Author: Momo Chan

My childhood sweetheart lost his sight in a car accident. Out of the goodness of my heart, I donated one of my corneas to him. Yet, he believed I orchestrated the crash, claiming my donation was a manipulative ploy to force him into marriage and tear him away from his first love. He hated me for the rest of his life. Before he died, he told me he would rather be blind than ever look at my face again. When I opened my eyes, I was back to the moment right before he sped off to win back that first love. I pretended to know nothing. In this life, I don’t want to see him ever again either. 1 In the dead of night, my mom yanked me out of bed. As she hastily threw on her clothes, her face was grim. “Get up, quickly. Your Aunt Clara just called. Noah got into a car accident. We need to get to the hospital, now.” My heart hammered in my chest. It wasn’t until we reached the hospital and I saw Noah’s parents pacing anxiously outside the operating room that it finally hit me. This wasn’t my life flashing before my eyes right before suicide. I was actually reborn. My mom was busy trying to get updates on Noah’s condition. The adults were panicking like lost children. I was the only one calm enough to speak with the doctor. “The family needs to be prepared. The patient suffered severe facial trauma. Both corneas have detached. It’s highly likely he will be permanently blind.” Just like in my previous life, Aunt Clara nearly fainted at the news. I sighed silently, feeling absolutely nothing inside. I simply asked, “His corneas are detached, but can you save his eyeballs?” The doctor promised they would do their best, then shoved a pen into my hand. “What is your relationship to the patient? Sign here, quickly.” The word “wife” almost slipped out, but I forced it back down. I handed the pen to Noah’s father, who was slightly more composed. “I’m just a neighbor. I don’t have the authority to sign.” In my past life, when I heard Noah was going to be blind, my reaction was just as devastating as Aunt Clara’s. After all, I had been secretly in love with him for ten years. The thought of someone as vibrant and free-spirited as Noah never seeing the world again broke my heart, so I donated one of my corneas. Noah regained his sight. After a few days of depression, he proposed to me right there in the hospital. He held me and said, “Emily, from now on, we’ll be each other’s light.” My ten-year unrequited love finally had a happy ending, but I hesitated. “What about Mia?” Noah scoffed, pointing at his eyes. “If she hadn’t thrown a tantrum and broken up with me in the middle of the night, why would I be like this?” His answer was decisive then, but less than two years into our marriage, everything changed. By chance, I saw his search history on an AI app. He had asked the same questions multiple times: [How to make someone’s corneas detach] [Help me design the perfect car accident] [Can a person who died from carbon monoxide poisoning still donate their corneas?] Seeing those searches felt like plunging into hell. I gave him a cornea out of years of affection, and he wanted to take my other one. So, I sealed the doors and windows of our home, lit some charcoal, and drank with Noah for the first time since our wedding. When we were both buzzed, I asked him, “Do you regret marrying me?” Drunk words speak a sober heart. The look he gave me was like a knife. “If I didn’t marry you, how could I repay you for that meticulously planned car accident?” He slammed my diary—I have no idea where he found it—hard onto the table. “Emily Vance! You’ve had a crush on me since we were kids. When you couldn’t have me, you deliberately caused that crash to blind me, didn’t you?!” “When I went blind, you took the opportunity to donate your cornea to trap me into marrying you!” “You destroyed my health, you ruined my relationship with Mia, and you wanted me to feel guilty for the rest of my life! You are so incredibly vicious! I’d rather be blind for the rest of my life than look at your face!” Every word he said shocked me to the core. With red eyes, I tried to explain that it wasn’t true, but he slammed his hand on the table and demanded, “Then why else would you willingly disable yourself just to give me a cornea? Don’t tell me you were brainwashed by that ‘childhood sweetheart’ nonsense! We’re just neighbors! It’s not that deep!” I was utterly paralyzed. So this is how Noah had maliciously interpreted my actions all along. As the carbon dioxide built up, my mind grew hazy. We both died in that room. It wasn’t a painful death. 2 This time, I coldly watched the two families frantically search for a cornea donor, determined not to get involved in Noah’s karma. Aunt Clara was constantly wiping away tears, and my mom looked deeply worried. “Sigh, why would Noah speed out in the middle of the night?” “What was so urgent he had to risk his life? Such a good young man, and now…” Aunt Clara’s face flashed with sudden resentment. “I checked his phone and found out he was secretly dating a girl named Mia.” “She was throwing a tantrum, saying if he wasn’t at the train station in ten minutes, she was leaving the city. Noah panicked and…” I lowered my eyes and stayed silent. No matter how you looked at it, this had absolutely nothing to do with me. Yet, in my past life, Noah somehow managed to pin the blame entirely on me. Just then, a loud crashing sound came from the hospital room. Aunt Clara and my mom rushed in before I could even react. I followed them in to take a look. Noah had knocked over the water glass on his bedside table and fallen out of bed. He had ripped the bandages off his eyes and was blindly feeling around, his eyes red and frantic. “Noah!” Aunt Clara cried out, heartbroken. “Get up, the floor is cold!” “You can’t move around like this right after waking up! You have a fractured leg, be careful!” Noah grabbed Aunt Clara’s hand like it was a lifeline. “Mom, what’s wrong with my eyes?” “Why can’t I see anything?! Why?!” Aunt Clara’s heart ached for her son. She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t force the words out. She covered her mouth, suppressing her sobs until her shoulders shook, terrified of making a sound. Unable to see, Noah looked around frantically, pure panic in his eyes. Finally, my mom couldn’t bear it anymore. She pulled me over to help Aunt Clara lift him back into bed. “Emily? Is that you, Emily?” “Tell me quickly, what happened to me…” I gave Aunt Clara a complex look, and only after she nodded did I speak: “The car accident caused your corneas to detach. You are permanently blind.” Noah froze, immediately blurting out, “Impossible.” I said nothing more. Aunt Clara quickly rushed to comfort him. “Don’t be afraid. Your dad and Uncle Vance are already looking for a donor.” “You’ll get your sight back soon.” How could someone as proud and reckless as Noah handle such a blow? Eventually, the doctor came in on his rounds and issued a stern warning: “You must take absolute care of your eyes right now. If your condition deteriorates further, you won’t be able to have a transplant even if we find a donor.” I smiled silently. If corneas were that easy to come by, Noah wouldn’t have coveted my remaining one in my past life. But isn’t this exactly what he wanted? In this life, at least, he will truly never have to look at me again. 3 Uncle Vance failed repeatedly to find a cornea, his hair turning gray in a matter of days. Noah couldn’t accept the reality of his blindness. He radiated a toxic, aggressive energy. Less than three days after he was admitted, Aunt Clara was hospitalized due to stress-induced high blood pressure. I actively avoided Noah, but my parents scolded me for it. “Emily, our families have always been close. You should at least try to help out.” Unable to get out of it, I finally went. As soon as I entered the room, Noah heard the noise and turned his head. “Emily, right?” I was surprised, then heard him let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I know your footsteps.” “Why haven’t you come to see me? Do I look scary now?” I sat a short distance from his bed, my tone neutral. “I’ve been too busy lately. Couldn’t find the time.” The ten years of unrequited love had been entirely ground away by the torment of our marriage in my past life. In this life, I was thinking clearly. Noah was right. We were just neighbors. He seemed to be waiting for me to comfort him. When I stayed silent, he started feeling around for his phone. Once he found it, he held it out toward the other side of the bed. Speaking to empty air, he said, “Can you check if Mia called me?” “I can’t even unlock my phone. She must be worried sick not hearing from me for days.” I sighed in exasperation. “I’m over here.” Noah froze, a flash of defeat crossing his face. I took the phone and checked. Zero missed calls. Opening his messages, the last chat history was from days ago. I glanced at Noah, and curiosity got the better of me. I opened the conversation. I really wanted to know why he blamed me for his accident in my past life. “Noah! My mom said if you want to marry me, the dowry has to be an entire shopping mall. Non-negotiable.” “Your family is rich. Two malls would be nothing to you. If you’re going to be this insincere, let’s just break up.” Noah’s replies were incredibly subservient. “Let’s talk about this, okay? I’ll talk to my parents.” Mia sent a picture of a train ticket departing in half an hour. “Then come find me when you’ve talked to them.” Noah begged her not to leave. Finally, she relented, but said she would only wait ten minutes. Reading the chat log, I couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh. They were fighting over a dowry. It had absolutely nothing to do with me. In my past life, just because I was soft-hearted enough to give him my cornea, he took all his anger out on me? “Well? Any news?” Noah asked anxiously. I shook my head and placed the phone on his lap. “No.” “Impossible!” He felt around for the phone, trying to hand it back to me. “Is the battery dead?” “Or maybe it broke in the crash and isn’t receiving messages?” “Emily, could you go buy me a new phone?” Seeing his desperate panic, a surge of vindictive pleasure rose in my chest. As if to punish him, I said deliberately, “Mia hasn’t contacted you. Not even once.” 4 From that day on, Noah made me check his unread messages every day. As the days passed, his panic became obvious. “It’s been so many days. Why hasn’t she reached out?” “Do you think something happened to her?” I looked at him expressionlessly. But then he suddenly said, “Call her for me.” The moment the call connected, Noah’s eyes lit up. It was the first time he smiled in days. “Mia…” The person on the other end wasn’t friendly. “Why are you calling me? I told you I’d only wait ten minutes, and you didn’t show.” “Isn’t that an unspoken breakup? Stop bothering me.” Noah quickly explained, “I’m sorry, Mia, don’t hang up!” “I… I didn’t mean to be late, and I don’t want to break up. It’s just… I got into a car accident. I’ve been in the hospital.” I got up and walked out, afraid that if he got rejected, he’d somehow blame me for it again. But seeing how he acted with Mia made me realize one thing: he truly didn’t love me. We grew up together, and I had never seen him act so pathetic and subservient. When Aunt Clara arrived, I went to find his attending physician. If the car crash was so severe, why did Noah only suffer minor injuries everywhere else, except for his eyes? The doctor looked a bit exasperated. “When they brought him in from the scene, his face was covered in blood.” “We later found out the patient had installed a custom, protruding ornament on the steering wheel logo. When the airbag deployed, it drove the ornament straight into his eyes.” “It’s a real shame…” I raised an eyebrow and went home, finally understanding. In my past life, my entire heart was focused on Noah. It was only when my life flashed before my eyes that I realized I had played a winning hand terribly. This time, I took two-thirds of my savings and bought gold. My mom looked at me suspiciously. “Are you opening a jewelry store?” I smiled and shook my head. “Holding it for appreciation!” When my dad came home that night, he looked depressed. He sighed heavily during dinner. He kept shooting me sideways glances. “We can’t find a cornea anywhere. Noah is probably…” I looked up at him. “You’ve done everything humanly possible. Even if you can’t find one, Uncle Vance won’t blame you.” My parents both stared at me, tentatively testing the waters. “I’m just worried you won’t be able to accept it.” “We know you and Noah have been close since you were kids, and as you grew older…” “If you insist, your mom and I won’t object.” Understanding their unspoken meaning, I set my chopsticks down seriously. “Dad. Mom.” “I don’t like Noah anymore.” “Not because he’s blind, but because he already has a girlfriend. He’s not right for me. We’re just ordinary friends, just neighbors.” “Please don’t say things like that again.” My parents were surprised for a moment, but quickly nodded. “Emily, don’t worry. Whatever you choose, we support you.” 5 A week later, my dad offered to pick Noah up when he was discharged. But Aunt Clara politely declined. “Thank you, but Noah’s friend is coming to pick him up.” “You’ve already done so much for us recently.” That afternoon, we saw a girl helping Noah out of a car. Aunt Clara and Uncle Vance followed behind them, their faces devoid of joy or anger. “I heard Aunt Clara always disapproved of that girl. Why did she change her mind so suddenly?” My mom shook her head. “Noah is blind now. Even if she wanted to object, she can’t.” That evening, Aunt Clara’s family invited us over for dinner. I tried to find an excuse to decline, but Aunt Clara and Uncle Vance came to our door personally. “If Emily is busy today, we can do it another time.” “Your family has helped us so much lately, we don’t know how to thank you. You have to come over for dinner.” Setting Noah aside, Aunt Clara and Uncle Vance had always been incredibly kind to me, in both lives. Unable to refuse, I accepted. When we arrived, my mom went straight to the kitchen to help Aunt Clara. My dad and Uncle Vance sat together, scratching their heads as they called everyone they knew trying to find a cornea. Leaving me awkwardly sitting in the living room with Noah and Mia. Mia acted entirely like the lady of the house, even pouring me a cup of tea. “I heard you’re the childhood friend who grew up with Noah?” I smiled politely. “Not exactly. Just neighbors.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah frown. But when Mia leaned into his embrace, his frown immediately smoothed out. Mia smiled shyly. “Noah has been so much more dependent on me since he lost his sight.” I had no interest in competing with her, so I just smiled and played along. In this life, I only wanted to keep my distance from him. Whether he was happy being blind was none of my business. At the dinner table, Aunt Clara and Uncle Vance drank to drown their sorrows. After a few rounds, they were a bit tipsy. I helped Aunt Clara back to her bedroom. “Auntie, please get some rest. Noah’s condition is improving every day, don’t worry too much.” “Everyone is still trying their best to find a cornea.” Aunt Clara covered her face and sobbed softly. “You can’t even buy a cornea with money. We all know it’s just false hope.” “I never wanted Mia to marry into our family… Emily, you and Noah were supposed to be…” I smiled and gently interrupted her. “Auntie, Noah and I are just friends. You should just be happy for him.” Aunt Clara stared at me blankly for a moment, then nodded, her tears flowing even faster. I helped my parents back home. Right before we left, I looked back and saw Mia staring up at the Vance family house, her eyes filled with greed. Knowing Noah, he definitely reached out to Mia after his accident in my past life too. But she rejected a Noah who still had one good eye then. Why would she suddenly change her mind for a completely blind Noah now? Mia definitely had an ulterior motive. 6 Noah and Mia got their marriage license very quickly. By all accounts, this should have been a joyous occasion, but Aunt Clara and Uncle Vance looked deeply troubled. “Why does Aunt Clara have more gray hair now than she did a few days ago?” My mom’s face showed clear frustration with Noah. “Because she’s worrying about him.” “That girl is trouble. Knowing Noah is blind, she took advantage of the situation and demanded an exorbitant dowry. She asked for more than half of the Vance family’s assets, claiming it was ‘compensation’ from their family to her.” “And Noah insists he won’t marry anyone but her. Uncle Vance was so angry he almost had a heart attack.” Marrying Mia was Noah’s life-long obsession. Let alone half their assets, he’d probably gladly hand over his entire net worth. The only ones I pitied were his parents. To suffer such a disaster in their middle age. After dinner, I went to my room. In my past life, I lost an eye. In this life, I was naturally going to travel and see the beautiful scenery of the country. While I was researching travel itineraries, my mom suddenly knocked on the door. “Emily, Noah is here to see you.” I frowned. Thinking about how I had been intentionally keeping my distance from him recently, I got up and went downstairs. “What is it?” Hearing my voice, Noah turned toward me. “Want to go for a walk?” I looked back at my parents, grabbed a coat, and went outside. But I didn’t go far, just stopping under the streetlight right outside our door. Noah felt around with his hands but didn’t move forward. Seeing I wasn’t approaching, he pressed his lips together. “Aren’t you going to help me?” I clicked my tongue. “Men and women should keep their distance. I need to maintain boundaries with a married man.” Noah slowly, tentatively took a step forward, only to trip over a small rock and stumble. I watched him expressionlessly. After all, the memory of him slamming his hand on the table in my past life, screaming that he’d rather be blind than see me, was still incredibly vivid.

