water. So I chugged several mouthfuls of milk. Arthur stood behind me, his cold eyes sweeping over the food on the table: “Where’s the housekeeper? Who let you eat this junk food?” His voice was icy. I didn’t want to talk to him. He just stood there behind me. The air seemed to freeze. “Look at yourself, what do you look like now?” His voice was cold and heavy, and I clenched my fists. The atmosphere was at a stalemate. Auntie System quickly comforted me: “Leo, don’t fight.” “Your dad is a bastard.” “Ignore him.” I endured it, and endured it some more, but finally couldn’t hold back: “You hate how I look right now?” “You’ve never cared about me since I was born. What right do you have to care about me now!” I stood up abruptly. Arthur looked up at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth: “Leo Vance, who taught you to speak like that?” I sneered: “You think I have no manners?” “Well, who was there to teach me?” “My mom died early. Why don’t you find me a stepmom quickly, have a new child, and pretend I’m dead.” Arthur’s knuckles clenched tight. A crisp slap landed on my face. “Do you know what you’re saying?” He was angrier than I was. His gaze fell on my face, very cold, very heavy. I kept my neck stiff and looked at him, refusing to back down. I didn’t say anything wrong. As far back as I can remember, there have always been many women around him. Whenever he wasn’t around, they would secretly ask me: “What kind of women does your dad like?” I wanted to say he likes women like my mom. My mom loved wearing white dresses. Long hair, loved to smile. When she smiled, her eyes lit up, and she had a dimple. But I forgot, my dad hated my mom the most. So I changed my tune: “As long as it’s not my mom, he likes everyone.” Over the years, he’s had all sorts of women around him, just no one like my mom. If there were, I could at least see what my mom looked like when she was alive. My nose stung, but I still kept my neck stiff, refusing to back down. Time ticked by, second by second. Drops of nosebleed hit the floor. Shock flashed in Arthur’s eyes, then he looked at me with a cold face: “If you want to be a punk, go be one outside. Don’t let me see you in the house.” I pursed my lips, my fingers clenching and unclenching, and finally lowered my head: “I’ll leave after I finish this bowl of noodles.” Arthur didn’t say anything else and went straight upstairs. I looked at his back. He didn’t even remember that today is my birthday. I sat down, casually wiped my nosebleed, and kept my head down, taking big bites of noodles. Auntie System said I have to eat longevity noodles on my birthday. I don’t know how to make them. So I substituted fire noodles. The fried eggs were a must; Auntie System said they were the symbol of longevity noodles. I want my mom to know. I’m taking good care of myself. “Auntie System, can my mom see me?” I sniffled, took a deep breath, and fought back my tears. “Yes.” “Happy birthday, Leo.” I wiped my nosebleed with a tissue and smiled: “Thank you, Auntie System.” Arthur watched quietly from upstairs for a while. He stood in the shadows, unmoving. Until I was about to leave, Auntie System suddenly spoke: “Arthur really is a bastard.” I instinctively looked back. The second-floor hallway was empty. Only one bedroom door had just closed. The light seeping through the crack of the door went out in an instant. I gripped the doorknob tightly and slammed the door shut. The room suddenly fell silent. In the darkness, Arthur stood behind the door. The gift under his coat pressed painfully against his chest. He looked down at the exquisitely wrapped box, rubbing his fingers over it for a long time. Finally, he placed it in the deepest part of his drawer. Together with a white dress he had never given away. 3. I had nowhere to go, and not a penny on me. Arthur refused to give me money. He said I was doing bad things, using the money to support a bunch of punk underlings. Tsk. If I had known, I would have burned the tie I bought for him. A tie so expensive. I saved up for three months to buy it. I’d rather give it to a dog than him. “Auntie System, where can I go?” I stood at a crosswalk under a streetlight. Nowhere to go. Auntie System was silent for a moment: “Leo, let’s go home. It’s too late, it’s not safe.” I waved my hand, “Arthur hates me, I’d better not annoy him.” I wandered aimlessly. Only stray dogs accompanied me on the early morning streets. I don’t know how long I walked, but I passed a bar and took a second look. “Leo, minors aren’t allowed to drink.” Auntie System’s alarm bells rang. I quickly said: “I’m not.” “I’m looking at the guy getting beaten up. Why does he look so much like my underling?” “Mark! Is that you?” The person on the ground struggled to squeeze a hand out from under the feet of several people, waving feebly at me. It really was him! I strode forward, shoved them aside, and hauled Mark up from the ground. “What are you doing?!” “What are we doing? He watered down our drinks! If we don’t beat him, who do we beat?” Mark grabbed my sleeve, his eyes swollen to slits, wiping away tears only for more to well up. “I didn’t! Boss Leo, they told me to deliver alcohol, I delivered it, they didn’t pay, and they claimed I watered it down.” “You punk, got a death wish?” The lead guy raised his arm, his slap about to fall. I blocked it firmly: “Give him his money.” “I won’t, what are you gonna do about it?” I clenched my fists. “Leo, don’t fight, don’t get hurt.” “Call the police first.” Auntie System’s voice sounded a bit anxious. I clenched and unclenched my fists, holding myself back over and over. The guy threw off my hand, stepped forward, and patted Mark’s face: “Next time we get you to deliver alcohol, be smart. If you dare ask for money again, I’ll break your legs.” I couldn’t hold back anymore and landed a punch on the guy’s face. Both sides were quickly rolling around fighting. I don’t know who called the police, but the siren grew closer and closer. 4. Inside the police station, I clutched my stomach and wailed. “Officers, neither of us are adults yet. You have to protect the flowers of the nation.” “Look at us, he beat us up like this! My handsome face is swollen like a meat bun!” “I think I’ve gone deaf in one ear.” “My head hurts so much, save me, officers!” The officer sighed: “We know, let’s take your statements first.” After taking our statements, the police detained the group of guys. “We recovered the money, a total of 347 dollars.” “But, beating people is wrong. If you have a problem, call the police.” “I’ve already called your parents. You can leave when they come to sign.” I pouted and kicked the floor. Will Arthur come? Tsk. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. The food at the police station is pretty good anyway. Mark sat next to me, his face bruised and battered, his eyes swollen to mere slits, fighting back tears. Even so, he still tightly held the recovered money. It was heartbreaking to see. “Is your mom doing better?” “Yeah! With dialysis three times a week, she’s much better.” “Last week she was even saying you should come over for炸酱面 (Zhajiangmian).” I clenched my fingers, my nose suddenly stinging. Back when Arthur kicked me out of the house and I was starving to death, it was Mark who took me home. His mom cooked a pot of noodles for me. That was the best meal I had ever eaten. Snapping back to reality, my eyes were already wet. I rubbed them hard before speaking: “Okay, I’ll go see Auntie in a couple of days.” “Great!” Mark nodded vigorously, a huge smile spreading across his face, but it tugged at the wounds on his face, making him grimace in pain. I turned my head and secretly smiled too. “Leo Vance.” A cold voice suddenly rang out. 5. I looked up, meeting a cold gaze. I instinctively sat up straighter, using my jacket to hide my injuries, tightly clenching my fingers. Arthur glanced at the injuries on my face, looking closely from my swollen, red eyes to my split lip. Finally, he said nothing and walked straight inside. I don’t know how long I waited. Before Arthur came out and stood firmly in front of me. I waited for a long time, but he refused to speak to me. He probably thought I was beyond saving. Tsk. If he won’t talk, he won’t talk. I grabbed my jacket from the chair and was about to leave when Arthur suddenly called out: “Stop.” I frowned and looked back, only to see the police officer leading out those punks. “Apologize.” Arthur said flatly. I tightly clenched my fists. Making me… apologize? Is Arthur blind? Can’t he see my face is covered in injuries? “Apologize. Do you want to stay in the police station forever?” Arthur looked up, his eyes already impatient. “We’re sorry, little bro. Please be the bigger person and let us go.” I froze in place, looking up only to see the back of Arthur’s head. So, he was telling them to apologize to me. I clenched my fingers, looking at Arthur’s back again and again. Only then did I notice his shirt was very wrinkled, the collar turned up haphazardly, and the buttons on his cuffs weren’t even buttoned. Arthur was always meticulous. In all these years, I had never seen a single wrinkle on his clothes. So, he was in a hurry because of me? Tsk. I don’t believe it. “Auntie System, do you think Arthur is standing up for me?” I asked quietly in my heart. Auntie System looked at Arthur for a long time before speaking: “I don’t understand him either.” True, even the most precise algorithms have a hard time deciphering human hearts. I’ll stop thinking about it. Arthur isn’t a good egg anyway. 6. Coming out of the police station, Arthur’s black car had its headlights on in the rain. I looked towards the driver’s seat. A woman with chestnut hair smiled with red lips, waving at me through the half-open window. “Little brat, in trouble again?” Mia, a famous actress. The woman who has stayed by my dad’s side the longest. All of my dad’s explosive scandals are related to her. Recently, rumors about an illegitimate child caused an uproar. In the end, Arthur suppressed it, and it didn’t affect Mia’s new drama release at all. You can see how much Arthur likes her. I ignored her, frowning fiercely at Arthur behind me. Arthur stopped walking and explained: “I drank, Auntie Mia drove me.” Seeing I didn’t move, he opened the car door for me: “Let’s go home first.” Disgusting. I glared at him fiercely. Just as I was about to leave, Arthur grabbed my arm, his grip very strong: “Get in the car, let’s go home first.” I gritted my teeth, staring dead at Arthur: “Why are you still pretending to care about me? Don’t you have an illegitimate child with her? In a couple of years, they’ll take over my and my mom’s place, you’ll be a real family, I’m just an eyesore to you.” Arthur’s face was tight, his grip on my arm not loosening in the slightest. “Leo, this is between adults.” “Bullshit!” “This is absolutely not just between adults! You lost my mom, you made me motherless! What right do you have to say it’s only between adults!” “Arthur, I will never forgive you!” I tried to shake off Arthur’s hand, but he held on too tight, his eyes full of emotions I couldn’t understand: “Leo, it’s too late, come back with me first.” “Leo, it’s too dangerous outside, listen to your dad, go back with him.” Auntie System also advised me. I clenched my fingers, fighting back my stinging tears, and got in the car. I wasn’t afraid of Arthur. I just didn’t want Auntie System to worry about me. It was getting late, she should rest too. 7. Arthur sat in the passenger seat. I crossed my arms and glared coldly at their backs. “How about it, little brat? Do your dad and I look good together?” Mia raised an eyebrow at me through the rearview mirror. I snorted coldly: “Yeah, you’re both sick in the head, a perfect match.” “Is that so? Thank you.” Mia laughed heartily. My face turned pale with anger. Arthur leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes: “Mia, stop teasing him.” Mia glanced at Arthur upon hearing this, then rolled up the window and turned on the heat. I sneered inwardly: “They should just lock themselves together, saves Arthur from bothering my mom after he dies.” “They won’t. They’re not in the same world.” “They’ll never have a chance to meet again in this lifetime.” Auntie System’s voice was very, very soft. The intermittent electronic voice made my heart feel heavy. Is that so? I glanced at Arthur, who was frowning even in his sleep. Never seeing my mom again is truly the best punishment. As the car neared the house, Arthur got out. There was a pharmacy outside. What’s he doing? He has more muscles than me, what’s wrong with him? Mia saw my confusion and spoke softly. “Actually, your dad’s health hasn’t been good these past two years.” I sneered, “What does that have to do with me?” I looked away, refusing to look at Arthur in the rain. She wasn’t angry, just smiled and continued. “Haven’t you noticed? There’s always a first-aid kit at home. The medicine you need has never been out of stock.” “Your dad prepared that for you, knowing you always get hurt. The bruise medicine has never been empty.” “Leo, your dad’s health is poor, stop making him angry.” “If he lives a couple more years, you’ll be comfortable for a couple more years.” I didn’t speak, my gaze falling on Arthur. He stood tall, shoulders broad. Aside from a slightly pale complexion, he showed no signs of illness. “How he is has nothing to do with me.” “But you’d better pray Arthur lives a couple more years, otherwise who’s going to raise your illegitimate child?” Mia touched up her lipstick in the mirror, her smile unchanged: “Don’t worry, for the child’s sake, I will.” A lump formed in my throat, I couldn’t swallow it down or spit it out. I really felt it wasn’t worth it for my mom. Why does she get everything, while my mom gets nothing? I gritted my teeth in hatred. I wanted to ask Arthur if he ever regretted losing my mom. But on second thought, he wouldn’t. He’s cold-blooded, only caring about profit. Looking up, Arthur was walking towards the car. I clenched my fists, looked away, and didn’t mention the previous topic. Arthur got in the car and handed me a bag of medicine. Iodine, anti-inflammatories, cotton swabs, band-aids… I sharply noticed him stuffing a box of painkillers into his pocket. I looked away and didn’t ask him. I thought, in his other home, that illegitimate child would care about him. He doesn’t need me. 8. After taking a shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and dried my hair. A light rain fell outside the window. I could only see the taillights of Mia’s car speeding away. I looked at the pile of medicine on the window sill, a bit puzzled. I simply kicked off my slippers and lay on the bed, looking up. “Auntie System, what do you think Arthur means by this? Is he caring about me?” “This is too weird! I’d rather he gave me a few slaps to get it over with.” Auntie System was silent for a moment, her electronic voice intermittent: “I don’t know either.” “Sigh, just apply some medicine and go to sleep early.” “Leo, no matter what, your dad won’t harm you.” I nodded and applied medicine to my facial injuries in front of the mirror. I couldn’t reach the injuries on my back, so I just ignored them. “Leo, your back is a bit swollen, let your dad come over and help you.” I lay on my stomach and shook my head, “Forget it, Arthur isn’t that kind-hearted.” “It’s okay, Auntie System. It’ll be fine tomorrow, don’t worry about me, go to sleep early.” I was so sleepy I could barely open my eyes. I didn’t hear what Auntie System said clearly, just mumbled a response. 