Author: Momo Chan

The System told me to capture the Male Lead’s heart. Halfway through the romance arc, the System deleted the Male Lead. Casually, he said, “Whoops, my hand slipped.” Me: “…” Later, he took over the Male Lead’s body. He unbuttoned his shirt, leaning back and inviting me to sit on his lap. “Come on. Use all those tricks I taught you. Seduce me. Conquer me…” 1 The System has been acting weird lately. He stopped teaching me how to romance the Male Lead, Julian. My affection score with Julian is stuck at 60 and won’t budge. Seeing that Julian’s “white moonlight”—his first love, Sophie—is about to return from abroad, I decided to take drastic measures. Like, seducing him. This afternoon, I went to Julian’s penthouse. I ditched the innocent girl persona and went full femme fatale, using the tricks the System taught me. Wearing a red slip dress, I snuggled into Julian’s arms. On the sofa, I toyed with his tie, looking at him with dewy eyes. “Julian, forget about Sophie. Be with me, okay?” Sophie is Julian’s first love, returning tomorrow. Even though he likes me now, the power of a first love is unpredictable. To prevent them from rekindling their flame, I had to act before she landed. Julian stared at me, his eyes darkening. After a long silence, a husky voice broke the air: “Maybe.” “But… asking me to forget her? In what capacity are you making this request?” I noticed his gaze lingering on my chest for several seconds, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I blushed. “Girlfriend?” Then I hooked my arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. “Julian, be my boyfriend, okay?” Julian chuckled low in his throat. Clearly, my words pleased him. “Beg me. “Beg me, and I’ll say yes.” His eyes were dark as he gripped my waist. He squeezed so hard tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip, crying beautifully. “Please. I’m begging you.” A woman’s tears are a man’s aphrodisiac. The harder you cry, the more excited they get. The System taught me that. Sure enough, the desire in Julian’s eyes burned brighter. He threw me onto the bed, his voice raspy. “You asked for this.” Seeing him about to take off his clothes, I quickly warned the System in my head. [Don’t look!] A cold sneer echoed in my mind. What did he mean by that? Disdain? Good. They say the first time boosts affection points significantly. Watching a half-naked Julian, I was fantasizing about how many points I’d get tomorrow. Suddenly—THUD. He collapsed on the floor, lifeless. Me: ? After processing what happened, I stared at the scene in disbelief. I backed away, my voice trembling. [Sys… System? [What happened to the Male Lead?!] Silence. Then, a casual voice: [My hand slipped.] 2 The System’s name is Cypher. He taught me how to romance the Male Lead step-by-step for years. Because of a “slip of the hand,” he took over the Male Lead’s position, playing the role of Julian. His explanation: The Male Lead is gone, someone has to fill in. So, he filled in. Now, I have to romance him. I sat in the corner of the CEO’s office, nervously clutching my dress, afraid to speak. Reason being: I was terrified. Yesterday, with a wave of his hand, Julian’s body turned into pixels and vanished into thin air. If I make him angry, will he delete me too? … Soon, Cypher finished his work. He tossed the file onto the desk. He looked up lazily, seemingly bored. “Start.” Start what? It was obvious. There are many ways to increase affection points, and physical intimacy is the most effective. I hesitated for two seconds, looking at his perfect lips, and made up my mind. I put my hands on his shoulders, closed my eyes, and kissed him. He didn’t refuse, but he didn’t cooperate either. His lips were cold. I kissed him clumsily, struggling. After kissing for what felt like half an hour, there was still no notification of increased affection. Confused, I opened my eyes and crashed into Cypher’s gaze. Wicked, mocking, smiling. Like a hunter, watching my antics quietly. He hadn’t closed his eyes the whole time. Realizing this, my blood ran cold. We stared at each other, and I didn’t know if I should continue. He pushed me away, wiping the blood from his lip where I’d bitten him. His tone was lazy: “Aria, I’m not Julian. “What worked on him won’t work on me. “Go back and think it over before trying again.” 3 I thought about it for days. Cypher doesn’t like aggressive women. He probably likes the innocent type. I put on a white knee-length dress and went to find him at a gala. The gala was bustling with people and clinking glasses. I didn’t need to look hard. He was a natural protagonist. Standing in the crowd, his noble and elegant aura was impossible to ignore. I was about to approach him when I was blocked. It was Sophie, fresh off the plane. She held a glass of wine in her right hand, swirling it gently. She walked up to me, a malicious sneer on her lips. “Aria, Julian is mine.” I didn’t care whose Julian was, but seeing the glass about to slip from her hand, and her grabbing my arm while leaning back… I instantly realized she was framing me. This angle was a blind spot for cameras. With just her word, I’d never clear my name. In a crisis, I instinctively looked for Cypher, because he always helped me before. Luckily, when I looked over, he happened to look my way. Unluckily, he looked at me with amusement, a smile of indifference on his lips. My heart went cold. I suddenly remembered Cypher telling me that when he took over the Male Lead, he inherited Julian’s affection points. Julian’s affection for Sophie was 65. For me, 60. Cypher is a System. He exists to execute rules. Since his programming, rules are everything. So in this situation, I guess… he probably won’t help me. … I had to save myself. In a flash, before Sophie’s glass hit the floor, I yanked her toward me. And I threw myself down with the momentum. Glass shattered. Shards pierced my calf. Broken skin, embedded in flesh. It hurt. “Ah—” People gasped. Many turned to look. 4 I hit the ground hard, landing right on the broken glass. Red wine mixed with blood, staining my dress. Shards cut my leg like countless razor blades, burning with pain. Blood flowed like a stream down to my ankle, dripping onto the floor. More and more people looked over. The guests here were either rich or powerful—corporate tycoons or industry upstarts. I saw fear, disdain, and condemnation for Sophie’s actions on their faces. Good. If I had been a second late, I would be the one facing this. After all, Sophie is the heiress of the Su Group. Framed for harming her? My current identity couldn’t handle that charge. Cypher walked over. His voice was cold. “What happened?” I had to admit, his acting was impeccable. If I didn’t know he wasn’t Julian, I wouldn’t have noticed the switch. Seeing him, people scrambled to explain. Accusing glares stabbed at Sophie like knives. Sophie panicked, stepping back in confusion. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. “It was you! You framed me! You did it on purpose! “Julian, believe me, I didn’t push her!” She grabbed Cypher’s sleeve, teary-eyed and pitiable. Cypher looked at me calmly. I don’t know why, maybe intuition. I felt he wasn’t happy right now. His eyes were bottomless pools of cold darkness. Afraid he’d side with Sophie, I bit my pale lip, my wet eyes reddening, looking at him with grievance. “Julian, don’t blame Sophie. She probably didn’t mean it. “I just lost my balance. Don’t worry about me. “I… I can get up.” I frowned in pain, trying to stand, but my leg gave out, and I fell back down. Glass dug deeper into the wounds, blood flowing freely. The pain made tears roll down my cheeks. Cypher scoffed, a mocking smile appearing. His voice was unhurried. “Aria. “You’re really smart.” He brushed off Sophie’s hand and picked me up. ? I froze for a second. He praised me? And held me? Did his affection for me surpass Sophie’s? I felt a burst of joy. But the next second, my face froze. [Cypher Affection -5.]