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Arthur and I were childhood sweethearts. I had a stepdad, and he had a stepmom. We grew up depending on each other. He said he liked to wander, so I wandered with him. I thought we would be together forever. Until the day I stood in our rundown apartment and watched Arthur, shirtless, bend down to pick up another woman’s bra. I asked him why. He didn’t answer. He just told the woman to get dressed and leave. After a long time, he said he wanted freedom. And I was his biggest obstacle to that freedom. The day he left, I gave him a small kite charm. I said, “I wish you freedom.” 1 I had imagined my reunion with Arthur many times. But I never expected it to be under these circumstances. The hospital called me using Arthur’s phone, saying he’d been in a car accident and asking if I could come. That was how I found out Arthur had returned to the city at some point. It was a bustling metropolis. Even at this hour, the streets were alive with traffic. I rushed to the hospital, found out Arthur’s room number, and hurried over. It was a relatively small private room. A woman with a great figure was standing by the bed with her back to me, speaking in a flirtatious tone: “Arthur, I was the very first one to rush over and see you. Aren’t I good to you?” “Yeah, you’re the best to me.” The familiar voice rang out. I stood frozen, blinking, and slowly withdrew my hand from the door handle. Arthur and I hadn’t spoken in years. When we broke up, I was absolutely heartbroken. But time is the ultimate healer. When I thought of him now, my emotions rarely fluctuated. But hearing his voice so suddenly, I realized that maybe I hadn’t stopped loving him; perhaps the feelings were just too heavy, so I had forcibly locked them away. I didn’t dare enter the room. I asked the nurse for Arthur’s account number and paid his hospital bill. After leaving the hospital, I parked by the side of the road and smoked for a long time. I had always been a good student, a “good girl.” Smoking was the only bad habit I inherited from Arthur, and I only picked it up after we broke up. As work pressure increased over the years, my smoking addiction grew with it. After finishing half a pack, my mind wasn’t any clearer. Instead, I choked on the last drag and started coughing violently. How pathetic. I rested my head against the steering wheel and let out a bitter laugh. Logically, I should have appeared before Arthur looking glamorous and successful, casually saying, “Long time no see.” But I hadn’t even dared to look at him with my own eyes. Just hearing his voice made me flee in panic. Maybe I was just a glutton for punishment. My favorite thing seemed to be offering up my sincere heart just to have it trampled on. 2 I secretly went to check on Arthur a few more times after that and even asked his attending physician about his condition. Arthur’s room was always lively. No matter when I went, there were always people by his bed, men and women, chattering away. It was to be expected. Arthur had always been popular. No matter where he went, people naturally gravitated toward him, forming a circle with him at the center. He was always the center of attention. The last time I went to see his doctor, the doctor rubbed his temples in frustration. “Honestly, the patient in bed 2 isn’t seriously injured. Just a minor fracture and a mild concussion. He’s recovering very well.” “I know you all care about him, but could you please elect one representative to ask about his condition? Otherwise, I have to repeat the exact same thing five, six, seven, eight times a day. It interferes with other patients’ families who need to consult with me.” I didn’t dare confess that I wasn’t actually his family. I just apologized profusely and backed out of the doctor’s office. And then I locked eyes with Arthur, who was taking a walk in the hallway. He had three people with him: one holding his IV drip, one supporting his arm, and another trailing slowly behind. It looked exactly like a king surrounded by his court. I even heard Arthur say in a very annoyed tone, “I’m injured, not crippled. Can you let go of me? I can walk by myself!” The moment he finished speaking, he saw me. I cursed the hospital hallway for being so wide, leaving my panic and awkwardness completely exposed. I stood frozen for a long time. Finally, I was the one to speak first: “Long time no see.” “Arthur, who’s this?” Arthur looked at me, his expression neutral. “Someone from my hometown.” “Looking at you with such loving eyes, I thought she was your ex-girlfriend.” Arthur and I had depended on each other for over twenty years. I had worn his only winter coat; he had worn my only scarf. We had shared a single plate of fried rice and slept under the same blanket. Now, I was just “someone from his hometown.” I gripped my phone tightly, turned, and started to walk away. Arthur called out to stop me: “Wait.” He asked if I was the one who paid his hospital bill. “I saw a call log with your number on my phone. The hospital called you, didn’t they?” Arthur said. “Are you still using that same bank card? I’ll transfer the money directly to you.” “No need,” I refused. “If anyone’s transferring money, it should be me transferring it to you.” Arthur paused. “I spent so much of your money back then, I feel pretty bad about it. Give me your account number, and I’ll pay you back.” One of Arthur’s friends laughed at this. “Thinking about paying him back after all these years? That’s not very sincere. How much interest are you planning to pay?” Arthur shot the guy an icy glare. “Don’t listen to him,” Arthur said. “You don’t need to pay me back.” I scratched my head and said, “I have to.” I used to spend Arthur’s money without a second thought. When he bought me things, I accepted them as if it were my absolute right. Back then, I thought we were family. His money was mine, and when I made money in the future, it would naturally be his. But since we had separated, it was time to settle the financial accounts. 3 Arthur didn’t give me his account number, but I went to the bank and printed out my transaction history anyway. The next day, I gathered my courage, took my bank card, and went to the hospital. But Arthur’s room was empty. He had been discharged. Actually, I knew Arthur probably wouldn’t accept the money. I just wanted an excuse to see him one more time. But he didn’t leave me a single chance. The moment he spotted me, he vanished without a trace. Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder what I had done so wrong. I had never been hysterical or thrown massive tantrums at him. To what extent did he despise me that he avoided me like a plague? “Men actually hate the submissive, overly-accommodating ‘desperate lovers’ more than they hate manipulative users. You’re like a piece of chewed gum stuck to their shoe—impossible to shake off, and disgusting when you stick.” At the bar, my friend downed her cocktail in one gulp and poked me in the forehead. “I’m talking about you, you desperate lover!” “Sometimes I really want to cut your brain open and see what it’s made of. How can you be so blindly devoted to a man who’s rotted into the mud, and absolutely refuse to change?!” Holding my drink, I argued back seriously: “First, I’m not a ‘desperate lover.’ Besides Arthur, I’ve never loved another man in my life. Second, Arthur isn’t a rotten person. He’s incredibly good.” My friend rolled her eyes in disgust. “Seriously, I thought after all these years you’d at least sober up a bit. I didn’t expect you to not have changed at all. You’re hopeless. I suggest you just bury yourself alive.” I smiled and didn’t argue anymore. Every single one of my friends had called me delusional. And I had explained to every single one of them that I wasn’t delusional; I knew exactly what I was doing. I wasn’t a desperate lover. Arthur truly used to treat me incredibly well. “Every desperate lover says that. But look at what Arthur did. He cheated on you, brought another woman into your rented apartment, and blocked your number. You went to beg him to get back together, waited outside his bar for a whole week, and he didn’t even show his face once.” “You guys don’t understand. Without Arthur, not only would I not have gone to college, I wouldn’t even be alive today.” I downed more than half a bottle of beer in one gulp. My alcohol tolerance had grown over the years, but mixing wine and beer tonight was getting to my head. I laid my head on the bar, tugged at my friend’s arm, and pointed at the male models dancing in the center of the club. “My tuition and living expenses for four years of college were all earned by Arthur dancing night after night like that. “He made six thousand a month back then. Five hundred for rent, five hundred for his living expenses, and the rest was spent entirely on me. “He actually got into college too, but my parents refused to pay for me to go. So Arthur said the college he got into wasn’t that good anyway, so he wouldn’t go. He went to work to support me instead. “When I graduated, my parents wanted me to marry someone just to get the bride price. Arthur borrowed money from every friend he had to scrape together the bride price they demanded. “So I am Arthur’s wife. He paid the bride price. I was supposed to marry him.” The music was still blaring, but my friend seemed too drunk to reply. She just lay there next to me, silent. I was quiet for a long time, then added, “So, it was actually normal for Arthur to want to leave, right? I was such a burden; I dragged him down for way too long.” 4 My friend was dead drunk. I finished the last half bottle of beer and scanned the QR code to pay the bill. As I stood up, my gaze accidentally swept past the bar entrance, and my eyes widened instantly. It was Arthur! He was wearing a low-profile black hoodie and a face mask, but I recognized him instantly. He didn’t see me. He walked straight to a lively booth, where someone cleared the center seat for him. I saw Arthur pull down his mask and casually take a beer someone handed him. A young woman smiled brightly and leaned in close to Arthur, saying something to him. Arthur nodded nonchalantly, offering a casual response. In the past, I never got jealous. I was too certain. I felt that nothing and no one could ever separate me and Arthur. I clearly knew his charm, but I was also absolutely confident in his loyalty to me. When did it start? When did Arthur stop loving me? I still remember, after Arthur said he wanted to split up, he never returned to our apartment. I went to the bar where he worked to find him. I called every one of his friends. I even ran to their houses, asking if they knew where Arthur went. I sent him countless messages, wanting to ask what exactly went wrong with our relationship, asking if we could just talk, promising I would change whatever needed changing. I told him I didn’t mind if he played around with other girls, just please don’t be angry. Eventually, I only worried about his safety. I said he didn’t have to talk to me, just reply to one message so I knew he was safe. Finally, having exhausted all my options, I sat on the freezing steps outside the bar at 3 AM. Hugging my phone, I used my stiff fingers to type out a message, word by word. [I agree to break up. Come home, let’s sort out the apartment.] Ten minutes later, Arthur appeared beside me. It turned out he had been there all along. Standing not too close, not too far, watching me coldly. In that moment, I felt as if I had never truly known him. Arthur had rented the apartment. He said he was leaving soon and had prepaid three months’ rent. I could keep living there or talk to the landlord about breaking the lease. He left very cleanly. When he walked out, he only carried a black backpack containing his wallet and ID. He didn’t take anything else. I walked him downstairs, still wearing the matching couples’ pajamas we had bought together at a wholesale market. I handed him a tiny kite charm, smiled, and said, “I wish you freedom.” Arthur, do you feel free enough now? 5 Knowing Arthur frequented that bar, I started dropping by every few days. I knew very well that Arthur and I were over. That’s just how Arthur was; once he made a decision, he never looked back. But I never ran into him again. I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me, but even if he was, it wouldn’t be surprising. No matter who you are, being pestered by an ex-girlfriend you’re already sick of probably isn’t very pleasant. I usually sat at the bar. Over time, I got to know the bartender. As soon as I sat down, he’d slide a cocktail over to me. But tonight, I had barely been sitting for two minutes when I heard a loud slam right next to my ear. I turned to see a scantily clad woman angrily slam a delivery box down on the counter and furiously demand of the bartender, “Get me a vodka!” “Whoa there, Princess. Who pissed you off now?” “Who else?! I bought a gift for Arthur. I reminded him so many times, but it’s just been sitting in the package locker at his complex, practically growing mold, and he still hasn’t picked it up.” The woman stomped her foot in frustration. “It was so expensive! I wouldn’t even buy such an expensive watch for myself!” My heart skipped a beat. Without being obvious, I glanced at the shipping label on the delivery box next to me. The address was very detailed, right down to the apartment number. The bartender didn’t pour the vodka; instead, he handed her a sweet cocktail. “I remember Arthur saying he doesn’t accept gifts, right?” “It’s obviously because I didn’t get him the right gift,” the woman said, resting her chin on her hand and sighing mournfully. “Ugh, when will I finally win over that untouchable flower, Arthur?” “There are plenty of women who share your ambition. All I can say is, good luck.” I sat to the side and feigned curiosity. “Who are you guys talking about?” The bartender smiled. “A very handsome guy.” “How handsome?” “Incredibly handsome!” The bartender wanted to say more, but the woman shot him a glare that shut him up. I smiled awkwardly, took the hint, paid my tab, and left. Then, immediately, I took a cab to the address on the delivery box. My heart was racing, my palms even sweating slightly. I told myself I was just going to pay him back. One last time. This would be the last time I let myself indulge. Half an hour later, I rang Arthur’s doorbell. Faint footsteps came from behind the door. I took a deep breath, trying my hardest to force a natural smile onto my lips. The next second, the door opened. A woman with beautiful eyes stood there, wearing an apron and holding a spoon, a sweet smile on her face. She looked at me, confused. “Who are you looking for?” “Sorry, I think I have the wrong—” The words stuck in my throat. I couldn’t utter another syllable. Because I saw Arthur, who had just opened the bedroom door behind her, walking out shirtless. 6 It was truly strange. I had witnessed Arthur cheating, but it hadn’t hurt as much as this moment. Maybe it was because the atmosphere of domestic life hung so heavily around them, as if they had been together for a long time. I was acutely aware that Arthur already had another woman by his side. It wasn’t just a physical relationship; they shared a glass of water, shared a bed, and watched the sunrise and sunset together, just like we used to. My presence would only be an annoyance to him. If I truly loved him, if I truly wanted what was best for him, I should take the hint, be mature about it, leave the bank card with open honesty, and walk away. But when I opened my mouth, I found I had almost lost my voice. Swallowing hard, I held out the bank card. “Hello. I’m from Arthur’s hometown. He lent me money in the past, and I came specifically to pay him back today.” The woman turned to look at Arthur. Arthur stood frozen in place. After a couple of seconds of silence, his gaze fell on me. “Want to come in and sit for a bit?” I really shouldn’t have sat down. But Arthur got a glass to pour me water and pulled out a chair for me. The woman opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately just frowned. “Arthur, go put a shirt on. You don’t want your cold to get worse.” Arthur stood by the dining table, looking at me. I could only keep my head down and finally stepped over the threshold. “Sorry for intruding.” I tried very hard to control my gaze, preventing myself from looking around randomly, terrified of seeing something that would make me even sadder. But some scenes were unavoidable. Arthur went back to the bedroom, put on a long-sleeved shirt, and sat at the dining table, enveloped in a dark cloud of low air pressure. This was his typical state when he was sick. Looking at the tight line of his lips, I guessed he probably still had a low-grade fever. My fingertips twitched, and I forced myself to clench my hands into fists. The woman brought a bowl of porridge from the kitchen. She carefully picked out the shredded ginger, then peeled an egg, putting the egg white on a small plate and mashing the yolk with a spoon before mixing it into the porridge. “Arthur, want a taste?” Arthur didn’t eat ginger because he hated the strong smell. He didn’t eat egg whites because I loved eating egg whites. My eyes stung fiercely. It felt like tears were going to burst out the next second, so I quickly looked away. How cruel. Was this intentional? Deliberately making me stay to witness his intimacy with someone else? Arthur didn’t touch the porridge. He just casually asked me, “How have you been lately?” His tone was purely conversational. I looked at the woman sitting next to him, glaring at me like a hawk guarding its prey. I knew that if I leaked even a hint of my feelings for Arthur, an argument would be unavoidable. I had nothing left to give Arthur, so the least I could do was save him the trouble. Thinking of this, the fists resting on my knees clenched a little tighter. A sharp pain shot through my palms, but I managed a natural, even slightly shy smile on my face. “Pretty good. I’m getting married soon.” Hearing this, Arthur lifted his eyelids and stared at me. His eyes reflected my image. A long time ago, his eyes only reflected my image. Without showing it, I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “You guys should come to the wedding.” Arthur wouldn’t come, so I wasn’t afraid this lie would be exposed. The hostility on the woman’s face finally vanished, and her attention returned to Arthur. “Arthur, eat up, or it’ll get cold.” I held my glass, took a restrained sip, and politely said it was time for me to go. Arthur stood up too. “I’ll walk you out.” “Arthur, you’re still sick. I’ll walk her.” Arthur ignored her, simply following close behind me. Just slightly crossing the boundary of normal personal space, I could even smell the faint scent of soap on him. The sound of the door closing echoed behind me. I didn’t look back, walking straight toward the elevator. Arthur’s pace was steady, his rhythm the same as it had always been. My hand hanging by my side twitched. I suddenly really wanted a cigarette. “It’s good that you’re getting married. You should have gotten married a long time ago.” Arthur coughed, his voice a little hoarse. “He treats you well, right?” Afraid that speaking would result in a sob, I lowered my voice and offered a simple “Mhm.” “What about you?” Having steadied my breathing, I smiled and asked him. “You guys seem to have a pretty good relationship. You must be getting close to the big day too, right?” The elevator doors chimed open. I hurried inside and frantically pressed the “close door” button, not even daring to hear Arthur’s answer. Only when the elevator doors completely closed… Did I softly say, “Goodbye.” This time, it was real. We would never see each other again.

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On my way to take the graduate school entrance exam, my parents revealed the secret of my birth. “Harper, don’t come home right after the exam.” “We have good news: our biological daughter is coming back.” I thought they were joking. But my brother hugged me. “Harper, it’s true. You can’t call me ‘brother’ anymore.” Seeing my pale face, my parents laughed. “Oh, don’t tell me this child actually thinks she can keep staying in this house and calling us mom and dad now that our real daughter is back?” My brother affectionately ruffled my hair, just like he always used to. “Silly Harper, wake up. We can only be strangers from now on, understand?” 1 Standing at the entrance of the exam hall, my mind was completely blank. I hadn’t yet recovered from the shocking revelation that I wasn’t my parents’ biological daughter. Just a second ago, my brother, Mason, had been checking my admission ticket and making sure I had all my specific exam pens. Now, he waved his hand in front of my face and chuckled. “Seriously, Harper, what’s with that expression?” “Don’t tell me you object to my real sister coming home?” “She’s the true daughter; you’re just the fake, the imposter.” “You’ve been hogging everything that rightfully belongs to her all these years.” “Don’t you feel even a little bit guilty? Are you trying to compete with her?” I had just found out about my true identity. They hadn’t even given me a moment to process it. My mind was still stuck on the happy images from this morning: my dad personally cooking breakfast and wishing me success; my mom braving the freezing cold to wear a qipao (a traditional dress symbolizing victory) to wish me a triumphant return; my brother canceling important meetings to personally drive me to the exam hall. How could they go from caring for me meticulously one second to looking at me like I was a wicked imposter the next, guarded against me, and telling me we were now strangers? I could only grit my teeth. My heart felt cold and bleeding, yet I forced a smile. “No, I don’t. Congratulations on your family reunion.” “I’m going in for the exam now.” The wariness on Mason’s face finally melted into affection, and he patted my shoulder. “That’s a good girl. Go on in, and do well on the exam.” My mom pointed to her beautiful qipao and said: “Harper, remember when you took the college entrance exam? I wore this exact qipao, and you passed with flying colors.” “Trust me, this lucky outfit will guarantee you pass the grad school exam on the first try.” “Oh, wait, ptui ptui, I almost forgot. I can’t call myself ‘mom’ anymore.” “Harper, from now on, you have to call me ‘auntie’.” “Come on, let me hear you practice calling me ‘auntie’ first.” My mom looked at me with eager anticipation, waiting to hear the word “auntie” from my lips. But this woman standing in front of me was the mother I had called “mom” for twenty-three years. My nose stung terribly. I bit down hard to keep the tears from falling. My throat felt blocked. My lips parted several times, but I couldn’t utter a single syllable. Yet, they seemed completely oblivious to the fact that I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. My dad actually put on a smile and urged me. “Harper, hurry up and say ‘uncle’ and ‘auntie’.” “If you don’t get used to changing how you address us now, our real daughter might overthink it when she gets back. She’s sensitive, and we can’t hurt her feelings, understand?” I felt like I was being shoved into the deepest pit of hell. My heart was dying, all hope turning to ash. With immense difficulty, I forced out two words: “Uncle, Auntie.” My dad carefully observed my expression, seemed to sigh in relief, and let out a hearty laugh. “Haha, that’s right! This is how you should address us from now on.” My mom gave me a tight hug. “Our precious Harper, hurry inside for your exam. Make sure you get a good score.” At that moment, I desperately wanted to scream hysterically: If you really wanted me to get a good score, why couldn’t you wait until the exam was over to tell me?! Telling me now—how am I supposed to focus on the exam?! But I couldn’t bring myself to ask any of it. I could only drag my leaden feet into the exam hall. As I turned around, the tears I had been desperately holding back finally broke free, falling in large drops. No matter how hard I wiped them, they kept coming. During the security check at the entrance, the proctor noticed my red, swollen eyes and asked what was wrong. “Student, nothing is more important than the graduate entrance exam right now. You need to adjust your mindset quickly.” I fought back the tears and nodded. There’s a saying: The first sword you draw after reaching the shore is used to cut down the one you love. But I hadn’t even reached the shore yet, and my family had already cut me down. How ironic. Honestly, why were they in such a rush to sever ties with me? Couldn’t they have waited two days? Let me finish the exam without distractions? I gripped my pen tightly, my heart numb with pain, but I had to face reality. They found the true daughter and didn’t want me, their fake daughter and sister, anymore. Fine. Then I’ll do as you wish. I wouldn’t shamelessly cling to them. Once the two-day exam was over, I would immediately leave this city and disappear from their lives forever. 