Author: Momo Chan

I was hooked up to an IV in the infusion room when I suddenly heard the inner thoughts of the hot guy sitting across from me: [Oh my God, isn’t that the woman on Liam’s lock screen?] [If I call Liam right now, he’ll rush over in a heartbeat, won’t he?] [She’s all alone getting an IV in the middle of the night. Liam’s gonna be heartbroken.] The infusion room was crowded. I thought the hot guy was talking about someone else. Little did I know, the person he was secretly taking photos of was actually me. 1 Being alone in the hospital while sick, hooked up to an IV, is lonely. I was staring at the drip, afraid to fall asleep. Just when I felt most vulnerable and lonely, I suddenly heard the inner thoughts of the hot guy sitting opposite me: [Oh my God, isn’t that the woman on Liam’s lock screen?] [She’s all alone getting an IV in the middle of the night. Liam’s gonna be heartbroken if he finds out.] [If I call Liam right now, he’ll rush over in a heartbeat, won’t he?] The infusion room was packed with people. I assumed he was talking about someone else and looked around curiously like any other bystander. But then, I realized the person he was secretly photographing with his phone was me. I wondered if I was hallucinating because I was sick and fragile, craving company. Then I heard his thoughts again. He had his head down, seemingly texting: [Liam, look who I ran into at the hospital.] [Is she the woman on your lock screen?] [She’s all alone in the infusion room. No one’s with her.] [How would I know what she’s sick with?] [Anyway, no one’s keeping her company.] [She looks so sleepy, almost dozing off a few times.] [But she keeps jolting awake to check the IV bag.] [Is your heart breaking into pieces right now?] [Huh? You’re asking which hospital?] [Information this important costs money, you know.] [Five hundred bucks. Transfer now.] [Not a cent less or I won’t tell you.] What? Five hundred dollars? Is he robbing someone? I wanted to rush over and ask him if I should get a cut of that money. Ding-dong. It seemed the money arrived. The hot guy shifted to a more excited sitting position. I continued to hear his thoughts: [Wow, Liam, you’re so generous.] [I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you right now.] [City General Hospital, second floor, Adult Infusion Room.] [Hurry up, waiting for you.] [Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her for you.] I really wanted to walk over and tell him: Instead of staring at me, why don’t you help me stare at my IV bottle? I was so sleepy, wanting to sleep but afraid no one would call the nurse when the IV finished. It would be trouble if blood flowed back or air got into the line. I closed my eyes, racking my brain, but couldn’t figure it out. Which “Liam” had a crush on me? Until twenty minutes later. Someone pushed open the doors of the infusion room. He was incredibly handsome in a black trench coat, his long legs particularly eye-catching. Underneath, he wore a white shirt, hinting at a toned waist, full of sexual tension. What surprised me most was that face—it was too familiar! Peak visual perfection. Wasn’t this my best friend Sarah’s younger brother, Liam Thorne, who had emigrated abroad? Dead memories suddenly began to attack me. 2 Six years ago, in the scorching heat of summer. My neighborhood had a power outage. Not being able to use the AC at night was torture. I posted on Instagram complaining: [Is this power outage trying to kill me with heat?] My best friend Sarah, who was abroad, called me and told me to stay at her place. Since she was overseas, her apartment here was empty anyway. I drove to her place immediately. I turned on the AC and fell asleep on her bed. Who knew I would wake up in the middle of the night to find someone lying next to me. I was startled. Turning on the light, I saw a face so handsome it was infuriating. Great pecs, defined abs, and even more sculpted V-lines! Crucially, his skin was fair; one look could cause a nosebleed. But his face was flushed from drinking, and he wouldn’t wake up no matter how I called him. Of course, I recognized him instantly. It was Sarah’s handsome younger brother. He was only eighteen, looking like a fresh-faced boy, but undressed, he was so built. One look was enough to make blood rush, too tempting to commit a crime. The little brat was probably drunk. He slept like a log, unaware there was someone else on the bed. What should I do? Sarah’s apartment was a one-bedroom; there were no other rooms. And the living room didn’t have AC. I wasn’t going to give up the bedroom. I wanted to kick him off the bed and make him sleep on the floor. But no matter how I kicked, I couldn’t move him. Just as I closed my eyes, fuming and unsure what to do. Suddenly, the brat turned over. A warm, domineering pair of sexy lips, tinged with the scent of alcohol. Unexpectedly pressed against mine. I was instantly stunned, my mind going blank. Who would have thought I’d be molested in the middle of the night by a handsome brother five years my junior. I was about to scold him, shout him awake. As soon as I opened my mouth, his slippery tongue dove right in. I was completely dumbfounded, blood rushing backward throughout my body. My eyes widened abruptly, seeing his closed eyes and brows. His eyelashes were longer than mine. Eyes closed, they looked beautiful like inverted moons. His breath sprayed on my face. Hot, a bit tingling, and a bit ticklish. I hadn’t experienced such emotional fluctuation in my entire life. I should have been angry out of embarrassment, but my heart raced uncontrollably. The brat swept through my mouth drunkenly. I was so scared I completely forgot how to react normally. My tongue dodged everywhere, not wanting to be entangled by him. The brat wasn’t in a hurry. If he couldn’t entangle, he sucked my mouth bit by bit. His tongue tip touched the roof of my mouth. I felt like I was hit by electric currents, wave after wave, unbearable. My brain actually produced a feeling: too enjoyable. Crazy! My mood fluctuated wildly, my mind a mess. No matter how crazy he acted, I couldn’t let him mess around like this! I had never kissed anyone in my life. Now teased by my best friend’s little brother to the point of being unable to stop, a battle between heaven and humanity, dizzy, in chaos. Clearly couldn’t stand this soft touch. In the end, my tongue couldn’t help but want to touch his. My heart was about to jump out of my throat. Felt I was incredibly crazy. In the quiet night, I was hot all over, sweating profusely. Later, when I recalled it, I never remembered it clearly, only the burning sensation was deeply etched in my memory. Later still, the brat probably had enough of molesting me and fell asleep soundly beside me, while I— My heart still surged with huge waves, unable to calm down. Even sleepless all night. At 5 AM, before the brat sobered up, I fled. 3 If only that was the sole accident. But half a month later, Sarah suddenly called me: “Momo, did you touch the surveillance cameras in my house when you stayed over?” My head buzzed: “You have cameras in your house?” Sarah said, “I’m abroad; of course, I need cameras for the empty apartment here. Today I checked them on a whim and found all recordings normal, except the night you stayed over—it was deleted.” My scalp went numb. Did her brother delete it? Did he check the surveillance the next day, discover we did indescribable things, and destroy the evidence? My heart leapt to my throat. I had to ask clearly. “Did you install cameras in every room?” Sarah affirmed, “Yes, except for the bathroom, everywhere else has cameras. But that night, the recordings from every room were wiped clean. I’m not blaming you; I just want to clarify. If it wasn’t you, but a hacker intrusion copying videos of you sleeping, that would be big trouble.” I jumped up in shock. Before deleting the video, did her brother make a copy for himself? I wished I could find a hole to crawl into. And I couldn’t ask Sarah to question her brother about this. Truly suffering in silence. I could only perfunctorily tell Sarah: “Um, ah, haha, you caught me. Not a hacker, I deleted it. Didn’t want you to see my elegant sleeping posture.” Sarah laughed and scolded on the other end: “Get lost. As long as it’s not a hacker. I was going to delete it for you anyway, so never mind.” I was anxious for a while after hanging up. Afraid her brother would come looking for me. Fortunately, nothing happened later. Over time, I forgot about that night. Only occasionally, seeing kissing scenes in dramas. Would trigger the memory of that indescribable beauty of that night. Blushing, secretly savoring it. Feeling ashamed, then quickly stopping. Occasionally chatting with Sarah, unintentionally hearing about her brother’s recent situation. I always paid careful attention but dared not ask too much. I didn’t expect to see him again in the infusion room six years later. Liam walked quickly towards me. No, accurately speaking, he walked quickly towards the hot guy opposite me. As if discovering me by accident. His expression was surprised and astonished: “Sister Monica? Why are you getting an IV here alone? “Where do you feel uncomfortable? Do you want a hand warmer?” As he spoke, he took out a hand warmer from his bag and placed it under my wrist. After an hour of infusion, my wrist was already frozen stiff. The sudden appearance of the hot water bag was simply my savior. He leaned lazily on the empty seat next to me, his profile deep and handsome. Heard from Sarah that he started taking over the family business after graduating last year. Only back in the country for a year, the projects he took over had doubled the company’s profits. Sarah’s dad praised his son to everyone. Indeed, a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers. The aura of a young heir was full, making one’s heart tingle. Especially knowing this little brat had a crush on me, adding another filter. I stared straight at him, unexpectedly making his ears red. The black trench coat set off his nobility and calmness. But it couldn’t hide the turmoil in his eyes: “Sister Monica, is there something on my face?” I held back laughter and shook my head: “No, just think it’s too coincidental.” 4 The hot guy opposite also pretended to be surprised and greeted me: “Hahaha, isn’t it coincidental? “So this sister knows Liam. I’m Zach, Liam’s bro. “Sister, I saw you were sleepy just now. If you’re really sleepy, why don’t you take a nap? Let Liam watch the IV bottle for you. “I called Liam to accompany me. Didn’t expect Liam to meet an acquaintance in the infusion room. Anyway, accompanying one is accompanying, accompanying two is also accompanying. “Right, Liam?” “Mn, piece of cake. Sister Monica, just sleep.” I just sneezed, and Liam took off his coat and covered me with it: “Sister Monica, will this be warmer?” The coat retaining his body heat instantly reminded me of that indescribable night six years ago. It was killing me; my heart had lost its rhythm. I could only close my eyes, desperately telling myself to calm down. But my mood couldn’t calm down, floating in the air like a roller coaster. I couldn’t believe it—the little brat actually had a crush on me? The inner voice from across came again: [Liam, why are you being reserved? Didn’t you see Sister Monica dozing off needing a pillow? Offer your shoulder for her to lean on.] [Who cares if she has a boyfriend? Why can’t latecomers take the lead? Isn’t everyone fighting and grabbing and acting tea-like anyway?] [So what if you’re five years younger? If you don’t pursue, how do you know she doesn’t like younger guys? A proud, restrained, obsessive, clingy younger brother—which sister doesn’t love that?] [Younger guys need to have a sweet mouth.] [Like when sister finishes her IV, take the chance to drive her home, then pin her in the elevator and say:] [“Sister, you are my ideal type.”] [“Sister, can’t it be me?”] [“Sister, I just want to date you, I’m going crazy thinking about it.”] [“Sister, I’ll listen to you from now on.”] [“Sister, can I be your private property?”] [“Sister, can I bully you disrespectfully?”] [“Sister, touch my abs.”] Help, who understands? Sleepy as hell but can’t sleep. Mind full of Liam pinning me in the elevator, saying those lines one by one with a magnetic, alluring tone. Clearly nothing happened, but I’ve already had a mental orgasm. Couldn’t help swallowing. Actually looking forward to it a little. Dare not imagine if Liam really pinned me in the elevator, close to my ear, saying those flirting words with his deep voice, how good my ears would feel. Single since birth for years, I can’t stand even a little stimulation. I secretly lifted my eyelids. Unexpectedly found Liam staring at my face thoughtfully. Seemingly struggling with something in his eyes. Discovering I opened my eyes, his eyes dodged faster than mine. But the next second, he actively closed the distance and offered his shoulder: “Sister Monica, I’ll lend you my shoulder to lean on and sleep.” Before I could refuse, his long arm reached over, pressing my sleepy head onto his shoulder. The action was fast, decisive, and very righteous: “Before when my sister was sick getting an IV, she had to lean on my shoulder. “With me, you get the same treatment as my sister. “Otherwise, if my sister finds out I met you in the hospital but didn’t take good care of you, she definitely won’t let me off.” I tried hard to pretend to be calm and reserved: “I’m really too sleepy, so I won’t be polite. Thank you, Liam.” Liam pretended to be calmer than me on the surface: “Piece of cake, as it should be. “I didn’t come specifically to be your pillow, just happened to meet.” I smiled without speaking. If I hadn’t heard the hot guy’s thoughts opposite me. I almost believed this unexpected encounter.