9. Outside the door, separated by a wall, Arthur stood holding the doorknob for a long time. He pushed open the door; Leo was already asleep. The medicine on the table hadn’t been put away, left in a mess. The window wasn’t closed either. Arthur walked over and gently closed the half-open window. Through the warm light, his gaze fell on Leo little by little. This child, usually like a little demon, was only quiet when he was asleep. The little demon lost all his energy, sprawling on the bed. His back was covered in wounds, some deep, some shallow, making Arthur frown. Arthur walked over, half-crouching by the bed, using a cotton swab to treat the wounds on his back bit by bit. Some wounds, with red flesh exposed, were already oozing pus after being caught in the rain. It hurt him just to look at it. He didn’t know how this child managed to hold back his cries of pain. Frowning, he finished applying the medicine and put band-aids over the wounds. After a good while, he packed away the medicine bottles. He reached out to cover Leo with the blanket. The blanket had barely touched Leo’s legs when it was kicked away. Leo lay on the bed, his brow, which closely resembled Arthur’s, furrowed tight. He’s so big now, yet still doesn’t like being covered by a blanket. Arthur watched quietly for a while, then suddenly smiled. He remembered a long, long time ago, when Leo was just over a year old. At that time, Leo was just learning to walk, had no hair, and waddled like a little monster. Every night, he would keep his big eyes wide open, refusing to sleep. As soon as his body touched the bed, he would wail. Arthur looked at the red-faced crying child and pondered for a long time. He didn’t know where this child’s “off” switch was. Finally, Arthur strapped him into a car seat and drove slowly along empty roads. Feeling the wind. The little guy would smile in his car seat. Smiling so hard snot bubbles popped out. Evil little monster. That’s what Arthur called him. Later he found out, the child was afraid of the heat and feeling smothered. During that time, Arthur would lay the child by his waist to sleep, without a blanket. When the child got cold, he would snuggle up to him. His little hands clutching Arthur’s pajamas tight, his little feet pressing hard against his waist. At those times, Arthur would scoop the little guy into his arms and gently cover him with the blanket. The little guy would use his arm as a pillow, his little mouth slightly open, revealing one tiny tooth, sleeping incredibly soundly. Arthur looked at Leo on the bed for a long, long time, his eyes soft. Seventeen years passed in a flash, and the little monster has grown this big. Fearless of heaven and earth. Even when hurt, he doesn’t know how to cry. Arthur tugged the blanket, avoiding the wounds, and gently laid it over Leo. The warm light went out. The door closed. The room was plunged into darkness. In the silence, I buried my face in the pillow for a long, long time. My heart was in knots. I should hate him. He’s a bastard. He’s the reason my mom didn’t want me anymore. They said my mom was a shrew who once beat Arthur from a street punk into an honor student with a rolling pin. Later, it was also my mom who managed Arthur, guiding him step by step to become the CEO of a listed company. But he loved to play. He had more business dinners, drank more alcohol, and had more women around him. My mom caught him a few times, but as time went on, she stopped caring. Even when Arthur drank himself into a gastric bleed, she didn’t care. That year, Arthur achieved success and fame; he had everything. Except my mom. I should hate him. He lost my mom. But my heart just aches. I cried for a long time, falling asleep in a damp patch. I don’t know how much time passed, but an electronic voice sounded, a very, very soft female voice. She sounded like she was sighing, her voice choked with emotion. “Arthur, why are you… so harsh on the child…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394488”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

This is the fifth year I’ve been by the side of that infamous playboy. Someone took a picture of me looking like I might be pregnant. Rumors instantly started flying around our circle. Everyone assumed I was trying to use a baby to force his hand and secure a spot in his billionaire family. Upon hearing the news, his first love—the one who had stormed off in a fit of pique years ago—flew back to the country, out for blood. Everyone expected a massive, dramatic war between us. But when Arthur returned from his business trip, all he heard was that I had aborted the baby and slipped back to my hometown. Sigh. We “good girls” can play around however we want on normal days. But if we actually tried to carry a bastard child with no name and no status? Our parents would kill us. 1 It was the middle of the night. Right after I hung up the phone with my doctor, the doorbell rang. I stood up my suitcase and turned to open the door. The man, wearing a sleek, cold leather jacket, casually tossed his heavy sports car keys into my arms. His expression was displeased. “Why did you change the passcode to the front door?” I pursed my lips and whispered, “I was worried stalkers might be waiting outside my door.” He let out a disdainful scoff. “With the security in this building? Without registering, not even a stray cat could get in, let alone a living, breathing person.” …Well, someone got in. I thought silently to myself. Like your first love, who came over and literally kicked my door in. I took his coat and stood on my tiptoes to hang it up. Beneath his usual crisp scent of cedar, there was a lingering trace of a cloying, sweet women’s perfume. It was the exact same scent as my uninvited guest from yesterday. I pretended not to notice. He suddenly reached out and rubbed my eyes with his knuckles. “Have you been crying?” I froze, surprised he even noticed my slightly swollen eyes. I threw out a random lie. “I was just watching a movie.” Seeing me lower my long eyelashes, his gaze trailed downward, landing on my bare feet. The autumn chill was creeping in, but I hadn’t put the rugs down yet. He frowned slightly, scooped me up into his arms, and carried me to the sofa. He probably thought I was getting worked up over the recent rumors. So he spoke: “People in our circle just love to gossip. They think having a baby is a guaranteed ticket into a wealthy family. Those women eagerly waiting for a chance have been trying to shove themselves in my face forever.” “This child has another purpose for me. Just be a good girl. Don’t be like those idiots dreaming of climbing the social ladder. The position of Mrs. Sterling isn’t that simple.” These words were both a reminder and a warning. He had plenty of women around him over the years. But playing around was one thing; when it came to matters involving his family’s interests, he never hesitated or blurred the lines. If I dared to act like the other women in his circle, trying to use a child to fight for a position… He could take everything away in an instant and send me right back to where I started. I felt a little tired. Leaning against his shoulder, I gave a very soft “Mhm.” Suddenly, his gaze paused, noticing my suitcase sitting on the floor. “Going back to your hometown again?” He frowned imperceptibly. “Yeah, my parents said they miss me.” Over the years, whenever I felt wronged, I’d run back home. I’d declare I was never coming back, only to secretly buy the earliest flight back because I missed him too much. Assuming it was because Thanksgiving was coming up, he didn’t mind too much. “Stay a couple of days if you’re going back. Don’t interact with people who have twisted intentions. We’ll talk about the baby later.” He didn’t mention the return of his first love. And I smartly didn’t ask. 2 For me, it was love at first sight with Arthur Sterling. If you asked me whether I liked him more or the benefits he brought more… That would be an insult to my pure, unadulterated crush. As a “good girl” who had been disciplined by rigid rules and expectations since childhood, I walked every stage of my life exactly as my parents planned. I went to a state teaching college, chose a humanities major, and returned to my hometown to work as a teacher after graduation. My delayed rebellion erupted during my first year of working. Looking at my older colleagues, I could see exactly what my entire future looked like— Teaching, blind dates, marriage, having kids. On a hot, mundane summer afternoon, I stared at my lesson plans and a bouquet of roses given to me by a new male teacher, zoning out for a long time. I knew from a young age that I was born with a pretty, innocent face. Countless men had shown interest in me—so many that it made me feel like an easily acquirable commodity. It was annoying and incredibly depressing. Of course, there were sincere guys among them, but their shy blushes and nervous stuttering always killed any interest I had. I wanted to rip off the labels attached to me. I wanted to become someone who commanded everyone’s attention, someone completely out of reach. This unrealistic desire was suppressed, only to pop back up again and again. Until an older friend in the industry asked me if I was interested in participating in their reality idol competition show. That was probably the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done in my life. I quit my job, cut off my heavy bangs, and moved to Los Angeles. Everyone said the entertainment industry was a brutal path. But I was young, and after making a small splash on the show, I thought I was God’s gift to the world, brimming with enthusiasm for the future. Until six months later, when I hit wall after wall. Facing contract termination with my agency and having absolutely no acting gigs lined up, I was also being harassed by a sleazy producer. The balding man promised me with lecherous eyes that as long as I slept with him, he’d make me a star. I looked at his receding hairline and silently looked away. …Honestly, I didn’t have to be famous. At the very least, I couldn’t stomach that. I thought my acting career was going to be buried before it even started, but then I met Arthur. In a private VIP room filled with D-list starlets and directors, the cynical playboy sat at the head of the table— A flirtatious voice, a lazy smirk, a cigarette held between his long, elegant fingers, and a watch worth more than a house glinting in the dim light on his wrist. He was a feast for the eyes. Just one look, and I was hooked. It couldn’t be helped. We “good girls” have absolutely zero resistance to a bad boy with a bit of a rebellious streak. Not to mention, he actually chose me and pursued me with massive fanfare. He publicly acknowledged me as his “little girlfriend” in front of the media. Imagine it. In the hot, late-night summer breeze, a lazy, incredibly handsome billionaire heir leans against his multi-million dollar red convertible, one hand in his pocket. A massive bouquet of delicate, fragrant red roses sits in the passenger seat. He looks through the crowd, catches your eye, and smiles at you. It could literally kill me. He was someone my dull, boring past life had never encountered. It was also the first time I heard my own heart thumping wildly in my chest. My best friend was incredibly supportive of me. Regarding this unequal relationship, she reasoned seriously: “So what? For a good girl like you, you have to play with the wild ones until you get it out of your system before you can settle down and marry a normal guy.” “With a billionaire like Arthur, whatever slips through his fingers is enough to feed you for a lifetime. Honestly, just squeeze a few more payouts out of him before he gets bored.” I deeply agreed. So I willingly drowned myself in the warmth he wove around me. Arthur was very generous. He never skimped on gifts. Knowing I wanted to act, he personally brought scripts to me to choose from. Because of him, all the bullying and hazing on set completely vanished. The road to an Oscar suddenly became incredibly smooth; all I had to do was hone my acting skills. If it hadn’t been for his first love coming back, I probably would have greedily stayed by his side for another two years, trying my hardest to win that ultimate acting honor. 3 I had long heard rumors about this Chinese-American actress who had spent years grinding in Hollywood before finally making a name for herself. The first time Arthur’s best friend met me, he compared me to her: “She’s pretty, sure, but her personality is too soft. She doesn’t hold a candle to Elena’s fiery spirit.” That was the first time I heard the name Elena. —The name that Arthur loved until it tore his heart apart, and later hated down to his very bones. Ultimately, the only reason his snobbish, elite friends tolerated a D-list actress like me was because they felt Elena had hurt him too deeply back then. The whole circle agreed he needed someone to keep him company and help him recover. The dazzlingly beautiful actress brought her bodyguards to my house, smashed my door, shattered my vases, and threw my kitten out the window right in front of me. The kitten’s agonizing shriek made my entire body tremble. My tears fell uncontrollably, but I couldn’t even form a complete, threatening sentence. She clapped her hands slowly, looking me up and down with pitying eyes: “To make Arthur willingly keep you for five years, I thought you were some masterful, cunning character. I didn’t expect you to be such a pushover.” “But it makes sense. A pet with no temper—anyone would be willing to keep it around for a few extra years. After all, it doesn’t take any effort to coax.” My whole body was shaking, and I bit my red lips until they bled. Breaking and entering, destruction of property, plus animal cruelty. If I just called the police and leaked this, it could ruin her in minutes. Her bodyguards blocked the door to my house. She seemed to see right through my thoughts. She stepped aside, clearing a path for me, and said arrogantly: “Go ahead. The police station is just a few blocks down the street. You can go right now. Let’s see who ends up trending on Twitter.” Her absolute fearlessness clearly came from having someone backing her up. And that backing probably came from Arthur. But I didn’t think she was in the right: “As far as I know, you and Arthur aren’t even officially exes. May I ask what right you have to break in here?” “Right?” She scoffed, as if she had heard a joke. “Years ago, he almost died drag-racing on the highway in a rainstorm trying to chase after me. What right do you think I need?” “Do you know why he keeps you around so publicly? It’s just a show for me, to force me to yield.” She let out a light sneer, looking disgusted. “Did you really think he likes ‘good girls’?” I clenched my fists, forcing a cold smile to match her attitude: “But I’m pregnant with his child. Do you think he’s just going to ignore that?” Hearing this, Elena laughed out loud: “You didn’t actually think you could trap him with a baby, did you?” Her tone was incredibly light as her gaze dropped to my slightly rounded stomach: “Before I even came back, he called me. He told me that as long as I was willing to compromise, he could get rid of this baby.” Seeing the color rapidly drain from my face, the smirk on her lips grew wider. She said nonchalantly: “But what if I don’t compromise? Ms. Davis, tell me, if my bodyguards accidentally get a little too rough next time, or if I ‘accidentally’ bump into you, will Arthur blame me for crossing a line, or will he blame the baby in your belly for being an eyesore?” The setting sun shone through the window. The sky was ablaze with sunset colors, reflecting the absolute certainty in her eyes. The blood in my veins turned to ice. As if I had lost my voice, I couldn’t utter a single word. She carried a commanding, absolute confidence. This was something I could never, ever possess. Even though I had been by Arthur’s side for so long, I had never truly figured out my actual worth to him. Just like the very first time we met, he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at a minor actress who looked very similar to Elena. As for why he eventually chose me? Perhaps he just wanted to use my soft obedience to prove that he no longer longed for his fiery, stubborn first love. Since he just wanted a child, then anyone would do. Why should I wade into these muddy waters? 4 But if you ask, over those five years, did Arthur really have absolutely no feelings for me? I can only say, I don’t know. He just looked like a cynical playboy, flirting with everyone. In reality, he didn’t care about most things. For example, every holiday gift he gave me was bought by his assistant, and the restaurants for our dates were always chosen at random. But occasionally, when I ran into trouble on set, he didn’t mind personally stepping in to back me up. During my five years with him, he spent fortunes multiple times to custom-produce starring roles for me. He hired A-list actors to support me and Oscar-winning directors to helm the projects. It looked like the ultimate display of affection, but he never realized that my image just wasn’t suited to be a leading lady. So, every project I starred in bombed. I flopped so hard it left everyone in the industry utterly baffled. Once, I even “won” a Razzie Award. A rival actress mocked my acting skills, and I was so upset I cried in his arms all night. At the time, he was probably trying to mold me into Elena. But that was the one area where I was least like Elena. He probably found it funny back then. His eyes held a teasing amusement: “It really is pretty bad. You didn’t even cry this convincingly in bed.” Over all these years, I was probably his first investment project that guaranteed a loss. He had a bit to drink that night. Maybe because he was in a good mood, or maybe because he just didn’t care. He pinched my cheek with amusement, then called the organizers right in front of me and bought a Razzie Award for that rival actress too. It sounds pretty childish, but people are always moved by these childish, trivial things. Just like how I agreed to give him a child. Even though he was the one who was drunk that evening, I was the one who, as if possessed by a ghost, agreed. 