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When my childhood sweetheart, Leo, brought up that scholarship student for the third time, I teased him with a smile. “Do you think she likes you or something?” His expression turned serious, and he told me earnestly: “Sarah, don’t make jokes like that. She’s different from us. Never look down on anyone who’s working hard.” I pouted, feeling wronged. In the end, they both went to the top music conservatory in the country together. And I threw away my violin, went abroad, and switched to finance. The battle between the Red Rose and the White Rose had long since become smoke and mirrors. The day I returned to the States, he invited me to dinner and put a piece of fish on my plate. I subconsciously pushed it to the side. He froze, and silence stretched between us for a long time. 1 When I returned to the States, I only briefly told my parents. But the Zhou and Song families had always been close. So, seeing Leo at the airport arrival gate wasn’t a surprise. It had been years. He was still handsome. Features like a painting, an air of nobility, wearing a dark trench coat, walking toward me at a measured pace. Maybe it was that musician’s aura, but girls nearby were stealing glances at him. He walked over with a smile and naturally took the suitcase from my hand. “Sarah, tired from the flight?” “The AC is on in the car, go ahead and get in.” Seeing I didn’t move, his smile deepened. “Uncle Song asked me to pick you up.” I hesitated for a moment, then got into the back seat. “Aren’t you busy?” I asked casually. “It’s Monday.” “The Little Princess is back. Even if I’m busy, I have to come, right?” His eyes were deep, emotion unreadable. I looked away, waving my hand with a smile. “Stop teasing me. That’s such a childish nickname, it’s weird now.” He paused. But quickly returned to his natural self. “It’s been so long. Let’s grab dinner.” It was getting late. I hesitated. “Sure.” In the rearview mirror, Leo’s gaze lingered on me intermittently. I pretended not to notice, looking down to reply to messages. [Yeah, just got off the plane.] The reply came quickly. [You have fun in NYC first. I’ll finish up things here and arrive next week.] Just as I was typing, he sent another: [Exhausted lately. Miss you.] The London stock market had been active recently; he was probably busy with meetings. My heart softened. Seeing me looking down at my phone, Leo spoke softly. “Don’t stare at your phone in the car, you’ll get dizzy.” I froze. That familiar, caring tone. Gentle and doting. I couldn’t help looking up at him. It had been years since we fell out. We hadn’t spoken in a long time. Leo acted like nothing had happened. His smile revealed shallow dimples. I put down my phone. “How are my parents’ health?” This trip back was mainly to see family. Seven years had passed. I rarely obsessed over the past anymore. “Auntie was discharged a few days ago. The surgery went well.” His tone was relaxed. “Don’t worry, I was there, wasn’t I?” I fell silent. His uncle was a famous doctor in NYC, and the Zhou family had indeed helped a lot. I smiled politely. “Thanks.” The word hung in the air. Leo froze. I used to be a brat, making him buy me boba, demanding he massage my hands when they were sore from playing violin. Even acting helpless so he’d squat down to tie my shoelaces. I’d hug his neck with a grin, never saying thank you. He’d always flick my forehead helplessly. “You really have no manners. You have to grow up sometime.” At a red light, Leo rested his arm on the window. He asked casually: “And you? How have you been all these years?” 2 After I freshened up, he took me to a nearby French restaurant I used to like. The waiter served the steak. I replied nonchalantly, “Not bad. London is pretty nice.” Leo smiled gently. “I’ll visit sometime.” Halfway through the meal, watching Leo swap my red wine for juice, I said helplessly: “You know, I’m an adult now. You don’t have to do this.” He insisted stubbornly. “Girls shouldn’t drink too much.” There was a professional music stage in the hall. A few girls playing music on stage ran over with stars in their eyes to ask Leo for an autograph. He signed, whispering something to them. The girls covered their mouths, glancing at me, then ran back excitedly. Soon, a familiar melody began. My hand paused. Violin. Norwegian Dance. A complex piece, with the refreshing scent of summer. I still remember the summer I was 17. Leo sat beside me, patiently accompanying me through practice after practice. In the candlelight, his smile was tender. “By the way, Sarah, come by my house sometime. My parents always ask about you.” “And your favorite mille-feuille. The calico cat had kittens last year…” As he spoke, he naturally placed a piece of salmon on my plate. I looked down and pushed it to the side. Leo stopped talking. He was silent for a long time, rubbing his brow. Suddenly, he looked at me with exhaustion. “Sarah, after all this time, do you still hate me?” I stopped eating. Leo looked genuinely confused. “We grew up together. Just because I held her hand during the curtain call?” In the hall, the violin music continued to drift. At the next movement, the melody changed flavor, bringing up memories from even further back. Memories that made me angry, disgusted. Leo’s voice grew louder. His finger tapped lightly on the wine glass. “You gave up your music dream just like that? Never touched a violin again? Abandoned everything to go abroad alone?” He frowned. “And I just didn’t shake off her hand when she came close…” “That was on stage. Why have you always been so willful?” Many people nearby looked over. I stopped moving. Bringing up old history again made the complex tangle of emotions uncomfortable. My knife and fork clattered back onto the plate. I tilted my head, smiling with curved eyes. “Mr. Zhou, I’m sorry, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about.” “Youth, a beautiful first love. It’s a romantic story.” I looked puzzled. “Why should I be angry?” Leo stared at me intently. I picked up my bag and said calmly: “You have your dreams, and I can choose my own path.” “There’s no need to bring up past events.” I glanced at the stage and said honestly: “Besides, I think this piece sounds terrible.” The music stopped abruptly. As I turned to leave, Leo stubbornly grabbed my hand. His eyes betrayed no emotion. “So, you studied finance, which you’re not good at, and accepted a family arrangement?” “Married a man you don’t even know, just to get back at me?” He shook his head faintly. “Sarah Song, have you lost your mind?” I calmly pulled my hand away and whispered: “None of your business.” “Leo Zhou, from what position are you speaking to me right now?” His eyes were dark as ink. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. I smiled. Before leaving, I remembered something. “By the way, I heard you and Mia were both named Principal this year. Congratulations.” 3 Headache was killing me. I went to a nearby cafe and ordered an Americano. While waiting, a short-haired girl in a business suit sat opposite me. Her gaze swept over me inadvertently. Surprise flashed across her face. “Sarah! What a coincidence.” The girl put down her phone and extended her hand happily. “Haven’t seen you in so long! I was your high school classmate!” I was a bit dazed. That period of time I deliberately erased had become blurry. “You and Leo helped me with tuition back then. I always wanted a chance to thank you…” Seeing my lack of reaction, she waved her hand with a smile. “It’s normal you don’t remember me.” “You two were so dazzling, helped so many classmates.” “A perfect match is perfect everywhere. You’re still super beautiful after all these years!” I was silent, looking down. The girl seemed to have opened a floodgate, gossiping excitedly. “By the way, you guys are too low-key. No news for so long.” “There was an interesting bet on the school forum back then.” “Red Rose or White Rose. The debate was fierce.” She sipped her coffee, indignant. “Pissed me off. How could Mia compare to you? How could she beat a childhood sweetheart…” “Miss, your Americano is ready.” I stood up, suddenly finding it funny. I remembered that. Seven years ago, arrogant and proud, I voted for myself under my real name in that forum. I never expected I’d be the one fleeing in humiliation. I turned and apologized. “Something urgent came up. Sorry, I have to go.” The girl didn’t mind at all. She waved at me with smiling eyes. “Sarah, when can I come to your concert? I’ll buy out the house.” I paused, pushing open the door hastily. Looking at her expectant and certain gaze, I didn’t have the courage to tell her. I had long abandoned that dream. I hadn’t touched a violin in seven years… Nights in NYC are always dry and cold, unlike the drizzle of London. Some memories can’t be forgotten, easily disrupting everything. My thoughts drifted far away. Back then, everyone knew I had two loves in life. One was the violin, two was Leo Zhou. No reason other than I knew Leo since childhood, and we started playing violin together. We lived in the same neighborhood, our parents were close friends. We shared a tacit, innate talent for music. We practiced in the music room together, read scores, competed. We knew everything about each other, shared interests, complementary personalities. I was proud and bratty, he was gentle and attentive. Growing up, we did everything together. Skiing in Aspen, getting into elite schools, biking home. He carried my bag, handed me boba, tied my shoes. Background, looks, talent—a perfect match. Back then, everyone thought I would become a world-class concert violinist. And then, marry Leo. But the summer of junior year, someone completely different appeared. Her name was Mia Guan. An ordinary girl. 4 The first time Leo noticed his desk mate was when he casually handed her a cup of boba. The barista messed up the order, and I was picky. He shrugged, about to toss it in the trash. “Um, can I have it?” A weak voice spoke up. Mia looked up at him timidly. On the way home, Leo mentioned it to me. “Seems like low blood sugar, no money for food.” He showed emotion for someone else for the first time. Arrogant as I was, I thought he was just soft-hearted. In the advanced class, Mia was the hard-working type, always at the bottom of the rankings. Always in a generic school uniform. Panicking and crying whenever she missed a beat on the piano. A cowardly look. Just an unremarkable, ordinary girl. But later, Leo talked about her more and more. Saying how excellent she had become, how much he admired her. Every time I disagreed, “But I’m clearly a hundred times better than her.” He would stop and say seriously: “Sarah, she’s different from us. Don’t look down on anyone who is ordinary but working hard.” Sometimes in class, laughter came from the back. Students turned to see Leo blushing, frantically covering Mia’s mouth. She blinked innocently, meeting my eyes. Sometimes when Leo brought me things, he’d bring a portion for her too. He let her use our practice room. He never refused her. Many people started joking. Mia was the White Rose (the pure, gentle love), I was the Red Rose (the passionate, intense love). One pure and simple, one proud and bright. The battle of Red and White Roses was talked about for three years. And that name followed me like a shadow, haunting me. Wherever Leo and I were. We were compared. “But with her princess temper, Mia is much better.” “Guys prefer the gentle type, understandable. Mia is really pitiful.” “Sarah Song is too competitive, but prettier than Mia.” Mia, Mia… I started getting anxious. I threw tantrums. I found it unbelievable. “Do you really like her?” He would always flick my forehead helplessly. “Don’t talk nonsense, it’s bad for her reputation.” At the school anniversary gala, Leo agreed to accompany her on piano. They performed flawlessly, winning applause. Nervous, Mia held his hand tightly during the curtain call. Blushing with joy, the usually plain girl looked somewhat pretty. And Leo hesitated, but didn’t shake her off. Photos were posted online. White shirt and white dress. Viral. Red-eyed, I threw away all his white shirts. We had a cold war for a long time because of this. From then on, seeing white clothes made me want to vomit.