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My husband’s entire family thinks I have the easiest life. When I was a stay-at-home mom, they thought my husband worked hard to earn money, while I had it easy at home with the kid, so I had to do all the housework. When I went back to work, they thought my mother-in-law worked hard taking care of the kid, while I had an easy office job, so I had to take care of the kid after work. I had no complaints about taking care of my child, but just because I raised my voice slightly while helping him with homework, my husband pointed at my nose and called me “crazy.” My mother-in-law mocked me: “You can’t even do something as easy as teaching a child? What face do you have to scold him?” Even my child said it was bad luck to have me as a mother, and that other kids’ moms weren’t like this. Fine, fine. This “easy” life, I suddenly don’t want it anymore. 1 At 8 PM, I came home from overtime. My son was still playing video games with his dad. I assumed he had finished his homework because my husband promised to help him with it today. I asked casually: “Finished your homework so quickly today?” My son didn’t even lift his head: “Haven’t started yet.” I was angry and questioned Liam why he hadn’t supervised the child’s homework this late. Liam dismissed it: “It’s just some stupid homework, what’s wrong with doing it a bit later?” My anger flared up instantly. Since our son started first grade, I’ve always been the one supervising his homework. Only occasionally, when I worked overtime, would I ask him for help. But even then, he was always perfunctory. Either he was too lazy to check, not knowing if the child made mistakes. Or he just let the child play. When questioned, he would say the child didn’t listen to him at all. “What can I do? If you’re so good, you do it.” Or simply like today, spreading his hands, completely giving up. In the past, I would definitely have had a big fight with him. But now I was very tired, having neither the energy to argue nor the desire to waste time. It was already past eight, and the homework hadn’t been started. Given my son’s procrastination level, finishing homework would take until 9:30, then washing up, bedtime would be 10:00. Tomorrow, he had to get up early for school. I barely suppressed my anger, confiscated my son’s Switch, and forced him to do homework. My son looked unhappy, mumbling: “Mom is such a buzzkill.” Liam patted his son’s shoulder, father and son exchanging a knowing look. As if their common enemy was me. Chanting “don’t get angry, don’t get angry” to myself, I sat down at the desk with my son. But my son didn’t even read the questions seriously, grabbing the pen and scribbling randomly. I tapped the question with my finger, signaling him to look again. My son dared not say anything, so he bit his pen and stared at the question. However, this stare lasted for two minutes, obviously daydreaming. This couldn’t go on, so I started reading the question to him, explaining the key points. But he was absent-minded. Just as I was explaining the question to him, he suddenly dived under the desk and fished out a toy car. Obviously, his attention just now was not on the question at all. I worked overtime until eight and was already exhausted. Later, after the child went to sleep, I still had a freelance copywriting job to do. Every second the child wasted now would delay my rest time. At this moment, I was exhausted and couldn’t help raising my voice: “Do you know what time it is? Can’t you focus on your homework?” “I’ve explained it several times, can you pay a little attention? Mom is tired too, can you respect Mom’s labor?” The child lowered his head under the scolding. As a result, Liam rushed in directly, pointing at my nose and scolding me: “You’re crazy. “Coming home with a long face, who do you want to show it to? “Are you the only one tired all day? When you stayed at home with the kid, you said you were tired. Now you go out to work, you’re still tired. “Your broken job is so easy, how tired can it be? Can you stop being so pretentious! “Look around the world, which mother is like you. Going out to slack off isn’t enough, coming home to tutor a child and being so impatient, do you deserve to be a mother?” I trembled with anger. I raised the child since birth. Finally, he started elementary school, and his father, except for occasionally playing games with him, hadn’t taken care of him for a single complete day. What right did he have to accuse me of not deserving to be a mother? I couldn’t help retorting: “I don’t deserve to be a mother, do you deserve to be a father? Have you taken care of the child for a single day since he was born? What right do you have to accuse me?” Liam sneered: “Didn’t I earn the money? Without me working hard outside to earn money, just relying on your peanuts, could you live this good life now?” Money again. I only felt endless sorrow in my heart. 2 Liam and I were college classmates. Before having the child, we were both in internet companies, earning about the same. After marriage, I wanted to focus on my career for a few years before having children. But my mother-in-law kept pushing for a baby, and before the birth, she vowed that after the birth, the child would be handed over to her, absolutely leaving us with no worries. Result: the child was born, my mother-in-law, who agreed to come help, sprained her waist as soon as the confinement nanny left. This sprain lasted for several years. Because no one took care of the child, I had to resign. After resigning, taking care of the child became my full-time job. My husband worked hard during the day to earn money, so naturally, he should rest well after work. And I took care of the child at home, happy and easy, what right did I have to shout tired? Accompanying my own cute baby to eat and sleep every day, shouting tired was being pretentious. In those two years, Liam often said he supported the family, didn’t even lift a finger at home, let alone help me with the child. When the child was two years old, once I had a high fever and asked Liam to accompany the child. Result: Liam left me and the child and insisted on going out for social engagement. “You enjoy life at home with the child, can you understand the pressure of my work? “If there are difficulties, overcome them yourself, don’t be so pretentious.” At that time, holding the child in my arms, I wanted to end it all. But the child cried tiredly, murmuring “Mommy hug” in his dreams, making me feel that I had no right to die. I gave birth to him, I must be responsible for him. At that time, I joined many mom groups, and everyone lived a life similar to mine. Everyone encouraged each other, saying it would be better when the child grew up. When the child went to kindergarten, my mother-in-law’s waist finally healed, and she could come to take care of the child. The whole family said the child was older, and I could find a job. But because of a career gap of nearly three years, plus the child was young, except for odd jobs, no decent company was willing to hire me. Later, I gritted my teeth and passed the exam for a public institution. Although it was a government job, as a window unit, in fact, affairs were complicated, often overtime, and not earning much. In the current environment, I was content and tried hard to adapt to the work pace. But in the eyes of Liam’s whole family, I didn’t go to work at all, but went out to slack off. No matter how tired I was at work, how late I came back from overtime, I had to continue taking care of the child and doing housework when I got home. Because my mother-in-law was tired all day, Liam was tired all day, only I “rested” outside all day. Moreover, he often brought up the fact that I earned less than him. Even though we started from the same point, even though it was because I gave birth to and raised a child with his surname, cutting off my career prospects. Clearly, I made sacrifices for the family, but now this has become the handle for Liam to manipulate me. Every time we quarreled, he would say he earned money, he supported the family, without him, I couldn’t live this good life now. Ironically, this hideous man in front of me once vowed when I had to resign: “My money is your money, I will always remember my dear wife’s sacrifice.” Fortunately, after disappointments piled up, I had long lost any expectation for marriage and Liam, leaving only the persistence for the child to have a complete family. 3 I didn’t want to argue, just wanted to solve the problem: “The child is not mine alone. In the future, when I’m not home, you supervise the homework. No games until homework is finished.” Unexpectedly, it only exchanged for Liam’s sneer and contempt: “You’re ordering me around now? You call the shots in this house? Who do you think you are?!” And at this time, my mother-in-law, who had been in the living room, also rushed in to join the battle. “Let him supervise? He is a man, has to work to earn money, and come home to tutor the child, what’s the use of marrying you?” I was furious and couldn’t help asking my mother-in-law: “Don’t I work? Don’t I earn money?” My mother-in-law spat at me: “Your job is so easy, can it compare with Liam? “Just earning those peanuts, you have the nerve to say you also work and earn money! “Working a broken job, the whole family owes you, coming home and scolding the child, I see you are seriously sick. “Look at other people’s wives, capable of earning money and supporting the family, never seen anyone like you, going crazy as soon as you get home. “Small ability, big temper. Can’t even do such an easy thing as tutoring a child with homework, still have the face to scold the child.” Saying this, she dragged Leo’s arm and walked out: “Don’t pay attention to your crazy mom, come, go eat delicious food with grandma.” Leo cheered and jumped up, about to leave with my mother-in-law. I shouted at him to stop, grabbed his other arm, not letting him go. Leo shook off my hand without hesitation: “You are so annoying!” I looked at this child I raised single-handedly in disbelief. He rolled his eyes at me exactly like my mother-in-law: “Only incompetent adults push their kids. Dad said, the money you earn is not even half of his, what are you proud of?” “It’s really bad luck to have a mom like you, my classmates’ moms are not like you.” Three similar faces in front of me, using the same tone, saying identical words. For me, there is no horror movie more terrifying than this scene. The three of them went out happily. I heard Liam ask Leo loudly: “Want to go out for late-night snacks? Let’s go, not writing that broken homework today, I don’t believe the sky will fall.” Leo jumped three feet high: “Dad long live!” Soon, the three of them went out, leaving me at home. I looked around this home, on the table there was a pile of strawberry butts left after Leo ate the tips, three socks thrown by Liam under the sofa, and oily dishes soaking in the kitchen sink after dinner. These were the housework left for me, the “relaxed” person. My mother-in-law was obviously at home every day, claiming to help us manage housework, but actually only cooked for her eldest son and eldest grandson. Since I got pregnant, I felt nauseous smelling meat, so I started eating vegetarian. She was used to cooking with heavy oil, every meal was either chicken, duck, or fish, saying her son was tired, grandson was growing, must eat well every day. Basically, every day when I came back at night, I could only eat some staple food to cushion my stomach. Moreover, my mother-in-law said her waist was bad, couldn’t mop the floor once a week, and even refused to wash clothes on the grounds of not knowing how to use the washing machine. Liam habitually threw dirty clothes and socks around. Even though I bought a laundry basket, he still threw socks everywhere. Kitchen hygiene, toilet hygiene, clothes for our family of three, were usually done by me after the child fell asleep. Every day as soon as I entered the house, big and small things in the house all recognized their owner. Even so, Liam would say: “My mom worked hard all day, your job is so easy, do more when you get home.” Before I was completely disappointed with Liam, I also tried to communicate with him, my job was also very tiring. What I got was only his contempt: “If you are tired, let your mom come to take care of the child?” He clearly knew my biological mother favored boys over girls, devoted herself to my brother, and wouldn’t care about me at all. When we were dating, Liam knew the grievances I suffered in my original family, and once cried with heartache: “They don’t love you, I love you. Wang Yifan, in this life I, Liam, only love you!” It was this sentence that made me truly consider starting a family with Liam. Never having been firmly loved, I really wanted a family of my own, and really wanted a lover who only loved me. But this person who once said he only loved me, now punched me in the flesh, hitting the most painful and fragile place in my life. I will always remember the look he gave me then: “Wang Yifan, this is your fate, don’t be pretentious.” I knew his implication, even my own mother didn’t love me, didn’t help me, why should I expect him, expect his mother to love me, help me. In that instant, I also suddenly understood why Liam suddenly changed like a different person after I gave birth. Because he knew I was a woman with no support behind me. Except for this “home” he gave me, I had nowhere to go, no one to rely on. Therefore, he couldn’t be bothered to distract himself with me. But even realizing this, I could only continue to stay in this “home.” Because I still had the child. Leaving Liam, I couldn’t raise a child well by myself. So, I let myself sink deeper and deeper in this suffocating home. At this time the doorbell rang, it was the courier delivering a box of peaches. I remembered, last night Leo said he wanted to eat peaches, Liam immediately said he wanted to eat too, he would buy them. And I am allergic to peaches, let alone eating peaches, even touching peach fuzz will cause a rash. I looked at the peach picture on the express delivery, asked myself, Wang Yifan, is this what you want?