2 From 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM, the first exam was Ideological and Political Theory. I forced myself to calm down. I thought about all the hardships I had endured over the past year preparing for this exam. Even if the sky was falling, I had to stay calm and not let my terrible mood ruin my performance. Finally, I finished all the questions and walked out of the exam hall. When I retrieved my phone from the storage area, I discovered that my dad had kicked me out of the family group chat. He even sent me a private message to explain: [Harper, how did you do this morning?] [You worked so hard; Uncle believes you definitely did great.] [Oh, by the way, Uncle kicked you out of the family group chat.] [Mainly because I was afraid you’d feel awkward. After all, Chloe and us are the real family of four. You’d definitely feel uncomfortable staying in the group, but probably too embarrassed to leave on your own. So, Uncle did you a favor and helped you out. Don’t feel any psychological burden, okay?] A lump of stagnant anger blocked my chest, unable to go up or down. What, am I supposed to be profoundly grateful? Thank my dad for being so understanding, for kicking me out of the group chat to save me from awkwardness? It was laughable. I thought I had the happiest family. Growing up, I never experienced gender discrimination. My dad loved me, my mom doted on me, my brother spoiled me. When I got sick, the whole family would hover around me, anxious and fretting, asking if I was warm enough, wishing they could suffer in my place. Was all that familial love fake? Just because we didn’t share blood, did everything cease to exist? I didn’t understand. Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of me. Mason rolled down the window and looked at me. “Harper, why are you crying? Did you not do well?” “That shouldn’t be. You spent the whole year studying diligently, pulling all-nighters. You even memorized notes in the emergency room when you had a high fever.” “Logically, this exam should have been a breeze for you.” I suddenly realized my face was covered in tears. I quickly wiped them away. Feigning calmness, I explained: “I finished all the questions.” A look of relief washed over Mason’s face. “I knew you could do it! Get in, I’ll take you to lunch.” As we passed a shopping mall, Mason parked the car and dragged me to the cosmetics counters. “Harper, what’s your favorite skincare set? Don’t hold back, pick whatever you want, I’m paying.” My chilled heart warmed up just a little bit. “Mason, it’s okay. I don’t need any skincare products.” My brother instinctively reached out and ruffled my hair. “Silly Harper, it’s not for you. I want you to pick out your favorite skincare set as a welcome gift for Chloe. She wants to meet you, and insisted I bring you along for lunch.” “Hurry up and pick something. Don’t just stand there. Pick the most expensive one, the one you usually wouldn’t dare buy for yourself.” “You have no idea how nervous I was when Mom, Dad, and I went to the high-speed rail station to pick Chloe up this morning. It’s my first time being an older brother to my biological sister. I’m terrified she won’t feel how much I like her. How about this set? What about this one? It’s too hard to choose, maybe I should just buy them all and let her pick?” I turned into a statue. So Mason didn’t specifically come to the exam center to pick me up for lunch. He did it to please the true daughter, Chloe? My nose burned intensely. “Mason, can I not go?” Mason frowned slightly. “Why? Harper, do you not like her?” “Are you hostile toward her?” “Do you think she shouldn’t have shown up? Is that really what you think?” I picked up the most expensive skincare set and handed it to Mason. “No. A lot of girls like this La Mer set. I’ll give her this one.” While Mason went to pay, I bought a plane ticket to the capital for tomorrow night. I couldn’t stay in this city any longer. With every breath, I felt like I was suffocating to death. I wanted to go stay with Professor Lu, who taught at Tsinghua University. She was my mom’s best friend, and also my godmother. She was always telling me to study hard and try to become her graduate student. She used to say: “If your mom hadn’t been faster on the draw, you would’ve been my daughter.” “Since you can’t be my daughter, how about being my student?” “A teacher for a day is a mother for a lifetime. Godmother will love you like her own flesh and blood.” Only today did I understand what she meant. It turned out my parents had become sick with longing after losing their daughter. So, they went to an orphanage and adopted me. I sent a WeChat message to Professor Lu. But even after I arrived at the restaurant with Mason, I hadn’t received a reply from her. 3 It was almost 1:00 PM when Mason and I arrived at the restaurant. The afternoon graduate exam started at 2:00 PM, but we had to enter the exam room half an hour early. Calculating the time, I didn’t have time to stay for lunch. So, before opening the private room door, I explained the situation to Mason: “Mason, I’ll go in, give the gift to Chloe, and then I have to catch the subway to the exam center.” Mason looked at me with pity. “You’re not going to eat anything before you go?” “I’ll buy a couple of buns at the entrance and eat them on the way. I really don’t have time. It takes about half an hour to take the subway from here to the exam center. I can’t delay.” Mason agreed, but suddenly changed his tone: “Harper, don’t call me ‘brother’ in front of Chloe. Remember to call me ‘Mr. Vance’.” “After all, she’s my real sister. I can’t give her the illusion that I want both of you. Between the two of you, I have to choose one, and I must choose her, understand?” I clenched my fists, forcing a smile. The brother who used to dote on me now only guarded against me. “I’m sorry, I forgot to change how I address you.” “Don’t worry, from now on I will treat you like a stranger and never call you ‘brother’ again.” With that, I consciously stepped back, putting distance between us. Just then, a waiter carrying a tray of dishes filed past, almost bumping into my back. Mason grabbed me and pulled me to his side, scolding the waiter: “Watch where you’re going! You almost spilled soup on my sister’s back! She has an important exam today, can you afford to delay her?!” The waiter apologized profusely. I smiled bitterly. So Mason did know today’s exam was important to me. Then why did he keep stabbing me in the heart, over and over again? 4 Mason pushed open the door to the private room and motioned for me to go in. Three people were already seated inside. My dad, my mom, and Chloe, the true daughter, who was being showered with their affection. Seeing me, my mom enthusiastically introduced us: “Harper’s here! Come meet Chloe.” “Your uncle, auntie, and Chloe have been waiting for you for a long time.” My mom specifically emphasized the words “uncle and auntie,” making me feel incredibly awkward. But a smile bloomed on Chloe’s face. When she smiled, the mother, father, and brother who used to love me all smiled along with her. That kind of cautious, fawning affection stung my eyes. I looked away, not wanting to see the scene, and forced myself to explain: “I’m sorry, Uncle and Auntie, I’m late.” I handed the La Mer set to Chloe, the true daughter. “Hello, Chloe. A small welcome gift. I hope you like it.” Chloe picked up a half-human-sized stuffed bear from the seat next to her and handed it to me. “Hello, Harper. Your gift is indeed quite small, not as big as mine.” “But, it’s the thought that counts. I like it very much, thank you.” I suppressed my anger and didn’t explode: “…” If she wasn’t embarrassed, I felt embarrassed for her. After all, anyone could see whose gift was truly “smaller.” But I noticed that my parents’ eyes held only affection for her, and blame for me. As if buying high-end skincare that Chloe didn’t recognize and making her look foolish was my fault. My dad put on a cold face and told me to sit down and eat. I really couldn’t stay any longer. Every look from my parents suffocated me. Thankfully, I had a ready-made excuse. “Uncle, Auntie, I’m short on time, so I won’t eat. Enjoy your family meal.” “Having an outsider present at your first reunion meal would make it imperfect.” “Chloe, take your time eating, I have to go.” But just as I was about to step out the door, Chloe cried out: “Mom, Dad, did I say something wrong and make Harper mad?” “Why is she leaving as soon as she arrives? Is she not even willing to eat a meal with me?” “I’m kind of dense. I don’t understand social etiquette, and nobody taught me. Unlike Harper, who grew up in the big city and had you to guide her. If I did something wrong, you have to tell me. Once I know, I’ll fix it.” My dad couldn’t stand seeing Chloe cry; it broke his heart. “Harper, come back! How can you be so rude?” “Chloe waited an hour on an empty stomach just to eat with you.” “You want to leave as soon as you get here? What kind of behavior is that?” “Sit down right now and eat something before you go.” If I stayed to eat, how would I take the afternoon English exam? I looked at Mason for help. But Mason seemed to not see me. He personally pulled out a chair for me. “Harper, sit down. Be a good girl and at least have a few bites.” I couldn’t hold it in anymore and turned around to explain: “It’s not about you. I have an exam at 2:00 PM. The graduate entrance exam is very important to me.” Chloe blinked at me, looking completely innocent and naive. “Wow, Harper, you’re amazing! You have the best educational resources and can even take the graduate entrance exam. Unlike me… I grew up in the countryside. The teachers there just coasted along. I didn’t even get into college. Is the graduate exam really more important than me?” She stood up from her seat and enthusiastically came over to pull me into the chair. “Good sister, it’s an hour until 2:00 PM. You’ll still make it if you leave at 1:30 PM. Mom, Dad, what do you think?” Not a single person in the room contradicted Chloe. Just this morning, an hour and a half before the exam, my mom was rushing me to leave. “Harper, hurry! You have to be in the exam room half an hour early. Don’t be late!” But now, they seemed to have collective amnesia. None of them dared look at me, but they eagerly agreed with Chloe: “Our precious daughter is right. Even if the sky falls, nothing is more important than you.” My heart plummeted into an ice cellar. I was utterly disappointed. Unable to control my anger any longer, I was just about to snap back. Suddenly, Professor Lu replied on WeChat: [My precious Harper, of course you’re welcome!] [I saw the WeChat Moments your mom posted. She found her biological daughter.] [That’s wonderful! Harper, do you want to be my daughter?] [Make sure you focus on your graduate exams these two days. Come to the capital as soon as you’re done.] A ray of warm sunlight finally broke through the freezing cold in my heart. “You’re right. A mother’s heart aches for her own daughter. My mom just messaged me. She’s telling me to hurry up and take my exam. I have to listen to my mom. Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie.” My mom abruptly stood up, her face changing drastically. “Harper, what nonsense are you talking about? Isn’t your mom…” SLAM. I slammed the door shut and walked out, cutting off the rest of my mom’s sentence. 5 Mason caught up to me at the restaurant entrance and grabbed my arm. “What’s your problem? Do you think I don’t know you’re in a hurry?” “If you had just sat down and taken two bites, I naturally would have found an excuse for you to leave. Why did you have to make the atmosphere so awkward? And you even dared to make up a lie, saying your mom was rushing you to your exam?” “Your mom is still sitting in the private room. Which eye of yours saw her send you a WeChat message?” I yanked my arm back forcefully and yelled angrily, my heart completely dead. “Mr. Vance, please conduct yourself properly. Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to grab a strange girl’s arm in public? Besides, isn’t that my aunt sitting in the private room? Where is my mom?” Passersby stopped and asked if I was being harassed and if I needed help. Mason furiously growled at them: “Get lost! I’m her brother!” Hilarious. Now he’s admitting to being my brother again? I loudly refuted him: “He’s not. We are strangers.” Mason looked at me with hurt eyes, but I didn’t want to look at him anymore. Taking advantage of the passersby blocking Mason, I pushed open the restaurant doors and ran out as fast as I could. I bought two buns at the subway entrance to fill my stomach, my tears falling harder with every bite. Thankfully, I made it in time for the afternoon English exam. At 5:00 PM, I walked out of the exam hall. The world was vast, but I had nowhere to go. I hadn’t forgotten my parents’ instructions from the morning, telling me not to come home right after the exam. But I still wanted to go back and pack my bags. I had bought a ticket for 7:00 PM tomorrow. Tomorrow, right after the exam, I would head straight to the airport. There wouldn’t be time to go home and pack. I took a cab home, but no one opened the door for me. Through the large iron gates of the villa… Mrs. Xu, the nanny, looked at me with pity as she shoved my thickest down jacket and some a change of clothes into my arms. “Miss Harper, the Master and Madam took Miss Chloe to the mall to buy clothes and haven’t returned yet. But before leaving, the Master instructed that you are not allowed to sleep here tonight. It’s so cold, please find a hotel to stay at quickly.” I stood awkwardly outside the gate, telling Mrs. Xu it was fine. A cold front was moving in, and large snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the sky. Like a stray, homeless cat, I pulled the down jacket tightly around myself and explained to Mrs. Xu: “I’m not trying to sleep here. I just want to pack my bags.” “Just give me one hour.” But Mrs. Xu shook her head vigorously: “I really can’t.” “The Master said if I let you through these gates today, I’ll be packing my bags and leaving too.” “Miss Harper, I have two kids in college. I depend on this job to support my family and pay their tuition.” I couldn’t bring myself to put the nanny in a difficult position. I stood outside the iron gate, shivering from the cold. “Then could you pack for me?” “I don’t want any of the clothes or jewelry the family bought me.” “But please get all my award certificates, diplomas, and things like that from over the years. I earned those with my own hard work.” “They’re in the safe in my bedroom. The code is 074523.” Mrs. Xu probably knew I had been kicked out and kindly nodded. “Miss Harper, wait here. I’ll go pack for you right away.” “Okay, thank you.” I stood at the gate waiting. The snow and wind grew heavier. It was so cold. I sneezed several times. My breath plumed in the freezing air, and my face felt like a block of ice. If this were the past, my parents would be worried sick. But now, they probably didn’t have time to worry about me. They had their biological daughter to care for. Mrs. Xu rushed out carrying my travel bag. “Miss Harper, it’s packed.” “See if anything is missing, and I’ll go back and look for it.” I unzipped the bag and made sure my most important certificates and IDs were there. “This is fine. Thank you, Mrs. Xu.” Just as I was about to leave, two headlights shone directly on my face.

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My eight-month-pregnant sister-in-law was pushed to the ground, suffering a massive hemorrhage, and rushed to the hospital. Driving by, I simply rolled up my window, pretended I saw nothing, stepped on the gas, and left. In my previous life, I was the one who found her unconscious and bleeding. I rushed her to the hospital immediately. But the situation was critical. The severe bleeding triggered an amniotic fluid embolism. My husband was the top obstetrician in the city. I frantically called him, begging him to get to the hospital. Instead, he assumed I was throwing a jealous tantrum because he was having dinner with his first love and her family. He thought I was using his sister’s “accident” to force him to come back. By the time my in-laws finally arrived, my sister-in-law was dead—the doctors couldn’t save her from the embolism. His entire family blamed her death on me. They believed I deliberately misled my husband, effectively killing her. My brother-in-law, rushing back from out of town, believed their poisonous lies. Driven mad by grief, he hacked me to death with a machete right at his wife’s funeral. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the very day my sister-in-law was pushed and began hemorrhaging. 1 My mind reeled. As the red light lit up ahead of me, I instinctively hit the brakes and stopped at the intersection. Screams and panicked shouts erupted from the sidewalk. “Call an ambulance! A pregnant woman fell! She’s bleeding everywhere!” My hand immediately gripped the car door handle. But the moment I was about to push it open, memories flooded my mind—my husband and my in-laws pointing their fingers at my nose, cursing me, blaming me for her death. And then… I touched my own stomach. In my past life, this was where my brother-in-law’s machete had hacked me until I was nothing but a bloody pulp. Phantom pain shot through my muscles, making my whole body twitch. I pulled my hand back. The light turned green. Without a moment’s hesitation, I slammed the gas pedal and drove away. To prevent my in-laws from using me as a scapegoat again, I went straight to my mother-in-law’s house. “Mom, Arthur is working overtime today, so I bought some fish and brought it over for you.” I walked in, pretending not to notice her frantic, guilty expression as she hastily hung up a video call. “Elena, you’re here…” Before she could finish, her phone rang. The moment she answered, the color drained from her face. Tears instantly spilled from her eyes. Her legs gave out, and she practically crawled and stumbled toward me. “Hurry! To the hospital! Sarah fell!” I already knew, but I put on a perfectly shocked expression. I helped her to the car and sped to the maternity hospital where my husband worked. In this life, without my intervention, a bystander had called the ambulance that brought my sister-in-law, Sarah, to the hospital. By the time we arrived, she was already in the operating room. “Family members, sign here. The patient is 32 weeks pregnant. She fell and suffered a massive hemorrhage. We must perform an emergency C-section.” Just like in my previous life, my mother-in-law signed the papers with trembling hands. I turned to her and said, “Arthur is the best obstetrician in the city. He told me he’s working overtime today. Just in case, I should probably go get him.” She hesitated for a second, then nodded. I called Arthur’s number. Three calls in a row went unanswered. “Mom, Arthur might be busy. I’ll go up to his department and find him.” My mother-in-law’s eyes darted nervously, but she nodded. The moment I walked away, she pulled out her phone to call him herself. I knew he wasn’t at the hospital at all, so naturally, I wasn’t going to waste my energy looking for him. Standing in the stairwell, I watched my mother-in-law dial Arthur’s number over and over. Her expression morphed from composed, to anxious, to sheer panic as tears streamed down her face. A cold smile crept onto my lips. She had no idea that her precious son, eager to enjoy a quiet, uninterrupted evening with his first love, had put his phone on silent long ago. The video call she hung up right before I walked into her house was from Arthur. He had called to ask her to keep me occupied so I wouldn’t interrupt his romantic rendezvous. Watching her pace like a cat on a hot tin roof, I purposely jogged back to her, panting heavily. “Mom! Arthur’s colleagues said he isn’t working overtime today! And he’s still not picking up his phone!” A fleeting look of guilt crossed her face, but she still covered for him. “He was probably called out for an emergency consultation. If he’s not answering, just try again in a little bit.” Right then, Aunt Martha—Arthur’s aunt—and Sarah’s in-laws rushed down the hallway. Aunt Martha glared at me, her eyebrows immediately shooting up in anger. “Where is Arthur? Isn’t he an obstetrician? What use are you standing here? Why haven’t you told him to get down here?!” Aunt Martha was my late father-in-law’s older sister. Since he passed away, she had an iron grip on all the family’s affairs. In my previous life, the moment the doctor pronounced Sarah dead, before I could even process it, Aunt Martha slapped me twice across the face. “You are her sister-in-law! You’re supposed to look out for her like a mother! How could you just watch her die?!” In this life, I certainly wasn’t going to give her that opportunity. I put on a bitter, helpless smile. “Aunt Martha, I can’t reach him. He told me this morning he was working overtime, but I just checked his department. His colleagues said he didn’t come in today, and his phone goes straight to voicemail.” My mother-in-law mumbled something under her breath but ultimately stayed silent. “Are you an idiot? If he doesn’t answer, keep calling! Useless!” Aunt Martha screeched. I quickly took out my phone and dialed, one call after another. Finally, on the tenth attempt, the call connected. 