5 At that time, his father was critically ill. His siblings from different mothers were all busy locking down information and fighting over the inheritance. As the youngest and most favored son, he naturally became the target of everyone’s attacks. For several months, he didn’t come to see me. During that time, an industry executive assumed I had been dumped and started getting handsy, asking if I wanted to be with him instead. I repeatedly refused, politely but firmly, but it still pissed him off. After a dinner party, enraged by my rejection, he cornered me in a hallway and tore half my dress. Thankfully, my manager arrived just in time to stop the nightmare. After that incident, people constantly tripped me up on set, and accidents kept happening during my wire stunts. Until the news reached Arthur’s ears. He specifically took time out of his schedule to pick me up from the set. On an evening with a blazing sunset, his black Maybach appeared abruptly and quietly outside the studio. As soon as I got in the car, I smelled strong alcohol. Vodka. He must have drank quite a bit. A flush of red stained his neck. His collar was loosely unbuttoned, and the eye-catching red spread across his pale chest, more vivid than the sunset. “You lost weight,” he pulled me into his arms, his long fingers rubbing the soft flesh of my waist. His lazy voice masked his exhaustion. “You aren’t eating properly without me watching you, are you?” My nose stung, and my voice was soft: “No, the new role requires me to look a bit thinner…” He just held me for a while and said, “Winston will pick you up and drop you off at work for the next few days. Call him if anything happens.” Winston was his private driver. To those with dirty intentions, this was an implicit warning. I sniffled and said, “Okay.” Actually, I wasn’t the only one who had lost weight. He had lost quite a bit, too. This was probably the first time in all these years I had seen him so depressed and exhausted. So, when he spoke up and said he wanted a baby… I froze completely for a long time. This wasn’t the first time he brought up having a child. But the previous two times, he had smiled lazily, saying he was bored and wanted a kid to play with. But this time, he wasn’t smiling. Rich families are full of drama. If he hadn’t encountered some major crisis, he probably wouldn’t be so desperate for a child. “Okay? Baby,” he ruffled my hair, his breath still laced with alcohol. “Give me a child that belongs to us.” It was just a child. A person always has to pay a price for a smooth, easy life. —That was the excuse I made for myself. I rested my forehead lightly against his. My long eyelashes fluttered. Looking into his eyes, I answered softly but seriously: “Okay.” I said, I’ll give you a child. 6 The price this child brought me was enormous. After rumors of my pregnancy leaked, first my commercial endorsements were pulled, then the roles I had secured were recast, and my social media was flooded by paid trolls. I was originally just a mediocre, unknown actress, but suddenly a mountain of scandals appeared out of nowhere. They said my acting was terrible, I only got roles because of sugar daddies, I was unprofessional, and I acted like a diva. Worse still, they claimed I was a mistress intruding on someone else’s relationship. My ultrasound report was inexplicably leaked. Trending tags like “Mistress climbs the ranks by any means necessary,” “Unmarried and pregnant to force the heir’s hand,” “First love forced away, mistress is deeply manipulative” dominated Twitter. —It was impossible to tell whose handiwork this was. For several nights, I had nightmares. I dreamt of a woman pushing me down, and blood pooling all over the floor. When I woke up in the middle of the night, my forehead and palms were covered in cold sweat. But I didn’t think much of it. I just thought everything would be fine once I gave birth to the baby. This continued for four months. Until today, when I met Elena. The thing that truly made me decide to abort the baby was her final parting words— “If Arthur wants to solidify his position, he needs to bring home a legitimate Sterling heir, and a wife from a prestigious family who can bring him powerful connections.” “And what Ms. Davis probably doesn’t know is that when I was fourteen, I had an accident and my uterus was removed. I can never have children.” So it went without saying who this child was being prepared for. She stopped there, provoking me: “But as you know, I am a very proud person. I cannot tolerate another woman’s child.” “Even if it is born, I have a hundred ways to ensure it suffers an ‘accident’.” “Ms. Davis, you should know what choice to make.” She turned and left with her massive entourage of bodyguards. It seemed like she was leaving the choice in my hands, but every single word was a threat. The setting sun was a fierce, bloody orange. I stood alone in the trashed living room for a long time. The sting in my eyes slowly overflowed, my fingers curled slightly, and suddenly the tears fell. The clock on the wall ticked by, the shadows of the sunset slowly shifted, and the lonely time stretched endlessly. During my years by Arthur’s side, I experienced many moments of waiting alone. He always did whatever he wanted. One second he’d say he was staying the night, and the next he’d be heading out to a club with his friends. The rumors said he was a playboy. It was probably because whenever girls threw themselves at him at those parties, he didn’t mind popping a bottle of champagne for them amidst the cheering, or sharing a kiss with them. Occasionally, I would accidentally walk in on these scenes. Bystanders would joke around, asking if I wanted to find a new boyfriend. Arthur would drawl lazily, telling them to stop being a bad influence on me, then release the girl in his arms and pull me into his embrace. The gazes of the onlookers were too mocking, so I would blush and bury my face in his chest. He would rest his chin on top of my head, gently nuzzling my hair, sighing with satisfaction: “So good.” Later, as it happened more often, he would bite my earlobe and ask seemingly casually: “Why do you never cause a fuss? Aren’t you jealous?” I would look at the chaotic lights in the VIP room, unable to answer for a long time. Why not cause a fuss? Because I was confident in my own charm? Or because I was sober enough to know there was no future for us? Or maybe… I just hadn’t played enough? If many girls threw a tantrum, they could get some compensation before turning to the next luxurious party. But I was different. I wanted to enjoy being by his side for another two years. So, I never threw a fuss. Aside from having a lot of ambiguous flings with other girls, he was incredibly good to me. Because I casually said “Why aren’t there any fireworks?” on New Year’s Eve, fireworks lit up the sky over the bay for the entire night. Because I showed a bit of extra fondness for a piece of jewelry, he outbid everyone to millions just to buy it for me, personally putting it on me in front of everyone. Because I wanted to see the snow, he rented out an entire private gondola line in the Swiss Alps. I had kissed him passionately on the streets of Paris, tasted wine with him at a private estate in Italy, and driven his red Ferrari through the city streets at dawn. Behind all these scenes was a level of wealth that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine. Having experienced all this, I felt I should be satisfied. 7 When I finally started packing my bags, I surprisingly didn’t feel much reluctance. People change. The mindset of a 23-year-old and a 28-year-old are always different. LA was great, but my hometown was my true home. If Arthur had been a bit more observant, maybe he would have noticed. My favorite vase, which usually sat in the entryway, was gone. My usually clingy kitten was lethargically licking its fur in its bed, wrapped in bandages. And there was a shallow cut on my ankle from the broken porcelain. But he didn’t notice any of it. After dinner, he went into his study to handle business. He was flying to New York tomorrow to audit some shares and deal with a few illegitimate siblings. It would probably be a while before he came back. This perfectly gave me the time to get the abortion and leave. I did a lap around the house. The closet was mostly filled with luxury bags and jewelry. Even if I took them back to my hometown, they’d be useless. Just as I was about to close the closet doors. A diamond-encrusted ring fell out. At an auction last year, Arthur specifically outbid another executive’s wife just to spite her, and gave it to me. It was supposed to be a matching his-and-hers set. But he threw the men’s ring away. The implication was probably telling me not to get ahead of myself. I found the original velvet box to put it in, then found a postcard, wanting to write something about these past five years. But after thinking about it, I didn’t know what there was to write. It was all just a mutually consensual act anyway. On the brink of falling completely for him, I was almost thankful Elena had yanked me out. I rested my chin on my hand, zoning out as I wrote, the fountain pen bleeding ink dots where I paused after every sentence— “Arthur, thank you for taking care of me these past five years.” “I really like LA. It’s always so lively here, but I also often felt lonely.” “I really miss home, and I really want to settle down.” “My parents are getting older, they can’t be without me.” “Don’t blame me, Arthur.” … It was basically a stream of consciousness. At the end, I left one final sentence: “I hope you get what you want. Happy wedding.”

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I am the child of a mistress. The year I turned seventeen, my biological father died. At his funeral, wearing my school uniform, I stood before a room full of business magnates, brilliant young scientists, and A-list actresses, trembling as I said: “I… I’m here to fight for my inheritance…” Before I could finish, the legitimate children all stared at me. I burst into tears from fear. “If… if you don’t want to give me any, that’s fine too…” The actress’s eyes lit up: “A little sister? A soft, squishy little sister?” The scientist spread out paper and pen: “A high school senior? Come here and solve this calculus problem so I can see where you’re at.” The billionaire pulled out a black card: “What’s there to want from the old man’s measly savings? Call me ‘brother’, and I’ll give you ten times as much.” 1 My mother was a high-level manipulator, a “canary” kept by a rich man. Originally, the deal was simple: the sugar daddy provided the money, she provided her looks, a fair exchange with no strings attached. But when you live the good life for too long, greed easily takes root. She got pregnant, and relying on her pregnant belly, she staged a classic “canary runs away with the baby” trope. Before running away, she broadcasted her address all over her social media. Terrified that people wouldn’t be able to find her. She fantasized that her sugar daddy would lock down the entire city just for her, embarking on a domineering pursuit of love. That his wife would break down from an inferiority complex and willingly step aside. Unfortunately. She played herself. The sugar daddy didn’t even bother looking. He didn’t want her, or the baby. How could she accept this? Heavily pregnant and nearing her due date, she blocked the entrance to the sugar daddy’s mansion. Two bodyguards dragged her out and threw her by the garbage dump. They also passed on a message from the sugar daddy’s wife: “If you have the capability to take my husband, go ahead. Give birth to the child and give it to me to raise. Money? You won’t get a single cent!” After her relentless pestering proved fruitless, she finally gave up. But it was too late for an abortion. Harboring resentment, she gave birth to me and raised me haphazardly. Not out of love, but for money. The sentence she said to me the most was: “You are his seed, does he get to just say he won’t give us anything and that’s it?” “Dream on! Even if he dies, you’re entitled to a share of his estate!” And so, as she wished, the year I turned seventeen, my biological father kicked the bucket. Upon hearing the news, she swiftly dumped me at the funeral home. “Chloe Smith, remember this! Including you, your dad only has four kids! You get a quarter of his estate!” “Today is your last chance. If you don’t get the money, don’t bother coming back to see me!” Her contorted features terrified me. “Mom, don’t leave me here, I’m scared…” “Scared, scared, all you know is being scared. What did I raise you for? To make money!” “For over a decade, you’ve eaten my food, used my things, and delayed me finding a new man. Shouldn’t you compensate me?” “Get that inheritance, give it to me, and after that, I’ll still be your mom!” She walked a few quick steps, then suddenly stopped. She turned back, rummaged through my pockets, and took away the only ten dollars I had. I was stunned. Without money, I couldn’t take the bus. This funeral home was halfway up a mountain. Relying on my own two legs, I wouldn’t be able to walk back even by nightfall. She shoved me hard: “Only by cutting off your retreat will you work hard!” “If you get the money, you can take a taxi back. If you don’t…” She casually pointed to the surrounding mountains. “This whole area is a graveyard. You can just stay here and keep the ghosts company!” 2 The cold wind in the mountains blew, sending shivers down my spine. It felt like every little mound of earth in the deep mountains had eyes staring at me. I braced myself and walked into the funeral home. The funeral service had ended, and the guests were all gone. The room was empty except for the sugar daddy’s three legitimate children, discussing the final wrap-up with the lawyer. “According to Mr. Vance’s dying wishes, his estate, totaling two hundred million, will be divided equally among the three of you.” Two hundred million! So much money! No wonder my mom was so crazy. Jumping up and down for over a decade just to get a piece of the pie. And what I had to do today was try to get a quarter of that two hundred million. Fifty million! My palms were sweating with nervousness. With so much money, who would be willing to let a mistress’s child take it away? It looked like I was definitely going to get a beating. I just hoped they’d go easy on me when they hit me. I have an exam tomorrow, and I still need my hands to write… While I was thinking this, the division of assets over there had already begun. Sitting at the head of the table was the eldest sister, Mia Vance, a wildly popular A-list actress who had just swept the top domestic film awards. A simple black dress couldn’t hide her breathtaking beauty. Her soft, slender fingers took the document, glanced at it, and casually tossed it to the second brother. “Just this? Is it even worth wasting my time?” The second brother, Ethan Vance, dressed in black and white, wore silver-rimmed glasses that added a touch of maturity to his delicate, baby face. He kept typing on his laptop, not even looking at the piece of paper worth two hundred million. “Money is useless to me.” I had heard of him, the most brilliant young scientist in the country, a trailblazer in cutting-edge tech. It was true he didn’t need money; everything he needed was provided by the state. That piece of paper fluttered into the hands of the third brother, Liam Vance. He pinched it with his prominent knuckles, then casually tore it to shreds. “Two hundred million is worth a will? Just donate it.” Liam carried an aura of casual ruthlessness. For him, a regular on the Forbes rich list, two hundred million wasn’t worth his time. The eldest sister and second brother raised their eyebrows, neither having any objections. Seeing that the lawyer was about to draft a donation agreement instead, I weakly raised my hand. “Um… excuse me…” As soon as I spoke, the three legitimate children and the top lawyer—four pairs of eyes—all stared straight at me. My scalp tingled. The lawyer asked: “May I ask what business you have here?” I swallowed hard, speaking carefully: “I’m sorry, I… I’m here to fight for my inheritance…” 3 By the time I came back to my senses, I was already surrounded. The three legitimate siblings were tall, strikingly attractive, and possessed extraordinary auras. Compared to them, in my school uniform, I looked like a scrawny bean sprout in the corner. I was on the verge of crying from fear. Even though they didn’t treat money like money, it didn’t mean they were willing to throw it at a mistress! I shivered: “If… if you don’t want to give me any, that’s fine too…” Could you just lend me two dollars… So I can take the bus? I sneakily glanced up, terrified by their overwhelming presence, my whole body trembling. Forget it, forget it, it’s only a twenty-mile mountain road. Walking is fine too… I quietly shuffled toward the exit. I had barely taken a few steps when Mia grabbed the collar of my shirt and hauled me back. “Tsk, too light. She’s all bones.” Mia inspected me from top to bottom, her beautiful face full of disgust. “First, gain twenty pounds. She needs some meat on her bones to be healthy.” “Her hair is dry and has split ends, needs treatment. Her face is sunburned, needs repairing.” “Her uniform is frayed, her shoes don’t fit, the zipper on her backpack is broken.” “Change, change, change, everything must be changed!” She pulled out her phone and called her stylist: “Height 5’3″, weight 88 lbs. Prepare a full outfit from head to toe.” “Who is it for?” Mia’s tone became light and cheerful: “For my little sister, of course!” 