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I was rummaging through Julian Thorne’s trash when I received an anonymous text: “I want to lick the mole on your collarbone, baby.” Even after blocking the number, the harassing messages kept coming. Whether I was late for work, out at the movies, or stalking Julian myself, he always managed to send a flirty text right on cue. He even offered me advice: “Once Julian drinks it, baby, you can do whatever you want with him.” Later, I accidentally stumbled into Julian’s darkroom. The walls were plastered with photos of me. Julian, who was supposedly passed out drunk on the sofa, had clear eyes as he slowly picked up his phone and sent a text. A familiar notification sound rang in my pocket. “Baby, didn’t I teach you? The drug works best mixed with an ice-cold drink.” 1 “I want to lick the mole on your collarbone, baby.” I pursed my lips, glanced around nervously, quickly pulled up my collar, and blocked the unknown number. Pulling my cap lower, I squatted in front of Julian’s door and started rummaging through his delivery boxes and takeout bags. “Reordered the same body wash again.” “Switched to a different variety of mangoes.” “Bought cold medicine yesterday. Did he catch a chill with the weather turning?” After sifting through everything, I took the pile of trash downstairs and threw it into the dumpster. Back home, I pulled a white shirt out of my closet. It was Julian’s. It looked barely worn, retrieved by me from a discarded delivery box outside his door a month ago. I pressed it against my face, greedily inhaling the lingering scent. Enveloped in the smell of cedarwood, my mind conjured images of Julian wearing this shirt. Cool, abstinent. I loved it. 2 “Recently, the delivery boxes and takeout bags outside my door keep disappearing.” Julian stood beside me in the elevator, his voice calm. A chill ran down my spine. In the reflection of the elevator doors, my right hand gripping my bag strap was painfully obvious. “Have you encountered anything like this?” He turned his head, his gaze slowly shifting to me. “Miss Hart?” “Maybe the cleaning lady took them. She often takes my delivery boxes too.” I smiled and gave the answer I had prepared long ago. Julian raised an eyebrow, looking enlightened. “So that’s it.” Seeing that he believed me, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to ask about his recent health, the elevator arrived. The moment the doors opened, Julian frowned in displeasure. “Why did she follow me here?” I followed his gaze. A bouquet of bright red roses lay at his door. He picked up the flowers with one hand, glanced at them casually, and suddenly called out to me from behind. “Miss Hart, if you encountered something like this, what would you do?” He handed the card to me. I took a step back and waved my hand. “This is your private matter. I won’t get involved.” Julian’s eyes darkened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. “Sorry to disturb you.” It wasn’t until I entered my apartment and sat on the sofa that I noticed my smartwatch issuing a stress warning. In that brief glance earlier, I had actually seen the contents of the card clearly. It was filled with passionate confessions to Julian. There was even a bright red lipstick mark over the name “Chloe Quinn” at the bottom. Julian’s solution to the stalker was simple. He tossed the bouquet back where it was and went home as if nothing had happened, ignoring it completely. Although he didn’t do anything extreme, I clearly saw the look of utter disgust in his eyes when he saw the flowers. I couldn’t help but think of my own uncontrollable, perverted behavior towards Julian. Rummaging through his trash, spying on his privacy, following him to the movies to watch the same film, participating in events organized by his club to fake chance encounters… I dared not imagine what his reaction would be if he discovered these things. I curled my trembling pinky into my palm. I have to be more careful in the future. He must never find out. 3 More things started piling up at Julian’s door. Besides the usual discarded boxes, there were beautifully wrapped gifts. Sometimes gourmet desserts, sometimes designer sneakers. But Julian never even opened the packaging. He let the items pile up into a small mountain. Chloe was as persistent as her card suggested. I even saw her at Julian’s door. Chloe, who had been examining Julian’s delivery labels, turned her head immediately upon noticing me and asked with a grin: “Hi there, does Julian Thorne live here?” She was very beautiful, and her smile was exceptionally friendly. No one could dislike a girl like her. This wasn’t my first time seeing Chloe. Julian, Chloe, and I all went to the same university. Back in college, Chloe was famous as the “Business School Beauty.” I had heard her name many times but never interacted with her. The closest encounter was probably one summer night when I accidentally walked into a pole on the track field because I was zoning out. When I was helped up, dazed, surrounded by floating pink balloons and a surging crowd, I realized I had stumbled into someone’s public confession scene. And the heroine was Chloe. I covered my throbbing forehead, apologizing profusely as I fled in embarrassment. Now, Chloe stood there in a white dress similar to that summer night, tilting her head, waiting for my answer. I nodded at her. I couldn’t lie. Julian used his real name for deliveries; she could find out with a quick check. When I went into my apartment, Chloe was still fiddling with the new gift she brought for Julian. Ding— A message notification sounded. I relaxed my fingers; the print on my phone case was scratched and peeling from my nails. I picked up the phone. Another text from a strange number. “Baby, are you jealous?” Only after he pointed it out did I realize the heaviness in my heart was jealousy. This pervert always knew my information firsthand, understanding me even better than I understood myself. It felt like he was watching me from the shadows. When I first started receiving harassing texts, I panicked, searching for cameras in my home, suspecting every passerby, even moving immediately. But nothing stopped it. Every time I blocked a number, he would switch to a new one. Over time, I became numb to these messages. I no longer feared his ambiguous texts. Because I discovered he didn’t dare appear in front of me. Just like I didn’t dare reveal my true self to Julian. “Baby, there’s another woman looking for your neighbor. He must be a dirty man.” “Baby, do you want me to beat him up for you to vent your anger?” “Baby, stop liking him.” New messages appeared on my screen one after another. I picked up my phone and rarely replied to this pervert. “Who should I like then? You?” “Boohoo, baby finally noticed me. I’m a thousand, ten thousand times better than your neighbor. I want to hug baby, kiss baby right now.” “Get lost.” The phone went quiet. Just when I thought there wouldn’t be any more messages. Ding— “Baby is so fierce, I like it.” Damn it, pervert. I quickly blocked the number. 4 My company took on a big project. I was practically squeezed dry, working until eleven every night. Let alone stalking Julian, I could only glance at the pile of stuff at his door out of the corner of my eye while rushing to the elevator. The messages from strange numbers on my phone piled up to 99+. It wasn’t until the proposal finally passed review that I could catch my breath. Leaving work on time for the first time in half a month, I unfortunately encountered a rainstorm. Passing by the apartment next door, I saw Julian’s door ajar, dark inside. I checked the time. 6 PM. Julian usually came home at 8 PM. Did he forget to close the door? Possessed by some ghost, I pushed open Julian’s door. Quiet, no one there. I walked in a few steps, fumbled to turn on the light, scanned the room, and my gaze was instantly drawn to a plush toy on the entryway cabinet. It was a pink rabbit wearing a pink dress. Not new, with visible wear on its limbs, but clearly cherished by its owner. It looked so familiar. I seemed to have had a similar keychain in high school, but I accidentally lost it later. I picked up the rabbit keychain, wanting to examine the details. The elevator door behind me suddenly opened. I froze in place, at a loss. Only two people lived on this floor. Besides me, only Julian would come here. The rain was deafening, but the footsteps were crystal clear in my ears. Then, a tall shadow fell over my head. The rich scent of cedarwood enveloped me, a continuous chill, like standing in a pine forest after the first snow. He leaned in, placing a hand on my waist. Water droplets fell from his forehead and chin, landing on my collarbone, the cold making me shiver slightly. That icy voice rang in my ear. “What are you doing?” “Miss Hart?”

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I transmigrated into the role of a green tea (manipulative) female side character who cross-dresses as a boy just to get close to the male lead. Now, not only do I have to maintain this character, but I also have to “conquer” the heroine, who is also cross-dressing as a boy. So, I’m forced to play both sides. The day my secret was exposed, I trembled in fear. The male lead rubbed my lips fiercely: “You like playing these thrilling games, huh?” “Hmm?” 1 “Come out!” “Explain what was under your butt just now!” As soon as I transmigrated, I heard myself interrogating someone behind a bathroom stall door. My tone wasn’t exactly friendly. I immediately covered my mouth. Shit! Why is my mouth running on auto-pilot? While I was panicking, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in my mind: “Congratulations, you have been selected to transmigrate into a book. I am your System.” According to the System, the original owner of this body is named Faye Jensen. She is a manipulative “green tea” side character who is obsessed with the male lead, Xavier Thorne, and goes so far as to dress as a boy to get close to him. And the person I currently have blocked in the stall is the heroine of this book, Chloe Stone. In the original novel, after discovering Chloe’s true identity today, I started targeting her relentlessly. Terrified she would get involved with Xavier. Little did I know, these actions actually accelerated the romantic development between the male and female leads, and sped up my own demise. Ending in a miserable tragedy. I rubbed my chin for a moment: “So my mission is to successfully conquer the male lead?” Standard transmigration trope, I get it, I get it. The System paused: “You only guessed half right.” Half? Which half? Before I could ask, the System volunteered: “Your mission is to maintain your character persona while, still cross-dressing as a boy, successfully conquering the heroine.” ? Maintaining the persona is understandable, but conquering the heroine? What the hell? I was silent for a moment: “System, be honest, is your last name ‘Absurd’?” “Also, I’m not gay.” Sensing my displeasure, the System was considerate and immediately offered a second option: “Then you can die. I’ll find someone else.” Uh, wait. Is it that casual?! I choked and tried to save myself: “Actually, I’ve long discovered I’m suited to be a lesbian.” “In the past, my moral compass was too high, so I only dared to be gay in secret, trembling with fear that others would find out. But after meeting you, being gay has become a lifestyle, a threshold for making friends, a philosophy of life. Being a lesbian is underrated; it’s not just an action, but a mood in mind, a state of being. If someone isn’t gay, I feel sorry for them.” This time it was the System’s turn to choke: “It’s not that serious. You just need her affection level for you to reach 100%. You don’t have to… actually become a lesbian.” I was a little disappointed. What the hell, I just convinced myself. 2 After understanding the situation, I turned my gaze to the present. Chloe still hadn’t come out. After thinking for a moment, I ran to the classroom, grabbed my backpack, and passed a sanitary pad from a hidden pocket through the gap in the stall door. Luckily, the original owner had a habit of carrying pads. I softened my voice: “Um, do you need this?” Chloe didn’t make a sound, so I kept holding it. After a long time, Chloe moved and whispered a very quiet “Thank you.” A voice rang in my mind: Affection +5. The corner of my lips curled up, and I started explaining my behavior just now. “Don’t be scared. I was just a little shocked, so I overreacted. Sorry about that.” “Don’t worry, I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.” “I’m leaving now, bye.” As my footsteps faded away, the mechanical voice continued: Affection +10. Hehe, the heroine is kinda cute. 3 It was currently break time, and the classroom was a chaotic mess. Some people who saw my actions earlier started gossiping as soon as I returned. I rubbed my eyes, pretending I just woke up: “Nothing, I just thought school was over.” Everyone burst into laughter, and I took the opportunity to return to my seat. I ran too fast earlier and didn’t get a chance to look at my “male lead” desk mate. It’s hard to say if the original owner was smart or stupid. Smart because she cross-dressed to get close to Xavier Thorne. Stupid because by cross-dressing, she became the only “girl” around Xavier who was treated like a bro. I sighed. Hard to judge. Xavier beside me probably heard my sigh. His face, which had been buried on the desk, turned. His bangs were fragmented and messy. He half-opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight from the window: “Why the sigh?” Even in such a terrible posture, it was hard to hide the boy’s handsomeness. I paused. It took a moment to realize that this should be the time when “I” and Xavier had the best relationship. That’s why he had the leisure to care about me. I shook my head, indicating it was nothing. Just then, Chloe entered from the front door. Across half the classroom, I spotted her instantly. The girl was truly beautiful, with red lips and white teeth, a pair of clear tea-colored eyes. Her short hair added a touch of handsomeness. My eyes lit up. Worthy of being the heroine. Chloe sensed my gaze and turned her head. Her cheeks flushed, looking like she wanted to say something but stopped. As if worried about what happened earlier. I smiled at her and made an “OK” gesture. That pad became our unspoken secret. “Since when do you know him?” Xavier beside me straightened up at some point, following my gaze to look at Chloe. His expression was intriguing. My alarm bells went off immediately. In terms of charm, I can’t compare to Xavier. If Xavier starts interacting with Chloe now, he might steal my baby heroine away in no time. Then wouldn’t my mission be doomed? My life is over. Thinking of this, I spoke immediately: “Xavier bro, help me see how to do this problem?” No matter what, I can’t let him look at Chloe anymore. Staring at that face for too long, I’m afraid he’ll fall in love. Too dangerous. 4 Xavier paused, then shifted his gaze to me. “Asking me?” Right, asking him? Xavier is an out-and-out slacker in the book. I was speechless for a moment, trying to smooth things over: “Who told you to have a scholar’s face, bro? You look like you know everything.” Hearing this, Xavier couldn’t hold back and chuckled. “According to you, if I don’t solve this problem, I’m letting my face down?” I nodded, but then quickly shook my head. Not really. You just be handsome. Someone else will handle the studying. I glanced inconspicuously at Chloe. Yup, the only brain in the whole book. But for some reason, Xavier’s expression inexplicably turned cold. He reached out and pressed my head toward the problem. With just a glance, he wrote down the answer. ? Wait, he just solved it? This is an extra credit problem. I flipped to the answer key at the back to compare. Identical. I looked at Xavier. He returned to his lazy posture but looked a bit smugger. He raised an eyebrow at me, as if saying: “Well?” I couldn’t believe it. After holding it in for a long time, I said: “…Did you peek at the answer?” Otherwise, it’s impossible! So I successfully saw Xavier’s face turn dark. He sneered and messed up my hair: “Faye, you’re really something.” I screamed. But this really isn’t my fault! This is called OOC (Out Of Character), you know!