2 I instantly put it on speakerphone. “Honey…” “Are you sick in the head?! Why are you calling me over and over again? I told you I’m working overtime! I’m busy, do not bother me!” “Arthur, Sarah fell down and is hemorrhaging! She’s in the operating room right now and hasn’t come out! If you’re not at the hospital, where are you?!” There was a pause on the other end. Then, a woman’s sickeningly sweet, artificial voice echoed through the speaker. “Oh, your wife doesn’t trust you. She went to the hospital to check up on you! Arthur, won’t your colleagues get the wrong idea? Elena, really, if you have an issue, you should just ask Arthur directly. Going to his workplace to cause a scene is one thing, but making up a curse about Sarah having an accident? That’s just malicious.” “No, I didn’t! Arthur, Sarah really is in the operating room. If you don’t believe me, you can—” “Get lost! If you’re going to lie, at least try to make it believable. Sarah is at her mother-in-law’s house, how could she fall? Throwing a jealous fit is fine, but there’s a limit. Going to my workplace to cause trouble? If this ruins my year-end evaluation, I swear I’ll kill you!” Before I could say another word, he hung up. The group of people gathered outside the operating room, previously whispering among themselves, fell dead silent. I smiled bitterly, putting on a deeply wounded expression. My mother-in-law looked away, avoiding everyone’s gaze. Aunt Martha looked momentarily embarrassed but said nothing. Sarah’s in-laws exchanged disgusted looks and sighed. Just then, the operating room doors burst open. A nurse rushed out, her face pale with panic. “The patient is experiencing an amniotic fluid embolism! You’re Dr. Sterling’s family—can someone please contact him immediately?!” My eyes flickered. Everything was playing out exactly as it had in my previous life. My mother-in-law’s legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. Aunt Martha could no longer maintain her aloof facade. She frantically dialed Arthur’s number, muttering, “It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. Arthur is the best obstetrician. He’s saved several patients with amniotic fluid embolisms before. He can definitely save Sarah!” The golden window for treating an amniotic fluid embolism is only a brief ten or so minutes. It’s literally a tug-of-war with the Grim Reaper. Over the past three years, Arthur had successfully saved five mothers from it, losing only one. That was why he had become the top surgeon in the maternity hospital. Aunt Martha’s call connected. She screamed, crying into the phone, “Arthur, get to the hospital right now! Your sister has an amniotic fluid embolism! You’re the only one who can save her!” From the other end came the sound of children screaming and playing, mixed with the laughter of adults clinking glasses. “Aunt Martha, Elena goes crazy, and you join her? Enough is enough! I revolve around her 365 days a year. I finally come out just to get one day of peace, can you all just let me be? Lily and I have nothing going on. Her family came back from out of town, and I’m just having dinner with them. Just for today, can you stop calling me?!” “Arthur, I am not lying! Your sister is really dying! It’s an embolism, and you’re the only one who can save her! I’m begging you, come back right now, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” “I’ll regret it if I do go back!” Arthur’s voice was cold, entirely devoid of warmth. Hearing his voice, my mother-in-law completely broke down. She grabbed the phone, screaming, “Son! Your aunt isn’t lying! Your sister is really dying! Even if you don’t believe Elena, and you don’t believe your aunt, do you not even believe me?! Come back right now!” I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. To me, a mother-in-law who knew her son was cheating and helped him cover it up was a piece of trash. But to Sarah, she was a genuinely good mother. “Arthur, did you hear your mother?! Would your own mother lie to you?! Hurry back!” Aunt Martha stomped her feet in panic. “Mom, you…” Arthur’s voice finally sounded hesitant. “Ah! Arthur! My eye, my eye hurts so much!” A woman’s fragile cry of pain suddenly rang out, accompanied by an adult scolding a child. “How could you shoot a marble at your aunt’s face?!” Arthur’s voice immediately turned frantic with concern. “Lily, does it hurt? Don’t move, I’m a doctor, let me take a look!” Then, Arthur spoke into the phone, his tone returning to a rushed, icy state. “Mom, stop acting. Even if what you’re saying is true, it’s useless. I just drank a lot of alcohol. I can’t drive, and I can’t get back in time.” With that, he hung up. The phone slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. My mother-in-law’s head slumped against the tiles, and she didn’t move. Aunt Martha knelt on the floor, tears streaming silently down her face. “How did Arthur become like this? How could he… how could he abandon his own flesh and blood for a woman on the outside? Animal. He’s an animal…” I helped my mother-in-law up. Looking at the massive, swelling bruise on her forehead from hitting the floor, I truly felt it wasn’t worth it to have given birth to a son like that. However, I didn’t pity her. Because in my previous life, she had a hand in driving me to my death. I don’t know how much time passed before the operating room doors opened again. “We’re sorry. We did everything we could.” 3 Two lives lost in an instant. My mother-in-law looked like her soul had been ripped out. She refused to eat or drink, simply clutching Sarah’s clothes and weeping. Aunt Martha, furious beyond belief, recounted everything that happened at the hospital to every single relative, cursing Arthur as a monster. When Sarah’s in-laws found out the baby she had been carrying was a boy, they cried even harder. David, Sarah’s husband, rushed back from out of town that very day. When he saw the lifeless bodies of his wife and child, his face twisted in agony, his eyes bloodshot. He simply couldn’t accept that he had only been on a business trip for three days, and the wife he had dreamed of a happy future with right before he left was just… gone. After hearing the truth from his parents, David wiped his tears and silently began organizing the funeral with me. No one thought to notify Arthur. Especially after finding out he had been dining with Lily’s family at a hotel directly across the street from the hospital, yet hadn’t even bothered to walk over and verify the truth. Even my mother-in-law was completely disillusioned with him. But a major event like this… how could I possibly let Arthur miss it? The day before Sarah was to be buried in their hometown, I paid someone to notify him. On the day of the burial, a light drizzle fell from the sky. I stood by the car holding an umbrella, watching the crowd carry Sarah’s coffin out of the mourning tent. In my past life, it was on this exact day that I was hacked to death by David. My blood, mixing with the rain, had rolled out a red carpet for my sister-in-law. Before the coffin even cleared the doorway, Arthur’s car screeched to a halt. He stormed out, full of rage, and sprinted toward me. I watched him with a numb expression, not saying a word. Smack! He looked at the black-and-white portrait I was holding and slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch! To trick me into coming back, you actually dared to curse my sister?!” I crashed to the ground. The portrait slipped from my grasp and landed in the mud, covering half of Sarah’s face, leaving only a pair of cold, lifeless eyes staring silently at Arthur. Arthur’s eyes were bloodshot. I don’t know if it was fear or fury that unleashed the beast inside him, but every trace of the gentle, refined doctor was gone. He looked at me with pure malice and lunged. “You bitch! I’ll teach you to lie! I’ll teach you to curse my sister! I’ll kill you!” I let him punch and kick me, keeping my eyes fixed on Sarah’s portrait. Sarah, I repeated in my mind, look closely at who your real enemy is. When you go down to the underworld and file your complaint with Yama, don’t name the wrong person. “Enough! What the hell are you doing?!” Hearing the commotion, the people inside the mourning hall rushed out. Aunt Martha shoved Arthur away violently, crying and screaming, “You animal! Your sister could have been saved! We called you so many times! Your mother practically got on her knees and kowtowed to you! And just because of one word from that little slut on the outside, you left her to die! You killed your own sister, and now you come to her funeral to cause a scene?! What do you want?! What the hell do you want?!” Arthur stumbled back a few steps, a look of desperate, terrified denial on his face. “Aunt Martha, what are you talking about? How could Sarah really be dead?! She was just trying to trick me! How could you all help her trick me?! Is it because she’s pregnant? You’re all helping her lie to me for the sake of the baby?!” I curled into a ball on the ground, letting the rain hit my face, washing away the tears pouring from my eyes. So… Arthur knew I was pregnant at this time in my past life too. “You’re all lying to me! I want to see Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!” Arthur screamed, trying to charge into the mourning hall, but was forced back the very next second. The heavy black coffin, carried by eight strong men, slowly emerged from the doorway. 4 “Didn’t you want to find Sarah? There she is.” Aunt Martha wiped the rain from her face, pointing at the coffin with biting sarcasm. Arthur stumbled toward the coffin, his legs giving out, and he collapsed onto the muddy ground. “Who is this act for? Your wife begged you to come back, you said she was lying. I told you to come back, you said I was lying. Your mother kowtowed and begged you to come back, and you said she was lying too. Did you really think we were lying? Or is your sister’s life just worth less to you than having dinner with a woman on the outside?” “No, it’s not like that! Sarah is my sister! I practically raised her! I loved her like my own daughter!” Sarah and I never had a good relationship. Although she lost her father early, she was treated like a precious treasure by her mother and Arthur, resulting in a spoiled, arrogant personality. Coupled with Arthur’s dismissive attitude toward me, she never showed me an ounce of respect. Every time she saw me, she was bossy and spoke to me with disdain. In the past, I was always forced to compete with her for a place in Arthur’s heart. She won every time. Arthur defended her unconditionally, every single time. Now, she had finally been forced to compete with someone else. And losing just once cost her her life. Maybe this is what they call karma. Smack! Arthur’s continuous denial enraged Aunt Martha, and she slapped him across the face with all her might. Enduring the heavy, dragging pain in my lower abdomen, I felt nothing but a dark satisfaction. If I wasn’t so physically weak right now, I would have loved to beat him senseless myself. Someone helped me up from the ground. Holding my sister-in-law’s portrait, I stood to the side, my head bowed, carefully wiping the mud off the glass. I let the blood pool and run down my legs beneath my skirt. My baby, Mommy is so sorry. Go find a mother and father who will actually look forward to your birth. I had just wiped the photo clean when Arthur violently shoved me again, directing all his misplaced rage onto me. “It’s you! You killed my sister! She was perfectly fine at home, why would she suddenly fall?! It’s all your fault! You cursed jinx, give me my sister back!!!” I crashed to the ground again. The portrait smashed into a puddle, my legs slick with blood. But neither Aunt Martha nor Arthur seemed to even notice. “Elena, you’ve always been jealous of Sarah! You were jealous of how much I loved her! But she’s my real sister! How could you kill her?! You murderer, I’ll kill you!” Arthur’s face was contorted, twisted in a demonic snarl. Like a rabid beast, completely devoid of humanity. He was even more unhinged than in my previous life. Ah, right. In my previous life, they had a reason to blame Sarah’s death on me. Because I was the only one standing outside the operating room. No one else heard the phone call I made to him. He could spin the story however he wanted. But in this life, his mother, his aunt, and Sarah’s in-laws all knew exactly what he did. He couldn’t deflect the blame anymore. This was just the fury of a humiliated man. He couldn’t even convince himself with his own lies, so naturally, he lost control. I swallowed the retort on the tip of my tongue, wrapped my arms around my head, and curled into a tight ball. Today was the day of Sarah’s burial. Even if the Sterling family didn’t care, the Hayes family wasn’t going to let Arthur delay the auspicious hour. Sure enough, as the coffin was loaded onto the hearse, David supported his parents and walked out of the mourning hall. “Arthur, get the hell out of here. Do not dirty my wife’s path to the afterlife!” 5 David grabbed Arthur by the collar and landed a brutal punch to his face, pinning him to the ground and striking him twice more. Aunt Martha immediately stepped forward to intervene. “David, stop! You’ll kill him!” Enduring the pain wracking my body, I let out a cold laugh. What a perfect, united family sharing the same name. “It’s not my fault! It’s all her! It’s Elena! She was jealous of Sarah, so she deliberately misled me and wouldn’t let me come back! She killed Sarah!” Arthur roared, actually trying to scramble up from the ground to attack me again. The veins on David’s forehead bulged. If his parents hadn’t been standing right there, he might have actually fallen for Arthur’s lies. He shoved Arthur hard back onto the ground, pulled out his phone, and shoved a security video in his face. It was the footage from the day of the accident. In the video, a young boy suddenly ran over from a distance, violently shoved Sarah to the ground, and then kicked her directly in her pregnant belly, shouting vicious curses at her, calling her a “fat pig” and a “monster.” I had, of course, sent this video to David anonymously. In my past life, protected by Arthur, Lily’s nephew—the true culprit—had completely escaped responsibility until the day I died. In this life, I naturally wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “Didn’t you say you wanted to beat Sarah’s murderer to death? Look! This little monster is the murderer! Lily’s older brother’s son, Tommy! Go beat him to death! Go kill him!” Arthur grabbed David’s phone, watching the video over and over again. When he clearly saw the boy’s face, he shook his head, muttering, “No, it can’t be. It couldn’t possibly be Lily’s nephew! Someone must have manipulated him!” “Arthur, Sarah is dead, and you’re still defending outsiders?!” I held up Sarah’s black-and-white photo, pointing it at him. “Look at her! She was your own sister!” Arthur snapped his head toward me. “Yes! It was you! It must have been you! You jealous bitch, you couldn’t stand seeing me and Lily together, so you deliberately manipulated Tommy! You wanted to kill two birds with one stone—destroy Lily and kill Sarah!” I laughed coldly. “Arthur, you don’t love me, and you defend the woman on the outside at every turn. Fine, I accept that. But Sarah was your own flesh and blood. She is dead, yet every word out of your mouth is about Lily. Arthur, do you have even a shred of humanity left?” The moment my words fell, David let out a guttural roar, raining a barrage of dense, heavy punches down on Arthur’s face, over and over again. If friends and relatives hadn’t rushed in to pull him off, David truly would have beaten Arthur to death right there. Everyone thought David was just lashing out in a moment of impulsive rage, but I knew the truth: David didn’t want to live anymore. He didn’t hack me to death with a machete like he did in my past life, all thanks to the security video I sent him. It let him know that the ones who killed Sarah weren’t just Arthur, but Lily, and her entire family. David, please don’t disappoint me.

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My mom is the heroine of a novel, but my dad isn’t the male lead. He’s the villain. They all say my dad was a terrible man who forced himself upon the heroine, which resulted in me being forced into existence. But after my mom had me, she was “redeemed” by the male lead. She didn’t take care of me for a single day. She viewed me as a stain on her life and wished I would disappear from the face of the earth. Meanwhile, my villain dad changed my diapers, fed me formula, and drove me to school. Despite being subjected to daily mental and financial attacks by the “hero and heroine,” he took care of me day in and day out for decades. One day, I asked him: “Dad, why does everyone say you’re the villain?” He replied: “Because they’re out of their damn minds. Stop overthinking. It’s 8 PM. Time to drink your milk.” Chapter 1 After he spoke, my villain dad poured me another glass of hot milk. He stared at me until I drank every last drop. Honestly, I absolutely hate milk, but my dad always said, “Eat your meat, eggs, and dairy. That’s the only way you’ll be strong enough to beat the crap out of people later.” I was shocked by his educational philosophy at the time, but I always drank the slightly sour milk under his unwavering, intense gaze. Sigh. I’m a grown woman now, and I’m still being forced to drink milk. Once I finished, he went back to being busy. His company literally couldn’t function for a day without him. According to the plot of the book, in about three years, we would lose this massive estate. We’d have to move into a cramped apartment and live like ordinary people. I suddenly started to panic about the future. My big, bad villain dad was going to end up in a tiny rental because of me? How could I let that happen? “Dad, why don’t you just hand me over to Vanessa? Didn’t she say that as long as you give me to her, she’ll stop shorting the Sterling Group’s stock?” Vanessa Hayes is my biological mother, though I’ve never called her that. She abandoned me the moment I was born. She doesn’t deserve to be my mother. Chapter 2 My villain dad, Arthur Sterling, didn’t even look up. His fingers continued flying across his keyboard. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You drank your milk, now go to bed.” I muttered, “I’m not spouting nonsense. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to work this hard.” I wasn’t a clueless kid anymore. I knew everything about their past grievances and tangled history. Right now, Vanessa and her devoted male lead, Carter Hayes, were going crazy, recklessly attacking the Sterling Group. My dad slammed his laptop shut and poked me hard in the forehead. “Nora, what goes on in that head of yours all day? Your mother already has her true-love daughter. Why would you go back there? To be the fake heiress? Or to be their punching bag?” I pouted. “I’m not that brain-dead.” “Seems to me you’ve forgotten the pain now that the scar has healed. You have a perfectly good life as a billionaire’s daughter, but you want to go over there and suffer? Has there ever been a time you ran into Chloe and weren’t mocked?” “If you’re bored, take the black card and go shopping. Go travel. If all else fails, go read a book or practice your kickboxing. You just have too much free time on your hands.” I mumbled an “Oh.” I silently took my dad’s Amex Centurion card. He was right. In the eyes of the outside world, I couldn’t even compare to Vanessa’s precious true-love daughter, Chloe Hayes. Every time we appeared at the same event, I’d end up humiliated, whispered about by the media and the other rich socialites. Plus, I used to be too weak. My dad blamed it on me not eating enough meat and dairy. “Who does she think she is?” my dad would say. “Has there ever been a single thing I haven’t given you the absolute best of since you were born? The fact that you don’t hit them back when they talk trash makes me furious. If you hit them and cause a scene, I’ve got your back. I’ll clean up the mess.” They talked about me like that, and I didn’t fight back. I was useless. Chapter 3 When it rains, it pours. I was in the middle of a massive shopping spree at a luxury boutique when I saw Vanessa bring Chloe in to pick out clothes. The two of them walked in. Chloe was clinging to Vanessa’s arm. “Mom, you don’t need to spend so much. It’s not even an important occasion.” “Of course it’s important! It’s my precious daughter’s birthday. You have to be the most dazzling girl in the room. Whatever you want, Mom will buy it for you.” Chloe acted all cutesy. “I wonder if I can sit down for a bit. My feet are sore~” Vanessa totally bought into it. “I’ll have them model the clothes for you. You just sit over there and pick.” That was when they finally noticed me. I was sitting in the boutique’s VIP lounge, enjoying the personal service from the sales associates. Beside me was a mountain of luxury goods and shopping bags I had already paid for. They were scattered all over the floor. Chloe’s face turned pale when she saw it. Usually, Vanessa and Carter strictly controlled her spending. If she wanted designer goods, she had to wait for Vanessa to offer. She could never be as carefree as me—swiping a card whenever I wanted, buying whatever I desired. The sales associates looked a bit awkward. My stuff was everywhere, and I was sprawled out comfortably. There wasn’t a single place left for the mother-daughter duo to sit. “Ladies, please wait just a moment,” an associate said. I couldn’t care less, but Chloe’s expression was ugly. She timidly pulled on Vanessa. “Mom, why don’t we go to a different store? I didn’t know my sister was here.” Vanessa immediately stepped forward and tried to grab my arm. “Nora, get up.” I didn’t move an inch. My dad just told me not to suffer any grievances. Vanessa looked annoyed. I was looking at her like she was invisible, completely ignoring her presence. “What kind of attitude is that?” I smiled at the two of them. “I just dropped tens of millions of dollars in this store today. If I don’t sit here, who does? Do you see the staff kicking me out?” Chloe’s face grew even paler. Even though Vanessa brought her here to shop today, she would never spend that kind of money on her… Chloe’s ankle was apparently a bit chafed from her shoes. Somehow, she dramatically lost her balance and fell to the side. If Vanessa hadn’t been standing close by, she would have hit the floor. A crack appeared in Vanessa’s flawless facade. “Nora! Apologize to Chloe!” “Not a chance in hell. You want an apology? Wait for your next life. Have all these items delivered to the Sterling Estate. If any new arrivals come in, send them straight over. The air in this store is toxic; I don’t like it.” Chapter 4 Vanessa’s expression turned dark and sinister. “Nora, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because Arthur has your back! Once you’re married off, we’ll see how he protects you then!” “Huh? Just because I get married means my last name won’t be Sterling anymore? What kind of medieval, patriarchal garbage is that?” But I didn’t care what she thought. I turned on my heel and strutted out. A villain needs to have the self-awareness of a villain: don’t constantly shove yourself in front of the main characters. My dad and I never gained anything good from being around her. I still remembered the time my dad snapped at her: “Vanessa, drop the innocent victim act, and don’t be a bad influence on my daughter.” All she had to do was shed a few tears, and the Sterling Group instantly faced aggressive suppression from Carter. My dad even got attacked once when he went out. If he wasn’t tough as nails, he might have died right there. Carter is the adopted son of the Hayes family. He’s Vanessa’s most loyal attack dog, and an absolute psychopath. If she’s unhappy, I genuinely believe Carter would drag the whole world down with her. And right now, the thing that makes Vanessa the most unhappy is me—the stain on her life from before her marriage. Rumor has it that after my dad forced himself on her, she desperately wanted to abort me. But the doctor strongly warned her: “If you abort this child, your chances of ever conceiving again will be extremely low.” Because of that, Vanessa held her nose and gave birth to me. The moment I was born, she dumped me at the gates of the Sterling Estate. She didn’t want me, and she didn’t want to be my mother. And I don’t look a thing like her. I look exactly like my dad. We have the classic villain aesthetics—striking, sharp, and flawlessly elegant features, all perfectly replicated on my face. Anyone could tell we were father and daughter. As I grew older, I got more beautiful, and supposedly more “wicked.” But besides their verbal and mental attacks, they couldn’t actually affect my life in any tangible way. Because for a very long chunk of the plot, my villain dad is the one with the real money. And that is what disgusts Vanessa the most. Chapter 5 Vanessa didn’t give up trying to control me. Her control freak tendencies were off the charts. Using the excuse that I was of marriageable age, she claimed she was looking for a suitable match for me and repeatedly sent me resumes and invitations. The previous ones were all ugly losers. I threw them in the trash without a second glance. But