4 I felt terribly awkward and uneasy: “Do… do you know who I am?” Mia threw an arm around my waist, her aloof face animated with excitement: “I know, the old man’s illegitimate daughter, right~” She pointed at her brilliant scientist brother and her billionaire brother, complaining to me: “Ethan here has been a prodigy since childhood. Memorized vocabulary at three, did advanced math at five. Take him out to play, and within five minutes he’s pulling out test papers to solve problems. Boring as hell!” “Liam is shrewd and cunning, full of schemes from head to toe. Started digging traps for me as soon as he could talk, and researching how to charter racing teams as soon as he could go out. Completely immune to being cute!” “Being the eldest sister is just an empty title, I have zero real authority.” “Now that I’ve finally caught a normal human sister, I don’t care about anything else, let me just enjoy the thrill of being a big sister first!” Mia said this while opening her makeup bag, getting ready to wash my face and do skincare. Ethan pushed her aside with his hip. He pulled out a pen and paper, an excited gleam shining from behind his silver glasses. “Little sister is a senior in high school? How are your grades?” “Come, solve this calculus problem first so I can see where you’re at!” Looking at the block of English letters on the paper, I went numb. “I… I don’t know how…” I’m a senior in high school, not a senior in college. Who learns calculus in high school? Ethan scratched his head in confusion: “That shouldn’t be. Even the dumbest person should have figured it out by seventeen, right?” Liam sneered, shoved him aside, and leaned in close to me. “You said you were here to fight for your inheritance?” That one sentence brought us back to the main topic. I looked at Liam nervously. This is it, this is it, finally time to talk about money and get beaten up, right? Liam pulled out a black card, his sharp features softening. “How much could the old man possibly have? Be a good girl, call me ‘brother’, and I’ll give you ten times as much.” Their enthusiasm made me feel a bit uneasy. This was completely different from what my mom had told me. Before I came, she repeatedly instructed me: “The richer people are, the stingier they are! If they don’t give it to you, just throw a tantrum on the floor!” “Getting beaten is even better! The harder they hit, the more money you can demand!” She said the Vance family were our sworn enemies. But the way these “enemies” looked at me… was a little warm? 5 I kept feeling like they were playing a simulation game with me. Like right now. I was brought back to the Vance family’s old mansion. Mia canceled all her recent schedules and hovered around me all day. On the first day home, she ordered a truckload of beef, lamb, fish, and seafood, and exquisite dishes were served one after another. I was overwhelmed by the favor. To not waste food, I kept my head down and ate until I was ready to throw up. Mia was shocked. She stopped me: “You’re going to make yourself sick like this.” “We made all these dishes just to see what you like. You don’t have to eat what you don’t like.” I was a bit confused. Did she mean I was allowed to be a picky eater? But my mom said being a picky eater was bad. When I was three, she brought back some leftover spicy stir-fried pork. I took one bite and cried from the spice, pushing it away with tears in my eyes. She got angry, grabbed me, and hit me: “So young and already picky? Want to eat well? Do you have the destiny for that?” But it was really too spicy, it hurt my mouth just eating it. I cried and only ate plain rice, staying far away from that dish. But she still wasn’t satisfied with that. She said I was being dramatic and that this bad habit must be broken. That plate of spicy pork was saved for the next meal if I didn’t eat it, and saved for three days if I didn’t eat it for two. I couldn’t eat new food until I finished it. I starved for three whole days and finally, crying, choked down that spoiled spicy pork. That night, I ran a high fever. After the fever broke, she stood next to me and lectured: “Being picky is bad. Mom is teaching you this for your own good, do you remember?” I remembered. So facing a table full of food, I ate with all my might. Hoping to finish it before it went bad. Preferences? Favorites? There were none. I had no right to be picky. Mia couldn’t stand watching anymore. She snatched my chopsticks, softened her tone, and said: “Chloe, don’t be afraid. You’re still a child, you can eat only what you like.” A wave of grievance suddenly welled up inside me. It felt like my three-year-old self, forced to eat chili peppers, was being hugged, a gentle voice comforting me: Did the peppers hurt your mouth? Be a good girl, we won’t eat it, we’ll eat something else! I gathered my courage and said in a low voice: “I… I can’t eat spicy food…” With a wave of Mia’s hand, several maids stepped forward and quickly removed all the dishes with chili peppers. And that wasn’t all. From that day on, I never saw another chili pepper on the dining table. So this is what it feels like to be favored. One sentence of “I don’t like it” could make that thing disappear from my world entirely. Under her meticulous care, I quickly filled out, gaining healthy weight like a balloon. My hair also visibly became dark and shiny. She was very satisfied, constantly showing off her results to her two younger brothers. 6 Not to be outdone, after doing a comprehensive assessment of all my subjects, Ethan was shocked that my grades were so abysmal. I’m already a senior in high school! I don’t understand Fourier transforms in math, I know nothing of quantum mechanics in physics, and I’m clueless about supramolecular chemistry. Tsk! How could someone be this dumb! He stopped going to his lab, took me to my high school to request a long leave of absence, and planned to personally create a customized tutoring curriculum for me. His car stopped at the school gate, attracting a massive amount of attention. Even though it was the most low-profile car the Vance family owned, it was still the most eye-catching presence on the street. He opened the door and carefully shielded my head from the frame. Just as I stepped out, I ran into my classmates. “Oh~ isn’t this ‘Mistress’ Chloe? Haven’t seen you for a few days, hooked a rich guy?” “What’s so surprising about that? A mistress’s daughter naturally becomes a mistress, it’s perfectly logical!” The group of them burst into loud laughter. My face burned hotly, and I opened my mouth to defend myself: “No, he’s my brother!” Isabella retorted rudely: “Oh, please! Who doesn’t know your mistress mom only had you? You’re so shameless, claiming relatives out of thin air!” “Hey big bro, you might want to stay away from Chloe, or her mom will latch onto you and fleece you alive!” The classmates nodded in agreement. Actually, they weren’t like this at first. Even though they knew I was an illegitimate child, they didn’t discriminate against me. Isabella, seeing my tattered clothes, even begged her mom to give me her old clothes to wear. We became good friends. But the good times didn’t last. One weekend, I went home happily wearing a red dress Isabella gave me. My mom grabbed the dress like a madwoman and interrogated me: “Who bought this for you?” I trembled as I explained that a classmate gave it to me. She launched into a frenzied tirade: “Are you that desperate? Accepting any piece of trash?” “Do you have any taste? You are a Miss of the Vance family! Not a beggar begging on the street!” She took scissors and cut the red dress into shreds. My heart ached terribly. I’d rather be a beggar on the street! At least beggars don’t have crazy mothers like mine! She dragged me to the school, caused a huge scene, and insisted Isabella was bullying me and insulting me with old clothes. I tried hard to defend Isabella, but she wouldn’t listen at all. She threw a tantrum in front of the school administration, demanding Isabella’s parents pay me compensation for emotional distress. Out of options, the school administration made Isabella apologize to me face-to-face. The way Isabella looked at me changed. From that day on, all my classmates knew that not only was I an illegitimate child, but I also had a greedy, money-grubbing mistress mother. They gave me the nickname “Mistress,” and no one ever wanted to speak to me again. Ethan patted my shoulder and stood in front of me: “Isabella? I’ve heard of you, the girl who helped our Chloe before. Thank you!” Isabella was dumbfounded, blushing and stammering: “I-I-I spoke to Chloe like that, wh-wh-why are you thanking me?” Ethan started to laugh, making him even more approachable. At this moment, the homeroom teacher arrived after hearing the news. He hurriedly invited him into the classroom and proudly introduced him: “Ethan Vance, the valedictorian of the city’s high school entrance exam, national champion in physics and chemistry olympiads, and a genius from Capitol University’s gifted youth program!” 7 Gasps erupted throughout the classroom. Among the students in the city, who didn’t know Ethan’s famous name? He was practically the synonym for a study god! Oh my god, a god-like figure like this is Chloe’s biological brother? The classmates secretly observed me, their previous disdain replaced entirely by surprise and envy. I quietly straightened my back. Having a brother like this, I’m really awesome! Upon learning that Ethan took a leave of absence for me to personally tutor me, the classmates couldn’t sit still anymore. One by one, they came up to add me as a friend and pull me into group chats. “Chloe, could you share some study materials?” “Chloe, can I study with you when you’re free?” “Chloe, my house is nearby, come over sometime~” “Chloe…” I was overwhelmed by the sudden attention, but I also knew it was all directed at Ethan. I asked for his opinion. He ruffled the hair on top of my head and said: “Why so cautious? Being an older brother means letting your little sister boss you around!” The satisfaction in my heart was about to overflow. In this class where I had spent over two years. After being pitied, humiliated, and isolated, this was the first time I truly integrated with my classmates. 8 If Mia was nourishing my body, and Ethan was nurturing my grades. Then Liam was much more straightforward and crude—he was fattening my wallet. After getting me a custom-made, pink “Princess” card, his performance began. First, he took me to the biggest mall in the city. Those stores I usually only dared to peek at through the glass were cleared out just for me. He sat on the sofa: “Pick whatever you want~” I recognized these brands. They were the things my mom dreamed of, the things she could only look at repeatedly in magazines. “Once you get the old man’s inheritance, I’ll buy all these new collections!” “My bags, my jewelry, my clothes, they will all be mine!” She had also possessed these things once. During the years she was a kept woman, my biological father was very generous to her. But she was never satisfied. Given regular leather, she wanted exotic skin; given silver hardware, she wanted diamond-encrusted. Eventually, she even thought about kicking out the lawful wife to take the position herself, having a child to abuse the legitimate heirs. Unfortunately, she gambled away her good life. The bags and jewelry she had accumulated were also gradually sold off and the money spent. I sneaked a peek at Liam, who was sitting on the sofa controlling the entire scene, and then looked at myself. There was no comparison at all. “What are you spacing out for? Pick.” I shook my head: “Third Brother, there’s no need. I’ve already troubled you guys enough.” Liam frowned slightly and lectured me: “A girl shouldn’t be so petty. Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson.” Anything I glanced at for more than a second was immediately wrapped up. Bags, watches, bracelets, haute couture—it was blinding. By the time we left, a whole bunch of sales associates behind us had their arms full. When he swiped the card, the price was longer than my lifespan. I jumped anxiously: “Third Brother, I’m still in school, I don’t need any of these things at all.” Liam said carelessly: “Oh, can’t use them, right? Let’s go, we’ll go sell them.” He turned around and took me to the nearest luxury consignment store. Without even opening the packaging, he threw everything on the counter: “Don’t want it anymore, calculate the total.” The sales associate was only stunned for a second before her fingers flew across the calculator in a blur. After the final tally, in and out, in just half a day, we lost six million dollars. My heart ached so much my jaw almost dropped. Seeing me like this, Liam smiled slightly: “Don’t feel bad, all the shops on this street are mine.” I shook my head. That’s not how accounting works! One thing is one thing. Even if it’s the family business, this six million was a real, tangible loss. Liam raised an eyebrow: “Don’t rush~” A few minutes later, over a dozen reporters rushed in with their cameras and microphones. Liam shielded my face, letting the reporters take photos. In less than half an hour, the reports were out and quickly climbed the trending charts. [Vance Group CEO Spends Millions on Mysterious Woman] A few minutes later, several related trending topics popped up: [Filthy Rich! Why is the Vance Family So Wealthy?] [Deep Dive into the Wealthy Vance Family: Assets Include…] [The Legendary Business Journey of Liam Vance, Head of the Vance Family] Liam opened the stock page to show me. Half an hour after the news broke, the Vance Group’s stock hit its daily limit up. With this single move, their market value saw a net increase of many hundreds of millions. He played with his phone, sitting in the car, and said to me: “Although this saying is vulgar, it’s common sense.” “The best way to demystify something is to own it. Your mom wants money but can’t wait, forcing you to fight and snatch it, which easily gives you a misguided desire for money.” “The best way to correct this is to spend money, making you the master of money, not its slave.” He waved his phone, adding: “Ultimately, you must become the invisible hand that manipulates money.” In a very good mood, he transferred money to my Princess card, saying it was pocket money and telling me to spend it however I liked. Looking at the balance on it, I felt a bit like I was in another lifetime. I don’t know if I got my dad’s inheritance or not, but anyway, my pocket money was already over five hundred million.