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After my parents divorced, my dad quickly married his mistress and had a precious son to carry on the family name. My mom found her second spring and had a new baby, the fruit of her true love. I became the “flaw” in their perfect new lives. Both of them, along with their new partners, kicked me out of the house. Just as I was starving and about to resort to selling myself, the delinquent girl I used to fear grabbed me. She blew a smoke ring in my face, looking at me with disdain: “Are you stupid?” “If they won’t give it to you, can’t you just take it yourself?” “Steal, rob, whatever. Taking your own parents’ money is called justice.” 1 I thought she made a lot of sense, so I put it into action. Taking advantage of the time my dad and stepmom took their baby out, I decisively smashed the window with a rock and climbed in. A security guard saw me and shouted, but then realized it was me: “Hey, aren’t you Mr. Walker’s daughter?” “Why are you climbing through the window instead of using the front door?” I leaned on the windowsill and smiled at the guard: “Forgot my keys, didn’t I?” “I left something inside, need it urgently.” I’ve lived in this house for over a decade; everyone here knows me. Naturally, he didn’t stop me. Once inside, I started searching. I had planned this in advance. I wouldn’t take anything too expensive; if they pursued it, I might have to return it. I’d take food and drinks. The fridge was full of expensive supplements my stepmom used, like bird’s nest and collagen. I grabbed a plastic bag and scooped them all up. Also, I needed things that were valuable but not crucial. I circled the house. Looking around, I set my sights on my cheap brother’s stroller. It cost a couple of thousand dollars. If I sold it as scrap or second-hand for a few hundred, they couldn’t really hold me accountable, could they? Also, my dad had a habit of hiding a private stash of cash. This was something he wouldn’t tell anyone about. I felt around the old hiding spot and actually found several thousand dollars in cash. My hands trembled with excitement as I stuffed it into my bag. Then, I loaded my loot onto the stroller and boldly pushed it out. Roxy and her crew were waiting for me at the community gate. Seeing this, they all gave me a thumbs up. “Not bad, Vance.” “We thought you’d be too scared to take much since it’s your first time.” I sneered and raised an eyebrow: “Having suffered once, they definitely won’t give me a second chance, so I have to take enough in one go.” Roxy was street-smart and had many connections. With a few phone calls, she helped me sell the “stolen goods.” By the time my dad brought the police to my door, I had already sold everything. And I had hidden the money in different places. My dad slapped me as soon as he saw me, his face red and neck thick as he roared: “You learned all these bad habits from your mother.” “Stealing from your own home.” “Officer, this thief with sticky fingers must be taught a lesson.” Seeing his self-righteous look, I just wanted to laugh. It was just some supplements and a stroller, things he was willing to buy for his mistress and precious son. But when I took them, he called the police to arrest me? I immediately knelt down and kowtowed, crying loudly: “Dad, I beg you.” “I’m so hungry, and I have nowhere to go.” “I don’t want to be an escort like Auntie said.” 2 The idea of being an escort was actually “suggested” by my stepmom when she kicked me out. Hearing this, the police quickly came to help me up. I grabbed their uniforms and cried loudly: “Officer, I want to report that my stepmom used to be an escort.” “I have evidence of her taking clients.” My dad couldn’t hold it in anymore and roared impotently: “You damn girl, what nonsense are you talking about?” I took out the phone I had just bought and handed the evidence to the police officer. This was collected by my mom when she caught him cheating. But when she divorced, she took a large sum of money and didn’t report the mistress. I, however, remembered this clearly and secretly uploaded the evidence to the cloud. The police officer looked solemn, as there were transaction records and hotel surveillance footage. “We will investigate this matter.” “But regarding your theft…” I hurriedly interrupted the police officer and asked innocently: “Why is taking things from my own home considered stealing?” Silence followed. I clutched my stomach, looking even more innocent: “I really had no choice; they wouldn’t give me food.” “Officer, can I go to a foster home?” Treat enemies with thunderous rage, but treat others with pitiful innocence. The police officer responsibly asked about the food situation. I decisively revealed the drama of my dad and stepmom: “At first, they left me behind and went out to eat. I couldn’t find a single grain of rice at home.” “Later, they kicked me out to my mom’s place and wouldn’t let me stay at home.” “They changed the lock password, so I couldn’t go back.” As I cried and narrated, the police officer’s expression grew uglier. My dad yelled: “You cheap girl, what are you talking about?” Saying this, he tried to hit me again. Fortunately, the police officer wasn’t useless and immediately stopped him. And gave him a stern warning. This matter was also defined. “She didn’t take anything valuable, just some food and drink.” “But you, you’ve committed the crime of abandonment.” Because of this, the police officer gave my dad a verbal warning. I thought he would have to swallow this anger. Unexpectedly, when I went to school the next day, the whole school was spreading rumors about me associating with delinquents and stealing everything from home. Roxy asked around and found out that my stepmom’s brother went to the same school as me. He was the one spreading the rumors. After all, I had exposed his sister’s escort past. Although she wasn’t prosecuted because she was breastfeeding, she lost all face. Roxy took the money I gave her, rolled up her sleeves angrily, and was about to go teach that guy a lesson. But I stopped her. Instead, during the Monday assembly, I rushed to that guy as fast as I could. I knelt down and banged my head on the ground. “I beg you.” “I will never tell anyone again that your sister was a streetwalker and a mistress.” “I didn’t want to steal either, but your sister wouldn’t give me food.” I hugged his leg and cried helplessly. Crying and making a scene: “Little Uncle, I beg you, have pity on me!” He was furious. He came up and kicked me: “Are you crazy?” I immediately clutched my chest, lay on the ground, and wailed in pain. Roxy and the sisters in the school had been briefed. Seeing this, they immediately shouted: “Holy sh*t, what trash.” “Bullying a girl~” 3 Mistress, streetwalker, bullying the stepdaughter. In a small town, this was undoubtedly a bombshell. I chose to make a scene when the whole school was present to blow it up. When I was taken to the hospital by ambulance, my mom, who had disappeared for a long time, finally appeared. Looking at me in the hospital bed, she was full of excitement: “You girl, impressive!” “Finally vented some anger for your mom.” Maybe it really was satisfying. She finally started showing concern for me, the “failed product.” But after a few sentences, she started giving me advice: “Just keep making a scene. That little bastard is an adult now.” “If he doesn’t want to go to jail, he has to pay to settle it.” “Your sister will need money for school and stuff in the future.” I automatically filtered out her chatter. I said coldly: “My money is mine. Don’t think about spending it on your second daughter.” “Otherwise, don’t blame me for using the same methods I used on my dad on you.” Actually, I don’t hate my mom. Meeting my disgusting and shameless dad was just her bad luck. Later, she divorced and luckily met a good partner, having a fruit of love. To live a good life, she had to discard me, the baggage. If she hadn’t kicked me out then, her marriage would probably have broken down too. She just chose herself. I spoke decisively and directly. Seeing she couldn’t get any advantage, she cursed me under her breath and walked away swaying her hips. I couldn’t help laughing. What was I still expecting? Not long after my mom left, my dad came. Looking at me with disgust: “Alright, stop acting, hurry up and get discharged.” My stepmom followed closely, arms crossed, looking down at me. But her words were gentle and virtuous: “Why didn’t you tell Auntie when your mom kicked you out?” “If I knew you had nowhere to go and no food to eat, Auntie would have called you back home.” The two of them teamed up, putting me on the spot with every word, wanting to take me away. The doctors couldn’t stop them either, as they were now my guardians. When dragging me forcefully from the hospital bed, my stepmom pinched me secretly. Breathing into my ear like an orchid: “Just wait until you’re in my hands, see how I deal with you.” Hearing this, I said “Oh.” I pressed my whole body onto her. I remembered she had a C-section. One punch, straight to her belly. She said she was going to deal with me. I couldn’t just sit and wait for death, could I? She screamed in pain, grabbing my hair. My scalp hurt sharply. I went up and scratched her foxy face. “Stepmom, ouch, it hurts, let go.” I struggled constantly, scratching line after line on her face. Even my dad, who came to break it up, almost got his eye scratched out by me. The whole ward was in chaos. The final result was that I was discharged, but my stepmom was hospitalized. My dad had to serve my stepmom. I logically “returned home” and enjoyed the huge house alone. Until various photos of me started circulating online. Coming out of the bath, changing clothes. Roxy gave me a sharp rap on the head without hesitation: “How many times did I tell you to be careful, careful, and more careful.” “You didn’t even know there were hidden cameras installed at home, taking pictures of you as leverage.” “How can you go back to school like this?” 4 I didn’t think it was a big deal. After all, I almost sold myself. Compared to those photos, the urgent matter was that my stepmom was discharged. Looking at my stepmom’s face full of hatred and ferocity, I shuddered subconsciously. Sure enough, the first thing she did upon returning was to hold me down with my dad and beat me soundly. I protected my head and abdomen, lying on the floor, letting them beat me. Until my stepmom brought out boiling water, about to splash it on me. I heard Roxy shout angrily: “Sisters, get them.” The brothers and sisters ambushed in the room rushed out. They pinned my dad and stepmom to the ground and beat them up. A few people, shouting like an army… They didn’t use weapons. Just fists and fingernails. Only when they were tired of beating and gave me a look, did I leisurely take out my phone and call the police. After the police arrived, my dad and stepmom went to the hospital again. Me and the group of brothers and sisters were sent to the station. Checking, all were of compulsory education age. Looking at the situation. Dad and stepmom engaging in abuse. Boiling water was about to be used. These people were protecting me; in a sense, it was self-defense. So, we all happily walked out of the station. This time, I went even further. I had people move all the furniture out and sell it. After all, my dad and stepmom didn’t give me a single cent. To eat, this was also a last resort. I sold things enthusiastically. The money I got was all deposited into a bank card in my name. Using it sparingly, it should be enough for me to finish high school. Before leaving, I specially collected some swill. Spent a day “working.” Striving to fill every corner of this house with surprises. After finishing, I clapped my hands preparing to leave. But Roxy asked me: “Really planning to stop?” “You can blackmail them for at least another three or four years.” “With me here, guarantee to train them to be submissive.” I was silent for a while, then smiled with relief: “Messing with them vents anger, but I want a broader world.” Entangling with them, at best, is mutual destruction. My life is still long. Why delay for a moment of satisfaction? Before my dad and stepmom were discharged, I moved into the school dormitory. The one responsible for signing the consent was my mom. It didn’t take much effort. Just took a group of sisters to wander around my mom’s new family. She agreed impatiently. After all, she couldn’t let her husband have any opinion of her. After moving into the dorm, I put all my effort into studying. Right after I finished my entrance exams, the sisters who had started losing contact suddenly came to find me. They said: “Do you have money?” “Take it out for use.”