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As a girl from the sticks, I used to envy the daughter of the richest man in town. Why? Because once, the tangerines from our village fell on the ground and stained her designer heels. With a single phone call, she had every tangerine tree in our village uprooted. But then one day, the richest man personally came to find me. Turns out, I am the real heiress. I packed my bags overnight, grabbed my little yellow dog, and enthusiastically said goodbye to the uncles and aunties in the village. The whole village waved goodbye with teary eyes: “Little Lin, live that heiress life well! Don’t come back to this hardship!” I shook my head vigorously. No way! The billionaire’s estate isn’t even as big as one hill in our village; it’s not enough space for me and my dog, Buddy, to run two laps. I’m just going to collect my compensation. But if they refuse to pay… well, things are going to get crazy. 1 On the way to pick me up, my billionaire father, Samuel Stone, set three rules for me: First, I cannot publicly reveal my identity without permission. Second, I cannot kick out the fake heiress, Sarah. Third, I cannot compete with Sarah for affection. So, when I walked into the living room and saw Sarah crying like a delicate pear blossom in the rain, I immediately turned around with Buddy in my arms and headed for the garden. “Sarah, don’t cry, you will always be my only daughter.” Mmhmm, that’s my biological mother, Mrs. Stone. “Exactly, you are my only sister. That hillbilly doesn’t deserve to call me brother.” I raised an eyebrow. That’s my brainless brother, Shawn. I didn’t bother listening to the rest. I just ran two laps around the garden with Buddy. Buddy stuck out his tongue in disdain. I nodded. The Stone family’s garden isn’t even as big as a single hill back home. No wonder Buddy isn’t impressed. Estimating that Sarah’s performance should be over, I took Buddy and walked straight into the living room, finding a single sofa to sit on. Buddy obediently lay at my feet. As soon as I sat down, my billionaire father, Samuel, who had been benevolent in the car, looked at me coldly. “Did you forget everything I just said?” My wonderful brother, Shawn, looked at me coldly, like I was something dirty that shouldn’t be there. I pointed a finger at Sarah. “First, I didn’t reveal my identity. Second, I didn’t kick her out. Third, I didn’t fight for affection.” Samuel paused, choking on his words. “Sister, do you dislike me?” Sarah looked aggrieved, her eyes quickly reddening. Mrs. Stone immediately patted her hand in comfort, then turned her sharp tongue on me: “Lin, since you’re back in the Stone family, you need to learn our rules. Don’t bring your rough country ways here.” “And that dog, filthy. How can you bring it into the living room? Get rid of it tomorrow.” I slowly stroked Buddy’s head before looking up at her directly: “When he came to pick me up, he promised I could bring Buddy.” “As for rules, I followed the three he set. My rule is that people should keep their word.” I emphasized the word “he,” turning my gaze to the silent Samuel. Samuel looked a bit embarrassed and coughed. Shawn, who hadn’t spoken, snorted coldly: “Dad was just placating you. But the family image is important.” “You need to adapt to high society quickly, instead of bringing village stuff here.” He paused, the disdain in his eyes deepening, “After all, your last name is Stone now.” “My last name is Lin.” I corrected him calmly, “Like the forest.” The atmosphere in the living room solidified. Sarah’s tears finally fell: “Brother, don’t talk to sister like that. It’s all my fault. If not for me, sister wouldn’t have suffered so much outside.” “Sister, you should blame me. Hit me, scold me, as long as you can vent your anger. Even if you kick me out, I…” I watched this family of four. One playing the victim, one the protector, one the peacemaker, and one looking down from high above. A perfect performance. They wanted to intimidate me, make me realize my place, make me grateful, and make me feel guilty towards Sarah. Unfortunately, they got it wrong from the start. I didn’t come to claim kinship. I came to collect a debt. From my canvas bag, I took out a stack of A4 papers, neatly stapled, and placed them in the center of the coffee table. “So, next, let’s talk about the compensation.” Instantly, everyone froze. 2 Shawn sneered as if he heard the biggest joke in the world and reached for the papers. He flipped through two pages, and his expression went from mocking to livid. “Tangerine grove damage assessment… based on the average yield of the past five years, estimated total yield loss for the next ten years… including labor costs, land maintenance costs, brand value loss… totaling $18.5 million?” His voice trembled as he read the final number, and he slammed the papers onto the table, scattering them everywhere. “Are you crazy? This is extortion!” Mrs. Stone snatched a few pages, her eyes widening, then screamed: “You ungrateful wretch! The Stone family brings you back to a life of luxury, and instead of being grateful, you want money? Eighteen million? Why don’t you just rob a bank!” I ignored their hysteria and looked at Sarah. Her performance was right on cue. Tears fell like broken beads. She stood up, swaying, her voice filled with endless grievance and self-blame. “Sister… I know it’s all my fault. I was ignorant and ruined the village’s tangerine grove…” “But I didn’t mean to…” “Blame me if you want, hit me or scold me, but why use money to hurt Mom and Dad’s feelings? We are family…” She started to kneel towards me, “I apologize, I’ll kowtow to you, please don’t do this…” Shawn and Mrs. Stone rushed to support her. The family huddled together, glaring at me as if I were the villain tearing apart their happy home. “Lin! Look what you’ve done to Sarah!” Samuel finally slammed the table and stood up, pointing at my nose, full of disappointment and anger: “The Stone family owes you nothing! Bringing you back is a favor, not an obligation! If you keep making trouble, get out!” I waited for them to vent, then spoke slowly, my voice not loud but clear enough for everyone to hear. “First, this isn’t extortion, it’s compensation.” “What Sarah destroyed was the livelihood of over a hundred families in the village for the next ten years. This data was recorded by my grandfather in his ledger for decades, stroke by stroke, accurate to the harvest of every single tree.” I paused, my gaze sweeping over each of them. “Second, I already said, my last name is Lin. I came back not to recognize any relatives, nor to be anyone’s sister.” I stood up, looking down at this ridiculous family of four, finishing my sentence word by word. “I am here to collect a debt. Paying debts is the law of the universe.” “Your Stone family affection is worthless to me. I don’t want it.” 3 Samuel eventually accepted my $18.5 million compensation list. He didn’t say he would pay, nor did he say he wouldn’t. Instead, he looked at me with a new, complex gaze for a long time, then made a decision: send me to school. The same school as Sarah, Derby International High School. Mrs. Stone was all for it. She looked at me with malicious glee: “It’s time to learn some manners. Don’t always act so uncultured and embarrass the Stone family.” Shawn added with contempt: “Sarah’s circle is full of elites. Going there will open your eyes. Don’t just think about your tangerine money, your vision is too small.” I understood their intention. Throw me into an environment completely foreign to me, where background and status matter everywhere. Make me feel ashamed, make me see the vast difference between Sarah and me. So I would retreat in defeat, obediently give up that “extortion” sum, and become a docile puppet dependent on the Stone family. Nice calculation, but useless on me. On the first day of school, I became a celebrity at Derby High. Not because I was the real heiress of the Stone family, but because I wore faded canvas shoes. Carrying a canvas bag printed with “Serve the People,” followed by a little yellow dog wagging its tail. Of course, Buddy couldn’t enter the school building, so I let him wait by the security booth at the gate. The security guard was nice and gave him a bowl of water. Sarah’s lackeys were active. The leader was named Jessica. They buzzed around me like flies. They would “accidentally” spill milk on my homework; Loudly discuss my “street vendor clothes” behind my back; Even stuff trash in my desk. Sarah always put on an innocent and helpless look, occasionally coming over to fake-persuade: “Jessica, don’t treat my sister like this. She’s new and not used to it.” Then Jessica and the others would intensify their efforts, claiming to “fight for justice” for Sarah. I couldn’t be bothered. Arguing with a bunch of spoiled brats is a waste of time. My purpose here isn’t to make friends or fit into any circle. I’m just waiting for my $18.5 million to hit my account. Soon, the school organized a grade-wide placement test. This became the new fun for Jessica and her crew. They spread rumors everywhere that I, the “illiterate” from the mountains, probably didn’t even know how to fill out a Scantron sheet. They said I would definitely rank last in the school, disgracing Sarah’s class. On the day of the exam, I finished all the papers half an hour early, then slept on the desk until the bell rang. This behavior solidified my image as a “slacker” in their eyes. Sarah looked at me with a hint of pity. The day the results were posted, the bulletin board was crowded, three layers deep, noisy as hell. I had no interest in joining the fun and was about to walk around. Then I heard a collective gasp from the crowd, followed by deathly silence. Then, everyone’s eyes turned to me like searchlights. I was baffled but still dragged to the bulletin board by busybodies. The crowd parted automatically for me. I looked up at the red list at the very top. In the first place, two words were clearly written: Lin Ya. 4 Followed by a string of numbers: English 145, Math 150, Science 148, Social Studies 305, Total 748. A score so high it was terrifying, leading by a mile. Second place was the usual grade leader, with a total of 695. As for Sarah, I scanned down and found her name in seventh place, total score 681. The hallway was silent. Jessica’s mouth hung open, looking like she’d seen a ghost. Sarah stood not far away, face pale, knuckles white from clenching her fists. That night at the dinner table, the atmosphere was heavier than ever. Samuel, Mrs. Stone, and Shawn held copies of my report card, reading it over and over, as if trying to find a flower blooming in the numbers. For the first time, no one dared treat me like a silly girl from the village anymore. After the placement test, the Stone family quieted down a lot. At the table, Mrs. Stone stopped mocking me, and Shawn stopped using his elite theories to belittle me. They just ate in silence, looking at me with probing, scrutinizing, even wary eyes. This silence felt more fake than the previous noise. I knew this was just the calm before the storm. If one strike fails, they switch to a more covert, vicious method. Especially Sarah. Her look changed completely. Before, it was teasing and pity like a cat with a mouse. Now, it was a coldness mixed with jealousy and malice. In front of me, she still tried to maintain that gentle, kind, harmless appearance, but her acting skills had degraded. The hate deep in her eyes occasionally leaked out, like a poisoned needle, sharp and cold. Soon, her self-perceived opportunity arrived. 5 The school was hosting its annual Chemistry Competition. Winners not only get extra credit for college applications but also a significant boost for Ivy League admissions. As a perennial top student, Sarah was determined to win this award. The competition was in pairs. To everyone’s surprise, Sarah actively invited me to team up with her. She stood at my desk, smiling sweetly: “Sister, let’s participate together? Your theoretical knowledge is so good, and I’m better at hands-on experiments. If we team up, we’ll definitely be first.” I put down my pen and looked up at her. Then I nodded calmly, “Okay.” I knew it was a trap. But I also knew you can’t guard against a thief every day. I came to the Stone family to collect a debt. A gleam of success flashed in Sarah’s eyes, almost too fast to catch. From that day on, a small gadget I bought online came in handy— A micro voice recorder that looked exactly like a regular fountain pen. The preparation phase seemed normal. The afternoon before the competition, we were running a final data simulation in the lab. Halfway through, Sarah suddenly said she felt unwell and went to the infirmary, leaving Jessica to keep me company. I nodded and continued processing the reagents. After Sarah left, Jessica leaned in: “Lin, is there something wrong with the scale on that beaker? Let me check it for you.” Just as she pretended to help me check the instrument to distract me, I heard a faint zipper sound behind me. And the tiny sound of a memory card being pulled out of the data logger. I didn’t turn around. When I turned back, Jessica was back in her original position, just a bit pale. And the data logger slot on the lab bench was empty. “Where is my data card?”