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My older sister secretly gave birth to a child and then went abroad to study. My mom told me to adopt the baby. “Don’t go to college. You raise her. Mom will help out, and in the future, she’ll be your support.” I took a deep breath, just about to unleash a string of curses, when lines of text suddenly appeared in mid-air: 【The female lead is so smart, dumping the kid on the supporting female character to raise while she shines alone. When she comes back successful and glamorous, the kid will still be hers!】 【I can’t wait to see the truth revealed five years later, and the infertile young master of the Hayes family groveling to win his wife back! Hmph! Today you ignore me, tomorrow I’ll be out of your league.】 【The ‘running away with the baby’ trope is cliché, but we really love watching it!】 I sneered. The Hayes family, right? I picked up the baby and marched straight to the Hayes mansion, kicking the door open. “Either marry me, or give me money! I gave birth to your son’s seed!!” Mrs. Hayes was stunned for a moment. “Alright then, I’ll have them prepare for a wedding.” Me: “…” Wait, there was another option. Aren’t you going to consider it? 1 Early one morning, my mom sneakily brought home a baby girl. “Chloe, Mom found a baby abandoned at our doorstep! Look at her, she’s so pitiful!” I peeked over. The baby was wrapped in a brand-new, light pink swaddle. Her little face was rosy and fair, and she was sleeping soundly. Only an idiot would believe she was picked up off the street! A week ago, my mom and my older sister, Claire, had been acting incredibly secretive, not coming home for several days. I secretly followed them. I saw them with my own eyes going into the maternity ward of a hospital. Honestly, I always thought my sister, Claire, thought too highly of herself. I never expected she would secretly have a child for some man. Seeing I wasn’t saying anything, my mom said anxiously: “This child has a connection with our family, let’s keep her. You raise her, Mom will help, and she’ll be grown up in no time.” I was trembling with anger, and I sneered: “Mom, are you out of your mind? It’s bad enough you’re not paying for me to go to college. It’s bad enough you secretly sold our other house to pay for Claire to study abroad! What makes you think you can make me raise a child of unknown origin?!” “What exactly am I to you in your heart?!” 2 Since we were little, my mom always favored Claire. In her eyes, Claire was smarter and prettier than me. She was destined to stand out and bring glory to the family. So she directed all the family’s resources toward Claire. If there was only one piece of candy, it was Claire’s. A new pair of leather shoes? Definitely Claire’s. When my dad was alive, he barely managed to keep a balance so I wouldn’t suffer too much. But after my dad died, my mom slowly went crazy. Now look at this! All the money was given to Claire. Not only was she not paying for my college, but she was also making me raise Claire’s illegitimate daughter. It was truly despicable! I finally saw the true face of my family of origin! Seeing my fierce expression, my mom’s face changed slightly: “Chloe, it’s not like that. Look how cute this baby is. It’s so pitiful to be born without anyone.” “Listen to Mom, the old saying goes, it’s wicked to abandon a child left at your door!” “Don’t worry, your grades aren’t as good as your sister’s anyway, it doesn’t matter if you go to that second-tier college or not. If you raise this child well, she’ll be your support in the future!” I sneered: “Oh, abandoning a child at the door is wicked? I think you have it backward. Having a child and not raising it is what’s wicked!” “I’m only nineteen. If I don’t go to college, don’t work, and raise a child, will I even be able to get married in the future? What will people say about me?! Have you thought about that?” My mom was determined to pin this child on me. She was ruthless! Seeing I was unyielding, my mom yelled: “I’m doing this for your own good! Why are you so ungrateful!” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Actually, I had already packed my bags. Leaving this wolf’s den, I have hands and feet, I can survive somehow! But just then, lines of text suddenly appeared in mid-air: 【The female lead is so smart, dumping the kid on the supporting female character and the mom to raise while she shines alone. When she comes back successful and glamorous, the kid will still be hers!】 【I can’t wait to see the truth revealed five years later, and the infertile young master of the Hayes family groveling to win his wife back! Hmph! Today you ignore me, tomorrow I’ll be out of your league.】 【The ‘running away with the baby’ trope is cliché, but we really love watching it!】 Seeing these words clearly, I stopped in my tracks. 3 So that’s how it was. I remembered about a year ago, it seemed my sister had started dating someone. Rumor had it he was a wealthy young master named Julian Hayes. My mom was over the moon. Dreaming every day of my sister marrying into a billionaire family. Then she would rise in status along with her, enjoying wealth and prestige. But half a year ago, my sister’s attitude suddenly grew cold again. She walked around with a long face all day, acting like someone owed her a million dollars. After that, she stopped coming home. Occasionally when we met, she wore lots of layers, looked noticeably heavier, and acted secretive. I actually thought she had been dumped. I was secretly happy for a few days. Turns out, she was planning to run away with the baby! Just then, the baby suddenly started crying. My mom frantically shoved the baby into my arms and went to mix formula. The floating comments started rolling again: 【Speaking of which, the plot is pretty melodramatic. The male lead, Julian, got into a car accident drag racing for the female lead… Not only did he get amnesia, but he’s paralyzed from the waist down… But the female lead just abandoned the child and went abroad…】 【The female lead did the right thing! The kid is still young and won’t remember anything. When she grows up, she’ll be close to whoever gives her money!】 【Exactly! It’s completely normal for the female lead to reject the male lead looking like a ghost right now. When the male lead recovers in the future and the female lead comes back, won’t a family reunion be perfect?!】 4 After reading these morally bankrupt, bullshit comments. A brilliant plan popped into my head. The reason my mom and sister kept this child. Was actually hoarding a rare commodity. Because they knew Julian was crippled. The Hayes family would definitely want this child in the future. So when my sister returns in glory. This child would be her bargaining chip to legitimately marry into the wealthy family. But the prerequisite was sacrificing my education, my career, and my youth. It was easy to imagine that once my mom and sister struck it rich, I would be tossed aside. Then why shouldn’t I go to the Hayes family ahead of time? And take the share that belongs to me?! I really am smart. Next, I pretended to accept my mom’s arrangement. Then I asked around, got the address of the Hayes mansion, and verified what exactly had happened to the Hayes family. Luckily, the people in those comments weren’t lying. So, one morning. I sent my mom out to buy formula. Then I carried the baby, hailed a cab, and headed straight for the Hayes mansion. 5 Arriving at the Hayes estate. Mrs. Hayes received me gently. “You are… my son’s friend? It’s rare for someone to still want to visit him at a time like this…” I tilted my chin up, sat down brazenly on the sofa, and declared boldly: “I gave birth to your son’s seed!!” “Either marry me, or give me money!” I had thought this through beforehand. If I just asked for money, the Hayes family would definitely try to haggle. But if I used the threat of marrying in. They would definitely be more willing to just give me money. I understood how these tropes worked! Mrs. Hayes was dumbfounded. It took her five minutes to recover. “This child… is Julian’s?” I nodded firmly: “Don’t try to deny it, DNA technology exists now!” Mrs. Hayes took a deep breath. She carefully examined the baby’s features. A moment later, she covered her face and wept: “She looks exactly like Julian when he was little…” Me: “…” Her reaction was a bit different from what I expected. Next, Mrs. Hayes said: “I’ll have someone do a DNA test right now. If the child is really Julian’s, then we’ll prepare for a wedding! We will definitely take responsibility!” “At a time like this, the fact that you haven’t abandoned him… I won’t mistreat you!” Me: “…” Wait, there’s another option. Aren’t you going to consider it? Take the kid. Give me the money!! Comments scrolled wildly across the sky: 【What is the supporting female character doing! If she runs to the Hayes family and spills everything now, what will the female lead do in the future!】 【That damn supporting character, she’s trying to impersonate the female lead to become a rich wife! It won’t be that easy!】 【Don’t worry everyone, when she gets exposed in the future, she’ll die a miserable death!】 I shot a cold glare at the air. Hmph! The more you don’t want me to marry in, the more I will! Once I’ve milked enough money, I won’t care about any of this!! 6 After settling into the guest room. I thought things over calmly. I was only nineteen. I had no degree and no real-world experience. Taking the money and running right now wasn’t the optimal solution. Even if I got the money in my hands. Whether I could keep it was another story. The comments said my sister wouldn’t return for five years. Then these next few years would be the perfect time for me to comfortably study and improve myself while living with the Hayes family. Once I graduate from college and have milked enough money… I’ll naturally just walk away! A perfect plan! 7 Because the baby and I had vanished. My mom frantically called me. “Where the hell did you go!! And the baby?!” I picked my ear and said impatiently: “The baby was picked up off the street, so naturally I gave her away. Don’t worry, I gave her to a wealthy family.” This child didn’t even have a birth certificate. She was an undocumented citizen. Even if my mom called the cops, she wouldn’t be able to explain it. She was instantly dumbfounded: “You… how could you be so cruel! Where are you? I’ll come find you, you bring that child back to me right now!” I said coldly: “Mom, is there a problem with giving a foundling to someone who needs her?” My mom lost it: “That’s your sister’s… That child looks so much like your sister, how could you do such a thing! Bring the child back, or I’m calling the police! I’ll sue you for kidnapping! I’ll send you to jail!” I snorted coldly: “Mom, stop trying to fool me! This child is Claire’s, isn’t she?” “I’m not going to raise her anyway, and you don’t have the ability to raise her alone. Isn’t giving her away a good thing?” “If you dare call the police, I swear I’ll make Claire’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy known to everyone, and I’ll never tell you where the child went!!” My mom froze, trembling as she spoke: “Chloe… how did you become like this?” Wasn’t it because of you pushing me?! I roared: “Your favoritism is your business, but I won’t play along! When Claire comes back in the future, I can tell you where the child is. But if you insist on making a scene now, then let’s both go down in flames!” After saying that, I hung up the phone. I knew my mom wouldn’t make a scene. First, she insisted on dumping the child on me because she had no confidence in raising a baby herself. To her, this child was a burden. She didn’t want to raise it. Second, Claire was her life’s masterpiece. She wouldn’t allow a single blemish on Claire’s reputation. Sure enough, she quieted down after that. She didn’t even ask if I had money to live on. I took this opportunity to completely cut contact with her. 8 The next day, the DNA report came out. As expected of a wealthy family. The report came out so fast. Mrs. Hayes was thanking her lucky stars. “This is wonderful, my son has an heir… and a wedding to plan… Once things get moving, everything will get better…” Following that. Under my persuasion, we held a low-key, intimate wedding at home. Because I hadn’t reached the legal marrying age yet. So we couldn’t register the marriage officially. Mrs. Hayes promised me. When the time came, she would definitely give me legal status. On the day of the wedding. I finally met Julian for the first time. To be honest, I kind of understood why my sister ran away. Julian sat despondently in his wheelchair. His eyes were sunken, and he was skin and bones. His hair and beard were so overgrown you couldn’t even see his original face. If you put him on the street. He would look exactly like a homeless person. He looked at me and the baby. His eyes were completely dead. After the wedding, Mrs. Hayes set three ground rules with me. She was willing to pay for my college education and give me a monthly allowance of fifty thousand dollars. After some haggling, I bumped it up to a hundred thousand. There were maids and nurses at home. I didn’t have to do chores, look after the baby full-time, or help Julian with his physical therapy. But apparently, he was very uncooperative. Mrs. Hayes hoped I wouldn’t live on campus, and that after school every day, I would spend an hour interacting with Julian and the baby. Truly the heart of a loving mother. I agreed.