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Caleb fought for me, even broke his arm for me. Everyone said he was crazy in love with me. Until. I heard a friend ask him if he was going to marry me. The man chuckled lightly, “She’s just a stray cat. Fun to play with, but you don’t actually bring one home.” Later. When my daughter asked, “Mommy, why doesn’t Daddy want me? Does he not like me?” I lowered my eyes and shook my head, “He just doesn’t like Mommy.” 1 My breakup with Caleb was messy. I called him a shameless bastard. He called me an ungrateful wolf he couldn’t tame. We were people who should have never crossed paths again. Five years later, we reunited. The manager beside me introduced enthusiastically: “Mr. Thorne, this is Wendy. She’s the main reception manager responsible for your team.” Silence fell. Caleb’s gaze finally landed on me. I pursed my lips and extended my hand, “Mr. Thorne, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Caleb didn’t respond. The air was still. He scoffed. “Really? How much have you heard?” “…” 2 This man was always like this. Wearing a cold, handsome facade. A rhetorical question, giving the illusion he was deliberately engaging you. Casually teasing, enjoying your shyness and awkwardness. In reality, he watched from the shore, his heart never moved. I didn’t speak. The manager sensed something and asked tentatively, “Wendy, do you know Mr. Thorne?” I lowered my eyes, “We’re strangers.” I said this deliberately, devoid of any social grace. The manager awkwardly smoothed things over, “Nonsense, Mr. Thorne is young and promising. It’s not too late to get to know each other now.” There was no emotion in Caleb’s eyes as he looked away. When we brushed past each other. His arm pushed aside my hand still hanging in mid-air. He said indifferently, “Strangers don’t have time to get acquainted.” 3 That day, it rained heavily. Making the bottom of one’s heart increasingly damp. Delayed by work, I stood alone at the entrance. A black luxury car stopped in front of me. Caleb rolled down the window with a cold face, “Get in.” “I called a car.” As I spoke, the taxi arrived. Caleb glanced sideways, “You call one, I crash one. Believe me?” His profile was sharp. As wicked and arrogant as ever. I sighed inwardly. But as soon as I got in, my arm was pulled forcefully. I landed on his lap. The strength disparity was huge; I struggled but was pressed back onto his lap. Warmth spread, breaths almost colliding. “It’s not like you haven’t sat here before. What are you afraid of?” I gritted my teeth in anger, “Bastard.” Caleb curled his lips, “Tired of hearing that. Call me something else.” Countless times in the past, skin against skin. I cried and begged for mercy, calling him a bastard. He was indeed tired of hearing it. Caleb’s fingertips landed on my waist. He scrutinized my face, “You’ve grown bold, Wendy. Strangers?” “Let me down.” Caleb turned a deaf ear, “Then let me remind you.” I subconsciously turned my face away. But he grabbed my chin. Forcing me to look at him. “My name is Caleb Thorne. A fool who was used by you and then thrown away.” His eyes were deep, carrying a faint smile. Word by word. Forcing me back into that rusty memory. 4 In college. Caleb was a good-for-nothing, with a bad temper and a fierce fighting style. No one in school dared to mess with him. In his opulent life as a rich second generation. The only accident was me. I was the pet Caleb was most interested in. I also obediently played the role of his follower. Or rather, I ‘liked’ him. So I used Caleb’s pathological possessiveness towards me. To beat the man who had bullied me since high school half to death and send him to prison. Caleb also broke an arm blocking a bat for me. Looking back now. I never thought that in this game of chess, I would lose myself too. Caleb was discharged after reimplantation surgery, his arm still in a cast. I specially went to the temple to pray for a safety charm for him. Just outside the private room door. I heard a friend teasing, “Caleb, you’re not madly in love with Wendy, are you? When are we drinking at your wedding?” There was no music, no emotion. Caleb spoke casually, “She’s just a stray cat. Fun to play with, but you don’t actually bring one home.” In that instant, I felt the world go quiet. Something densely gnawed at my heart. I knew my initial purpose for approaching him wasn’t pure. I wanted to apologize properly. I thought Caleb at least liked me. Unexpectedly, it was all a game. But this was fine too. Five years later. I gave birth to a child alone. Resentment had long dissolved in the daily necessities of life. Now, Caleb broke in again like a home invader. 5 Another light rain fell outside the car. Caleb finally let me go. Silence all the way. Probably too tired from work. I accidentally fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, I was downstairs at my apartment. No one beside me. Caleb was leaning against the car door smoking. I used to not let him smoke. Caleb would always hug me and tease, “Controlling me so strictly?” Seeing me now, he also reacted conditionally, his hand subconsciously hiding behind his back. Then realizing something, he generously held the cigarette in his mouth again. Looking roguish and intense. “Awake?” I composed myself, muffling my voice, “Caleb, about the past, I owe you an apology.” “So?” This was an old neighborhood, low floors, my daughter always waited for me by the window. Afraid of being seen, I said. “We are all adults, with our own lives. I don’t have the energy to argue right or wrong with you anymore.” Caleb laughed, “Then adults should also understand the principle of reciprocity.” I reacted for a few seconds and laughed too, “I don’t have time to play these games with you.” After speaking, I wanted to leave. Caleb calmly put out the cigarette, raised his hand and easily pinned me against the car. “Did I say I wanted to pester you?” His tone was lazy. He was good-looking, plus the packaging of his family background, he never lacked girlfriends. Those years by his side, I knew deeply that playing with feelings, I couldn’t beat him. Now I just wanted to stay far away from him. Unfortunately, Caleb was ruthless. If he suffered a loss, he would claim it back with interest. I could almost guess what he wanted to do. Nothing more than ruining my job, watching me beg him humbly. I stopped enduring. “Isn’t this what you’re doing now? What, Mr. Thorne wants revenge? Does having money mean you can bully people like this?” Hearing this, Caleb frowned slowly, “I f*cking say two sentences to you, and that’s bullying you?” My words were on the tip of my tongue. He looked at me leisurely, suddenly leaned over and kissed me, childish and paranoid. Tongue sweeping, burning all senses. I struggled and hit his chest. Taking advantage of a gap, I pushed him away hard and slapped him. “Shameless!” Caleb licked the corner of his lips, looking like he enjoyed being scolded, his eyes even more wickedly gloomy. He grabbed my wrist and pressed it hard against the car door, sealing my lips again. Until I was suffocating and weak in the knees, he let go, laughing wantonly, “Wendy, this is bullying.” This lunatic. Next second. “Mommy, who is he?” Not far away, a little munchkin holding a popsicle looked at us innocently. 6 The first to react was Mark, who had taken my daughter to buy ice cream. The man awkwardly led the little girl upstairs first, “You guys talk, explain to me later.” One sentence, the misunderstanding deepened. Silence returned. “Who.” “My daughter.” Caleb looked down and smiled, “Married?” I didn’t explain, “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” “I thought you were smart.” “What.” The man looked around the neighborhood environment, “Living in this dump, the man you chose is pretty useless.” He looked at me, as if saying your taste is just so-so. Listening to the sarcasm, I finally lost patience, not minding tearing apart the remaining dignity. “No matter what kind of man I find, does it have anything to do with you? Caleb, you really haven’t changed a bit, arrogant and unreasonable.” I took a deep breath, “Yes, I lied to you, but you were just playing with me too. Let’s just say I was blind before, and you were blind too. Isn’t it good to write it off?” Caleb laughed in anger, “I’m unreasonable? What about you, selfish?” He opened the car door expressionlessly. Before leaving, he glanced sideways, his voice hoarse, “Wendy, tell the truth, do you hope your daughter meets someone like you in the future?”