when the latest resume was placed in front of me and my villain dad, we were both stunned. “I thought she’d find me some uneducated, trust-fund playboy? Is this a trap?” The owner of this resume was Sebastian Vance, a well-known heir in the city’s high society. After studying abroad, he returned to work at his family’s corporation. Although he hadn’t elevated the Vance family to top-tier billionaire status like his uncle had, he was still a capable and handsome heir. At the very least, in this city, there was a long line of rich girls dying to marry him. My villain dad agreed. “A resume this impressive… what game is she playing? Is this guy secretly gay? Why don’t you go check it out? It’s just a cocktail party anyway. Treat it like a night out.” We exchanged a look. Both of us felt this wasn’t as simple as it seemed. I sighed, dressed up, and went to the event. He had successfully piqued my curiosity. Deep down, I knew Vanessa wasn’t kind enough to save a good catch for me. I only realized what was going on when I got there. Sebastian was indeed quite a catch. Six-foot-three, articulate, with a face that could rival any Hollywood star. But his eyes were constantly lingering on Chloe. Chloe was wearing a little white dress, her cheeks flushed. “I just received my acceptance letter for a Master’s program at Harvard, but it’s a bit far from home, so my parents are hesitating…” The people around them gasped in admiration. In this circle of rich kids, there are few who can actually study, and many who just like to show off. Getting an acceptance letter from an Ivy League school was definitely something to brag about. Me: “…” Why is she acting so innocent and helpless again? I remembered that Harvard was also one of the schools listed on Sebastian’s resume. Sure enough, Sebastian’s eyes lit up. He stepped right past me and walked up to Chloe. “Don’t worry about it. I graduated from there too. If you have any questions, you can ask me anytime.” Right then, Vanessa appeared out of nowhere and warmly grabbed my hand. “Nora, this is Sebastian. Why don’t you introduce yourselves?” “Hmm… what did I tell you back then? I told you to study hard. Now look at you, you can’t even join the conversation, can you?” Sebastian finally turned his head to look at me. Almost imperceptibly, he furrowed his brow. Chapter 6 The people attending this cocktail party were all invited by the Hayes family, and every single one of them was a shrewd socialite. Instantly, the whispers started: “Isn’t that the useless daughter from the Sterling family?” “She probably graduated from some diploma mill, right? Standing there all alone, how embarrassing.” “Exactly. Born from the same mother, yet the difference is night and day. It really comes down to education.” “What good is money if you’re an empty-headed airhead? Sooner or later, she’s going to squander the entire Sterling fortune.” … Chloe stood to the side, looking at me timidly. “Sister, why are you here? If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought that topic up.” Her voice grew quieter. “Even if I talked about it, you wouldn’t understand…” The look in Sebastian’s eyes changed from initial awe at my appearance to a trace of contempt. There are plenty of beautiful women in the world, and plenty of them are airheads. And guys like him hated airheads the most. I instantly understood what Vanessa was doing. She wanted me to see with my own eyes how outstanding her precious daughter was. More likely, she just sent me Sebastian’s resume without ever telling him I was the intended match. She wanted me to witness firsthand how attracted he was to Chloe. And me? Pampered to the extreme by my dad, my public image was that of a brainless, wicked girl. She really knew how to play the comparison game. I looked at the wealthy socialites who had just been gossiping and pointed at them one by one. “The Wangs, the Qians, the Sus. You were the ones talking trash about me just now, right?” I smiled brightly at them. “Your husbands are out getting stolen by mistresses, and your kids are sitting in your basements getting fat off your money, yet you have the free time to gossip about someone else’s family?” “And you, my dear sister. Why don’t you mention that your dad donated an entire building to the school just to get you admitted?” My words instantly silenced the entire room. Chloe’s face turned beet red. “I… I applied on my own merits.” Sebastian stepped in to comfort her. “Ms. Sterling, you’re being far too aggressive. How could you possibly know those things? Do you have any proof? There’s no need to be so hurtful.” I shrugged. It was like they were meeting me for the first time. Anyone with half a brain in this city knew exactly what kind of person I was. Plus, as a minor villain who constantly danced around the main characters, what’s wrong with having a little inside information? “Lies don’t hurt. The truth is the sharpest knife.” “My dad wanted to donate a few buildings for me too, but I told him no need. I wasn’t going to go gild a hollow brain just for show.” This time, Chloe was genuinely so embarrassed she was on the verge of tears. It took Vanessa a long time to smooth things over and get the party back on track. She viciously warned me to keep my mouth shut. Later in the party, I ran into Sebastian again while getting a slice of cake. Hidden by the white tablecloth of the dessert station, I kicked Sebastian’s leg with my stiletto. It was supposed to be a subtle, flirtatious gesture, but I kicked him like I was venting my anger. Sebastian hissed in pain. Chapter 7 I was still in a foul mood when my driver dropped me off at home. As soon as I walked through the door, I kicked my heels off. My villain dad was on the couch dealing with company business. He turned to look at me. “What’s wrong? Who made my precious daughter angry? Do you want Daddy to handle them for you?” I plopped down next to him. “What ‘good man’? His brain is shallower than a puddle. When he gets old, I’m going to track him down and sell him snake oil supplements.” “Men are all like that. I’ve made you watch so many documentaries about scumbags. How do you still have any illusions about men?” I pouted, crossed my legs, and ate the fruit a maid handed me. “Hmph. He looks so proper on the outside, but he’s absolute trash.” “He was never a good thing to begin with. What, does he look better in person than in his photos?” I nodded. “Sigh, it’s just a handsome face. If you like it, grab him and keep him as a pet. If you don’t, toss him out. Why get so worked up over a crooked tree?” Sometimes I feel like my villain dad’s mindset is way too advanced. What he’s suggesting—isn’t that basically keeping a harem of male concubines? I was so shocked I almost choked on my fruit. What kind of respectable heiress actually keeps a stable of male models at home? I thought about it for a second. I couldn’t just swallow tonight’s humiliation for nothing. “No way. How can anyone not like me? He has to like me.” “Once he falls for me, I’m going to dump him so hard and make him pay for what happened today.” My dad fell silent for a moment. “Forced fruit isn’t sweet, Nora. You still need to know where to draw the line.” He sank into thought, a dark, gloomy aura radiating from him. Only then did it hit me—didn’t my dad force his relationship because he liked someone? Now, this messy web of relationships is still tangled. I wonder if he’d do it all over again if he had the chance. I patted my dad’s shoulder. “Dad, it’s fine. There are plenty of people in this world who hate us already. I don’t mind adding one more. Even if I tie him up, the worst he can do is hate me. What else can he do? We live in a society with laws. He can’t kill me.” It’s just a man. Three-legged frogs are hard to find, but two-legged men? Men are a dime a dozen. “You’re right. But Nora, Dad doesn’t want to see you get hurt. Play your games, but don’t give away your heart.” I promised him I wouldn’t.

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While I was shamelessly trash-talking my ex with my best friend on the train, the middle-aged man sitting next to us suddenly turned his head and asked: “Excuse me, that 6’2″ guy you just said ‘couldn’t perform’—is his name Liam? Liam Sterling?” I was completely clueless, so I just nodded. “Yeah, that’s him.” The older man gave me a deep look, sighed with profound regret, and whipped out his phone to furiously text someone. I didn’t think much of it and went right back to gossiping. But to my absolute shock, the moment the train pulled into the station and I stepped onto the platform, I saw my ex striding toward me with that drop-dead gorgeous face of his. He let out a cold laugh and sneered: “You haven’t even tried me yet, and you’re already spreading rumors to my dad that I can’t get it up?” 1 After getting into a huge fight and breaking up with Liam, I was sitting on a mountain of unvented anger. So, I dragged my best friend, Mia, bought tickets for the Amtrak to the capital, and decided I needed a change of scenery. On the train, I scrolled through my chat history with Liam. It was still stuck on the screen where I sent the breakup text. He hadn’t replied with a single word. Some people are alive, but they might as well be dead. I angrily locked my screen, turned to Mia, and started trash-talking him. “You have no idea… how awful he is!” Mia frowned and asked, “How awful?” I pursed my lips and started listing his crimes like I was reading a receipt. “The day before yesterday, he forgot to buy me a cupcake! “The day before that, he forgot my morning kiss! “And the day before that, he actually had the nerve to say the cherry tomatoes I bought were the size of regular tomatoes!” Hearing my list, Mia nodded thoughtfully and agreed, “That is pretty awful! How could he not buy you a cupcake?!” Me: “Right?! Exactly!” “So… that’s why you broke up with him?” Mia shot me a confused look. She probably couldn’t fathom why I would dump someone as insanely hot as Liam over a cupcake. Looking at Mia’s confused eyes, I fell silent for a few seconds. Of course that wasn’t the reason. Just last night, right when things were getting heated and we were about to go all the way, he suddenly checked a text on his phone. After reading it, without saying a word, he pulled his pants on, got up, and left. Before walking out the door, he just dropped a casual, “Go to sleep early.” I didn’t overthink it at first. But later, I saw someone mention in a group chat that Liam’s first love had returned from overseas, lost a game of Truth or Dare, and had to call guys to come drink with her. Obviously, Liam had gone to her. Between me and his first love, Liam chose her. Upon realizing this, I was so furious that I instantly texted him we were done. But getting stood up in the middle of the night like that was way too humiliating. I would rather die than admit that part. So, I put on a righteous tone, though my eyes darted away shiftily. “Of course not! You don’t know this, but every night he dresses super conservatively. He’s more old-fashioned than I am! “Honestly, I suspect… he can’t get it up!” Hearing this, Mia’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?! Liam can’t perform? You’d never guess it! He’s 6’2″ and he has such a great nose!” “All show and no go,” I said, shaking my head like a wise old sage. But just as I was about to continue tearing him down, we were suddenly interrupted by the middle-aged man sitting next to us. The man looked at us kindly and asked: “Excuse me, young lady, the 6’2″ guy you just said ‘couldn’t perform’—is his name Liam? Liam Sterling?” Hearing his polite question, I was confused. But I answered honestly. “Yeah, that’s him.” Seeing me nod, the man gave me a deep look, sighed with profound regret, and then lowered his head to furiously text someone on his phone. I shook my head, didn’t overthink it, and went right back to venting. After gossiping with Mia for the entire ride, my mood had significantly improved. Before getting off the train, I was even in a good enough mood to wish the middle-aged man a safe trip. But I never expected that the moment the train arrived and I stepped onto the platform… I would see my ex striding toward me with that drop-dead gorgeous face of his, letting out a cold laugh, and saying: “You haven’t even tried me yet, and you’re already spreading rumors to my dad that I can’t get it up?” Me: “?” Wait, what? That guy on the train was his dad?! 2 I whipped my head around. My eyes landed on the gentle older man who had gotten off the train with us. Perhaps sensing my gaze, the man gave me an awkward but polite smile and embarrassingly admitted, “Ah, yes, I’m his dad. I am so sorry he put you through all that.” His dad knew everything I had just ranted about, and was now actively apologizing on Liam’s behalf. Seeing his utterly sincere apology… I just felt all the blood rush straight to my head. My toes curled so hard they could have built a magic castle right there on the platform. OMG! I actually sat there and talked about my ex’s performance issues right in front of his dad. It was so mortifying I wanted the earth to swallow me whole. I didn’t even have the face to respond. I muttered a half-hearted “Mhm,” turned around, and tried to bolt. But before I could take two steps, my wrist was grabbed. I turned back to see Liam standing in front of me, his handsome face dark as a storm cloud. His dark eyes locked onto me as he demanded: “We haven’t finished talking. Where do you think you’re going? “And what’s this about dumping me without a single word of explanation? “Did I do something wrong? Are you unhappy? “If you’re unhappy, you have to say it. If you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to know what’s wrong? “Even a criminal on death row gets to know what his crimes are before the execution, right?!” Liam’s perfectly shaped lips kept moving, firing off words non-stop. I stared at him, stunned. This was the first time I had ever seen him lose his cool like this. In my mind, he had always been this aloof, aristocratic guy with incredible self-control. He rarely let his emotions show like this. I was a bit surprised. But that didn’t stop me from being pissed. I coldly yanked my hand out of his grip and said stiffly, “You don’t know, huh? Fine, then let me ask you. “Where did you go last night? “Do you have any idea how long I waited for you?! “I even bought lingerie specifically for last night, and you didn’t even look at it! “And then… you just ran off! “I saw the group chat! Your first love lost a game of Truth or Dare, and you went to take care of her, didn’t you?! “That’s why you’re wearing the exact same clothes today!” I fired off all my pent-up anger like a machine gun. After I finished, I looked up at him. I thought he would look at least a little guilty. Or at the very least, apologetic. But I didn’t expect him to look completely, utterly bewildered. He stood there for a full thirty seconds before his brain finally processed it. I watched as Liam raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with his long fingers. He looked at me with extreme exasperation and explained: “What kind of crazy scenarios are you cooking up in that head of yours? “When did I go to a party? “Last night, my dad texted me saying he and my mom got into a huge fight, and she took off to the capital by herself early. He told me to catch a late flight out here to track her down and make sure she was safe. “That’s why I haven’t changed clothes. “If you don’t believe me, smell me. Do I smell like a single drop of alcohol?” After explaining, Liam actually took two steps closer, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and leaned in. Seeing his skin right in front of my face, I instantly blushed. I quickly pushed him away. “Y-y-you… stop that! “There are people around!” “So you’re not mad anymore? We’re not breaking up?” Liam didn’t let me push him away completely. Instead, he grabbed my hand and pressed it flat against his chest. Feeling his heart pounding wildly against my palm… My own heart started racing too. Even though I was already softening up, I stayed stubborn: “You left without even explaining anything! It’s perfectly normal that I misunderstood! “Besides, why should I just take your word for it? I don’t believe you.” Hearing that I still didn’t believe him, Liam looked even more helpless. He turned his head to his dad. “Dad, back me up here, will you?” Hearing Liam call him, his dad quickly wiped the amused, shipping grin off his face, looked at me very seriously, and nodded. “Yes, it’s true.” Seeing that even his dad was backing him up… Me: “…” Well, now I really had no reason to stay stubborn. Blushing, I pressed my lips together. Knowing I was in the wrong, I muttered softly, “Oh. Okay, fine. I’m not mad anymore.” After saying that, I expected Liam to let go of me. But instead, the very next second, I heard Liam give a dry, humorless chuckle. “Great. Now it’s my turn to be mad. “We need to have a serious talk about you spreading rumors to my dad that I can’t perform. “You know me. I don’t like taking a loss. When I have a score to settle, I settle it immediately. “Let’s go, wifey. It’s time for your husband to prove himself.” With that, he wrapped an arm around my waist and started marching me out of the station. Seeing that he was absolutely not joking… I immediately reached a desperate hand out toward Mia. “Save me~” Mia instinctively reached out to grab my hand. But before she could reach me, Liam dominantly swept me away. Looking at this bossy, overbearing Liam… Me: “…” I had a feeling I was doomed. 3 Without Mia’s help. I was smoothly dragged all the way to a luxury hotel suite Liam had already booked. The moment he pushed the door open, he tossed me onto the massive king-sized bed. Even though the mattress was soft, the impact still made my head spin. I struggled and tried to sit up. But before I could even push myself up, my wrists were swiftly pinned down. Liam leaned over me, pinning both my hands above my head with one of his. His voice was husky as he said, “Wait right here. I’m going to take a shower. “Today, I am going to make absolutely sure your little ‘misunderstanding’ is cleared up!” He said it through gritted teeth. Seeing my shocked expression, he couldn’t help but ask, “What, are you scared? “Let’s see if you ever dare to go out and spread rumors again.” Saying that, Liam thought I was actually intimidated, so he let go of my hands. His tone softened. Looking at his devastatingly handsome face, I unconsciously swallowed. My mouth moved faster than my brain: “Who’s scared? I’m just worried a certain someone can’t back it up.” Hearing me actually dare to provoke him… Liam raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh. “Fine. Just don’t cry later.” Me: “Not a chance~” I shook my head, looking incredibly smug. That just added fuel to the fire. I watched as he stripped entirely naked right in front of me and marched into the bathroom. However, just five minutes later, he was done showering and walked out. Seeing how fast he was, I was stunned. I opened my mouth, about to make a comment. But before I could speak, my lips were captured in a kiss. I thought it was going to be a fierce, enduring battle. But to my utter shock, merely three minutes later… I heard him let out a sigh. Looking at him, realizing it was already over… Me: ? ?? ??? 4 It ended before it even started? I turned my head to look at him, my eyes filled with utter astonishment. He lay beside me, a look of profound frustration and regret on his handsome face. Me: “…” I tried to hold it in. For a few seconds, I thought about the saddest moments of my entire life, desperately trying to keep the corners of my mouth flat. But they twitched upward anyway. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into loud laughter. “HAHAHAHAHA! “That’s it?! That’s it?!” Hearing my blatant mockery, Liam’s face flushed a deep crimson. After a few minutes of agonizing silence, he pulled me closer with a look of pure, unwilling determination. “I don’t believe it. Let’s go again! Give me one more chance!” I was laughing so hard I was shaking. I felt his hands starting to roam again, but I didn’t even try to stop him. Whatever, it was only going to be a few minutes anyway. It wouldn’t even be enough time for me to finish laughing. But before he could actually get started again, we were interrupted. From outside the hotel room door came the booming voice of his mother. “Son! Mom booked an appointment for you with a urologist! “Let’s go get you checked out! “Stop ruining that poor girl’s life!” Hearing this, Liam’s face turned as dark as a storm cloud. And I completely lost it, roaring with laughter. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!” 5 Even though Liam desperately didn’t want to go… He had no choice. Under his mother’s iron-fisted suppression, he was forced to comply. He held my hand, his handsome face radiating pure misery. Seeing his pathetic, puppy-dog eyes, I patted his shoulder comfortingly. “It’s okay, let’s just go see what they say. I know you can do it. Going is just to give your mom some peace of mind.” Hearing my comfort, Liam glanced at me, asking with uncertainty, “Really?” Seeing him looking so uncharacteristically defeated… I suppressed a smile and replied with absolute seriousness: “Yeah. Don’t worry, no matter what the test results say, I’m not leaving you.” “Okay.” Perhaps the recent failure had severely damaged his fragile ego. Because right now, he was as fragile as a delicate glass doll. If I said one more word, I was afraid he might actually burst into tears on the spot. Of course, if he did… That would be even hotter. I imagined the scene in my head and secretly giggled. His mom drove us to the clinic. Liam held my hand the entire way. His handsome face was completely devoid of its usual arrogant shine. He just looked insecure and full of self-doubt. Seeing his desolate expression, I offered some very hypocritical comfort: “It’s fine, I think it’s like that for everyone their first time.” But Liam wasn’t in the mood to engage with me. He kept his head down, deep in his emo feelings. The ride was extremely quiet. Until we watched him walk into the doctor’s office. His mom and I stood outside the door. She looked at me and offered an awkward but polite smile, very similar to his dad’s. She spoke with deep apology: “I am so sorry, sweetheart. I really haven’t paid enough attention to my son’s issues in this department. “I’ve truly put you in a terrible position. “Don’t worry, if there’s really a problem, I absolutely won’t let my son drag you down with him.” Hearing her incredibly kind words, I shook my head. “It’s okay, Mrs. Sterling.” Perhaps seeing that I wasn’t abandoning him even now… Her gaze turned even more affectionate, and her tone became impossibly gentle. We waited for half an hour. Finally, Liam walked out, his handsome face flushed red. He locked eyes with me, blushing as he handed me the medical report. I froze for a second, but looked down at it anyway. I couldn’t understand the medical jargon at the top. I just read the doctor’s simple, easy-to-understand conclusion at the bottom. “Hmm… Size is fine, hardness is fine… just lacks exercise and has poor stamina~” Reading that last sentence… I looked up at Liam, about to offer a few words of comfort. But before I could even open my mouth, his mom beat me to it. I watched as she literally kicked him in the leg. She scolded, “I told you to stop sitting at your computer all day! Now look at you, embarrassing yourself!” Hearing her words, I strongly agreed. I chimed in, “Mrs. Sterling is right! Liam, you really need to start working out!” Hearing me join in on the teasing, Liam let out an exasperated chuckle. He took a few steps forward, wrapped his arm around my waist, and murmured in a low, husky voice, “Alright then. But my wife… is going to have to work hard and exercise with me.” Hearing that… My eyes widened: “!!!” Oh no. This was bad!