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After my best friend finally got together with her crush, she introduced me to her crush’s young uncle. I had been single my entire life, accustomed to living alone, and originally wanted to refuse. But when I saw this usually bright, moon-like man sitting by the pool, dead drunk and vulnerable, my heart softened. I walked over, held out my hand, and said, “I’m just short of graduation credits. Want to go get a marriage certificate?” The man was stunned for a moment, but eventually placed his hand in mine. On an impulse, we got our marriage certificate and became husband and wife. For seven years, we treated each other with respect, to the envy of everyone. But only I knew. I never managed to touch the heart of this older man. So much so that after he died, he left his entire fortune to my best friend. And I, the one who should have been the rightful heir, got absolutely nothing. So, given a second chance at life, I no longer want to be the star trying to save the moon. I’m letting Arthur go, and I’m letting myself go. 1 “I’m sorry, but I already have someone I like.” As soon as the words left my mouth, a momentary dead silence fell over the dining table. Arthur paused in cutting Olivia’s steak, and Olivia herself looked up at me in shock. “Chloe, since when do you have someone you like? How come I didn’t know?” I set down my knife and fork, curling my lips into a smile: “I don’t really like talking about things that aren’t certain yet.” “I don’t believe you. You’re definitely just making up an excuse to get out of this.” Olivia immediately drew a conclusion. “Chloe, I’m not trying to put you down, but look, you’re twenty this year and still a virgin. Even though you are quite average-looking, once the lights are off and you’re in bed, everyone is the same.” “But you still don’t have a boyfriend. Do you know why?” She spoke softly, as if she were genuinely trying to analyze my situation. In my past life, I was too stupid to hear that while some words seemed well-intentioned, they were actually meant to belittle and mock me. But I still played along and asked, “Why?” “Because your standards are too high, of course!” “Look at my young uncle. He graduated from a top university and is now the CEO of the Vance Group. Who wouldn’t want to be his wife?” “If you weren’t my best friend, why would I ever set you up with my young uncle?” Her expression was triumphant. Arthur, sitting next to her, also smiled, a trace of helpless indulgence flashing in his eyes. “Are you that eager to find me an aunt?” Olivia huffed, “Don’t think I don’t know that the uncles and aunts want you to enter an arranged marriage. So I thought, rather than having a stranger be my young aunt, I’d rather it be my best friend.” “Why give the advantage to an outsider?” She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Arthur raised an eyebrow, seemingly acquiescing to Olivia’s behavior. And finally, he deigned to shift his gaze to me. To be honest, Arthur was the man I’ve seen wear a black sweater with the most ascetic restraint. The long sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, a Submariner watch on his wrist. I remembered it. It was a gift Olivia had bought for her boyfriend. When her boyfriend didn’t want it, she gave it to Arthur. Something someone else discarded, yet he held onto it longingly until the moment he died. Sometimes, I even marveled at his deep affection. “Chloe, what do you think?” he asked me. I took the last sip of my red wine and said softly: “I believe I said, I already have someone I like.” Arthur remained noncommittal. His long fingers picked up the knife and fork again, cut a piece of steak, and naturally fed it to Olivia. Only then did he continue leisurely: “But I don’t think I lack any competitive edge.” “As Olivia said, there are many who want to be Mrs. Vance. And if you choose me, there are only benefits for you, no drawbacks.” “As for this ‘liking’ you speak of—” He paused, “Chloe, how much do you think ‘liking’ someone is worth?” Courtesy before force. Arthur’s usual tactic in the business world. Unfortunately, I was no longer the Chloe from my past life, the one who took the initiative to walk towards him. After a moment, I raised the corners of my lips and smiled: “You’re right, ‘liking’ isn’t worth much.” “But there is one more thing. I’m sorry, Mr. Vance, but you are not my type.” 2 I didn’t stay to see Arthur’s final expression. After setting down my wine glass, I stood up and left. On my phone, Olivia’s messages kept pouring in. [Chloe, why were you acting crazy just now?] [You should be burning incense in gratitude that my uncle is willing to marry you. Have you looked in the mirror lately?] [I treated you as my best friend, and you? Is this how you repay me?!] I didn’t reply; I just blocked her. But surprisingly, this time Arthur took the initiative to add me. [I’m willing to marry you only because of Olivia. It doesn’t mean I actually have feelings for you.] [After we get married, I won’t interfere with your private life.] Staring at those words. A mocking curve appeared on my lips. Arthur really would compromise in any way possible for his little niece. But I had already served as their fig leaf for a lifetime, so this time, they could play by themselves. I shoved the phone back into my pocket. I hailed a cab back to the university. … In the office, my counselor handed me the application form for an internship at the border, his expression complex: “Chloe, are you really sure?” “The border isn’t like Capitol City. You should know how dangerous it is there. Your parents…” His voice trailed off. I took the application form and nodded: “I know, but I’ve already made my decision and won’t change it.” In my past life, my life was altered because of Arthur. God favored me and gave me a chance to choose again. Of course, I had to correct my mistakes. And walk the path I was meant to walk. The counselor looked at me, finally let out a soft sigh, and patted my shoulder: “In that case, I won’t say any more.” “Chloe, you are just like your parents, very outstanding.” I smiled back. My parents passed away five years ago. At that time, there was a sudden earthquake at the border. My parents were the most famous doctors in Capitol City. Upon receiving the call for support, they immediately rushed to the border. I saw them off at the door as usual, waiting for them to return. But in the end, I only waited for two urns of ashes. I was fifteen that year. My parents died in the aftershocks, becoming heroes, and I became an orphan. Actually, no one knows that I met Arthur before I met Olivia. When I was eighteen, I worked odd jobs to earn living expenses, occasionally delivering takeout for the small shop downstairs. The day I met Arthur, the first heavy rain fell in Capitol City. The road was misty, and I accidentally rear-ended a luxury car. I was thrown from my bike, my arms scraped, suffering multiple fractures. The pain made me unable to get up from the ground. More and more onlookers gathered on the road. No one was willing to help me up, and the driver of the luxury car didn’t get out either. Only Arthur reached out his hand to me and asked, “Does it hurt?” In that moment, my eyes instantly reddened. I cried uncontrollably. Because since I was fifteen, it had been a long time since anyone cared if I was hurting or tired. Arthur was the first, and also the last in my previous life. So, do I hate Arthur? I should. But I’m too tired to even love him anymore. 3 Back in my dorm, I started packing for my trip to the border in three days. Another intern traveling with me was named Liam Thorne. A friend request popped up. I sighed silently. Whether in Capitol City or later at the border, I always seemed unable to escape people related to Olivia. Olivia’s current boyfriend, her future fiancé, was Liam’s older brother, Julian Thorne. Julian was a notorious playboy. When he accepted Olivia’s confession and married her, many people in their circle didn’t believe it. A playboy settling down? Impossible. The countless speculations later on were all because Olivia had a good background. The Thorne and Vance families had been family friends for a century. Even just out of respect for Arthur, Julian would give Olivia some face. Not to mention, to pave the way for Olivia, Arthur’s dowry for her was exorbitant—shares, real estate, and luxury goods worth a billion dollars. Yet Julian still cheated. But the marriage was already a done deal. Olivia didn’t want a divorce, so she ran to Arthur every day crying. Arthur lost his temper once and put Julian in the hospital, but in return, Olivia gave him the cold shoulder for three days. The funny thing was, in the end, Arthur came to beg me. He asked me to put in a good word for him with Olivia. He loved Olivia so much, how lowly did he become? So lowly that one day he actually said: “Chloe, if you can get Olivia to forgive me, I can sleep with you and give you a child.” At that time, I really wanted to say, I don’t need a child. But I couldn’t say a word. That was the third year of our marriage, but in the end, we still didn’t sleep together. Because Olivia came over again. As soon as the doorbell rang, the usually composed Arthur ran to open the door in a panic. Olivia threw herself directly into his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck, crying until her shoulders shook: “Uncle, Julian said he wants to divorce me.” “He’s a bastard!” Arthur’s eyes were red with heartache. Back then, I actually thought about asking Olivia, did you know Arthur likes you? But I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Afraid of ruining our best friend bond. Because I guessed she knew, but was just playing dumb. Including having me marry Arthur, she knew exactly what she was doing. I had an ordinary background, much easier to manipulate than those socialites. Otherwise, how else could she commit all sorts of ambiguous acts under the guise of being a little niece? She drifted between Julian and Arthur. One she liked, and one who liked her. A true winner in life. And I was just the fig leaf. And a willing one at that. Back then, when I first met Liam, that’s what he said. His tone was cutting and merciless. I accepted Liam’s friend request. He sent me the itinerary for three days later, and added one last instruction: “Three days from now, 10 AM, at the school gate. I won’t wait if you’re late.” I replied: “OK.” He didn’t send any more messages. 4 The next day, I didn’t expect Arthur to actually come looking for me. A Rolls-Royce was parked at the school gate. He stood by the car in a black trench coat, his face cold, his deep eyes showing no emotion, exuding an aura of detachment. Passing schoolmates couldn’t help but look at him. I initially pretended not to see him, but as I was about to walk past him, Arthur spoke up. “I don’t understand why you are so stubborn, why you resist marrying me so much.” “But Chloe, you’re an adult now.” “You should be able to distinguish what is most beneficial for you.” I sneered, stopped walking, and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “And I don’t understand why it has to be me.” “Just because Olivia wants it?” So he disregarded others’ wishes and tried every means to achieve it. But why? “Arthur, I don’t want to be involved in whatever is going on between you and Olivia at all.” “I just want you two to stay far away from me.” With that, I lifted my foot to leave. Arthur raised his hand and blocked me again, then pulled a check from his pocket: “A business deal that falls through just means the chips aren’t high enough.” “Chloe, agree to marry me, and these three hundred million are yours.” I lowered my eyes and smiled silently. Three hundred million. In my past life, Arthur only spent eighty thousand to marry me. Why eighty thousand? Because Olivia said: “Uncle, Chloe is my best friend, just a token amount is enough.” “Anyway, she’ll be living and eating on your dime in the future. Having too much money on her isn’t safe.” My material desires were low, and I was used to earning my own living. If I hadn’t met Arthur, that eighty thousand would probably have been enough for a normal person’s bride price. So I didn’t think much of it. But now, I only felt mocked. Things obtained too easily are never cherished. Only when they are unattainable do people rack their brains. Just like Arthur with Olivia. He gave everything he had, gave away all his wealth. His dying wish when he passed away from late-stage stomach cancer was to see Olivia one last time. But where was Olivia then? She was busy trying to please Julian. By unconditionally revealing all of the Vance Group’s projects to Julian. “Mr. Vance is generous.” “Unfortunately, I don’t want to make a deal with you.” … After Chloe left, Arthur didn’t move. He stood rooted to the spot, his chest inexplicably feeling a bit tight. He put the check back into his pocket. He hadn’t expected Chloe to refuse. After all, it was three hundred million. If this person were smart, she could even achieve a leap in social class instantly. But Chloe’s actions puzzled him. Marrying him, was it really such an unacceptable thing? At first, when Olivia wanted to introduce him to Chloe, he refused. But when he saw her photo. For some reason, he felt like he had seen her somewhere before. Today was his second time meeting Chloe. Chloe was too rational, too clear-headed. When she looked at him, there were no ripples in her eyes. He thought to himself that it should be like this. But what should it be like? He couldn’t figure it out, only his chest felt more and more uncomfortable. A thought urged him to go grab Chloe, whether for Olivia, or for himself. After a long while, Olivia sent a message: [Uncle, why don’t you just sleep with Chloe and make it a done deal.] [I can even secretly record a video and then threaten her! She’ll definitely agree then!] Seeing these two sentences, Arthur frowned slightly. He felt even more uncomfortable. 