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My sister invited me to her wedding, but when I arrived, I saw a familiar face. The same man who, this morning, kissed me goodbye and left for work. Now, I’m watching him recite his vows and exchange rings with her. My sister, elegantly clinging to his arm, reminded me: “I asked Liam to take care of you before, but now, Elara, it’s time you found a boyfriend of your own.” I glanced at Liam. He smiled softly at my sister, offering not a single word of explanation. Whatever. I don’t want him anymore. Even if he comes crawling back to our apartment door later, calling me “baby,” I don’t want him anymore. 1 When Liam left this morning, he kissed my cheek. He reminded me, just like always: “Leftovers are in the fridge. Heat them up when you wake up. Remember to eat.” So when I saw Liam’s face at the wedding, my first reaction wasn’t anger. It was confusion. As the officiant read the vows, Liam stared intently at my sister, leaving me only his profile. There was a tiny mole at the corner of his eye. Countless times, when he flaked on me for work and made me angry, he would whine and cuddle up to me. “Let me kiss the mole by your eye. Don’t be mad, I know you like it.” I couldn’t be mistaken. But why was it Liam? After being brought back to the Vanderbilt family, I rarely appeared in public. I never claimed to be a Vanderbilt. I never coveted anything that wasn’t mine. I couldn’t choose my birth, but I tried my hardest to avoid the family drama. But why is my boyfriend involved with my sister? Suddenly, my older brother, Ethan, gripped my wrist. The officiant was asking Liam: “Do you take Sophia Vanderbilt to be your lawfully wedded wife…” Ethan’s voice dropped into my ear simultaneously. “Forgot to tell you. Liam and Sophia are childhood sweethearts. We’ve spoiled Sophia, so she does whatever she wants.” “I apologize on her behalf.” The “little sister” he referred to wasn’t me. It was Liam’s bride, Sophia. The elegant Miss Vanderbilt. Ethan always did whatever he pleased. Being this polite wasn’t out of respect; it was out of disdain. I deliberately ignored Ethan’s words, staring fixedly at Liam. He didn’t even glance at me. He only looked at my sister, his gaze tender and devoted, answering firmly: “I do.” I couldn’t ignore his words. My heart twinged with pain, and tears rolled down involuntarily. Ethan released my wrist. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wiping his hand with a handkerchief. His disdainful voice floated over lightly. “Elara? You really are delusional.” 2 “Sophia, come here. Let your brother see how beautiful you look.” Sophia lifted her skirt and trotted over, Liam carefully guarding her from behind. “Ethan, is it pretty? Liam spent months picking it out.” Sophia had tiny diamonds at the corners of her eyes. When she moved, they sparkled in sync with the crystals on her dress. She was beautiful. Ethan returned to his usual nonchalant self. “Of course my sister is beautiful. You’d look good even without that brat Liam picking it out.” His tone was familiar. He smiled gently at Sophia and Liam. Liam wore a faint smile, a look I had never seen on him. “Ethan, we still have to toast the guests. Sophia and I will go find Mother first. We’ll catch up later.” Throughout the exchange, I didn’t get a chance to say a single word. No one even spared me a glance. The contempt was obvious. Just like the day I first arrived at the Vanderbilt estate. My mother knelt on the ground, begging: “She’s your daughter, you can’t just ignore her…” The family sat on the sofa, busy with their own things, even discussing an interesting news story, as if they didn’t see us standing at the door. Simple indifference crushed us completely. Just like now. I suddenly lost the will to argue. I didn’t care how Liam became my sister’s husband. I just wanted to get away from the Vanderbilts, go back to my crappy apartment, and cry my eyes out. Tomorrow morning, I’ll still be Elara, the girl with zero connection to the Vanderbilt fortune. 3 “Ethan, I’m leaving then.” I tried to keep my expression composed. “Don’t go. Why leave? Liam took care of you for so long, you should say hi.” “Sophia is willful. She insisted Liam take care of you. You didn’t misunderstand anything, did you?” Misunderstand what? That Liam clung to me saying “I love you”? That he whined he only liked me? Wasn’t this all a game you were in on? Only I was the fool being played. After revealing the truth, you still have the nerve to check on the fool’s mental state? You people are bored out of your minds. I adjusted my emotions and lifted my chin. “I didn’t misunderstand.” “Ethan, if you had told me earlier that Liam was someone Sophia hired to take care of me, I would have treated him better.” “At least I wouldn’t have made him squeeze into a rental apartment with me.” Ethan probably didn’t expect me to switch gears so fast. He froze for a moment. Behind me, Sophia’s voice rang out: “Elara, come here. Let your brother-in-law and I toast you.” She walked towards me with a wine glass. Beside her, Mrs. Vanderbilt glanced at me with disdain and turned away. Sophia stood in front of me. Liam reminded her, “Drink less, or your stomach will hurt later.” Watching this display of deep affection, I thought: Wow, you people are great actors. The man who was begging for kisses this morning could switch roles in less than three hours and care for another woman. Disgusting. I raised my glass. “Wishing my sister and brother-in-law a hundred years of happiness and many children.” Sophia smiled and clinked glasses with me. I couldn’t stay a second longer. I turned to leave. She reminded me from behind. “Elara, those plushies and watches you gave Liam were really cheap, so I threw them away. Don’t blame me.” I stopped. I remembered when I was with Liam, he loved rituals. He would whine for gifts on every holiday, big or small. I didn’t have much money. I used my part-time wages to buy him small gifts. Scarves, flowers, watches. I picked each one carefully, hoping to see him happy. But the gifts I gave him always disappeared the next day. He lied to me, saying he treasured them and put them away for safekeeping. Turns out, this was the reason. That woman didn’t teach me much, but I remember when she was at her peak, she told me: “The more down and out you are, the more dignified you must appear.” Even though she couldn’t keep it up herself, I remembered those words. Being stabbed in the wound like this, I dug my nails into my palm and feigned calmness. “Just cheap trinkets. Toss them if you want.” I walked forward on trembling legs, not looking back at their expressions. 4 Back home, I started packing Liam’s things. From the bedsheets he picked out to his toothbrush and rings. I gathered a lot of stuff, packing them into three bags to throw out. The apartment complex had a nice environment, lots of gardens and trees. Outside the window, the silk trees were in full bloom. When we looked at apartments in the spring, Liam fell in love with this place because of the tall silk tree out front. But the rent was high. I had to take double the freelance work to afford it, on top of my lab work. In the end, he hugged me and pouted, blinking pitifully. I gave in and agreed. There was no elevator. I dragged the bags down the stairs. The silk tree out front was blooming vigorously, looking like a pink cotton candy cloud from afar. It was hot. My back was soaked with sweat. The heavy bags left red marks on my palms. I was agitated. With a yank, one bag ripped. Clothes tumbled down the stairs. I stared at the clothes rolling down to the next floor. I blinked, emotions swirling, but just dragged my stiff body back upstairs to get a thicker bag. While I was squatting on the stairs picking up clothes, the neighbor grandma came home. Seeing me, she greeted warmly, “Elara, cleaning up? I see Liam’s clothes are still good. Don’t spoil him too much.” Even the neighbor I met only a few times knew I spoiled Liam. I paid the rent. I paid for meals. I bought his clothes. If he whined a little, I abandoned my principles. Maybe because I lacked love growing up, when I caught someone, I spoiled them desperately, regardless of their intentions. My throat tightened. I wiped my face with my arm, composing myself before answering. “Grandma, I know. I won’t anymore.” After throwing everything in the dumpster, I threw myself onto the bed and forced my eyes shut. When I opened them again, the room was pitch black. I found my phone and called my senior from the lab. “Sarah, can I still move into the campus dorms?” After that, I texted the landlord: “I’m moving out.” I buried my head in the pillow, muttering uncontrollably. “It’s okay. Just treat Liam like a dream.” “I am still me. An ordinary girl who got into the lab on her own merit.” “My mom was wrong. I need to stay away from the Vanderbilts. I have nothing to do with them. Nothing.” …