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During a game of Truth or Dare, I asked my boyfriend: “If you met a girl who was younger than me and liked you, what would you do?” My boyfriend glanced down at the underclassman sitting next to him and answered without hesitation: “What do you think? I’d obviously choose the younger one.” “Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Did you really think I’d choose you?” “Chloe, people need to know their place.” After he said that, he smiled and wrapped his arm around the underclassman’s waist. I didn’t respond. I just thoughtfully looked at his young, successful best friend sitting behind him. Because just moments ago, that very friend had confessed his feelings to me. His messages were still on my phone screen: [Have you thought about it?] [Why aren’t you saying anything?] [Chloe, am I really not as good as him?] 1. The pointer of the spin-the-wheel game stopped in front of my boyfriend. He chose “Truth.” As the person with the most points, I had the right to ask the question. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, I looked up at Julian, who was acting ambiguously close to the underclassman: “If you met a girl who was younger than me and liked you, what would you do?” The moment the words left my mouth, the entire room went silent. Everyone seemed eager to hear his answer. After all, lately, Julian had been taking Mia, a direct underclassman from his major, everywhere he went, using his status as her senior as an excuse. It made his intentions hard to read. Julian slowly lifted his eyelids, looking straight at me. His voice, slightly slurred from the alcohol, sounded exceptionally gentle: “Chloe.” “Do you even need to ask that?” I felt a wave of embarrassment. He was my boyfriend of three years, yet I found myself needing to ask a question that shouldn’t even have another option. But the next second, he let out a mocking scoff: “Of course I’d choose the younger one.” “Chloe, people need to know their place.” The gazes of the people around us shifted to me, filled with a mix of pity and contempt. Julian and I had been together for three years. He pursued me for over six months. Back then, he had nothing, but I stayed by his side anyway. Let alone the fact that a year ago, the wealthy Vance family had finally found him, turning him into a famous, wealthy heir in the city overnight. Everyone was waiting for my anger or my silent endurance. Instead, all I could think about was three days ago. I had acute gastroenteritis and called Julian, crying. He told me I was being too delicate, that it was just gastroenteritis, and it wasn’t my first time having it. Later, his best friend, Ethan, took me to the hospital. While I was there, I saw Julian taking care of Mia, who was suffering from menstrual cramps. During the six months he pursued me, he would stand under an umbrella in the rain, tilting it entirely toward me while half of his own shoulder got soaked. He used to smile and say, “Chloe, I will always treat you so well.” After three years of dating, in this very moment, Julian completely rotted away in my heart. 2. Seeing my expression, Julian frowned slightly. He reached out and grabbed my hand: “It’s just a game, Chloe.” “Is it really that hard to hear?” “If you chose someone younger, I wouldn’t be mad.” I blinked. “Really?” The corners of Julian’s mouth curled up slightly. “Of course.” I looked down, thoughtfully gazing at my phone vibrating in my palm: [Have you thought about it?] [Why aren’t you saying anything?] [Baby, am I really not as good as him?] I looked up and saw the elegant, refined man standing behind Julian. His burning gaze was fixed on me. That was Julian’s roommate of three years, and his best friend. Just moments ago, he had confessed his feelings to me. My face flushed red. I couldn’t even imagine someone like him calling me “baby.” Looking back up, I said softly: “Then let’s break up.” “I choose someone younger too.” Julian scoffed, looking at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum. “Sure.” “Do you have someone in mind? Need me to introduce you to someone?” Looking into Ethan’s slightly shining eyes, I shook my head: “No need.” Julian clearly didn’t take my words seriously and went back to playing the game with the others. Only Ethan, sitting opposite me, stared at me with burning intensity. My phone vibrated again: [Baby, so good.] Me: … I was starting to regret this. In my mind, even though Ethan was the youngest in Julian’s dorm, he was the definition of an untouchable, aloof ‘ice prince.’ I didn’t expect him to be like this on the inside. The tips of my ears instinctively turned red, and I got up to go to the restroom. When I came out, Ethan was leaning against the wall in the hallway. Seeing me, he immediately pulled out a tissue and meticulously dried my wet hands. … “Baby, I’ll take you home later.” His voice was low, raspy, and magnetic. Saying things like that didn’t feel out of character for him; it just added an intense aura of desire. My ears tingled, and I nodded instinctively. I let him hold my hand as we walked back to the private room. But as soon as we stepped inside, I snapped back to reality and pulled my hand free. When I looked up, I caught a fleeting glimpse of hurt in his eyes. 3. Seeing Ethan and me return together, Julian didn’t think much of it. He just stood up and grabbed his jacket: “Let’s go.” I noticed his lips were wet. I glanced at Mia. Yep, hers were wet too. Without a doubt, that “Dare” must have been very exciting. On the way back, Mia familiarly slid into the passenger seat of Julian’s car. “Mia gets carsick, so you sit in the back.” I shook my head: “No need, I’ll ride in Ethan’s car.” For the past month, Julian had been extremely “busy.” Whenever I looked for him, he would impatiently tell Ethan to keep me company. So this time, Julian didn’t overthink it either. He just let out a cold laugh: “Chloe, Ethan only kept you company before as a favor to me.” “How can you keep bothering Ethan? He’s a slight germaphobe and hates people riding in his car. It’s hard to catch a cab here, so be reasonable.” Ethan looked at me with deep, dark eyes: “It’s fine. She’s the exception.” Julian’s face turned ugly. He didn’t look at me again and drove off. 4. On the ride back, I didn’t dare look at Ethan. I could only aimlessly stare at the steering wheel. But then I saw his long, pale fingers. The defined knuckles. I swallowed hard. Hitting a red light, Ethan stopped the car and handed me a bottle of water: “Thirsty?” I shook my head, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment. I didn’t dare tell him I had a thing for hands. He chuckled softly, put the water bottle down, and took a sip of sparkling water himself. When he tilted his chin up slightly, his sharp, clean jawline was perfectly defined. My gaze was drawn to him again. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He reached out and covered my eyes: “Chloe, don’t tempt me. We’re moving too fast.” I hurriedly explained: “I just wanted to taste what it’s like.” He suddenly turned right, parking the car by the side of an empty park. He cupped the back of my head and kissed me. At first, he held back, keeping it light and tentative. But when his slightly heavy breathing brushed against my cheek, I instinctively parted my lips. His breathing hitched, and then he began to passionately plunder. A long time passed before he finally let me go. His gaze landed on my lips, his voice husky: “Have you tasted it now?” I didn’t dare look at his slightly red, incredibly sensual, thin lips. I turned my face away to avoid his gaze. I noticed the sparkling water had spilled onto the leather seat, leaving a wet patch. “The seat got dirty.” I remembered Julian saying Ethan was a slight germaphobe. He pulled out a tissue and reached over to wipe it: “It’s fine. Chloe can get anything dirty she wants.” We hadn’t even done anything, it was just a kiss. But the atmosphere felt overwhelmingly romantic and intimate. … 5. On the way back, Julian called me several times. I didn’t answer any of them. On the final call, I regretfully told him: [If I had known your best friend was this handsome…] [I wouldn’t have bothered dating you in the first place.] [The way he calls me ‘Chloe’ makes my heart ache for him.] Him: [?] I didn’t wait for his reply; I just hung up. And blocked all of his contact information. … Ethan parked the car right in front of my dorm building. The Vance family had donated 50 million to the university, so he naturally had some privileges. Once the car stopped, I instinctively pulled the handle to get out. It wouldn’t open. Ethan saw the surprise in my eyes but didn’t explain. He just leaned in close to my nose, his voice magnetic and raspy: “Baby, does it really make your heart ache when I call your name?” The tips of my ears burned. I didn’t know how to explain. Ethan curled his lips into a smile, as if he understood something. “So this is how baby likes to play.” The car doors unlocked. I scrambled out and ran toward the dorm building. Ethan grabbed my hand and pinned me against the wall. “Chloe, I feel so uncomfortable.” I definitely felt it. He seemed… a little restless. Remembering his broad shoulders, I sighed. Those few drinks at the club seemed to be hitting my head right now. My mind went foggy. I reached out and patted it. “Be a good boy.” Ethan let out a soft laugh and bit my earlobe: “You really do have a soft spot for younger guys, don’t you?” Me: … Can’t you just talk normally? How did I never realize he was such a flirt? The dorm matron, walking out in her pajamas, sneered: “You young people sure know how to have fun.” “Three minutes until curfew.” I immediately pushed Ethan away and sprinted inside. 6. When Julian got hung up on by Chloe, he and Mia were dining at a Michelin-starred romantic restaurant. Mia said she wanted black truffle steak, so he brought her here. She smiled and asked him: “How did you know about this place?” “Did you bring Chloe here before?” He shook his head. “A friend recommended it.” Thinking about it… In their three years of dating, he had never brought Chloe to a place like this. He was an orphan, and his college tuition was barely covered by financial aid. To survive, he took on three part-time jobs starting his freshman year. That was when he fell in love with Chloe at first sight. She was a freshman just like him. On the first day of orientation, Chloe’s picture was posted on the university’s confession page. Everyone saw her delicate, beautiful face, and so did he. In almost an instant, he fell for her. At that time, he was insecure and poor. But when he saw her wearing faded, washed-out jeans, he only felt a sense of relief. Later, he pursued Chloe for over six months. After they got together, he continued working his part-time jobs. During a heavy winter snowstorm, when he walked out of the western restaurant where he worked, Chloe was standing at the door holding an umbrella, waiting for him to get off work. Later, the Vance family found him and brought him back. But he never brought Chloe to a restaurant like this. Subconsciously, he felt that since Chloe had eaten street food and cheap diners with him for three years, it didn’t really matter if they came to a place like this. But instinctively, he brought Mia here. Besides the fact that he was no longer short on money, the more important reason was that the niche designer dresses Mia wore weren’t suited for street food stalls. Remembering Chloe’s words… He felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Mia, sitting across from him, noticed and comforted him: “She’s probably just still angry and saying things to make you mad.” He thought about it and agreed. He knew exactly what kind of person Chloe was—pure and conservative. There was absolutely no way she would ever do anything with his best friend. But what was that momentary panic? He couldn’t explain it. “Should we go find her and explain things right now?” Feeling irritated, he looked out at the rain: “No need. Let her be.” He knew Chloe’s family situation better than anyone. A child of divorce, with both parents remarried to other people. She had no home, which made her exceptionally terrified of loss. She needed security more than anyone else. Without him, she had nowhere to go. He was absolutely certain that within seven days, Chloe would come looking for him with red, tearful eyes. Thinking of this, his panicked heart settled down. 7. When Julian returned to the dorm, the others were already asleep. Only Ethan was still sitting at his computer, reviewing the latest government bidding projects. He knew Ethan had recently started a company, but he didn’t pay it much mind. After all, with their family backgrounds, most of them only had two paths after graduation: return to the family business or start their own. Whichever path they chose, with their families backing them up, they couldn’t fall too hard. He didn’t understand why someone like Ethan, the only heir to a massive conglomerate, would want to start his own business instead of taking the easy route of inheriting his family’s empire. But it wasn’t his place to say anything. Seeing Ethan in the dorm made him breathe a sigh of relief. When Ethan saw him, he instinctively furrowed his brow. Julian realized that Ethan was a germaphobe, and the cloying, sweet women’s perfume on his own clothes was indeed quite pungent. Feeling slightly guilty, he pinched his nose. After all, his roommates all knew Chloe. She never wore this kind of perfume. And although Ethan was always very cold towards Chloe whenever he saw her, he had still known her for three years. Knowing Ethan wasn’t the type to gossip, Julian relaxed. The next second, he grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom. When he came back out, he saw Ethan on the balcony, talking to a girl on the phone. His voice was low and deep: “Baby, what are you doing right now?” It was the first time Julian had ever seen the usually aloof “ice prince” Ethan show an expression like this. In the quiet night, the girl’s soft, clear voice came through the receiver exceptionally clearly: “I’m taking a shower.” The girl’s voice was accompanied by the sound of running water. He couldn’t hear it very clearly. He only saw Ethan’s Adam’s apple bob slightly. When Ethan saw him, he immediately adopted a coaxing tone and said: “Baby, text me after you’re done showering, okay?” “It’s a little… inconvenient right now.” The other side murmured an agreement, and the call ended. Julian looked at Ethan, knowing this was just male possessiveness acting up, and didn’t say much. Honestly, through the screen, what could he even see anyway? But it did show that Ethan cared deeply about this girl. Julian asked casually: “Got a girlfriend? Is this the girl you’ve been texting every day recently?” “Could it be that girl you’ve had a crush on for three years?” Ethan sat back down at his laptop and gave an affirmative “Mhm.” Seeing that Ethan didn’t want to elaborate on his relationship with the girl, Julian didn’t press the issue. After all, the whole dorm knew Ethan had a girl he’d been secretly in love with for three years. From the looks of it, he had finally gotten what he wanted. Then, he suddenly remembered Chloe saying his best friend was more handsome than him. He had panicked a little at the time. But thinking about it now, Ethan was the only one in the dorm more handsome than him. And Ethan was already with the girl he’d loved for three years. This made him even more certain that Chloe was just throwing a tantrum. Julian let out a breath of relief. Remembering Chloe’s words, he still felt a surge of anger. He decided to give her the cold shoulder for a while. He needed to teach her a lesson.