5 The night before my departure, I was double-checking my documents to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Bang, the dorm door was kicked open. I looked up in shock, meeting Arthur’s dark, gloomy eyes. He strode forward and grabbed my wrist. Before I had time to say a word. He dragged me out, opened the car door, and shoved me inside. “Are you crazy?!” Arthur didn’t answer me, but slammed the car door shut with a bang. He started the car and sped away. Soon, Arthur brought me to a nightclub. “Get out,” he said coldly. I instinctively shrank back: “What exactly do you want to do?!” “Don’t you know what I want to do?” Arthur shot back, his anger undiminished. I frowned. The next second, Arthur dragged me out of the car again. He was rough. As I got out, I twisted my left leg, a piercing, bone-deep pain. I couldn’t help but gasp. Arthur frowned, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was ultimately covered by his anger. “Stop acting, you’re overdoing it.” I fell silent. It wasn’t until Arthur pushed open the VIP private room that I understood what he meant. The crystal chandelier in the private room cast ambiguous halos, neon lights swirling in the hazy smoke. In the center of the sofa sat a noble-looking man, casually biting a cigarette, while Olivia sat on one side, clothes disheveled, crying with red eyes. Besides them, three men were kneeling on the floor. Begging for mercy non-stop, their heads bruised and bleeding. I didn’t need to guess to know what roughly happened. But what did this have to do with me? I looked at Olivia. Olivia guiltily glanced at me, then sniffled and choked out: “Chloe, I know you don’t like me interfering in your love life, but you…” “After years of being best friends, you didn’t have to find someone to humiliate me, right?” Hearing this, my pupils shrank slightly in disbelief. “You’re saying I found someone to humiliate you?” “Didn’t you send me a message asking me to come here?!” Olivia stood up excitedly, then tossed her phone onto the glass table. On it was clearly a message sent from my number. At this moment, Arthur’s gaze also fell on me. Only I suddenly became calm. Because my WeChat account had been logged into Olivia’s phone before. So it was entirely possible she sent the message to herself. And on my end, there were no messages at all. Try to prove my innocence? Arthur would only think I deleted the message. But actually, whether there was evidence or not didn’t matter. Arthur would only choose to believe what he wanted to believe. “I privately hoped it wasn’t you, but Chloe, you’ve disappointed me greatly.” After a long while, Arthur spoke. I just smiled mockingly. Then I saw him walk over to Olivia, bend down and pick her up, then say to the man who had been silent for a long time: “Julian, I’ll leave this to you. I’m taking Olivia away first.” The man called Julian raised an eyebrow in agreement. As Arthur walked past me, a look of disgust appeared on his face, and he finally spat out four words: “Reap what you sow.” He left without looking back. The moment the door closed, the three men kneeling on the floor all looked up at me simultaneously. Greedy, malicious, emitting a foul stench. “Miss Chloe, sorry about this.” 6 Julian’s voice was still careless. I raised my eyes calmly, took out my phone, and placed it on the table. Julian lifted his eyelids. Seeing the “911” dialed on the screen, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes: “Underestimated you.” I walked out of the nightclub. It was already midnight. The night wind was slightly cool. Julian followed behind me: “Miss Chloe, today’s setup actually wasn’t very clever.” “When Olivia came asking for my help, I only took a spectator’s attitude and didn’t want to intervene.” “Just now, I only wanted to test you, to see how far you would go.” The corners of my lips curled into a mocking smile, and I didn’t answer him. I hailed a cab, and just as I was getting in. Julian said lazily again: “Liam asked me to remind you not to be late tomorrow.” “Have a safe trip, both of you.” I was stunned for a moment. When I looked back, I only saw Julian’s back. I didn’t know much about him. Only that he was a playboy who loved women. As for his relationship with Liam, I didn’t know. But it seemed they were on good terms. But that didn’t matter to me anymore. From now on, I would have no further contact with anything related to Olivia or Arthur. … Arthur sat by the bed and coaxed Olivia all night. It wasn’t until daylight broke that he quietly walked out of her room. Then he went downstairs and instructed the butler to make something Olivia liked to eat. Then he finally let out a sigh of relief. He returned to his own room. He pulled off his tie, threw it casually onto the bed, and his long fingers were unbuttoning his shirt. Suddenly, certain images flashed through his mind. “Chloe, come here, help me unbutton this.” “Chloe, I have a headache, pour me a glass of honey water.” “Chloe…” The tone was relaxed, familiar. Arthur’s movements visibly froze. The scene in his mind was too clear. Chloe’s figure moved skillfully around the room. Their relationship seemed intimate yet unfamiliar. Chloe always responded to his greetings quietly and gently. But why would he be thinking of Chloe? These memories… where did they come from? He wearily pinched his brow, reaching out to grab his phone. Suddenly, he remembered leaving Chloe with Julian last night, and panic gripped his heart for a moment. Yesterday he was just too angry. He didn’t really want anyone to ruin Chloe. But Julian, that guy… He immediately called Julian, and the other party quickly answered. “Yo, Uncle, calling to ask for the results?” “I was just about to—” “What did you do to Chloe?” Arthur asked coldly. The other side went completely silent. After two minutes, he mocked: “Arthur, do you have amnesia?” “Yesterday you were the one who asked me to clean up someone for you. Why is it that as soon as you wake up today, it’s me who wants to do something to someone?” Julian’s words were merciless. He acted erratically and didn’t care what Arthur would do to him. Arthur didn’t dare, and he wouldn’t. What lay between the Thorne and Vance families wasn’t just Olivia, but also family interests. “Where is she? Send me the address.” Arthur spoke directly and then hung up the phone. Listening to Julian’s words. What was supposed to happen probably already did. Holding anyone accountable was useless, and this was originally Chloe’s own doing. He only hoped that after being punished, she would learn her lesson. With the Vance family’s power, protecting one Chloe was more than enough. As long as she was obedient, the position of Mrs. Vance might still be hers. Anyway, it was impossible for him to be with Olivia. So whoever it was didn’t matter. 7 Julian’s message still hadn’t arrived. Arthur grew a bit impatient. Just as he was about to dial Julian’s number again, Olivia woke up. She walked down the stairs, her face carrying the haziness of having just woken up. As soon as she reached the living room, she threw herself directly into Arthur’s arms. “Uncle, you’re up so early?” “I didn’t see you just now, I thought you left.” Her voice was whiny. Arthur chuckled helplessly. He reached out, about to stroke Olivia’s head. Another image flashed through his mind. Chloe stood by the sofa, envy in her eyes, but when he looked up, she hid that emotion away. “What’s wrong, Uncle?” Olivia looked up in confusion, saw his hand stopped in mid-air, and habitually tried to nuzzle it. But this time, Arthur pulled his hand back. Olivia was stunned for a moment, looking at him blankly. “Uncle…” And he didn’t understand it himself either. Finally, Arthur sighed softly: “It’s nothing, probably just didn’t sleep well last night.” “Then I’ll accompany you to sleep a bit more!” Olivia smiled brightly, reaching to take Arthur’s arm and pull him up. Arthur refused again. This was the second time. Olivia had never been refused by him, and she immediately got angry. “Uncle! What is wrong with you?” “You’ve never refused me anything before, but today you’ve refused me twice!” She stood up, looking down at Arthur in displeasure. Arthur sat in the sofa. Normally, he would have rushed to coax Olivia, but today he suddenly felt very annoyed. His temples were throbbing. Chloe’s figure kept appearing in his mind from time to time, as if he was hallucinating. “Olivia, can you be a bit more sensible?” “I’m already annoyed enough.” Olivia had long been spoiled. Hearing him say this, she got even angrier, immediately grabbed a nearby throw pillow, and threw it at him: “What are you annoyed about? What do you have to be annoyed about? You’re just annoyed by me!” “Arthur, if you find me annoying, I’ll just leave, okay?!” “I’ll go find Julian, I’ll go find someone else. I will absolutely never take the initiative to look for you again!” Throwing down those words, she stormed off. But actually, she only walked as far as the entryway. Arthur knew what she was waiting for: waiting for him to proactively coax her, to give her a way out. However, right now he had absolutely no desire to do so. He even thought. Why couldn’t Olivia be as sensible as Chloe? As soon as this thought emerged, he was completely stunned. It felt as if he knew Chloe so well, but in reality, they had only met three times in total. Olivia ultimately left. The door was slammed shut with a bang. The butler hurried over: “Mr. Vance, the young miss she—” “Let her throw her tantrum, leave her be.” Arthur waved his hand. The next second, Julian’s message finally arrived: [No need to look for her anymore, she already left.] [Oh right, one more thing, those guys yesterday were actors hired by your little niece.] [Chloe is the victim here.] Arthur froze.

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Dad said he was taking me to see the tigers, but he kicked me out of the car right inside the tiger enclosure. My stepmom in the car pretended to scream, but she held her phone up the whole time, recording. The tigers yawned and slowly walked toward me. “Roar—These two humans are terrible actors!” “Throwing a cub outside while hiding in a metal shell, are they trying to frame us for eating a human?” “This kid looks like she doesn’t even have a pound of meat on her, not even enough to get stuck between my teeth.” I stood in the freezing wind, listening to the tigers talk, tears and snot running down my face. Just then, the biggest tiger walked over and nudged me so hard with its massive head that I fell on my butt. “Roar—Kid, do you want a new dad?” “The new zookeeper is a rich kid experiencing life. Come with me, I’ll let you be a wealthy heiress.” 1 The first snow of winter. The wind blew against my face, stinging like a knife. Dad said he was taking me to the zoo to see the tigers. But as soon as we entered the tiger enclosure, he stopped the car, turned his head, stared at me, and urged me urgently: “Chloe, Dad’s car is broken. Get out and give it a push. Just a little push and Dad will let you back in.” I was an obedient child. I thought, as long as I pushed the car like a good girl, Dad wouldn’t lock me in the pitch-black basement like he did at home. But the moment I stepped out of the car, the door locked with a click. The car clearly wasn’t broken. Dad slammed on the gas, and the car instantly slid away dozens of feet, leaving me far behind. I panicked, chasing after it on my freezing, stiff little legs. “Dad! Dad, wait for Chloe!” “Chloe is cold! Chloe is scared!” The car stopped. But not to pick me up. In the back seat, my mom—my stepmom—was holding her phone, pointing it at me. Through the glass, I saw her exaggeratedly covering her mouth, as if she were screaming, but her eyes were clearly smiling. This was the free-roaming area of the tiger enclosure. Several enormous Siberian tigers were stepping through the snow, slowly walking toward me. Terrified, I slumped into the snow, trembling all over. I thought I was going to die. But right then, I heard the lead tiger sigh. It shook the snow off its body, its whiskers twitching. “Roar—These two humans are terrible actors!” “Throwing a cub outside while hiding in a metal shell, are they trying to frame us for eating a human?” “This kid looks like she doesn’t even have a pound of meat on her, not even enough to get stuck between my teeth.” The tigress next to him agreed, casting a disgusted look at the SUV. “Roar—What is that woman waving that shiny thing around for? It’s blinding.” “Probably wants to record the cub being eaten by us. Humans are disgusting.” I was stunned. The cold wind blew down my collar, but I forgot to cry. They… weren’t going to eat me? Seeing me standing there dumbfounded, the lead tiger even rolled its eyes. It took a few steps and stood right in front of me. A giant shadow cast over me. I smelled a faint, musky scent from it, along with an indescribable warmth. It lowered its head and nudged my shoulder with its massive head. It was a bit strong. I immediately plopped down onto the ground, landing on my butt. “Roar—Kid, do you want a new dad?” Its huge face was extremely close, its golden pupils reflecting my disheveled figure. “The new zookeeper is a rich kid experiencing life. He’s dumb, rich, and has a good heart. Come with me, I’ll let you be a wealthy heiress?” 2 I stared at it blankly. A new dad? “I have a dad…” I mumbled softly, instinctively looking toward that black SUV in the distance. That was my dad. Even though he didn’t let me eat at the table, even though he always whipped my calves with a cane, even though he only let me wear a thin, old school uniform in the winter. He was still my dad. The big tiger snorted a breath of hot air, blowing a cloud of white mist into my face. “Roar—That piece of trash who threw you into a tiger’s mouth to scam insurance money?” “Don’t be silly, cub, that’s murder.” “I was walking by the car earlier and heard them. The man said he bought a million-dollar accident insurance policy on you.” A million dollars? I knew that was a lot, a lot of money. It could buy countless steaming hot meat buns, it could buy Dad a new car, it could make my stepmom stop calling me a money-losing burden. So, I was worth that much money. But I had to die for that money to become real. Tears immediately welled up, scalding hot, falling onto the snow and melting little pits. The big tiger got anxious. It stuck out its rough tongue, wanting to lick my face, but afraid the barbs would scratch me, it only used its paw to gently bat at my cotton jacket. “Roar—Don’t cry! Tigers hate it most when cubs cry!” “Come on, come on, let’s go find that sucker zookeeper. He just finished cutting our beef and is probably bored out of his mind right now.” In the distance, Dad’s car window rolled down a crack again. He seemed very dissatisfied that the tigers were only circling me and hadn’t lunged to tear me apart. He honked the horn twice. The sharp honking was exceptionally grating in the empty, snowy field; he was trying to anger the tigers. The big tiger’s ears flattened, a low growl rumbling in its throat. “Roar—You got a death wish, don’t you?” It turned around, faced the SUV, and let out an earth-shattering roar. “ROAR—!!!” The sound shook the snow off the tree branches, sending it rustling down. The two people in the car were clearly terrified. The car jerked violently, then, as if running for its life, the driver slammed on the gas and it shot forward, disappearing around the bend. They really left. Leaving me all alone with a group of fierce beasts. I had completely become a child without a father. The big tiger turned back, its tail gently sweeping across the back of my hand. “Roar—Alright, the trash has been taken out. Get on, Tiger Lord will carry you to the good life.” It lowered its massive body, gesturing for me to climb onto its back. I sniffled, my freezing fingers grabbing onto its thick fur. So warm. Warmer than my bed at home. 3 The big tiger carried me on its back, familiarly navigating around a rockery and squeezing through a hidden iron gate. Walking down a long corridor, a glass room with heating appeared ahead. It was the zookeeper’s break room. A young man was lying back in a rocking chair with his legs crossed, holding a game controller, fighting intensely on the TV screen. The room was very warm and smelled of braised beef noodles. The big tiger pushed the door open with its head. The man didn’t even turn his head, his voice lazy. “Rex, didn’t I just feed you? Here to mooch some heat again? How many times have I told you, no turning into a mythical spirit after the park closes. Opening doors yourself, what’s that about?” The big tiger ignored him, walking straight to the rocking chair and tilting its body. I slid off its back and fell onto an expensive-looking rug. The man was right at a critical moment in his game when he caught a glimpse of a dirty shadow out of the corner of his eye. His hand shook, and a massive “GAME OVER” appeared on the screen. “Holy shit!” He sprang up from the rocking chair, staring wide-eyed at me, then looked at the big tiger, who put on a completely innocent face. “Rex, you… turning into a mythical spirit is one thing, but how the hell did you start child trafficking?” He crouched down, his line of sight level with mine. This older brother was really handsome; his eyes were like peach blossoms, bright and clear. But he looked a bit fierce, his brow furrowed tightly. “Kid, who are you? How did you get in here?” I shrank my neck, wanting to hide behind the big tiger. But the big tiger used its tail to block my retreat, pushing me toward the man. “Roar—Lucas, catch! This is the daughter I found for you!” “Roar—This kid has had a hard life, her own dad tried to feed her to us tigers. Isn’t your family rich? Raising a cub won’t be any trouble for you.” Of course, the man couldn’t understand tiger talk. He only saw this tiger, usually aloof to the point of death, now acting like a salesman, shoving a child as dirty as a little mud monkey into his arms. I kept my head down, looking at my canvas shoes with holes in them, my voice as quiet as a mosquito. “Hello, Uncle… My name is Chloe.” “My dad… left me behind.” Lucas’s frown deepened. He reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. His fingers were long and warm, smelling nicely of soap. “Left you behind?” He glanced at my face, purple from the freezing cold, and the faint blue and purple bruises on my neck. His eyes instantly darkened. “Left you in the tiger enclosure?” I nodded, the tears unable to stop falling again. “Dad said the car broke down, told me to push it… and then he left.” Lucas took a deep breath, swearing under his breath. But he quickly reined in his hostility. He turned, grabbed the braised beef noodles from the table, thought for a second, and put them back down. He rummaged through the cabinets, found an expensive box of imported milk and a bag of chocolate cookies, and shoved them into my hands. “Eat something first.” “I fucking hate animals like that the most.” He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, his tone becoming incredibly cold. “Hey, old man, stop rushing me to come home.” “I’ve run into a situation. Someone just tried to murder a child right under my nose.” “Pull the park’s security footage for me, and also, contact the Chief of Police. I need to report a crime.” 