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Five years ago, I saved a handsome fox out of kindness. I thought he might come back to repay the favor. Instead, the old fox dropped off three little foxes at my doorstep as his “gift.” I stared at them, ready to say no thanks. Suddenly, a stream of text—live comments—scrolled across my vision. [Damn, the Real Heiress is fumbling the bag! Those aren’t just foxes; they’re about to shift into drop-dead gorgeous men! Tall, handsome, and… capable.] [The Fake Heiress really has an eye for talent. While the heroine is still buffering, she’s about to snatch up a whole reverse harem and live her best life.] [Seriously though, each fox has a special power. They’ll help the Fake Heiress steal her parents’ love, the family fortune, and even the Real Heiress’s fiancé. By the time she realizes what happened, it’ll be too late.] I frowned, half-believing. But then, my exquisitely selfish fake sister, Bella, leaned in toward the box of foxes. “Since you hate animals so much, sis, why don’t you just give them to me?” I snatched the box back immediately. “Nah. Some men are better raised by yourself.” 1 As Bella reached for the box, my body moved faster than my brain. I shielded the box behind me. “I couldn’t possibly trouble you. I found them, so I’ll take care of them.” Five minutes ago, those weird comments started appearing. Thanks to them, I learned that I’ve been living inside a novel called The Fake Heiress Snaps Back and Lives Happily Ever After. And me? I’m the “native” Real Heiress, existing solely to be the villainous foil. The Fake Heiress, Bella Sterling, acts greedy and desperate to leave this wealthy family, but somehow ends up being everyone’s favorite. Meanwhile, I, the Real Heiress who actually craves family connection after being switched at birth and living in poverty for 18 years, am universally despised no matter what I do. And it all starts with this litter of foxes. Bella uses them to steal my “Main Character Energy.” Without my protagonist halo, I hit wall after wall, eventually jumping off a building in despair. But now that I’ve seen the spoilers? No way in hell is she getting them. I gripped the cardboard box like my life depended on it. Bella’s hand froze in mid-air. Her expression shifted instantly. She tilted her chin up, giving me a look that was half-smile, half-sneer. “Sister, you won’t know how to raise them. You grew up in the countryside… did your village school even teach basic pet care? Oh, right, I forgot. You probably don’t know anything about raising exotic animals.” Bella’s words made me stiffen. My face must have looked delightful. Before I could clap back, a smooth, magnetic male voice drifted from behind us. “Chloe? What are you fighting with Bella about now? Don’t you have everything she has? Can you stop targeting her? The Sterling family has compensated you enough. Aren’t you satisfied?” The speaker was decked out in designer sportswear, handsome features sharp and defined, hair styled perfectly. It was the Sterling family’s adopted son, Julian Vance. And currently, my fiancé in name only. 2 Five years ago, while shucking corn at my grandma’s place, I saved an injured fox. He was majestic—snow-white fur, piercing blue eyes that were chillingly beautiful. I heard foxes were spiritual beings who repaid debts. So, just in case, I left my address and ID number. Didn’t want him thanking the wrong person. I waited and waited. The fox didn’t show up. Instead, a convoy of luxury cars arrived, led by the richest man in our region, Mr. Sterling. They said there was a mix-up at the hospital years ago, and I was the true heiress. I thought, This must be the Fox God’s blessing! But after returning to the Sterling mansion, I realized how awkward my position was. My biological parents had zero emotional connection with me. Sure, they pitied my hard life—adopted parents dying early, living in poverty with Grandma. But they felt money was enough to fix it. Meanwhile, Bella, who took my place, was so sweet and charming that the Sterlings couldn’t bear to send her away. She stayed. Now, technically, I was the eldest daughter. She was the adopted second daughter. But her status in this house was way higher than mine. And Julian? Thanks to the comments, I now knew he was the main male lead of this harem novel. As the adopted son, everyone assumed he was Bella’s future husband. But when I, the real daughter, returned, the old childhood engagement contract meant Julian was suddenly my fiancé. Watching his true love slip away because of me, naturally, he hated my guts. But it didn’t matter. The Sterlings promised that if I came back, they’d pay for Grandma’s eye surgery and put her in the best nursing home. My lips twitched as I stared at Julian. “Satisfied? What should I be satisfied with? A fake heiress occupying the nest, acting crazy in front of me all day? I haven’t even lost my temper yet, and you’re lecturing me? Who are you? Just a dog of the Sterling family? So, be a good dog and don’t block the way.” I tried to leave with the box. Just now, I saw a comment: [The first fox, the Boss, is about to open his eyes. The first person he sees becomes his master. Boss Fox represents wealth. He brings insane financial luck to his owner.] Holy crap. Wealth! A money god! If I get this little guy on my team, I can walk sideways through this stupid novel! Bella must have seen the comments too. She lunged, trying to snatch the box. “Sister, don’t be mad! I didn’t mean you were uncultured! I’ve been the heiress for eighteen years, and you just came back… I really didn’t mean to look down on you! Julian is just worried about me, you don’t need to use such ugly words!” I rolled my eyes at her, ignoring her completely. My brain was on repeat: [Boss Fox is opening his eyes! His power is WEALTH! Bella baby, grab him quick! If he imprints on Chloe, it’s game over!] [Boss Fox shifts tonight! He’s super hot, 6’2″, pale skin, long legs!] I stopped reading and sprinted for my room. Even if I couldn’t make him imprint on me, I wasn’t letting Bella have him. Bella realized what was happening. She grabbed my sleeve, refusing to let go. In the struggle, the box fell. Thud. I heard a soft yelp. In the chaos, I locked eyes with a pair of amber beast eyes. Bella turned pale, tears instantly filling her eyes. “Chloe! I know you suffered growing up, but it wasn’t my fault! Punish me if you want, but why hurt innocent animals? They didn’t do anything! Please, just give them to me!” Seeing that force didn’t work, she switched to the “White Lotus” routine. I ignored her. She lunged for the box. A white blur shot out of the box and vanished instantly. Damn. One got away. Bella covered her mouth in feigned shock. “Chloe! I didn’t mean to! Why did you have to fight me for it? If you didn’t fight, he wouldn’t have run away!” I body-checked both of them aside, grabbed the box, and bolted for my room. The moment I locked the door, I felt movement inside the box. I opened the lid. Only two sleeping fox cubs remained. The one who opened his eyes was gone! 3 My Money God ran away! The gloating comments returned. [Hahaha, Boss Fox ran! He definitely went to find our Bella baby. What is this dumb Real Heiress thinking? This is a Villainess Redemption novel! Whatever Bella wants, she gets!] [Once Bella gets the Money Fox, she inherits the entire Sterling fortune. Julian is already hers. They’re gonna break that window paper tonight, hehehe.] I was shaking with rage. Why? The old fox came to repay me. These cubs were meant for me. She snatches them and thinks she’s justified? Just because she has the “Redemption” script, she can ignore morality? Bang! Bang! Bang! Someone was pounding on my door. “Chloe Sterling! You better come out and apologize to Bella right now! Mom and Dad are coming back from abroad tonight. If they find out you’re bullying Bella again, I won’t defend you!” It was Julian. When I didn’t respond, he added coldly: “Don’t blame me for not warning you. They’re distributing shares tonight. Don’t you want your tuition and allowance?” I sneered. “If I want it, will they give it to me? Keep it. You and Bella are their precious darlings. I’m just an outsider, right?” They treated the fake daughter better than me, their own flesh and blood. Bringing me back was just to make her look better by comparison. Would anyone care if I lived or died? Instead of waiting for their scraps, I’d rather rely on these foxes. 4 I didn’t leave my room that night. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling didn’t come to see me. The next morning, they deliberately didn’t call me for school. After I returned, we all attended the same elite private school. Usually, a luxury car took us. But Bella told everyone I was the maid’s daughter and that she brought me along out of pity. She encouraged the class to isolate and bully me. I had no friends. I hid the other two foxes and took several buses to school. According to the comments, in the original plot, Boss Fox shifted last night and went to school with Bella today to execute the first “face-slapping” scene against me. As soon as I entered the classroom, the text appeared again. [The Real Heiress is here! Showtime! Today is the scene where she wins first place in the essay contest and gets the $5,000 prize, right?] [Yup! She treasures that money, wanting to send it to her blind grandma in the village. But Bella snatches it! Chloe doesn’t know Boss Fox swapped her original manuscript. As long as Boss Fox is with Bella, all of Chloe’s financial luck gets stolen.] [She deserves it. Why does she act so pitiful? She should just hand over her resources. Finders keepers!] I ignored the text and looked at Bella. Standing next to her was a boy in our school uniform. Silver hair. Skin so pale it glowed. Even his eyelashes were white. He looked down, features too beautiful to be real. He stood obediently by Bella’s side. Bella lifted her chin and patted his head like a puppy. “He’s my friend. He’ll be coming to school with Julian and me from now on. Don’t bully him, okay?” Seeing me, Bella’s smile turned nasty. “Sorry, Chloe. Julian wanted dumplings from the south side, so the driver left early. We forgot to pick you up.” I smiled calmly and walked toward her. “You better hope you actually forgot and aren’t just acting. Whether it was intentional or not, you know deep down.” I shoved my desk over. Several mice and a green snake scurried out from inside. These little tricks had been constant since I enrolled. I was used to them. I endured it because the Sterlings paid for Grandma’s eye treatments. Until yesterday, when I saw the comments. I learned the Sterlings forced Grandma to move out of her home, and on Bella’s suggestion, stopped paying the nursing home fees. Grandma died of illness and neglect. I’m done enduring. I’m taking back everything she stole! Screams erupted in the classroom. I stepped on the snake’s tail, grabbed it by the head, and thrust it into Bella’s pale face. The snake hissed, tongue flickering. Bella’s pupils dilated in terror. “You’re crazy, Chloe! Get it away! Get it away! AHHH!” I leaned closer. Julian tried to stop me but was afraid of the snake. He yelled, “Chloe, are you insane? It’s venomous! Come at me if you have a problem!” I glanced at him. “I’ll deal with you after her. Wait your turn.” Just as I was about to drop the snake down Bella’s collar, the white-haired boy frowned. He grabbed my hand. And the snake. I looked at him. Amber beast eyes met mine. The old fox… He blinked at me, confused.