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I went back to the old family estate for the holidays, only to be caught in a torrential downpour. Staring out the window, my younger brother suddenly called out to me: “Bro, look.” “Does it look like there’s a silhouette in the rain?” I looked out, but saw nothing. A few minutes later, my younger sister’s voice came from the bathroom: “I’m showering! Stop trying to open the door!” But my brother and I were clearly in the living room. Only outside the bathroom door, there was a trail of muddy footprints… 1 “Who’s there?” I called out tentatively. But there was no response. A trail of muddy footprints on the floor looked as if someone had walked in from outside. I looked at the front door; I didn’t know who had opened it. My brother suddenly looked outside, his face pale: “Bro, look outside.” I looked again, but it was still empty. My brother speaking up twice made me impatient: “What is it?” He bit his lip: “In the rain outside… there’s a human shape…” I looked at the window. The rainwater formed streams on the glass. Two branching streams did indeed look somewhat like a human figure. I frowned: “Did you see wrong? It’s just the water on the window.” My brother stopped talking but looked worried. At this time, my sister came out of the bathroom. She wiped her hair and looked at us: “Which one of you two tried to open the bathroom door just now?” “If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell Mom when we get back.” I was helpless: “We were both on the sofa. No one went to the bathroom.” My sister got angry: “Fine, then the dog did it!” As soon as she finished speaking, the front door suddenly slammed shut with a bang. We all jumped. I hurriedly went to bolt the door and comforted them: “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s raining, the wind is strong.” My sister sat on the sofa too. I started cleaning up the footprints on the floor. Since the rain started, we hadn’t gone out. Where did these footprints come from? Could someone really have walked in just now? I followed the footprints from the bathroom to the door. Looking out through the peephole, there was nothing. That made sense; this was the suburbs. This old house was left over from when the family ran a agritourism estate years ago. Now only my family occasionally came here for vacation. There were hardly any other houses for miles around. Who would come here in the middle of the night to play a prank? I was about to return to the living room. Suddenly, I felt like the door was pushed. The rotating lock made a clicking sound. I stared at the lock, but found nothing. When I looked through the peephole again. There was still no one outside. But I suddenly saw something out of place. A patch of lawn near the door seemed to have been stepped on by something. Mud stained the grass. Logically speaking, it had been raining for two hours. Even if there was mud on the grass blades, it should have been washed clean. This looked like it had just happened. I walked back to the living room worriedly and looked at my brother: “Did you really see a silhouette just now?” He nodded. Then his gaze remained fixed on the window. As if that silhouette was right outside. My sister was scared: “Don’t scare me, you two.” “I won’t tell Mom, okay?” But my brother remained silent, making my sister even more terrified. After a long while, my sister looked at me: “Bro, did you see it too?” I shook my head and comforted her: “I didn’t see anything.” “Maybe he saw wrong.” We sat in the living room, all silent. The muddy footprints just now, the silhouette, the mud on the grass blades, it was all too abnormal. But I couldn’t see anything. After a while, the atmosphere became more and more oppressive, and my sister couldn’t stand it anymore: “I’m going back to sleep.” I nodded: “Drink the milk first. Mom told me to watch over you two.” My sister walked to the kitchen somewhat helplessly. A minute later, she suddenly screamed. When I rushed over, I saw her hiding in a corner. There was half a glass of milk on the table. I frowned: “What happened?” Her voice was trembling: “The glass… moved…” 2 “What moved?” I was confused. My sister explained. She came over to pour milk just now. She intended to put the milk carton back in the fridge before drinking. But as soon as she put the milk away and turned around, she found that the glass of milk was only half full. And the position of the glass had been moved. My scalp tingled! Is there a fourth person in this house besides the three of us? I reached out to take the glass and examined it repeatedly. The glass had indeed been used. Milk residue hung on one side of the glass wall. I looked at my sister: “Besides this, did you feel anything else?” She thought for a moment: “No other feelings.” I examined the situation in front of me repeatedly, then poured a glass of milk for my sister myself. After she finished drinking, I comforted her: “Maybe you’re too tired today.” “Don’t think too much, go back to sleep.” She nodded and walked towards the bedroom upstairs. Halfway there, I reminded her: “Remember to lock the door.” She replied: “Okay.” I started checking the house. Strange things were happening to my sister. Could there be a pervert in this house? This situation wasn’t impossible. Many perverts were like this. They might hide in someone’s house, play pranks, or even assault directly. Thinking about it, I still didn’t feel at ease, so I went straight upstairs. I knocked on my sister’s door: “Wait before sleeping, let me check your room.” She opened the door and stood at the doorway, waiting for me to check. I looked under the bed and in the closet. Confirming no pervert was hiding inside, I breathed a sigh of relief: “Alright, lock the door and sleep this time.” She nodded and closed the door. I walked to the corner and suddenly heard my sister’s voice: “Who is it?” “Bro, is that you?” Confused, I walked back to her door. Her voice still came from inside the room: “Is that you? Bro.” I asked: “What’s wrong?” She said: “Didn’t you turn the door handle just now?” I froze. I had clearly walked to the stairway. How could I turn the door handle? I continued to ask: “You heard the sound of the door handle turning?” She admitted it frankly. To keep her from getting scared, I had to lie: “Nothing, I was checking if the door was closed tight.” She said “Oh” and went back to sleep. I walked back to the stairway and listened quietly to the sounds in the hallway. After a while, there wasn’t a single sound. I comforted myself: “Maybe the girl heard wrong.” Coming downstairs, I startled my brother. I frowned: “What’s wrong?” He was confused: “Why did you come down from upstairs?” “Didn’t you go to the bathroom just now?” I was completely dumbfounded. What’s going on? My brother just saw me go to the bathroom? I shook my head: “I just sent your sister upstairs.” His face became even uglier: “Then who was that just now?” This question made my scalp numb. I immediately picked up a kitchen knife from the kitchen and walked towards the bathroom step by step. I pushed open the bathroom door; it was empty. The steam from my sister’s shower hadn’t completely dissipated. I called out tentatively: “I see you!” “Stop hiding!” But there was no sound inside. Holding the knife, I mustered up courage to walk in. Everything was normal inside. I breathed a sigh of relief; my brother must have been hallucinating. But the moment I turned around, a chill rushed straight to my head! In the misty steam, a transparent human figure actually walked out of the bathroom door… 3 “Who’s there!” I exclaimed, but looking carefully, there was no one outside. I asked my brother: “Did you see anyone come out of the bathroom?” He shook his head blankly. I stood at the bathroom door, looking at the living room outside. If there was someone, I would definitely spot them. I used my phone’s flashlight to search around. Still didn’t find anyone. Anyone who studied physics knows. Even some seemingly transparent materials will refract light due to density. So even an invisible man should be detectable by light. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a trace outside. Did I see wrong? Rubbing my head, I planned to close the bathroom door. But the moment I turned my head, I was terrified again! On the bathroom mirror, unbeknownst to me, a crooked word had been written: DIE! Is this a joke my brother is playing on me? After all, he has liked writing on steamy mirrors since he was little. I immediately questioned him: “You didn’t go to the bathroom just now?” He shook his head: “I’ve been sitting here watching a movie.” I pretended to pick up his slippers and casually felt the inside. It was cold! He didn’t lie! Thinking it over, I felt it was better to call the police first. No matter what it was, even just a drunkard who broke in, for the family’s safety, I had to do this. I picked up the phone and dialed 911 immediately: “Police? I think someone entered my house.” “He’s hiding in my house, I’m not sure if there’s danger.” The operator crisply asked for my address. After hanging up, I seriously discussed the previous topic with my brother: “What did the silhouette you saw in the rain look like?” He thought for a moment, then frowned: “Just a shadow, a human shape made by the rain.” “Couldn’t see a person.” My heart pounded wildly. This was almost identical to the transparent figure I saw in the bathroom steam! I continued to ask: “Where was he?” He looked outside and pointed near the courtyard entrance: “Just where you enter the yard.” I looked out the window, then carefully recalled the timing of everything that just happened! Weird! Too weird! Less than a minute after my brother said there was a silhouette outside, my sister shouted from the bathroom. And I went to check the muddy footprints only two or three minutes after my brother spoke. From the yard to the entrance, although the distance is short. But adding opening the door and walking to the bathroom, it couldn’t be that fast. Most importantly, that person couldn’t be running! Because running makes a loud noise. But we heard nothing. This means there must be something extremely fast. A cat might do it. But the problem is, those muddy footprints were human footprints! And what we saw were all human shapes. While I was pondering, a scream suddenly came from upstairs. My brother and I ran up quickly. My sister’s door was actually open! When I rushed in, she was curled up in a corner. A long cut appeared on her wrist. It looked like her wrist was slit! I frowned: “What happened?” Looking at the empty space in the room with terrified eyes, her voice was hoarse: “There… there’s someone…” “Someone wants to kill me…” I immediately pulled her to the living room downstairs, found the first aid kit, and bandaged her up. At this moment, our door was knocked… 4 “Mr. Thorne?” “I’m an officer from the nearby precinct.” Hearing the voice outside, I felt a huge burden lifted! The police are finally here! With him here, I felt much more at ease. My sister also relaxed. When the officer came in, he looked around: “This is a vacation rental, right?” I nodded: “It used to be, now it’s private property.” The officer didn’t say anything, looked around, and then started asking what happened. I recounted everything I experienced. He nodded: “You did the right thing.” “Protecting your own safety is most important.” After speaking, he looked at my sister: “Little miss, tell me what happened in the room.” She thought for a moment: “I was sleeping in the room just now.” “Halfway through, I felt someone covering me with their hand.” “He seemed to want to strangle me.” “But I struggled constantly and escaped.” “When I ran, he grabbed my hand and slashed it hard with a knife.” She even showed the bandaged wound. I explained: “The cut is quite deep, he probably intended to slit my sister’s wrist.” The officer’s expression became serious: “It seems there really might be someone else in this house.” “Stay close to me, let’s check around.” The four of us walked around the house. The officer held his gun, ready for any criminal that might appear. But after searching, we found nothing. As if the criminal vanished into thin air. The officer was also confused. According to his experience, even if the person ran away, there should be traces. But there wasn’t a single trace in the house. The only place was the footprints on the lawn outside. The officer looked at me: “Think carefully, is there anywhere else to enter your sister’s room?” I shook my head: “That room can only be entered through the door or window.” “But both were locked. To enter from outside, one would have to break them.” But we checked just now, there were no signs of forced entry. But how did the door open? My sister said she didn’t open it. Then there’s only one possibility—the door was opened from the inside. But if the person was hiding in the room before, I would definitely have found something when I checked. Why can’t we find anything now? The officer looked at us, troubled: “It’s raining heavily now, and it’s over ten miles to the city.” “I came on a motorcycle, I can’t take you with me.” I thought for a moment: “The old caretaker of this property lives nearby.” “Can you go back and get a car?” “We’ll ask the old caretaker to come keep us company for a while.” The officer nodded: “Okay, I’ll wait here until the person you mentioned arrives.” I immediately found Grandpa Hu’s number in the phone book. Hearing it was my issue, Grandpa Hu didn’t hesitate and said he’d be there in ten minutes. I trusted Grandpa Hu absolutely. He watched the three of us grow up, and my parents treated him well. He always treated the three of us like his own grandchildren. In less than ten minutes, there was a knock at the door. Grandpa Hu came with his nephew. Grandpa Hu was even holding a pitchfork used for hay. The officer frowned: “Old man, even if there’s a criminal, don’t risk your life.” “It’s too dangerous.” Grandpa Hu nodded and sent the officer off. Once the officer left, Grandpa Hu’s nephew said mysteriously to Grandpa Hu: “Did they encounter that thing?”