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On a variety show, the host randomly checked the seventh photo in the guests’ phones. I showed a picture of Arthur’s brand-new Rolls-Royce. The “innocent little white flower” actress instantly teared up: “Elena, I know you usually target me, but could you please not pretend to be associated with my boyfriend’s car?” I was stunned: “Since when did the guy at my house get a girlfriend without me knowing?” The little white flower cried and called Arthur right there: “Hubby, someone is bullying me…” There was a pause on the other end, then Arthur’s voice came through, deadly serious: “Who? Where are you? I’m flying back to the country right now to find you.” My jaw dropped. The internet exploded: [I knew Elena was just clout-chasing again!] [Bet you didn’t expect this! You can’t just use CEO Vance for clout!] [CEO Vance spoils her so much! You two need to get married right now! Make Elena choke on her jealousy!] No, seriously, I just didn’t know when my little brother secretly started dating my arch-nemesis! 1 My jaw-dropped expression was quickly turned into a meme and trended online. [Hahaha! Does Elena actually think Chloe is joking with her? Does she think Chloe is a clout-chaser just like her?] [Does she really think she can use CEO Vance for clout? LMAO, this meme is the best of the year!] [Hahahaha, this is so satisfying to watch! I love seeing this fake bitch get slapped in the face by Chloe!] The live stream chat was scrolling crazily. I immediately ran out of the studio and into my dressing room. [Is she too ashamed to show her face now?] [Seeing her get humbled is so satisfying!] I closed the dressing room door and immediately called Arthur. His voice sounded a bit rushed: “Sis, something urgent came up. We’ll talk later.” “Let me guess, your girlfriend is getting bullied?” Arthur froze: “Sis, how did you know?” “Are you out of your mind, dating a woman like her?!” “Sis, you don’t understand. She’s the most special girl I’ve met in my twenty-five years.” I almost choked: “She’s an actress! What can’t she act out? Let me tell you, I know exactly what kind of person Chloe is. Break up with her right now!” “She’s not acting!” Arthur sounded completely self-righteous: “Even when she’s drunk, she tells me she loves me!” I felt a block in my chest: “What’s so hard about that? I can act that out too. I love you, I love you, I love you!” “Are you crazy? What kind of psychotic fit is this?!” Arthur got goosebumps and hung up the phone directly. Puffing my cheeks in anger, I turned around, only to find someone already standing at the door of my dressing room. Chloe had one hand covering her mouth and the other holding her phone, looking incredibly innocent: “Sister, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in here too.” I sneered: “Funny, I seem to recall you staring right at me when I walked into this room.” “Sister, you…” Chloe’s eyes instantly turned red. The live chat went crazy: [Ahhh! You psycho, stay away from Chloe!] [I’m so sick of this fake bitch. Terrible acting, terrible personality. She’s the one who tried to steal Chloe’s boyfriend first!] I had no interest in playing these petty games, so I turned and left. But unexpectedly, in the short time it took me to touch up my makeup, the trending topics exploded again. I clicked on it. It was a three-second video of my “confession” to Arthur. Trending Title: Arthur Vance: Are you crazy? What kind of psychotic fit is this?! Elena attempts to be the other woman, gets fiercely reprimanded as a psycho by Arthur Vance. My vision went black. 2 The dressing room had excellent soundproofing and privacy. The only person who could have filmed that video was Chloe, who opened the door at the very end. The video started recording exactly when I “confessed.” It made it look like I was crazily telling Arthur “I love you,” only for him to avoid me like the plague. Thinking of this, I sought out Chloe and showed her the three-second video: “You secretly recorded me?” Chloe quickly smiled: “Sister, don’t misunderstand. I just happened to be taking a selfie and accidentally…” “If you were taking a selfie, why was the camera pointed at me? And if it was an accident, why did you post it?” Chloe’s face paled. She just realized that admitting she filmed it was the same as admitting she leaked it. But her persona had always been the harmless, innocent little white flower. Her eyes reddened, and tears suddenly fell: “Sister, I’m begging you, please stop pestering my boyfriend, okay? I’ve tried to persuade you for so long, but you wouldn’t listen. I’m not good at arguing, and I really didn’t have any other choice, that’s why I… “This is the first time I’ve met a boy I like so much. I’m begging you…” I cut her off: “That act works on him, but it doesn’t work on me. “Play enough dirty tricks, and you’ll eventually be found out. It’s only a matter of time before he dumps you. Watch yourself.” With that, I turned and walked away. The premise of this variety show was experiencing rural life. As I was preparing for the next leg of our trip into the countryside, my manager called me: “My little troublemaker, can you please lay low? It’s only been a little while, and you’re already on your third trending topic!” I hurriedly opened my phone. The number one trending topic had a glaring “Explosive” tag next to it: Elena threatens Chloe Just moments ago, an audio recording was leaked, supposedly by a staff member of the show. It was the exact conversation I just had with Chloe. But I was absolutely certain that only Chloe and I were present at the time. My social media was being bombarded. [Lady, take a good look. Chloe is the girlfriend personally acknowledged by CEO Vance! And you’re telling her to watch herself?] [Homewreckers deserve to die, along with their whole families.] [I was wondering who it was. Turns out it’s you, you fake bitch. Well, that’s not surprising then. Hope your whole family drops dead soon.] … Meanwhile, Chloe started a live stream from her car. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, tears glimmering in them, yet she smiled “stubbornly”: “Everyone, please stop saying that. There must be some misunderstanding between me and Sister. “If anyone else gets hurt because of me, I’ll be very sad too.” The netizens were heartbroken: [Ahhh, baby, you can’t be too kind! Elena is targeting you on purpose! Don’t speak up for her! Ahhh!] [Baby is so sweet, my heart aches for her sob! I’m going straight to Elena’s page to curse her out!] [Protect the best baby in the world! Elena deserves to die a horrible death!] I sat in my car, my vision darkening repeatedly. So, I called Arthur. 3 “Break up with her. Break up with her right now!” I got straight to the point. Arthur was completely confused: “Sis, I told you, this is true love.” “Are you completely blind to her ability to manipulate public opinion against me? Have you even looked at the trending topics?” “Oh come on, Sis, when are you not getting cursed out online? I’m used to it for you.” …He actually had a point. “It’s fine, Sis. When I get back, I’ll treat you both to dinner and clear up the misunderstanding. Chloe is a really good person. She’s definitely not what you think.” “Forget it. I have more experience surviving in the entertainment industry than you have signed contracts.” “Isn’t your ‘experience’ just getting yelled at?” “You!” “Alright, alright, Sis. How about you just retire from the industry? Look at the terrible movies you’ve been starring in.” I argued back vehemently: “What do you mean terrible movies?! If I put effort into acting in them, they’re not terrible!” “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you put effort in, but you inherited Mom’s acting skills!” I had no comeback for that. Arthur laughed: “Alright, Sis, come back and take over the family business. You’d earn way more doing this than struggling in the entertainment industry. And it would make my life easier. Why suffer out there?” “No! I didn’t join the entertainment industry to make money. I did it for Liam!” “…” 4 It’s true, I had no need to enter the entertainment industry. My parents nagged me every day to take over the family business and work with Arthur to make the company even bigger and stronger. But I stubbornly chose the entertainment industry, all so I could get up close and personal with my idol, Liam Sterling. The star who was the same age as me and whom I had been a fan of for five years. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I never publicly announced my relationship with Arthur. I took my mother’s maiden name, while Arthur took our father’s. So for all these years, no one ever suspected we were related. I never expected things to turn into such a massive farce now. I suddenly felt deeply regretful. As the guiding figure in my younger brother’s life, I used to watch him like a hawk to ensure he didn’t date in high school. I didn’t realize that the consequence of missing out on young romance would make him so easily seduced by a manipulative woman. I sat in the car, rubbing my forehead in regret: “If I had known, I would have let him date more back then!” 5 However, the gloom in my heart was quickly swept away. Because the moment I stepped out of the car, I learned the identity of today’s mystery guest. “Liam?!” I cried out in surprise: “Is it him? Is it really him?” A staff member gave me a disdainful look, snorted coldly, and walked away. The entire production crew had been treating me coldly ever since I supposedly “stole” Chloe’s boyfriend. Later, when they realized this attitude earned them unanimous praise from netizens, they looked down on me even more. I didn’t care. After surviving in this industry for so long, I had endured plenty of eye rolls and mockery. Liam was the only one worth my attention. The moment Liam stepped out of his car, everyone let out a piercing scream of excitement. I dashed forward and handed him a gold-rimmed photo card: “Mr. Sterling, I’m a huge fan! Could I get an autograph?” He pulled down his mask and smiled: “Sure.” He took the card, casually scribbled something on it, and handed it back to me. Just as I was about to carefully put it away as a treasure, I saw what he wrote. Two words: [Dumb bitch] I froze. I looked up. He was glaring at me with contempt, letting out a cold laugh. “Liam!” An excited voice interrupted my thoughts. Chloe’s car had also arrived. The moment she stepped out of the car, she dashed over and threw herself into his arms: “It’s really you! Weren’t you filming somewhere else?” Liam caught her and spun her around in a circle: “I knew you were here, so I came specifically for you. Or, I just had a sudden whim to join this variety show. Which one do you want to hear?” The live chat scrolled frantically: [Let me say it! Let me say it! He came specifically for you! For you, for you, for you!] [So smooth! sobs…] Chloe pouted her lips, furrowed her brows, and feigned anger: “You’re teasing me again!” Liam smiled and tapped her nose: “Still so easily angered.” I frowned: “Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Liam protectively shielded Chloe behind him and gave me a disdainful smile: “Chloe and I are childhood sweethearts. We’ve supported each other since we were kids to get where we are today. “I hope Ms. Elena doesn’t project her own dirty mind onto everything she sees.” 6 The live chat started its carnival again: [Classic Liam! He can spot a bitch from a mile away!] [Quote of the day: Just because someone likes being a homewrecker doesn’t mean everyone else does, okay?!] [They are childhood sweethearts, they’ve always been like this. A certain someone named Elena shouldn’t be so quick to project her own flaws onto others.] I was furious. Just as I was about to say something, my assistant suddenly pulled me aside: “Elena, calm down. He just landed the lead role in a massive Hollywood IP. So many people are willing to back him up. If you clash with him, you’ll be the one who loses out.” “Massive IP?” I laughed out of pure anger. My assistant nodded: “Yes, a mysterious billionaire fan of his invested a fortune in him. I heard the billionaire has very high hopes for him. If you anger him, we can’t afford the consequences.” “Hah! The investment was because they respected his acting skills. Who said he gets to walk sideways and act like he owns the place?” My assistant smiled, looking at me with a hint of pity: “Elena, it’s better not to try and guess the thoughts of billionaires.” “I don’t need to guess,” I laughed coldly. “I’m withdrawing the investment right now.” “Elena, you… sigh!” My assistant sighed and shook her head: “How have you become so delusional that you can’t even tell who you are anymore?” With that, she turned and walked away. When she met a colleague, there was another sigh: “Elena has lost her mind. She actually thinks she’s Mr. Sterling’s investor. “Do you think getting yelled at so much recently has driven her crazy? First, she thought she was CEO Vance’s girlfriend, and now she’s hallucinating that she’s an investor.” I was already puffing with anger as I grabbed my phone and dialed my secretary, my tone decisive: “Withdraw the investment. You heard me right, withdraw the investment!” The secretary on the other end froze for a moment: “But President Vance, aren’t you Mr. Sterling’s biggest fan?” “Consider me previously blind. Withdraw the investment immediately. Cancel every single bid related to him!” “Yes, President Vance.” After hanging up, I finally felt a little better. As I walked towards the soundstage, the sight before me almost made me drop my phone— Liam was drinking a bubble tea, and on the straw was a lipstick mark in the exact same shade as Chloe’s! He took a sip and handed the bubble tea back to Chloe: “It is a bit too sweet. This place didn’t make it right.” Chloe naturally put the straw in her mouth: “I thought so too, but since you bought it, Liam, I guess I’ll just have to force myself to take a couple of sips~” “You’re so mischievous.” “Hold on…” I interrupted them both: “You have a boyfriend right now. Even if you are childhood sweethearts, shouldn’t you keep some distance?” Liam very naturally shielded Chloe behind him again: “I told you before, Ms. Elena, don’t project your own dirty mind onto everything.” My temper flared. I raised an eyebrow: “If some people are just inherently dirty, then anyone looking at them would find it disgusting, wouldn’t they?” “You!” Liam was genuinely angry now. Chloe’s eyes instantly turned red: “Sister, are you calling me dirty?” I raised an eyebrow: “Is there anyone else here besides you two?” Liam’s face instantly darkened. Thankfully, the director arrived just in time to stop the situation from escalating further. Terrified that I would “cause trouble” again, the production team unprecedentedly gave me a private room. But just as I had finished unpacking my luggage into the room, someone came to notify me: “You don’t need to film anymore.” My assistant was stunned: “Why? We signed a contract!” The staff member was utterly dismissive: “This is Mr. Sterling’s request.” My assistant deflated. She turned to me and sighed: “Elena, it looks like we really have to go.” I was so angry I laughed: “Fine. So he’s making arrangements for me now? “If I have to leave, I leave. Perfect timing, anyway. I’ve had enough of playing around in this entertainment industry!” That very day, I hit the trending topics once again: Elena finally forced to retire from the entertainment industry.

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For my last three days before leaving this world, I decided to get along with Arthur and be the perfect wife he always wanted. I no longer got jealous over his first love, and I stopped throwing tantrums when he stayed out all night. On the first day, he scoffed coldly, “Glad you finally know your place. If you had acted like this sooner, everyone would be happy.” On the second day, his gaze became complicated, his voice thick with confusion, “Maya, why aren’t you angry?” I smiled faintly. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” 1 Before I finally reconnected with the System, Arthur had been giving me the silent treatment for a week. “Host, you’ve finally decided to leave,” the System’s voice chimed, laced with a hint of schadenfreude. I didn’t blame it. Years ago, when I successfully conquered Arthur’s heart and chose to stay in this world, the System had tried its best to dissuade me. “According to my years of experience, hosts who choose to stay never meet a good end.” But back then, I was blindly confident that the love between Arthur and me was indestructible, and I firmly rejected its advice. Now, I could only smile bitterly. “How much time do I have left?” “I can pull you out in exactly three days.” I nodded, deciding to cherish these final three days and get along with Arthur. After the System went silent, I picked up my phone and called Arthur. It was our first time communicating in a week. The call was declined several times in a row. I mechanically redialed. Finally, Arthur’s voice came through, annoyed and irritable: “Maya, are you ever going to stop?” I froze. Even though I was already disappointed, my heart still stung. I deliberately ignored the hostility in his tone and asked gently: “Arthur, are you coming home for dinner tonight? I made your favorite pan-seared ribeye.” There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a light scoff: “I’ll come back, but Maya, I need you to lower your proud head and apologize to Chloe first.” … A week ago, Arthur celebrated his first love Chloe’s birthday. Chloe posted a photo on her social media story: [With you here, I’ll never have to envy anyone else.] In the photo, Chloe had a bit of frosting on her cheek, her hands clasped together making a wish. She was surrounded by designer gift boxes, and Arthur was standing right behind her. Under the warm yellow candlelight, she smiled with pure, innocent joy. Mutual friends commented below, gushing about how sweet they looked. Chloe replied with a shy smiley face. I also left a like and a comment: [I’m so jealous you have my husband to keep you company.] A few minutes later, the post was deleted. Arthur’s call came immediately after. He furiously reprimanded me: “Maya, are you sick in the head? Today is Chloe’s birthday. You purposely tried to ruin her day, didn’t you?” I could hear Chloe sobbing softly in the background. “Arthur, don’t blame Maya. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have shown off that you were celebrating with me.” Arthur immediately softened his tone to coax her. “It has nothing to do with you. She’s just picking a fight with me and using you as a punching bag.” His tone turned cold and hard again as he spoke to me: “But she overestimates her own importance. Nothing is more important than your birthday.” Every word felt like a knife slicing my flesh. I clenched my fists in anger and mocked, “Right. Your first love’s birthday is obviously way more important than your own wedding anniversary.” Arthur’s breathing hitched. He lowered his voice and asked, “Today is our anniversary?” But before I could answer, Chloe’s crying came through the receiver again. “Maya, it’s all my fault. I’ll come apologize to you in person right now…” The tiny bit of guilt Arthur had seemed to vanish instantly. He gently consoled Chloe, then continued to scold me: “It’s just an anniversary. We can celebrate it any year. This is Chloe’s first birthday since she moved back to the States. Maya, can’t you be a little more generous?!” I enunciated every word clearly, telling him that no, I couldn’t. Then I hung up. Intense love and a perfectly stable temper can never coexist, but unfortunately, Arthur didn’t understand that. On the ice cream cake on my counter, the two little kissing figurines had slowly melted, ruining the words “Happy 7th Anniversary.” I picked up the cake and threw it in the trash. My phone chimed with a new message. I opened it to find a provocation from Chloe’s burner account. [Maya, I told you long ago. When forced to choose, Arthur will always choose me. Do you believe me now?] A few hours ago, I didn’t. But now, it was an undeniable fact. Arthur didn’t come home that night. When I woke up the next morning, he was in the dining room eating breakfast. Seeing me, he cast a cold glance and said, “Come to the office with me later and apologize to Chloe. Because of your comment, she felt so guilty she couldn’t sleep all night.” I let out a scoff. “I’m not going.” “I’ve never heard of a rule where the actual wife has to apologize to the mistress.” “Maya, why do you have to be so vicious?!” He slammed his hand on the dining table. “Chloe is just my secretary. Her family is bankrupt, and she has nothing left. Do you not have a shred of sympathy?” The corners of my lips curled up as I looked at him mockingly. “A secretary who sleeps in your bed?” Arthur’s face flushed with fury. He flipped the table. Plates and silverware shattered across the tile floor with a deafening crash. I closed my eyes and turned my head away. The disappointment in my heart layered up, thicker and thicker. How did Arthur turn into this? Arthur growled with resentment, “Since you’re going to be this stubborn, let’s just take a break from each other for a while.” He slammed the door and left. He hadn’t been back for a week. I was so heartbroken I suffered through sleepless nights. But during this time, Chloe’s burner account never stopped updating. [My boss brought me on a business trip to the Maldives! So happy~] [Cry, I accidentally fell on the beach and scraped my knee on a rock. My boss heartachingly scolded me for ten minutes, but I punished him by making him go buy me cake~] [Bonus: A sneaky pic of his abs~ Will my boss hit me if he finds out I took this?] I didn’t argue or throw a fit. I just quietly saved all the screenshots. When someone has rotted to the core, you should throw them away promptly. This morning, Chloe’s post indicated they had returned from the Maldives. … Arthur’s voice continued to come through the receiver: “Maya, did you hear what I said?” My thoughts returned to the present. I replied indifferently, “Okay.” The noisy background on his end suddenly went dead quiet. A few seconds later, Arthur asked again, “What did you say?” I forced a smile onto my lips. “I said, I agree to go apologize to Chloe.” For these final three days, I will fulfill all your demands. And then, I will leave you forever. 2 I followed the location Arthur sent me. The private room at the club was bustling with people. The moment I appeared in the doorway, someone let out a low whistle: “Look who’s here.” The teasing voice was full of anticipation. Ever since Chloe returned, Arthur and I had been having minor fights every three days and major blowouts every five. Everyone in our social circle knew. I scanned the room and found Arthur sitting dead center on the leather sofa. Our eyes met, his expression unreadable. Chloe was sitting right next to him, leaning against him like a fragile little bird. “Sister-in-law, I heard you came to apologize to Chloe,” someone jeered. Arthur’s friends were the absolute best at blowing with the wind. When Arthur loved me, they called me “Sister-in-law” with respect and never dared to make jokes at my expense. Now that Chloe was back, anyone with eyes could see her status in Arthur’s heart. Naturally, they looked at me with a lot more contempt. I took two steps forward, my gaze sweeping over the glasses of liquor on the table. I gently picked one up. “To show my sincerity, I’ll down this glass as an apology to Ms. Thorne. Is that alright?” Arthur tilted his head, watching me with amusement, staying silent. The people around us looked eager, clearly enjoying the drama. “Maya, what are you doing?” Chloe suddenly stood up, acting like a startled rabbit, frantically trying to snatch the glass from my hand. “You just said a few mean things to me, which I deserved to hear anyway. How could I possibly accept an apology from you?” As she spoke, her eyes turned red. A flash of heartache crossed Arthur’s eyes. He stood up and pulled her back down to the sofa. “Why wouldn’t you accept it? With me here, no one is allowed to bully you.