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It was the first day of college. The scholarship student my dad was “sponsoring” drove my brand-new Maserati to registration. I tried to suppress my rage and told her to give the car back. She rolled her eyes at me. “Just because I’m the billionaire’s main mistress, you think you can demand things? Even if you climbed into his bed right now, you’d only be number four in line!” I suspected I was going deaf. I couldn’t help but ask a few more questions. She whipped out her phone to show me a selfie of them together. “The Big Boss sponsors you, but he sponsors me more! Look at you, you look like a total prude. In terms of status, I’m the honored concubine, and you’re just a maid who hasn’t managed to sleep her way to the top yet!” “Since when do the servants use better stuff than the masters? I heard the Boss bought you a villa last week? Transfer it to my name, and maybe I’ll take you along tonight to serve him.” I laughed out of sheer anger and called my mom immediately. “Mom, winter is coming. It’s time to let your trophy husband go bankrupt.” 1 On registration day, I drove my Porsche Cayenne to campus. This was already my biggest compromise. To celebrate me starting college, my mom, without a second thought, had bought me a hot pink Maserati. As she put it: “Young girls should drive bright colors!” But the attention that car grabbed was just too intense. As a freshman, I couldn’t handle that kind of heat. As soon as I parked near the freshman check-in, I heard a commotion to my right. “Holy crap! A Maserati! Is that the new GT?!” “Who is that? Making such a scene on the first day? That’s aggressive!” “Check the plate! Ending in 0728? Birthday plates? Damn, her family must be loaded!” My eyelid twitched. I followed the noise, and my heart skipped a beat. That flashy pink Maserati being surrounded, photographed, and screamed over… It wasn’t the new car my mom gave me last week. It couldn’t be anyone else’s. The plate ended in 0728—my birthday. No mistake. My stomach dropped. I remembered my dad acting all mysterious this morning, borrowing my car key. “Daddy’s got a surprise for you for school,” he’d said. Surprise? This was a heart attack! But a tiny part of me was hopeful. I grabbed my suitcase and squeezed through the crowd. The chatter was getting louder, the sound of camera shutters non-stop. “Man, she must be a top-tier heiress.” “I’m crying. I’m just trying to get my license, and she starts college in a Maserati…” Just then, the Maserati door opened. A foot clad in a four-inch stiletto stepped out. Followed by a girl squeezing out of the car. She was wearing a Chanel suit that looked suspiciously cheap, makeup thick enough for a nightclub, and carrying a canvas tote bag printed with “Sterling Charity Foundation.” She acted like she owned the place, circling the car, blowing a kiss to the staring crowd, and speaking in a voice dripping with affectation: “Alright, alright, stop taking pictures. It’s just a daily driver. Keep it low profile.” The tiny hope in my heart shattered into dust. It was officially a nightmare. My suitcase hit the ground with a loud thud. Seriously, who the hell is she? 2 The noise I made obviously caught her attention. She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over me like a searchlight dipped in chili oil—hot and stinging. When she saw the plain Converse on my feet, her look turned into undisguised contempt. She suddenly curled her finger at me, her voice sharp enough to scratch glass. “Hey! You with the suitcase! Yeah, you! Come here!” I frowned, standing my ground. My eyes locked on her dark purple fingernails as I asked, “That car is mine. How did you get it?” The crowd went silent for half a second. Then, like a powder keg lighting up, they exploded into laughter. “Did she say the car is hers? Is she crazy?” “Dressed like a high schooler, backpack, canvas shoes… trying to claim a Maserati? Brave, sister!” The girl paused, then laughed so hard she trembled, as if she’d heard the world’s best joke. She puffed out her chest, pulling the tote bag with the logo prominently in front of her, practically shoving it in everyone’s face. “Yours? You?!” She pointed at the canvas bag, emphasizing every word: “Do you know what this is? It’s a special pass from the Sterling Charity Foundation! I am personally looked after by the Billionaire himself! Someone like you…” She glanced at my sneakers again and let out a scoff. “You can’t even afford decent shoes. Do you really think we’re on the same level?” Obviously, in the presence of a Maserati, everyone had stopped using their brains. The crowd’s murmurs turned malicious, attacking me like oil thrown on a fire. “Oh, she’s trying to act like a gold digger to get noticed? Thick skin.” “Takes all kinds, huh? Losing your dignity for money? I’m embarrassed for her.” “Tsk tsk, she looks so innocent, who knew…” I was speechless. These were my most low-key shoes, and they still cost $800. But they were definitely better than the knockoff outfit she was wearing. And that tote bag… What “Sterling Charity Foundation”? I’d never seen my mom organize a charity foundation. Oh, wait… Mom didn’t, but Dad did. I remembered three years ago, my dad mumbling something about the corporation having “charity quotas,” so he set up a small foundation. He was in charge and said he was helping a “financially struggling student with excellent grades.” I think her name was… “Jessica Jordan?” 3 The girl raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms, lifting her chin even higher. “Oh? You have some sharp eyes after all. You recognize me? Then you should know not to mess with me.” I couldn’t stop the cold sneer forming inside me. I didn’t expect my trophy-husband dad to prepare such a big “surprise” for me! Taking the key to my new car to let this charity case flex? Interesting. Since when did the “Billionaire” shift from my mom to Richard Sterling? I lost my patience, pulled out my phone, and took two steps forward. I looked Jessica dead in the eye. “I’ll say it one more time. This car is mine. The 0728 is my birthday. Give me the key. Now.” Jessica laughed dramatically, clutching her stomach. “You’re saying the Boss gave you this car? You got proof?” She whipped out her phone, found a photo, and held it up high. “Look closely! This is me and Mr. Sterling! He said it himself, I’m his little baby, and he gives me all the good stuff!” “As for you… your last name isn’t Sterling. You’re clearly not his daughter. Trying to get him to be your sugar daddy, aren’t you?” In the photo, my dad, wearing the Armani suit my mom bought him, was carefully tying a Hermès scarf around Jessica’s neck. The background was unmistakably the seven-figure crystal chandelier in our living room. The timestamp was exactly from last month when Mom and I were traveling abroad. Heh. Good job, Dad. Cheating is one thing, but erasing your daughter’s existence? The crowd exploded again. “I know him! That’s Richard Sterling! He’s a top exec at Sterling Corp, the Marketing Director!” “Director? A director isn’t exactly a billionaire, right? Did this Jessica girl get scammed by an old guy?” “You don’t get it. Richard Sterling has deep connections. Rumor has it he gave up his own inheritance to work at Sterling Corp. His real net worth is at least in the billions! Calling him the Richest Man isn’t a stretch!” “Yeah, and I heard Sterling Corp only survives because of his connections. Otherwise, it would have gone under ages ago…” I laughed out of pure anger. I had no idea my dad was packaging himself like this to the outside world. My mom was always too busy with the conglomerate’s actual business to care about this petty gossip. And the people in our circle wouldn’t bother mentioning such trivial things to me. After all, everyone who actually matters knows: Without my mom, Richard Sterling is absolutely nothing. But clearly, this fox-borrowing-the-tiger’s-power trick really worked on this idiot girl my age. Disgusting. I completely lost my patience, my voice turning ice cold. “Jessica, I don’t have time for your performance. Last warning: give me the key.” “Or face the consequences.” Jessica wasn’t scared. Instead, she craned her neck and shrieked: “Why should I?! Mr. Sterling said this car is for me to drive! Who the hell are you to order me around?!” I sneered. “He said that? Fine. Why don’t you call your ‘dear’ right now, in front of everyone, and ask him whose car this is?” “And while you’re at it, tell him Serena Sterling is standing right here. See if he still dares to admit he has any relationship with you!” The crowd, always eager for drama, started chanting. “Yeah, call him! Ask and we’ll know the truth!” “Speakerphone! Put it on speaker, we all want to hear!” 4 Jessica clearly loved being the center of attention. She slowly pulled out her phone, deliberately swiping the screen with a flourish before dialing. After a few rings, it connected. Jessica immediately switched to a sickly sweet, baby voice that could induce diabetes: “Hiii honey~ What are you doing? I’m at the school registration, and something so funny happened.” “Some crazy girl blocked me and claims your car is hers! But you gave this to me, isn’t that hilarious?” “Oh, she says her name is Serena…” Suddenly, on the other end of the line, my dad started stammering: “Who… forget it, don’t listen to her… she’s being unreasonable… just go register first… I’ll handle it later…” Jessica turned off the speakerphone, whispered a few more things to my dad, and hung up. She rolled a massive eye at me, looking triumphant. “Hear that? Still want my stuff? Give it up!” “My Richard told me all about you. You’re the one stalking him!” “I’m the Boss’s number three. Even if you climbed into his bed now, you’d only be number four!” I froze, terrified I had heard wrong. “Excuse me? Me? His number four?” I became my own dad’s mistress number four? Who is she trying to kill with laughter? Jessica had zero shame about self-identifying as a mistress. She put her hands on her hips and scoffed: “Yeah, don’t you know the rules?” “The Boss sponsors you, but he sponsors me more! Look at you, all buttoned up. You’re basically the concubine who hasn’t been touched yet. I’m the favorite! You’re just a maid trying to get promoted!” “Since when do servants use better things than their masters? I heard last week you badgered the Boss into buying you a villa? Heh, you better transfer that villa to me right now. Maybe I’ll take you along tonight to serve him!” Her speech shocked the people around us. “Oh my god, did she just say that out loud? Shameless…” “But hey, catching a billionaire’s eye is a skill, right?” “Is she insane? She looks decent, but her mind is so dirty.” “I think she’s just being real. People respect money, not morals these days.” “Exactly. Better than this other girl, acting like a prude when she’s probably a gold digger too. The Boss said Serena is the one stalking him. Plus, I saw a Porsche key in her bag. Probably her allowance from the Boss!” “Right! I support Jessica! Brave love isn’t wrong. Getting a Maserati out of being a mistress is talent.” Talent. Right. I was rendered speechless by the bizarre logic of this crowd. I rolled my eyes and opened my bag. I dug around and finally pulled out the spare key for the pink Maserati. Just as I took it out… A hand with purple nails snatched it from my grip. “Aha! I wondered why you were so confident! You stole my spare key! You are absolutely shameless! You’ll use any dirty trick for money!”