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On the eve of the selection for the head of the overseas division. Lucas Thorne, acting arbitrarily, removed me from my position. “The company isn’t a charity organization. It has no obligation to pay for a failure.” My eyes reddened as I recalled my school days. He did the same thing back then, giving away my spot as an exchange student. I was 18. Lucas forcibly carried me, crying until I was short of breath, to his bedroom. Now, I’m 26. He caressed my face, smiling cruelly. “Iris, have your wings grown strong enough that you want to leave your brother?” “I absolutely forbid it.” 1 When the fire broke out at the promotion event, I was in the hospital getting an IV drip. Upon hearing the news, I rushed to the scene immediately. Thanks to timely intervention, the losses were minimal. However— In the corporate conference room, Lucas Thorne’s face was as dark as water. “Iris Vance, Marketing Director, is removed from her position and disqualified from competing for the position of Overseas Division President.” My fever hadn’t subsided, and my eardrums were buzzing. Hearing this felt like being hit by a heavy hammer. “Mr. Thorne, the promotion event was actually very successful. The accidental fire was a force majeure. Thanks to sufficient preparation, there were no casualties or property losses.” The punishment was too heavy, and someone pleaded for me. “Yes, Mr. Thorne, this is all thanks to Director Vance. She has been busy for half a month, and she wasn’t at the scene because she fainted from a high fever—” “No excuses.” Lucas interrupted coldly. His gaze darkened slightly, sweeping across my face. “Absence is dereliction of duty. Thorne Enterprises doesn’t do charity and has no obligation to pay for failures.” This sentence was too harsh. Everyone fell silent out of fear. I looked up with red eyes, meeting Lucas’s cold gaze. “Iris.” He stared at me for a long time, a hint of irritability appearing between his brows. “Do you have any objections?” 2 What objections could I have? I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. No one knew the real reason for Lucas’s anger. And no one knew that I had lived under the same roof with him for 15 years. On this ordinary weekday morning. Before leaving, Lucas clasped my waist and made me tie his tie. The Windsor knot involves complex steps. I held my breath and focused completely. Lucas looked down at me for a long time, then suddenly leaned forward and bit my lip with punishing force. “Iris, hasn’t big brother told you—” His tone was calm yet cold. “You have to be obedient, so you won’t suffer.” I gripped the untied tie tightly, trembling like a leaf. Lucas was warning me. —No matter the identity, he held the power of life and death over me. In the Thorne family, we were worlds apart. He was the noble heir apparent of the Thorne family, and I was just an insignificant foster daughter. At Thorne Enterprises, we had no intersection. He was the high-ranking CEO who could cover the sky with one hand, and I was just a small director with no foundation. Sure enough—on this supposedly ordinary workday. My CEO, Lucas Thorne, was ruthless in public. With one sentence, he knocked me back to square one after I had fought hard for five years to reach a promotion opportunity. Removed from position, disqualified from competition. I had struggled all the way here, and five years of effort were destroyed in an instant. Lucas wouldn’t care. Just as 8 years ago, using his status as my guardian, he “gave away” my spot as an exchange student to a prestigious school in France. Even though back then, countless times late at night, he carried me back to my bedroom after I fell asleep from studying hard. In the conference room. Under several sympathetic gazes, my hands hanging by my sides curled and curled again. Finally, I closed my eyes and lowered my head. “No.” 3 The CEO’s office occupying the top floor. The interior glass wall was switched to privacy mode, sealing all shameful secrets inside. Lucas pressed me onto the wide desk. Contrary to his calm composure in public, he leaned over and pinched my chin tightly, fire surging in his eyes. “Why did you submit an application for the overseas division? Have your wings grown strong enough that you want to leave your brother?” The desk was cold and hard, hurting my bare back. “No… no.” I whimpered and shook my head. “Liar.” Lucas’s gaze darkened, his movements turning violent instantly. The high fever made my whole body burn with pain, but it seemed to unexpectedly give Lucas an indescribable thrill. His throat and neck were tense, fierce and urgent. My brain was chaotic, almost suffering through it. “What does Iris want?” Finally over, Lucas looked satisfied and withdrew calmly. “A house? A car? Or jewelry? Brother will give you whatever you want.” This sentence was very familiar. Over the past 8 years, Lucas had said it countless times. I turned a deaf ear, silently pulling my clothes tight. A glass of plain water was handed to me. In the palm of his large hand with distinct knuckles lay a small white pill. My gaze moved up all the way to Lucas’s face. “Be good, take the medicine.” His eyes were gentle, and his tone was soft. This appearance only appeared afterwards. Lucas didn’t have the habit of using protection, but he never forgot to watch me take the morning-after pill every time. If nothing unexpected happened, what he was going to say next would also be familiar. Sure enough— “I transferred some money to you, go buy whatever you want.” No surprises. I lowered my eyes and twitched the corners of my mouth, obediently putting the pill into my mouth. The pill dissolved upon contact with water, so bitter that I frowned. Lucas, however, looked amused, rubbing the wound on the corner of my mouth repeatedly with his thumb. “Chloe Sterling is back.” He spoke calmly, as if casually mentioning it. But falling into my ears, it was like thunder. I was shrinking from pain, but hearing this, I froze instantly. Chloe Sterling, that prominent young lady. The granddaughter-in-law candidate recognized by Grandpa, the person who reserved the identity of Lucas’s “fiancée” 8 years ago. She was back. 4 Didn’t they say next month? How could it be so soon? “Already… back?” I panicked, even my voice trembling. Lucas ignored my question and lightly lifted the corner of his lips. “So, tomorrow morning you will receive a new personnel transfer order, the position is Special Assistant to the CEO.” Special Assistant to the CEO. Five years ago when I graduated from college, I wanted this position immensely. Lucas sneered and threw the resume I handed over with both hands into the trash can. “Your degree isn’t even good enough to enter Thorne Enterprises, and you want to be my assistant?” Seeing my red eyes, he laughed and pulled me into his arms. “Want it that much?” The dense kisses gradually deepened. Lucas pressed me kneeling at his feet, blowing seductive breaths into my ear. “Then… let brother see your performance.” That day, inexperienced me bit him out of pain and was punished by being sent to the marketing department. “Grassroots level helps accumulate work experience. If you do well, I’ll transfer you to the CEO’s office.” At that time, Lucas said so. But I worked for five years. —From waiting bitterly for the transfer order, to seeing another possibility in life. Then to that “possibility” being destroyed by Lucas himself. Now, he says he wants to transfer me, following “Chloe Sterling is back”? My brain was so groggy it was slow. I was dazed, not realizing the connection between these two things. “After all, in the future—” Lucas’s large hand pinched the back of my neck, lips close to my ear. Whispering like a demon, full of regret. “Brother can’t live with Iris anymore, it’s really… too inconvenient.” I was forced to meet his eyes. Close enough to exchange breaths, enough for me to see clearly into his eyes. Like a trapped beast on the verge of death, yet still biting the prey and refusing to let go. He wanted to maintain a secret underground relationship with me after marriage. I was horrified to the point of trembling all over, my brain suddenly clearing. “No… no way!” Almost blurting out a refusal, I suddenly grabbed Lucas’s wrist, stammering a request. “Uncle Thorne said in the meeting that business promotion in the Northwest Region is difficult, I, I can go—” “Impossible.” Lucas pulled back his hand and caressed my face. A shadow suddenly appeared in his eyes, but his smile was cruel. “Iris, don’t even think about leaving your brother.” “Being my special assistant is your only choice. The pioneering atmosphere in the Northwest is not suitable for you either.” Still the unquestionable tough tone. Lucas was always like this, never forgetting to put on a false shell of “for my own good” even when acting arbitrarily. I expected it. Dazed, I slowly lowered my hand.

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After we turned eighteen, our mom let us draw Systems. My sister got lucky and drew the Genius System. I was unlucky and drew the Loser System. Later, my sister became a successful entrepreneur. However, she was constantly guilt-tripped by our parents and drained dry by our relatives. Because she refused to help one time, a relative held a grudge and reported to the authorities that she possessed a System. My sister was taken by the Research Institute, used as a test subject, and died miserably on the operating table. Meanwhile, because I was timid and easy to control, a wealthy young heir from a top family praised me for being obedient and sensible, spending three hundred million dollars to marry me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Mom let us draw our Systems. My sister, ignoring Mom’s attempts to stop her, snatched the Loser System. “Sister, this time it’s my turn to enjoy the wealthy life. As for you, just wait to become a lab rat!” Meeting her vicious gaze, I smiled. She lived a whole life but learned nothing. No wonder she was played like a fiddle in her past life. 1 “Kiki, you always said Mom favored your sister. This time, you draw first.” Mom looked benevolent as she handed the box containing the Systems to me. Seeing I didn’t move, she affectionately grabbed my hand and tried to shove it into the box. “Child, why are you being so polite?” “Why should she draw first? I’m the older sister, seniority matters, I should go first!” My sister, who had been dazing beside us, suddenly pushed me away and impatiently thrust her hand into the box. Mom tried to move the box away, but my sister held it down firmly. My sister opened the System she drew from the box; it was the Loser System. She wept with joy and looked at me with pity. At this moment, I was absolutely certain my sister had also been reborn. In our past life, my sister luckily bonded with the Genius System and her life took off. She went from a poor student to a top scholar, got into a prestigious university, started a successful business right after graduation, and became an enviable female CEO. Unfortunately, she was led by the nose by our parents. Helping a cousin on Dad’s side today, helping an uncle on Mom’s side tomorrow. These relatives were like leeches, clinging to her and sucking her dry. One time, a leech relative made an excessive demand, and my sister refused. Ignoring all her past kindness, the relative reported to the Research Institute that she had a System. My sister was taken away, used as a lab rat, and died on the operating table. I, on the other hand, bonded with the Loser System. I was timid and easy to control. A wealthy young heir praised me for being obedient and sensible, spending three hundred million to marry me into his wealthy family. My in-laws were kind, my husband doted on me. I became the envy of women nationwide. My sister was always jealous. Before she died, she told the researchers that I also had a System. I tried to escape in my car, but the Institute’s vehicles forced me off a cliff. I died without a trace. 2 “The Loser System belongs to your sister! Even if you drew it, it’s hers! You’re the older sister, you can’t snatch your sister’s things!” Mom looked stern and anxious, trying to snatch the System from my sister’s hand. I watched Mom’s performance with mockery. Heh. When Chloe snatched my clothes, my toys, even my awards before, why didn’t Mom say those were mine? In my past life, after I married into the wealthy family, Chloe came to my house and made a scene. That was when I learned that from the very beginning, Mom intended for me to draw the Loser System. She wanted Chloe to get the Genius System, but she was afraid that giving it directly to Chloe would make people say she was biased and that Chloe bullied her sister. So to have the best of both worlds, she customized a box. Only after the first System was drawn would the second one be released. She pre-loaded the box with the Loser System. Whoever drew first would get the Loser System. After that, the Genius System would be released. And I foolishly thought in my past life that although Mom favored Chloe growing up, she was fair about something as life-altering as drawing Systems. Chloe hid the Loser System tightly behind her back, glancing at me unkindly. “Give me the Loser System!” Mom glared at Chloe, wishing she could knock some sense into her. She winked furiously at Chloe, hinting like crazy. Several times, the truth almost burst out of her mouth. But Chloe was extremely wary of Mom. Just as Mom turned to call Dad over to restrain Chloe and hand over the System, Chloe bonded with the Loser System. Hearing the unique sound of System binding, Mom turned back quickly, but it was too late to stop it. Mom was furious and hateful, raising her hand to slap. She couldn’t bear to hit Chloe, so she turned abruptly and slapped me hard across the face. “Why didn’t you draw quickly? Making Chloe act first, are you trying to piss me off?” Chloe bonding with the Loser System was a done deal. Mom hatefully threw the box on the ground and dragged Chloe away. Passing by me, Chloe looked radiant, leaning close to my ear and whispering: “Sister, this time it’s my turn to enjoy the wealthy life. As for you, just wait to be dragged into the lab!” Meeting her vicious gaze, I smiled. She lived a whole life but learned nothing. She deserved to be played in her past life. The box rolled a few times on the ground, and the Genius System fell out, rolling to my feet. I squatted down to pick it up, carefully wiped it clean, and followed the procedure to bond with it. 3 I was not the child my parents expected. When Mom was pregnant with me, her career was on the rise. She and Dad had agreed to abort me. But a checkup at the hospital, with a relative working there hinting it was a boy, changed their minds. Persuaded by Dad and Grandma, Mom decided to keep the baby. They meticulously prepared a nursery, superhero toys… for their future son. They even booked a luxury confinement center, afraid their son wouldn’t be well taken care of after birth. But they were disappointed. The baby born was me, not the son they longed for. Mom blamed me for losing her career, Dad blamed me for his empty joy, Grandma muttered about raising another money-losing girl. The adults in the family shook their heads when they saw me. My birth was a mistake from the start. When Mom was pregnant, Dad and Grandma assumed it was a boy and were busy taking care of Mom, neglecting Chloe somewhat. From then on, she hated me to the core. After I was born, with no love from parents or grandparents, I naturally became her slave and toy. When she first started bullying me, she was careful, only doing it behind the adults’ backs, afraid of being discovered. Later, realizing my parents didn’t care about me, she became harsher. After bullying me, she would go to our parents and tattle. My parents believed her every time, even listening to her suggestions on how to punish me. 4 The next day. Mom told me there was no money for my study materials or my tutoring fees. She forcefully shoved me into a relative’s sweatshop. “You’re almost an adult; you can’t just stay home leeching off your dad and me.” But turning around, they signed Chloe up for a boarding personality training camp, attempting to intervene with the System’s energy and prevent Chloe from becoming a loser. Chloe sprawled on the sofa and rolled her eyes. “What are you worrying about? I’m going to marry into a wealthy family later. Just wait to enjoy life!” Mom and Dad wouldn’t give up and tied her up to take her to the training camp. But two weeks later, they brought back a heartbroken, crying Chloe. Chloe liked to show off, and someone didn’t like it and mocked her. In the past, Chloe would have definitely bitten back and scolded the person until they cried. But because she bonded with the Loser System, Chloe became timid and dared not resist. Seeing she was a pushover, her bullies went further and further. Driven to despair, Chloe threatened to jump off a building. The school had no choice but to contact our parents. Unwilling to let their beloved daughter continue to suffer, my parents tearfully brought her home. However, they still hadn’t given up on changing Chloe’s personality. Mom and Dad hired a personality trainer with a high salary to come to our home for one-on-one training with Chloe. They were full of hope. But whatever the trainer asked Chloe to do, she managed to screw it up from angles ordinary people couldn’t imagine. In the end, the trainer was willing to refund all fees just to stop teaching Chloe. The trainer bluntly said she was afraid of catching Chloe’s incompetence and cowardice. When the trainer left, Chloe’s eyes were shining with joy. From then on, she didn’t have to do anything and lived a carefree, god-like life. After all, whatever Mom and Dad asked her to do, she messed up. A few times she even caused Mom and Dad to pay large compensations, wasting all their retirement savings. Mom and Dad had to give up on changing Chloe’s personality. They set their sights on me.