4 Lucas was no ordinary zookeeper. Rex told me that. Rex was lying on the rug, licking his paws while “gossiping” with me. “Roar—This kid’s name is Lucas Hayes, he’s just here because he’s bored out of his mind. The corporation his family owns could probably buy ten zoos like this.” “Last time the zoo director saw him, he was bowing and scraping.” “Stick with him, and you’ll be eating the finest food from now on, meat buns every day.” I hugged the warm milk, taking small sips. My stomach felt warm, and my body felt warm too. Lucas took off his expensive-looking down jacket and wrapped me up like a burrito. He was sitting in front of the monitors, replaying the footage over and over. On the screen, Dad’s car sped away, my tiny figure fell into the snow, surrounded by tigers slowly closing in. Even knowing the tigers hadn’t planned to eat me, watching it on the monitor was still heart-stopping. Lucas’s fists cracked as he clenched them. “Is this something a fucking human does?” He looked back at me, his eyes carrying a bit more pity, no longer as fierce as before. “Kid, don’t be afraid.” “Since Rex brought you back, I’m taking charge of this.” Just then, a commotion came from the door. There were the sounds of a man and a woman crying hysterically, mixed with police sirens. “Officers! Please save my daughter!” “My daughter is still in there! If she gets eaten by tigers, I won’t want to live anymore!” It was my stepmom’s voice. She cried so loudly, it sounded like she was truly heartbroken. My dad’s voice chimed in too, full of anxiety and remorse. “It’s all my fault! The car suddenly lost control! How could I just leave Chloe all alone!” “My Chloe!” Hearing their voices, my body instinctively trembled. That was fear carved into my bones. Rex immediately stood up, a threatening low growl rumbling in his throat. Lucas put a hand on Rex’s head, a cold sneer curving his lips. “Quite the performance.” He stood up, scooped me off the floor in one fluid motion, and settled me in his arms. His embrace was broad and tall. I had never been held like this before. “Let’s go watch a show.” Carrying me, he strode out of the break room. Rex followed closely behind us like a majestic bodyguard. A crowd had gathered at the entrance to the tiger enclosure. My dad and stepmom were kneeling on the ground, crying their eyes out to several police officers, surrounded by tourists holding up their phones to record. When they saw Lucas come out carrying me, with a massive, unchained tiger walking beside him. The crowd instantly fell silent, erupting in gasps of terror. My dad and stepmom’s crying abruptly stopped. They stared wide-eyed at me, like they were looking at a ghost. My stepmom’s expression froze for a second, then immediately morphed into an exaggerated look of tears of joy as she lunged toward me. “Chloe! Oh my god! You’re still alive!” “You scared Mom to death! Come let Mom hug you!” She reached out her hands—hands with bright red nail polish that had pinched my arms countless times in the past. I instinctively shrank back into Lucas’s arms. Lucas turned his body slightly, dodging my stepmom’s hands. He looked down at the two of them from his towering height, his eyes looking at them like two piles of garbage. “Lady, save the acting. The Oscars owe you a golden statue.” My stepmom’s hands froze mid-air, her face turning red and white. My dad stood up, pointing angrily at Lucas. “Who are you? Give me back my daughter!” “I need to take her to the hospital for a checkup! She must have been terrified! I’m suing your zoo for compensation!” Lucas let out a light laugh, dripping with utter contempt. “Compensation?” “We definitely need to settle the score.” He looked down at me in his arms, his voice suddenly turning gentle. “Chloe, tell the police officers, what just happened?” “Don’t be afraid. With me and this big cat here, no one dares to touch you.” All eyes were focused on me. My dad’s eyes were full of warning and threats, hinting that if I spoke out of turn, I’d pay for it when we got home. My stepmom’s hand secretly reached into her bag, as if trying to grab something. Just then, the usually silent Rex suddenly took a step forward and let out a low roar toward my stepmom’s bag. “Roar—The stun baton is in that bad woman’s bag!” I jerked my head up, looking at my stepmom’s bag. Only I could understand Rex’s words, but to everyone else, it looked like a tiger getting angry. Terrified, my stepmom’s hand shook, and the bag dropped to the ground. Clatter. A black anti-wolf stun baton rolled out of the bag, still sparking with a faint electric current. The crowd erupted in an uproar. Lucas’s eyes instantly turned as sharp as a knife. Holding me, he took a step toward my dad and stepmom. “Carrying a stun baton to a zoo?” “Or is it… something you use specifically to terrorize a child?” “Want to take the child back? Sure.” Lucas pulled a black, gold-embossed business card from his pocket and threw it at my dad’s face. “I am Lucas Hayes of the Hayes Group, and I am protecting this child.” “If you want to take her, ask my legal team first, and then ask…” He patted the head of Rex beside him. “If he agrees.” Rex cooperatively opened his massive jaws, revealing a mouthful of fangs. “Roar—Dare to try and snatch the daughter I’ve chosen? I’ll bite you to death!” My dad’s face instantly went deathly pale, not because of the tiger, but because of the words “Hayes Group.” Around here, the Hayes Group was a force that could cover the sky with one hand. My destiny changed from that very moment. 5 The police quickly brought the situation under control. But my dad was clearly a seasoned operator. He quickly adjusted his expression, looking aggrieved. “Mr. Hayes, right? Even if you’re rich, you have to be reasonable.” “The stun baton is for my wife’s self-defense.” “As for leaving the child behind, that was a pure accident! The car malfunctioned and suddenly accelerated, we couldn’t control it!” “We love our child! I am her biological father, would I harm her?” He wept tearfully, even pulling out his phone to show the lock screen, a picture of our “happy” family. That picture was taken under duress; my smile in the photo was incredibly stiff. The onlookers wavered a bit. After all, the concept that “there are no bad parents in the world” is deeply rooted in many people’s minds. “Right, maybe it really was a misunderstanding?” “The child isn’t hurt, and the parents look so anxious.” Lucas watched coldly, not saying a word, only tightening his grip on me. He seemed to be waiting for something. Just then, Rex suddenly paced anxiously in a circle, his tail whipping the ground. He nudged my leg with his head, a rapid rumbling coming from his throat. “Roar—Cub! There’s something else in that car!” “Before that guy got out of the car earlier, he pulled the memory card from the dashcam and stuffed it into the crack under the passenger seat!” “That card has the evidence of them discussing murdering you for the insurance payout!” My heart jolted violently. I grabbed Lucas’s collar, summoned all my courage, and whispered into his ear: “Uncle Lucas…” “Dad hid the dashcam memory card under the passenger seat.” Lucas’s eyes lit up fiercely. He didn’t need to ask how I knew; he chose to trust me unconditionally. “Officers!” Lucas shouted loudly. “Since this father claims the car malfunctioned, it just so happens I know a thing or two about cars.” “To prove your innocence and find the cause of the malfunction, would it be too much to ask you to open the car door and let us inspect the dashcam?” My dad’s face instantly went pale, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. “That… that’s not necessary…” “Why isn’t it necessary?” Lucas pressed closer. “Or is it because you have a guilty conscience?” The police also sensed something was wrong. “Sir, please cooperate with the investigation.” Under the firm demands of the police, the car door was opened. My dad was still making a last-ditch effort, “The dashcam broke earlier, it didn’t record anything…” But Lucas headed straight for the passenger side, reached his long arm down, and precisely pulled out a black memory card from the seat crevice. He held the card up, waving it at my dad, whose face had turned ash-gray. “Broken? Then what is this tightly hidden card?” “How about we play it right now so everyone can hear?” My dad’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. My stepmom screamed, trying to lunge forward and snatch it, but was firmly pinned down by the police. Lucas didn’t immediately hand the card over to the police; instead, he looked at me first. His gaze was gentle yet firm, as if injecting me with strength. “Chloe, do you want to listen? Listen to what they actually said.” I looked at my dad slumped on the ground; right now, he looked like a beaten dog. I shook my head. I knew what was on it. Nothing more than “how much money we can get if this kid dies,” or “why hasn’t she been eaten yet,” things like that. I didn’t need to confirm it anymore. “I don’t want to hear it.” I looked at Lucas and offered a faint smile. “Uncle, I don’t want him to be my dad anymore.” “I want to go with you.” Lucas smiled. That smile was warmer than the winter sun. “Okay.” “From today on, you are my, Lucas Hayes’s, daughter.” “If anyone dares to touch a hair on your head, I’ll make them regret ever being born.” Rex snorted loudly in satisfaction beside us. “Roar—That’s right! Finding a good dad saves you twenty years of hardship!” “From now on, just say you’re my goddaughter! The monkeys, bears, and lions in this park will all be your underlings!” Resting on Lucas’s shoulder, I watched the police load my dad and stepmom into the police car. The wind and snow seemed to have stopped. This winter didn’t seem so cold anymore. 6 Lucas brought me to a villa near the zoo. The villa was massive, like a small castle, but it was empty inside, with only a few simple pieces of furniture. “This is a place I stay occasionally; it’s relatively quiet.” He placed me on a soft sofa and cranked the heat up to maximum. “Rest here for a bit while I go get you something to eat.” He turned into the kitchen, and soon, a cacophony of clattering sounds emerged from within. I sat on the sofa, hugging my knees, feeling a bit lost. It was so big here, so quiet, and… so unfamiliar. Rex couldn’t follow us out, and I didn’t have a single soul to talk to. I wondered if this handsome uncle would also suddenly change his face, just like my dad. After a while, Lucas came out holding a bowl of… something black and mushy. He looked a bit embarrassed. “Um… I’m not very good at cooking. How about we order takeout?” He pulled out his phone, expertly opened a delivery app, and handed the phone to me. “Order whatever you want to eat.” The screen was filled with dazzling pictures of food: burgers, fried chicken, pizza, strawberry cake… These were all things I had only seen on TV. I swallowed hard but didn’t dare reach out to tap. Dad used to say these were junk foods, and only disobedient children ate them. Besides, they must be very expensive. I shook my head and pushed the phone back. “I’m not hungry.” Lucas looked at me, his frown returning. He didn’t impatiently call me “picky” like Dad did. Instead, he sighed and put the phone away. He sat next to me, his voice very soft. “Chloe, listen to me.” “From now on, this is your home. You can eat what you want, play with what you want, do what you want.” “You don’t need to walk on eggshells around anyone, including me.” “You are my daughter, and providing for you is my natural duty.” He ruffled my hair; his movements were clumsy but very warm. “So, tell me now, what do you want to eat? Uncle… no, Dad will buy it for you.” The word “Dad,” coming from his mouth, felt entirely different from when my biological father said it. My nose stung, and my tears fell again. I pointed at the prettiest picture on the screen and whispered. “I want to eat… that cake with strawberries.” “Okay.” Lucas placed the order immediately, ordering three different flavors all at once. That night, I had sweet buttercream cake for the first time. Lucas sat across from me, watching me eat, not taking a single bite himself. He seemed even happier than I was. At night, he took me to a bedroom on the second floor. The room was pink, with a giant princess bed piled high with all sorts of stuffed animals. “This will be your room from now on.” “Just make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to buy the things you like.” I lay on the bed, which was so soft I sank into it, covered with a quilt that smelled like sunshine. Lucas didn’t leave immediately. He moved a chair to the side of the bed and told me a story. He told me the story of “The Little Mermaid.” His voice was very nice, very gentle. Listening to him, I fell asleep. It was the most peaceful sleep I’ve had since I could remember. 7 The next day, Lucas really did take me shopping at the mall. It was my first time in such a beautiful place. There were sparkling lights everywhere, and it smelled wonderful. Holding my hand, Lucas walked straight into a children’s clothing store. The clothes in the store were as pretty as princess dresses. The sales associate was very enthusiastic and brought me several dresses to try on. I put on a pink tulle dress and stood in front of the mirror, scarcely believing it was me. The little girl in the mirror was still thin and small, but she looked clean and pretty, no longer that dusty little mud monkey. Lucas leaned against the doorway, looking at me, his eyes filled with a smile. “Beautiful.” He took out that black card and said to the sales associate. “This entire row, plus the ones she just tried on, wrap them all up.” The sales associate’s eyes lit up, looking at Lucas with admiration. I was startled and quickly grabbed the hem of Lucas’s jacket. “Dad… that’s too much… it’ll be very expensive…” At home, my stepmom always called me a money-losing burden. I was afraid Lucas would also resent me for spending money. Lucas crouched down, bringing his eye level to mine. He looked seriously into my eyes and said, word by word. “Chloe, remember, you are my daughter, not a money-losing burden.” “You deserve the best things in the world; no amount of money is too much.” “From now on, you are not allowed to say the word ‘expensive’ again, do you hear me?” His expression was very serious, but I wasn’t scared at all. My heart felt warm, as if it had been filled with something. That day, Lucas truly bought me a mountain of things. Beautiful dresses, cute shoes, all sorts of toys and snacks, filling up the trunk. Back at the villa, he piled everything in the living room and let me open the presents myself. I sat among the pile of gifts, opening box after box, feeling like I was in a dream. Lucas sat nearby, watching me and smiling. His phone buzzed. He picked it up, glanced at it, and his face suddenly darkened. “You play for a bit, Dad has to step outside to take a call.” He walked into the yard, and I could see him through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His expression was very cold, completely different from his usual self. I felt a little scared and quietly walked over to the window. In the yard, a sparrow was perched on a branch, preening its feathers. I heard it complaining in its chirpy voice. “Chirp! That man looks so scary!” “Chirp, chirp! He just said on the phone, ‘No one touches my people’, so fierce!” “Chirp! Looks like his grandmother is coming? Sounds like a very formidable old lady!” Old lady? My heart leaped into my throat. Is it Lucas’s grandmother? Is she… going to dislike me?

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