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It was 2:00 AM. My roommates were screaming at their screens, on a losing streak in ranked. I woke up, seething with annoyance, and went to the bathroom. While I was in there, a news alert popped up on my phone: [URGENT: An adult gorilla has escaped the city zoo due to unknown circumstances. Residents are advised to lock all doors and windows. Do not go out late at night.] When I got back to the dorm, I shoved my earplugs in and tried to force myself back to sleep. In the dark, I silently cursed them. If that gorilla broke in and mauled them to death, maybe I’d finally get some peace and quiet. The next morning, my RA (Resident Advisor) was shaking me awake, her face twisted in pure terror. “Dead. They’re all dead. “Lily, wake up! Oh my god!” 1 I was still groggy, but the sight of the RA made me sit up fast. I checked the time. 9:00 AM. Damn it. The other four girls in the dorm had been gaming all night, screaming and raging. I hadn’t slept a wink. Now I’d overslept and missed my morning class. I scrambled to get dressed and climbed down from my bunk, ready to apologize to the RA and grab my books. But the RA didn’t say a word. She just stared at the floor, eyes bulging. I followed her gaze. And then I screamed. Two of my roommates were lying on the linoleum in twisted, unnatural poses. Their eyes were wide open, staring at nothing. Their pajamas were soaked in red. They looked… they looked like broken dolls. 2 My legs gave out. I stumbled, barely catching myself on the bed frame. The blood had pooled all the way under my bunk. My heart was hammering against my ribs like it wanted to break out. I swallowed hard, dry and painful. To confirm what my brain refused to process, I stumbled toward the bodies and checked for breath. Nothing. Up close, the horror was worse. Their clothes were shredded by what looked like massive claws. Their bodies were covered in deep gouges. And their throats… chunks of flesh had been torn right out. I scrambled backward, crab-walking until I hit the wall, paralyzed. My stomach lurched. I dry heaved, nothing coming up but bile. The RA finally snapped out of her trance, grabbing my shoulder. “Lily! There are five of you in this suite. Where are the other two? “Are they okay?” Her question hit me like a slap. Right. Where were the other two? “Quick, help me look! Maybe they’re hiding!” I nodded, taking a shaky breath. I checked the bunks. I pulled back the curtain on Bed 1. My roommate Sarah was curled up under the duvet, her back to me. Terrified she was dead too, I climbed up to shake her. The moment I touched her, her body flopped over, limp. Her throat was gone. The mattress was a sponge of blood. “Ahhhhhhh!” I recoiled, falling backward off the ladder and hitting the floor hard. At the same time, the RA found the fourth body. On the ground outside. She had fallen from our sixth-floor window. Smashed on the pavement below. I didn’t even feel the pain in my twisted ankle. My mind was snapping. All I could think was: I spent the entire night sleeping in a room with four corpses. And those wounds… they looked like they’d been mauled by a wild animal. 3 I clutched my head. It was splitting, a migraine drilling behind my eyes. I hadn’t even processed the fear yet. Then, the sirens started wailing downstairs. 4 Our dorm building was taped off. The school issued a gag order—no one was allowed to talk about it. Not long after, the RA and I were taken to the station for questioning. The RA came out quickly, looking grim. Then the detectives called me into the interrogation room. “What time did you go to sleep last night?” I bit my nail, trying to remember. “After I got woken up… I probably fell back asleep around 4 AM. They were gaming too loud. Screaming at the screen. It was impossible to sleep.” The two detectives exchanged a look. “After you fell asleep, you didn’t hear anything else?” I shook my head. “No. Nothing.” I knew how fake that sounded. My four roommates had been slaughtered. There must have been a struggle. They wouldn’t have just waited quietly to die. If their gaming could wake me up, surely their screams for help would have too. But I really didn’t hear a thing. I didn’t want to lie. The detective chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “The girls in the dorm next door said your room was screaming all night. They almost called the RA to check if you guys were in trouble. But since your room is constantly making noise, they figured it was just another gaming session and ignored it.” “And yet, you say you heard nothing after 4 AM?” Hearing his skepticism, I felt a weird urge to laugh. My roommates… they were obsessed with finding “cracked” guys online to carry them in ranked matches. One guy carrying four girls. They always lost. They were close friends, inseparable, but toxic. When they lost, they’d mute their mics and trash-talk the guy carrying them, calling him trash. But the second they unmuted? “Op-pa, big brother, you’re so good!” It was annoying as hell. Because of them, I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in months. That’s why I had that thought last night. I hope the gorilla mauls you all to death. I picked at my cuticles. It was just a thought born of anger. But now… they were actually dead. The police noticed the shift in my expression. “Did you remember something?” I looked up. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to come clean. “At 2:20 AM, I woke up to go to the bathroom. My phone popped an alert: A gorilla escaped from the city zoo. “Our dorm window wasn’t latched properly. I suspect… maybe the gorilla climbed up the drainpipes and got in. “They must have been mauled by the gorilla!” As I said it, my heart raced. I was terrified that my curse had actually come true. I rubbed my temples. The lack of sleep was causing tinnitus—a high-pitched ringing in my ears. My eyelids felt like lead. “So, you heard the gorilla?” “No. It probably came in after I fell asleep at 4. Like I said, after 4 AM, I heard nothing.” I fought to keep my eyes open. The detectives looked at me with pure suspicion. I felt that familiar irritation rising. “Officers, you don’t actually think I killed them, do you? It was four against one! How could I possibly solo-kill four people? I don’t even have the guts to kill a chicken!” Just then, another officer walked in and whispered something to the interrogator. Next thing I knew, they were hooking me up to a polygraph. They asked the same questions. The machine showed I was telling the truth. According to the data, after 4 AM, I was out cold. Dead to the world. Regardless of the carnage happening feet away from me, I hadn’t woken up. 5 The detective changed his angle. “Did you take sleeping pills because of the noise?” “No.” “Before you slept, were they still gaming?” “Yes. I remember right before I passed out, Zoe yelled something like, ‘Finally, no one’s bothering us! We have to win this next round!’” “How was your relationship with them? Any conflicts last night?” I fell silent. They definitely suspected me. But to clear my name, I had to be honest. That comment about “no one bothering them” was obviously about me. “Relationship? Not good, not bad. Just… petty stuff. Locking me in the dorm so I’d miss class. Hiding the necklace my mom left me. Making up rumors about me sleeping around. That kind of stuff.” The detectives looked at me with complicated expressions. They probably didn’t expect me to be so calm about the bullying. But it didn’t matter. They were dead. What’s the point of holding a grudge against corpses? I continued, digging through my memory. “We did argue last night. When I came back from the bathroom, I couldn’t sleep. The ringing in my ears was bad. They were screaming. I finally snapped and told them to shut up. “The room went quiet for a few seconds. “Then I heard Zoe say… she said if I kept bothering them, she’d kill me. “They pinned me down. They poured something into my mouth. They choked me.” Recallling it, a sudden wave of grief hit me. Tears splashed onto the metal table. They had said other things, too. But the moment I tried to remember the specific words, my head felt like it was splitting open. My brain refused to go there. The detective handed me a tissue, staring at my neck. “Looks like you were choked unconscious. You poor kid. Does your neck hurt? We’ll get you some ointment later.” I touched my neck. Hiss. It stung. But I wasn’t crying because they bullied me. I couldn’t explain the feeling. It was just an overwhelming wave of sorrow. Four people were dead. The police wouldn’t stop just because I was crying. They placed a tablet in front of me. CCTV footage. I clicked play. What I saw made my blood run cold.