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My girlfriend spent her entire life inventing a time machine. Her goal: to travel back in time and win back her first love. I secretly followed her back. I watched her, the woman I had painstakingly taught how to love, hold her first love’s hand and gently say: “I didn’t know how to love before, and I hurt you. But now, I’ve learned.” 1 The day after traveling back, I saw Claire Vance. It was Liam Hayes’s birthday party. She appeared in the private karaoke room holding a handmade cake and a carefully selected gift. Under the soft glow of candlelight, her gaze was focused and affectionate. The romantic atmosphere instantly reached its peak. Everyone gathered around, waiting for Liam to make a wish and blow out the candles. Then they started chanting for the two to kiss. I stood quietly at the outermost edge of the crowd, watching Liam, gift in hand, lean down and kiss Claire on the cheek. My roommate standing next to me introduced her: “That’s Liam’s girlfriend. Isn’t she stunning?” “Not only that, but she’s also incredibly considerate, gentle, and thoughtful. She keeps her distance from other guys. Simply perfect.” I watched in silence as Claire smiled tenderly at Liam. Looking away, I murmured a low response to my friend: “Indeed, mature and reliable. Very good at taking care of people.” After all, that was the result of five years of my time and effort, taught bit by bit. The original Claire wasn’t like this. She had a bad temper, no patience, was impulsive and irritable, grumpy and arrogant. Her relationship with Liam lasted less than two years, ending with Liam venting all his dissatisfaction and falling in love with her friend. Claire wasn’t resigned to this outcome. So she spent years researching and building a time machine. Once she mastered how to love someone—skills I taught her—she didn’t hesitate to leave me behind and travel back to her sophomore year of college, when she and Liam had just started dating. Even though our fifth anniversary was just one day away. But she couldn’t wait. Now, we are strangers who have never met. The protagonist of the birthday party was Liam, so everyone’s conversation revolved around him and Claire. Someone asked him how he found such a perfect girlfriend. Someone asked Claire if she had any friends as beautiful as her. Someone even joked half-seriously: “Ever heard the saying ‘one plants the tree, another enjoys the shade’? Claire is so thoughtful and considerate, I bet an ex-boyfriend taught her well, right?” Hearing this, Claire didn’t get angry. She just smiled faintly, then took Liam’s hand, sounding like a confession and a promise: “No exes. Liam is my first love, and also my…” “Only love.” Of course she has no exes, because I only got together with Claire two years after they broke up. I wasn’t the predecessor; I was the successor. But that didn’t stop her from using all the ways I taught her to love me on Liam. The lights in the room flickered, people moved about, so she never saw me standing in the corner. Until the cake was cut, and Liam was distributing slices while introducing his friends to her. Claire stood in front of me, our eyes met. I don’t know how to describe her expression the moment she saw me. The smile froze on her lips, a flash of inexplicable panic in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. Then, when Liam introduced me saying, “This is Ethan Wells, my classmate,” she stared at me, lost in thought. I maintained a polite, faint smile, watching Liam tilt his head to look at her, asking with a frown: “What’s wrong? Do you know each other?” Only then did Claire snap back to reality, handing me the slice of cake, speaking coldly and distantly: “Don’t know him.” 2 I sat on a single sofa holding the cake, looking at Claire who had returned to the center of the crowd. Under the flowing lights, she was charming and beautiful, her features exquisite. Indeed, breathtakingly beautiful. Especially her eyes, deep as ink. When she looked at someone seriously and intently, she always appeared innocent and affectionate. So during the five years with her, no matter how angry or sad I was, as long as I saw her face, as long as she looked at me quietly and softly called: “Ethan.” I would immediately surrender and forgive her easily. The small cake in my hand emitted a faint scent of orange blossom. My roommate bit his spoon and mumbled: “Ethan, try it, it’s seriously delicious.” “She put so much heart into it. Great, now I have another standard for finding a girlfriend.” I curled my lips and took a small bite. A very familiar taste. It was what I taught Claire to make. I spent half a month patiently accompanying her to try again and again, meticulously guiding her step by step until she learned. She looked at me seriously then and said: “Ethan, once I learn this, I’ll bake a cake for you personally for every birthday.” She learned it, but never made one for me. Actually, in the trajectory of my previous life, my first meeting with Claire wasn’t at this birthday party. Because I wasn’t actually close with Liam. He invited the whole class to his birthday party. I didn’t plan to go but was dragged along by my roommate to join the fun. So in the previous life, I stayed for a bit, gave my gift and blessings, and left early. Thus, I missed the late-arriving Claire. I only heard my roommates mention her after returning to the dorm that night: “Ethan, you left early and missed seeing Liam’s girlfriend. A total stunner.” “Pity she seemed cold and aloof, looked impatient the whole party.” “Leaving personalities aside, they look good together visually.” I didn’t have much curiosity and was never interested in other people’s business, let alone another guy’s girlfriend. So after listening, I just smiled indifferently and paid no more attention, nor did I ask for her name. It wasn’t until I got together with Claire later and accidentally saw a photo in her study that I realized, she was that beauty I missed seeing back then— Liam’s girlfriend. But I didn’t care. After all, who doesn’t have a past? However, now, we are back in the past. Unlike the previous life, this time, almost everyone was praising Claire. Perhaps because the atmosphere around them was too joyous, the corner I sat in seemed somewhat desolate. With indescribable emotions, I unconsciously drank a few more glasses of fruit wine. In my tipsy daze, I momentarily couldn’t distinguish if the time travel was real or fake. So I got up and went to the terrace to blow in the wind for a long time. When I sobered up and came back, the crowd had dispersed. Fingers on the half-open private room door, I saw Claire squatting in front of Liam, who was drunk on the sofa, holding his hand and speaking gently: “I didn’t know how to love before and hurt you. Now I’ve learned.” I have to admit, Claire, who has extremely high talent in learning, can learn anything she wants. 3 So after that birthday party, I started frequently hearing about everything Claire did for Liam. Like peeling shrimp and picking out fish bones for him at dinners, or hand-making gifts to create little romances. Oh, she occasionally came to accompany Liam to class too. And the intersection between us since traveling back was merely that one time at Liam’s birthday party. Then it was today. My roommate and Liam belonged to the same guitar club and were going on a hiking trip. He begged me to go along and help him take photos. “Bro, please! I love your composition, lighting, and color style. I’ll treat you to a big meal when we get back!” I agreed under his pestering. Then carrying my camera, I followed him to the meeting point and saw Claire accompanying Liam. She wore a black and white sportswear set, standing in the crowd looking up slightly, listening intently to Liam. Perhaps she sensed my gaze lingering on her. Before she turned her head, I calmly looked away. My roommate exaggeratedly introduced my photography skills to his companions: “Ethan Wells, self-taught photography master, superb lighting, top-tier composition.” I was amused by him and spoke politely to the students who laughed: “Just an amateur. If anyone needs photos, I can help.” So for the rest of the trip, people kept exchanging snacks for me to take photos of them. Until Liam pulled Claire over and asked me: “Ethan, can you take one for us too?” I held the camera, smiled and nodded, looking for a suitable angle to aim the lens at them. Just before I could press the shutter, I heard my roommate standing aside ask loudly: “Claire, why aren’t you smiling?” “Look at Ethan here, smile!” I silently waited for the moment Claire showed a stiff smile and quickly snapped a few shots. Later on the bus back, we looked at photos together. After accepting everyone’s polite and cheerful praise, we finally scrolled to the few photos my roommate took of me. Actually, they were quite good, but one shot focused on the face of a passerby walking behind me who accidentally entered the frame. It was a girl in a light blue windbreaker, smiling eyes curved as if greeting someone. Amidst the laughter, someone suddenly pointed at the photo and blurted out: “What’s that saying online? You don’t know each other, but were frozen in the same frame. Maybe in another timeline, you really knew each other!” The smile on my face finally faded completely after hearing his words. He was right. In the previous life, this girl and I did indeed know each other. Her name was Sarah Quinn. My first love. I actually haven’t seen her for a very, very long time. Ever since she died on our second anniversary. It’s just that my life seemed to stop forever on the day she died. Paused, suspended in mid-air. Now time has reversed, and we haven’t met yet. My wandering thoughts were pulled back by a sudden brake. The camera slipped from my hand due to inertia and was deftly caught by Claire diagonally in front of me. After calming down from extreme tension, I was about to ask for it back when I found her frowning and staring at that photo. The next second, my roommate turned to look and his surprised voice rang out unexpectedly: “Claire, she looks a lot like you!” I don’t know what Claire thought of in that moment her fingers suddenly tightened. But she was indeed a substitute. 4 Regarding me getting together with Claire, it was actually her proposal. However, I knew better than anyone that Claire wasn’t Sarah, no matter how much she looked like her. So when we were together, initially I carried some guilt and apology, after all, my purpose was just to see her face. Until I accidentally learned her first love was Liam, and that sentence she said while drunk “I’ll find you when I learn how to love someone,” I belatedly understood what she meant when she asked me “I don’t know how to love, teach me how to love you, okay?” She didn’t love me; we took what we needed. So I began to comfortably treat her as a substitute. I started teaching her the ways Sarah loved me. I finally understood why in most fantasy dramas, after the protagonist’s lover dies, an illusion can trap them. Knowing clearly it’s not the real lover, yet willing to sink. I also clearly realized this was undoubtedly drinking poison to quench thirst. But fate let me see scattered documents in her study when I most wanted to give up, about wormholes, black holes, light speed, about time dilation, time travel. And a sentence that seemed casually written: Travelers can only travel back to their own past bodies. The moment my heart beat accelerated, an incredible guess inexplicably surfaced in my mind. Actually, after being with Claire, my deepest impression of her wasn’t that she couldn’t love, but that she was smart, extremely smart. A wall full of certificates, trophies, and the title of physics genius, all demonstrated her glory and smoothness along the way, and also gave her an uncontrollable arrogance. Not knowing how to lower her head to love someone in a relationship. Until breaking up with Liam. That was probably the only unsolvable problem she faced in her life, so she paranoidly tried every method to get the answer. Then go back to conquer it. Honestly, I didn’t know if Claire’s obsession was the unattainable Liam or her only failure in life, nor did I know if she really wanted to reverse time and travel back as I thought, nor did I know if she could succeed. But, what if? So I pretended not to know anything and continued to be with her, year after year, surpassing the time she was with Liam, and surpassing the time I was with Sarah. Until the day before our fifth anniversary, I called her: “Claire, let’s talk when you come back.” I wanted to break up. Unexpectedly, she was silent for a long time on the other end of the phone, then gently said: “Ethan, I might not be able to spend the fifth anniversary with you…” “I’m sorry.” I frowned and was about to say it didn’t matter, but the phone hung up. Holding the phone, I stood there for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what she meant. Almost without hesitation, I rushed to her laboratory, which was already empty. Then, we turned from lovers into strangers. She handed in a perfect answer sheet, becoming the model girlfriend in everyone’s mouth. I also have the chance to save Sarah and change her doomed ending. Just as I didn’t care about Claire and Liam’s past, she didn’t care who I had been with. So I think, about Sarah being my first love. Claire wouldn’t know. The camera was finally handed back to me. Claire said nothing, just turned her head silently looking out the window. I had no time to care about anything else. My eyes fell on the photo, mind full of Sarah, suddenly realizing something. No matter how much I wanted to maintain the development of the previous life, waiting for the first encounter with her at the mixer, the current trajectory still deviated due to one tiny change after another. Like this photo she entered. Like the next day in the lecture hall, she sat next to me.

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