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She looked at Arthur with gratitude, waiting a few seconds before looking back at me. “Then just drinking this small glass is enough. Once you drink it, all our misunderstandings will be cleared up.” She smiled and handed the glass back to me. “Maya, Arthur is just too protective of me. Please don’t be mad.” I looked at Arthur, chuckled softly, and took the glass with absolute detachment. “Of course not.” I raised the glass. “Everyone here is a witness. In the past, I was too prone to jealousy and misunderstood Arthur and Ms. Thorne’s relationship, which offended her. I’m drinking this glass today as a self-imposed penalty to apologize to Ms. Thorne.” After finishing my piece, I swept my gaze over the crowd. Everyone was stunned. Someone whispered, “No way, is this really the Maya who never bows her head to anyone?” Even Arthur, sitting in the center, looked dazed for a moment. Ignoring the flash of astonishment in his eyes, I raised my hand and downed the entire glass of liquor in one go. I am severely allergic to alcohol. Others might not know it, but Arthur did. After downing that one glass, my body already felt like a piece of driftwood tossed in a turbulent river. Someone caught my arm. “Maya, don’t drink anymore.” His face was blurry. I squinted, finally recognizing him as Arthur’s close friend, Leo. He seemed to be the only person in the room who hadn’t joined in the mocking. “Thank you,” I whispered. Just as I was about to look up and ask Arthur if that was enough of an apology… I saw Chloe quickly shoot a glance at the rest of the group. Immediately, someone yelled out, “Sister-in-law has a great tolerance! But if you really want to show your sincerity, one glass isn’t going to cut it.” With a malicious grin, he pushed an entire bottle of red wine toward me. Then he looked back at Arthur. “Right, Arthur?” Arthur’s brows were already furrowed. He stared silently at the wine bottle being pushed toward me. Just as he opened his mouth to speak… Chloe’s sobbing voice interrupted him: “Don’t say that. The fact that Maya would lower herself to apologize to someone like me, whose family has lost everything, is already an honor. As long as she doesn’t storm into the office to humiliate me and disrupt company work anymore, I’m okay with anything.” Arthur raised his eyebrows, looking at her in disbelief. “She stormed into the office to humiliate you? When did this happen?!” His voice rose, silencing the entire room. 3 Chloe stammered, “It was… it was my first day as your secretary.” Anger surged in Arthur’s eyes as he looked up at me. I admitted it openly. “That’s right. I did go there that day.” Before that incident, I had fought with Arthur countless times over Chloe. In the middle of the night, Chloe would get a fever and demand he take her to the hospital. Chloe would get lost and demand he pick her up. Chloe would go shopping for clothes and send him pictures, asking which one looked best. We argued and screamed at each other. “Arthur, can you please care a little more about my feelings? I love you. I can’t help but mind when you get so close to another woman. It hurts me.” “You know perfectly well that you are the most important person in the world to me.” He would lovingly wipe my tears and promise me he would keep his distance from Chloe. But just a few days later, I received a text from Chloe: [Maya, what’s the point of you trying to stop him? I just shed a few tears, and Arthur agreed to make me his secretary anyway.] I thought she was just making things up to drive a wedge between us. I believed Arthur wouldn’t lie to me. But, fueled by a sliver of anxiety, I quietly went to Arthur’s office. And there I saw Chloe, sitting right in the secretary’s area. She absentmindedly twirled her hair, looking at me smugly. “Maya, do you like my earrings? Arthur gave them to me as a welcome gift.” The look on her face disgusted me to my core. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. “Chloe, taking other people’s hand-me-downs… doesn’t it make you feel dirty?” Back then, she covered her cheek, but smiled at me arrogantly. “Maya, are you scared because you can feel yourself losing Arthur?” And now, Chloe was holding her perfectly fine cheek with red eyes, sobbing: “Maya just slapped me once that day. It’s okay. As long as Maya could vent her anger without taking it out on Arthur, I don’t care how much it hurt.” After hearing this, Arthur glared at me with a dark, terrifying expression. The rage in his eyes looked ready to swallow me whole. “Maya, I thought you were just being dramatic, that your possessiveness was acting up because you couldn’t accept Chloe coming back. I never imagined you had turned into such a vicious, malicious woman.” His icy voice carried not a single shred of pity. “Honestly, making you drink this whole bottle is letting you off easy.” I looked up in shock, staring at him. “Is that really what you think of me?” Arthur scoffed lightly. “Facts speak louder than words.” “You know I can’t drink alcohol!” I stared at him unblinkingly. Arthur sneered. “Then what the hell are you doing here today?” He looked toward the door behind me, his jaw tight. “If you aren’t actually here to apologize, you can leave right now.” It felt like a thousand needles had pierced my heart. A single tear hit the floor and vanished instantly. I was surprised to find that before coming here, I thought I had already mentally prepared myself to leave this world. Yet, it seemed a tiny thread of hope had still remained in my heart. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding? Maybe… he still loves me. Unfortunately, that bottle of wine crushed my last lifeline. Arthur, I don’t want you anymore. I smiled as I looked at him. “If I drink this bottle, will you forgive me? Will you come home with me?” Chloe looked up at him too. Arthur’s dark eyes revealed no emotion. His voice was flat. “The person you need to apologize to is Chloe, not me.” “Maya, adults need to take responsibility for their actions.” I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and nodded numbly. “Okay.” But the next second, the wine bottle was snatched from my hands. “Arthur, a whole bottle will kill her!” It was Leo. Arthur smirked, ignoring him entirely, and looked only at me: “Maya, the choice is yours. I’m not forcing you.” My heart felt like it had already been shredded to pieces by the wind. Strangely, I didn’t feel any pain at this moment. “I’ll drink it.” I stubbornly took the bottle back from Leo, murmured a low ‘thank you’ to him again, put the bottle to my lips, and took massive, desperate gulps. As my mind began to blur, I thought I saw Arthur shoving through the crowd, striding rapidly toward me. The bottle was yanked from my hands, and my body collapsed heavily. Arthur, this wine is so bitter. 4 In my dreams, it felt like I was transported back to seven years ago. I had just transmigrated into this world. Back then, Arthur was repressed and ruthless. He was an illegitimate child, only brought back to the Vance family after his mother died. The System had briefed me on the plot. When Arthur was first brought back to the Vance family as a child, the other elite heirs despised him and constantly bullied him. Once, when a group of rich kids was shooting him with water guns, Chloe, wearing a little white princess dress, stepped forward to defend him. She became an unforgettable beacon of beauty in Arthur’s memory. What he didn’t know was that it was just a show of bravery and kindness Chloe put on to impress the male lead standing not far away. Arthur was nothing but a tool in her play. When I arrived in this world, Arthur had slowly begun to show his brilliance within the Vance family. But his temperament was violent, and his business methods were cold and brutal. The patriarch of the Vance family did not favor him. I appeared by his side as the youngest daughter of a close family friend, having just returned from abroad, set up on a blind date with him. At first, Arthur had no interest in me whatsoever. For an entire month, the mission progress bar didn’t move an inch. Until one day, I attended a major real estate negotiation in my father’s place. Arthur was also there. At the dinner table, a prominent figure intentionally made things difficult for me, demanding I toast every single person at the table. After one glass, my body had already started itching, and red hives began to appear. As I raised the second glass to my lips, a hand clamped down on my wrist. It was Arthur. He took the glass from my hand and smiled faintly at the crowd. “The Vance and Hayes families have been close friends for generations. I’ll drink the remaining glasses on behalf of my little sister here.” Amidst the clinking glasses, he smoothly redirected the conversation away from me, leaning in to whisper in my ear: “If it’s an alcohol allergy, I suggest you slip away right now and take some medicine. I’ll cover for you.” I froze. When I looked up, his eyes were shining brightly as he seamlessly blended into the crowd’s conversation. Confident, composed, and impeccably graceful. In that instant, I felt my heart skip a beat. I started intentionally appearing around him frequently. Using care and gentleness, I slowly melted the harsh spikes he wore as armor, and helped mend his relationship with Grandpa Vance. I also utilized my family’s network to help him secure deal after deal, increasing his leverage within the Vance Group. Our shared footprints of hard work covered the globe. During a negotiation in South America, we were caught in the crossfire of local cartels. We were trapped for three days and three nights. Just as we were about to make it out of the jungle, we encountered the cartel thugs. I threw myself in front of him, taking a bullet straight to the left side of my chest. In the nick of time, the backup we had arranged finally arrived, rescuing us from the desperate outlaws. In the ambulance transporting me to the hospital, Arthur’s eyes turned red for the first time. Huge tears fell onto my face. Trembling all over, he asked me why I was so stupid and begged me to hold on. He said, “We haven’t even had our wedding yet. You aren’t my wife yet. You can’t die.” At that moment, I truly believed I was going to die in that foreign land. I reached up, stroked Arthur’s face, and forced a smile: “Don’t cry, Arthur. I came to this world specifically for you anyway.” At the same time, the System notified me: “Host, mission progress has reached 100%. Congratulations, you have successfully conquered the target.” Miraculously, the bullet missed my vital organs, and I survived. After three months of recovery, Arthur married me in a grand wedding that made global headlines. In the countless late nights of passionate intimacy after our marriage, he whispered “I love you” in my ear over and over again. By then, Chloe had long been married to the male lead overseas. I truly thought that Arthur and I wouldn’t have any more obstacles in our world. … In a groggy haze, I felt someone changing my clothes. I stubbornly pushed them away. “Don’t touch me. I have a husband. My husband is Arthur Vance.” The hands unbuttoning my shirt paused, a thumb resting exactly on the bullet scar. The old wound had healed and scarred over years ago, new flesh replacing the old. But it forever immortalized that moment on my body. The person seemed stunned for a long time. He coaxed gently, “Be good, don’t fuss. Let’s get your clothes changed and get you a shower.” He rambled on, saying a bunch of other things I couldn’t hear clearly. I covered his mouth. “So noisy.” After saying that, a wave of profound sorrow washed over me, and I began sobbing uncontrollably. The person asked, “Why are you crying?” That one sentence pulled the thread that unraveled me entirely. I cried even harder. “My husband fell in love with someone else. He bullies me. I don’t want him anymore. I’m leaving.” The person seemed to freeze. After that, I don’t know what happened, as I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was broad daylight. Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains. Shadows played across the bedroom. The System’s voice sounded: “Host, you’re leaving tomorrow. Do you have any lingering regrets?” It warned, “The bastard Arthur is right outside.” As soon as the System finished speaking, Arthur appeared in the doorway holding a glass of honey water. His voice was slightly hoarse, and he looked at me with an unnatural expression. “Maya, you’re awake.”

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As promised, the system cured my terminal illness, erased every trace of my existence, and sent me abroad. I thought I would never see him again. But six years later, that same system found me. It told me that there was a role for a malicious supporting female character, and it needed me to play it. “If I become malicious, mean, and greedy, Oliver Vance… will you still love me?” 1 The plane slowly descended, and the familiar bustling traffic and skyscrapers of the city unfolded before my eyes. Looking at the view from the window, I let out a deep breath. If the system hadn’t threatened me with complete erasure, I never would have agreed to come back. After all, our breakup back then was incredibly ugly. He chased me all the way to the airport. The corners of his eyes were red as he screamed my name through the crowded terminal, just to beg me not to leave. Forty-nine times. Each one more desperate than the last. But until my back disappeared at the end of the security checkpoint… He didn’t get a single response. Back then, he truly loved me. He loved me so much that even when I told him to his face I only approached him for his money, he didn’t care. I sold everything he gave me, even that ring, and boarded the plane to a foreign country. Before blocking him on WeChat, I left him one final message: “Sorry, Mr. Vance. It was just for fun. Why did you take it so seriously?” In the airport, the slender boy hunched over, practically breaking down, hot tears falling drop by drop. When he was ostracized and gossiped about for being the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, the only person who stood by his side had now abandoned him too. The only beam of light in his oppressive life had suddenly extinguished. The blow to him was massive. The scene was captured by a bystander and uploaded to the internet. The hashtag “Boy in Black Chases Ex to Airport Begging for Reconciliation” instantly went viral. Oliver’s identity was exposed that very day. He was a wealthy heir from a prominent family, where just the hair tie on his wrist cost tens of thousands. Six years passed. People were still constantly posting comparison videos of Oliver. The miserable, defeated boy in the airport had grown into a powerful, influential tycoon, his features now carrying an arrogant, ruthless edge. The caption below the video read: “Does the girl from the airport regret it now?” 2 Did I regret it? Maybe. If I had just broken up with him a little more gracefully back then, the current mission wouldn’t be so tricky. [Detected that the female lead, Chloe Thorne, is currently at KK Bar. Host, please proceed to the location immediately. Use your identity as the ‘first love’ to mock and belittle her.] Chloe Thorne? The wealthy heiress who relentlessly pursued Oliver in our senior year of high school? When she found out I was Oliver’s girlfriend, she purposely came to provoke me. She tore up my exam papers, threw cold water on me, and tried to force me to break up with him. I twitched the corner of my mouth. [System, your taste in female leads is seriously terrible.] [Host, please just focus on completing the mission.] The system’s voice remained cold and detached. 3 The bar at midnight was lively and loud. Wearing a black fishtail dress, I swayed my hips to the beat of the music, blending in with the dancing crowd. Even with heavy makeup, the woman in the distance noticed me. Her gaze closely followed my every move. I flipped my hair and turned my face fully in her direction. Soon, two men in black suits pulled me away from the dance floor. “It really is you, Elena Miller. “I didn’t expect you to have the guts to come back.” She swirled her wine glass, looking me up and down with a contemptuous gaze. Her haughty tone was exactly the same as it was back then. I rubbed my wrist, sat down across from her, and looked at her with eyes full of amusement. “What, afraid I’m back to steal Oliver away?” “Afraid? Afraid of what?” She acted as if she had heard a joke, the corners of her lips turning up even more. “You’re the one who should be afraid. “You didn’t just scam him out of his money back then; you scammed his feelings. He looked for you for years and couldn’t find you. And now, you show up yourself. You should know, Oliver hates deception and betrayal the most. “Guess how a vindictive man like him will torture you?” Her eyes held obvious schadenfreude. “Oh, well, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m his first love.” My tone was light and indifferent. The smile on her lips noticeably faded. “That was in the past,” she emphasized. “At least I was, once,” I retorted, latching onto her point. Amidst the blaring background music, we stared at each other. The amusement in my eyes grew stronger. She finally cracked, leaning in closer, gritting her teeth. “Elena, have you no shame? “You’ve been gone for so many years. Oliver has been mine for a long time now. “The person he loves now is me! Me! I’m warning you, stop being so delusional!” Saying that, she opened her phone. She forcefully pointed at an entertainment news headline in bold red font for me to see. A-List Actress Chloe Thorne and Powerful Tycoon Behave Intimately, Suspected Romance Exposed. The photos were blurry shots of a man and a woman from behind—eating at a restaurant, walking side-by-side on the street, getting into a car one after the other. I tapped the screen, zooming in on the blurry side profile. “Stop doubting it. It’s Oliver.” She curled her lips into a triumphant smile. “I never said it wasn’t him,” I replied flatly. She scoffed, then opened her photo album to show me. The background looked like a family gathering. A woman stood next to a man, her head resting slightly on his broad shoulder, smiling radiantly. I glanced at it twice, pushed the phone back, and leaned against my chair. Fingers laced together in my lap, I slowly rubbed my index finger. In six years, he had completely shed his boyish aura. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he looked cold and dominant. The eyes looking into the camera were utterly freezing. He used to be aloof and unapproachable, too. But whenever I touched the small mole at the corner of his eye… His eyelashes would flutter, and he would indulge my actions with a slow, unblinking gaze. He never possessed this intimidating, oppressive aura he had now. A slightly unfamiliar Oliver. As if reading my mind, the system spoke up indifferently: [No one stays the same, Host. He couldn’t possibly retain all his past feelings. Your identity as the ‘first love’ is just a facade now. You just need to use this facade to complete the mission.] I paused, downed the drink in my glass, and smiled. “He might not remember everything, but he couldn’t have forgotten everything, either.” Just as I stood up to leave, the person behind me suddenly stood up and shouted, “Elena! He only loves me now! I’ll say it again, don’t show your face here! Or he’ll skin you alive!” So stubborn. I stopped, turned around, and smiled. “Well, that’s unfortunate. I just signed with Oliver’s company. Guess we’ll be seeing each other every day.” “Elena! You did this on purpose, didn’t you?!” she demanded, furious. “Yep, on purpose. I haven’t forgotten the things you did to me using your family’s money back then. Guess who the company will give the better resources to from now on—you or me?” I kept smiling. She turned pale with anger, picking up her wine glass to throw it at me. But the next moment, her footsteps halted abruptly. In a daze, it felt as if the music in the bar had paused for a second. Sensing something, I followed her gaze and turned my head. Amidst the noise, a blurry yet familiar figure froze in my pupils. The man wore a long, black trench coat, the buttons left undone. The hair on his forehead was slightly messy from the wind, as if he had rushed over from a meeting. Countless eyes were on him. But he just stood there, looking at me. Across the crowd and the noise, it felt like a dream. A long-awaited reunion. I thought he should hate me. But I didn’t see any hatred or resentment in his eyes. Instead, there was a surge of some obscure, unspeakable emotion. “Hi. Long time no see.” In the end, I was the first to speak, smiling and greeting him. 4 We ended up eating together anyway. Throughout the meal, Chloe kept serving Oliver food, every action designed to show how intimate her relationship with him was now. And Oliver barely said a word. His jaw was tight, his face expressionless. But his gaze was restrained yet burning. Looking closely, there was even a hint of caution. I had to admit, it created a stark contrast within him. When dessert was finally served, Chloe saw the three small orange mousse cakes and covered her mouth, laughing. “Oh, Oliver, you still ordered my favorite. I remember Elena is allergic to mangoes, right?” She shot a triumphant look in my direction. But as soon as she finished speaking, a waiter placed a different small dessert plate in front of me. “Miss, your chocolate mousse.” “Hmm?” I looked up at the man across from me. “For you.” His voice was very soft, but his eyes uncontrollably fell on me, carrying a faint anticipation. It was my favorite flavor from the past. I paused, put on a smile, and said politely, “Thank you, Mr. Vance.” 5 “Next mission: Sow discord between the male and female leads, and steal the female lead’s script.” In the restroom, I was carefully touching up my makeup in the mirror. I asked, surprised, “That simple?” The system paused. [Host, you’d better have a clear understanding of yourself. [Don’t forget how you abandoned the male lead back then.] I touched my freshly glossed lips and smiled. [System, I think you’re underestimating the destructive power of a ‘first love.’] In the mirror, those narrow, cold eyes suddenly met mine. “Is there something you need?” I put my lipstick back in my bag and turned around calmly. He pressed his lips together, looking at me silently, his eyes as dark as ink. His Adam’s apple bobbed as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. I chuckled and casually called his name, “Oliver.” The slightly raised intonation at the end was exactly the same as it was back then. His hands clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white. I just stood there, eyes smiling, watching him leisurely. [System, see that? [The first love doesn’t have to do anything. [The first love just needs to stand there, and it hurts him to his very core, agonizingly so.] The system was silent for a long time before saying, [Host, you are very cruel.] [Aren’t the ones who designed this mission cruel too?] I lowered my eyes indifferently. They insist on giving this interrupted story the worst possible ending. Forcing the boy to watch helplessly as everything from his past is destroyed in a tragedy. 6 I forget how we ended up kissing. I only remember that, as our breaths mingled and our eyes met, the emotions in his eyes churned like a stormy sea. The next moment, I was pinned against the wall. An oppressive, vindictive kiss fell upon me, urgent and fiery. Just as I was running out of breath, he gradually slowed down, becoming gentle, reverent, and cautious. Eventually, he held me tightly, his forehead resting against my neck, breathing deeply. He seemed incredibly wounded and fragile. My heart trembled slightly. My shoulder felt a little damp. I looked at his slightly messy hair and couldn’t resist reaching out to smooth it. “I have a room on the top floor. Want to come up?” “Yes.” His voice was muffled and raspy. 7 The lights in the room were off. My kisses fell on his neck, his collarbone. Unable to handle it, he fell back onto the sofa, panting heavily. I gently bit his earlobe, asking with practiced ease and a light laugh, “Oliver, do you like it?” His expression visibly froze. I was using him. Using his past feelings to manipulate him. His expression turned cold. Just before he could push me away, I kissed him again. I easily pried open his lips, gradually taking over. Slowly, the hand pushing me away lost its strength. … “What do you want?” His voice was hoarse, suppressing his emotions. The redness at the corners of his eyes hadn’t faded, and his large hands rested restrained on my lower back. I thought he would ask where I’d been all these years, why I didn’t come back, why I lied to him, or maybe settle old scores and say something harsh. But he didn’t. He chose to ask a question about the present. Asking what my motive was for approaching him. I rested my chin on one hand, my fingers casually tapping his abs. With a beaming smile, I said, “The lead female role in Chloe’s new drama. You know I don’t like her.” [Host, you’d better not be this direct.] The system couldn’t help but issue a warning. [No one would agree to your request under these circumstances.] Is that so? I looked at the man in front of me with those beautiful, smiling eyes. He pressed his lips together tightly, holding my gaze. I could even feel the rise and fall of his chest and his faint breaths. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. “Can you do that?” I asked. The defenses he had built in his heart were effortlessly shattered. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked deeply at me and rasped out a single word: “Yes.” The smile on my lips deepened. “Thank you, Mr. Vance.” I straightened up, preparing to rise, and casually added, [System, I suggest you stay quiet while I’m doing my missions, otherwise the face-slapping every time…] Suddenly, two large hands grabbed my waist. Caught off guard, I fell back onto his lap. “Elena.” He buried his face in my neck, breathing deeply. I froze. My mind went blank for a second. A muffled, hoarse voice came from my neck, carrying a deep sense of helplessness and an indescribable longing. He said, “Please, stop playing with me. ” I can’t take being played like this.” 8 Oliver drove me back. The car pulled up smoothly in front of a hotel. Just as I unbuckled my seatbelt to get out, he suddenly reached out and grabbed me. “You’re staying here?” “Is there a problem?” He rolled down the window, looking at the neon hotel sign missing a letter and the unattended front desk. “It’s not safe.” “This hotel was investigated for some issues a few years ago.” The dim yellow interior light spilled onto the messy hair on his head. He looked at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, and asked, “Stay at my place. Please?” I didn’t answer. I just followed his gaze out the window. Old wooden windows swayed in the wind, and the surrounding area was completely deserted. Because the system had rushed me to the bar the moment I got off the plane, I didn’t have much time and just found the nearest hotel to drop my bags. I didn’t expect the hotel, which looked fine in the afternoon, to look so creepy at night. “It’s fine,” I swallowed hard. “I checked it out this afternoon. It’s livable.” At this point, I had secretly resolved to sprint upstairs as fast as possible, lock the door, and hide under the covers. Just as my hand touched the door handle, the person next to me spoke again, “I think I just saw a woman in a white dress with disheveled hair walk by.” Seeing me freeze, he added very softly, “She looked like she was floating.” After a brief second of hesitation, I decisively let go of the door handle and leaned back in my seat.

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