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On the day my boyfriend of seven years proposed to me. Just as I was about to say yes, rows of bullet comments suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. 【LOL, the supporting female lead is actually crying. Does she really think the second male lead wants to marry her?】 【Doesn’t she know he’s drunk and thinks she’s the female lead?】 I pretended not to see them, nodding with tears in my eyes. Afterward, some busybody told me the truth. Everyone was sure I would make a scene. But not only did I not, I generously forgave him. They didn’t know I was a “strategy girl.” As long as the second male lead proposed to me, my mission was complete. Three days later, the System confirmed with me: 【Mission accomplished. Do you wish to leave this world?】 Lying in the bathtub, I smiled with relief. 【Yes.】 1 Staring at the floating comments in front of me, I froze. Subconsciously, I contacted the System. After running a diagnostic, it told me: 【There’s been a glitch. I’ve already submitted a report.】 I nodded. In front of me, Ethan stared blankly, asking again: “Nina, will you marry me? “Please, marry me, okay?” He was obviously drunk. Everyone’s eyes were on me. Like they were watching a good show. Clearly, they all knew Ethan had mistaken me for someone else. I still nodded. Ethan looked at me with deep affection and slid the ring onto my finger. But the next second, someone in the crowd said: “Ethan, you got the wrong person. That’s Nina.” Ethan froze. His gaze landed on my face. Instantly, his expression stiffened. “Why is it you?” Regret flashed in his eyes. A few busybodies nearby explained to me: “Sorry, Nina, Ethan mistook you for someone else. “He thought you were Sarah.” Everyone was waiting for my reaction. Expecting me to break down crying or scream at Ethan. After all, who could tolerate their boyfriend of seven years doing something like this? Ethan chimed in: “I drank too much.” I forced a smile. Only after hearing the System announce the mission was successful did I speak: “It’s okay.” Then I asked the System: 【Can I leave now?】 It paused. 【Of course. 【You can return to your own world in seven days. 【Are you sure you want to leave everything here behind? To leave this world?】 I answered. 【Yes.】 【Understood. Due to glitch troubleshooting, departure time will be in seven days.】 I nodded. Perfect. I still had some things to wrap up in this world. 2 While the atmosphere was stiff, Sarah’s voice cut through. “Why is it so quiet? “Is Nina here? Was the proposal a success?” Her gaze landed on Ethan and me. “I just mistook her for someone else.” Ethan explained instinctively the moment Sarah walked out. Like he was worried I’d take this proposal seriously. I didn’t say a word. Seeing the awkwardness, others started trying to smooth things over. “Come on, come on, let’s keep partying.” Only I stood still. Sarah looked at me with an apologetic smile. “Nina, I’m so sorry. He was holding a diamond ring saying he wanted to propose. “I thought he was looking for you, that’s why I called you. “You’re not mad, are you?” Right. I only rushed over because I got a call from Sarah. … Ethan sat aside, downing the sobering medicine a waiter brought. He heard her. He just said faintly: “It’s fine.” Smoothing things over for Sarah. 3 Since Sarah returned from abroad seven days ago, Ethan had barely been home. At first, he just lied about working overtime. Even if he came back, one call from Sarah and he’d leave me immediately. Later, I saw his messages with Sarah and learned everything. That day I got angry and made a scene. Ethan just left me with a cold sentence: “You should know your place.” Then he slammed the door and left me in confusion. He hadn’t been back since. Until this morning. Sarah updated her Instagram: 【Loved ones get walnuts without shells.】 The picture showed Ethan’s office background, and she was holding a jar of shelled walnuts. The jar I peeled for Ethan a while ago because I was worried he was working too hard. I stared for a long time. Looking at my scarred hands. Finally, I saw this relationship clearly. The female lead is always the female lead. Even if I stayed by Ethan’s side for seven years, it couldn’t compare to the seven days since she returned. … I came to this world after a car accident. The System told me my mission was to redeem the second male lead. But when I approached Ethan, he was cold and disgusted by me. Back then, he wore a faded T-shirt, his messy hair slightly covering his eyes. Since he wasn’t willing, I gave up. Even if the System told me giving up meant I couldn’t return to my own world, it didn’t matter. I was an orphan anyway. It was the same everywhere. But later, I became Ethan’s junior in college. When someone drugged him, I was the one who took him to the hospital. That day, Ethan actively pursued me. I agreed immediately. Two people who hadn’t had it easy being together… life seemed to have a taste of happiness. When I worked part-time during holidays, Ethan got off work earlier than me and waited at the door to pick me up. The year we graduated, he started a business, and I stayed by his side. Just like that, I followed him for seven years. Even knowing he was the “devoted second male lead,” I firmly believed everyone had a past. Besides, the female lead was already happily with the male lead. 4 And now, Sarah sat next to Ethan, speaking in a sweet voice: “Nina, those walnuts in Ethan’s office were pretty good. Where did you buy them?” Seeing Sarah’s interest, Ethan’s gaze also fell on me. He was mostly sober now, offering no explanation for what just happened. Seemingly waiting for my answer. After a long silence, I calmed my emotions and looked at Ethan. “That shop on South Second Street. “Since there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” With that, I turned to leave. Sarah’s friend called out to me. “Nina, that ring on your hand was handmade by President Peale. Could you trouble yourself to take it off? “I mean, he only proposed and gave it to you because he mistook you for Sarah. Clearly, you’re not the owner.” My fingernails dug into my palm. Fighting the pain in my heart, I smiled. “Of course.” Under Ethan’s gaze, I took off the ring without hesitation. I tossed it casually into the decorative fountain behind me. I walked away without looking back. The bullet comments in front of my eyes were still jumping: 【The supporting female lead is mad, right?】 【Honestly, anyone would be mad. She stayed with him for seven years. Seven years, and she couldn’t warm his heart. No point trying anymore.】 【Finally, some normal people. I want to say, does the author have any morals? If the second male lead hadn’t moved on, why did he pursue the supporting female lead?】 5 When I got home, someone anonymously sent me a video. Opening it, I heard the voices of Ethan and his friend. “Ethan, Sarah went to the bathroom. No one else is here. Nina said yes, why don’t you just make the proposal real? Why explain immediately and embarrass her? “She’s waited for you for seven years. She’ll be thirty in a few years. She’s not getting any younger. “Tell me the truth, when are you planning to marry Nina?” In the video, Ethan swirled his wine glass and thought for a moment: “Never.” Everyone went quiet. After a long time, he continued: “If I hadn’t been drunk and mistaken her for Sarah, I never would have proposed to her.” … After the voice stopped. I looked up instinctively and saw my tear-stained face in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Turns out tears can fall without you realizing it. These words were cruel to the extreme, every single one piercing my heart. Mocking how cheap my seven years of affection were. Even if I didn’t want to admit it, how could I not fall in love with him during the best years of my life, from twenty to twenty-seven? And I discovered that when I cried, I looked somewhat like Sarah. Finally understood Ethan’s words: “You should know your place.” So that’s what he meant. He treated me as a stand-in for the female lead. 6 That night, Ethan actually came back. But he was carrying a bag of roasted walnuts. Seeing me, his thin lips moved, as if he wanted to say something. I didn’t spare him a glance, went to the kitchen, and drank a few glasses of water. Going upstairs, I saw the door to Ethan’s study was open. He sat on the leather chair, cracking walnuts. Until a sharp shell cut his finger, drawing blood. He paused for a long time. But then continued peeling. I remembered how, for seven years, Ethan always knew I liked durian. He hated the smell. Couldn’t stand it for a second. He told the maid no durian products were allowed in the house. Even when the maid told him it was my favorite, and maybe he could go upstairs to avoid it. He found it troublesome and said: “It won’t kill her not to eat it.” After that day, durian never appeared in the house again. But for such troublesome walnuts, he was willing to peel them shell by shell for Sarah. Turns out, he didn’t find going upstairs troublesome, and it wasn’t unbearable. It was just that the person he could endure for wasn’t me. I went back to my room, opened a secondhand app, and listed all my things for the lowest price. Including the gifts Ethan gave me. I didn’t want any of it. 【Damn, why is the plot going off the rails?】 【The supporting female lead sold so much stuff. Is she planning to leave?】 【Leaving is normal. The second male lead hurt her like that. Can’t she leave?】 【OMG, I really want to send the author razor blades. The supporting female lead is heartbreaking right now.】 【I just checked the other room. The male lead peeled for a bit and put the walnuts down. The female lead called him again, and he left immediately.】 【Enough. I declare I’m on the supporting female lead’s side.】 …

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The System wanted me to redeem the villain. So, I set the time travel coordinates to a year before the villain was even an embryo. The System was dumbfounded, then had a realization: “Oh, you’re planning to adopt the villain later and give him a wholesome childhood, right?” I shook my head, my gaze softening as I looked at the little girl shivering on the ground. “No. I’m here to redeem the villain’s mom.” 1 “Makes sense. Instead of trying to fix the villain with romance later, it’s better to influence him with motherly love from the start. That way, he won’t grow up twisted… Wait, what did you just say? You want to redeem the villain’s MOM?!” The System was shook. It immediately tried to talk me out of it. “Host, are you confused? If the villain isn’t successfully redeemed, you get wiped out, remember?” I chuckled lightly. “System, use your brain. What’s the main reason the villain grows up twisted? Being abandoned by his mother.” “And why was he abandoned? Because his mother’s life was a mess, right?” “So, if I save the villain’s mom and she raises him with decent values, he won’t turn out evil, will he?” My rapid-fire logic fried the System’s circuits. After a long pause, its laggy processor finally caught up. “What you’re saying… actually makes sense.” I wagged a finger at the System. “So, don’t question a girl boss next time, okay?” The System nodded blankly. I turned my attention back to the little girl in front of me. It was December, freezing cold. She was huddled outside the door in thin clothes, looking like a scared quail. The exposed skin on her arms was mottled with red marks. Sensing my gaze, she looked up, shooting me a cold, dark glare. Then she quickly lowered her head, avoiding my eyes. That look—that’s exactly why her biological parents didn’t like her. Well, that and the fact she wasn’t a boy. I stepped past her, grabbed the brass knocker on the wooden door, and banged on it hard. “Who is it? What’s with all the racket this early in the morning!” A middle-aged woman in a red padded jacket came out, cursing under her breath. She looked me up and down, her eyes full of disdain and hidden jealousy. “Who are you?” I cut to the chase, tossing an IOU at her. “You’re Hank’s wife, right? Hank owes me two hundred bucks. I can’t find him, so you’re paying it back. If not, I’m telling everyone in town your husband owes money for hookers and won’t pay up.” The woman picked up the paper, read it, and panicked. “Liar! My man isn’t like that! You must have seduced him! I knew it from your slutty face…” She didn’t finish her sentence. I casually picked up a wrist-thick wooden stick from the side and snapped it in half right in front of her face. Snap. “Debts get paid. It’s the law of the universe. Your call.” I flashed a smile, showing eight perfect teeth. The woman was terrified. Her arrogance vanished instantly. She laughed nervously, trying to appease me. “It’s not that I don’t want to pay, we just don’t have that kind of money right now. Maybe when my man gets back…” I frowned. The woman shut up immediately. My eyes scanned their small yard, finally landing on the little girl squatting by the door, peeking at me. “Then give me the girl as collateral. She’s young, but she’s not bad looking.” The woman froze. She looked at me, then at the broken stick at my feet. Ten minutes later, the little girl was trudging behind me, one shallow footprint after another. 2 It wasn’t until we were in the taxi heading to the city that the little girl spoke, her voice muffled. “You’re a trafficker, aren’t you? Where are you selling me?” I was surprised. “Why would you think that? I’m your family’s creditor.” The little girl shook her head. “My mom can’t read, but I can. The paper you threw at her was a supermarket receipt.” I mentally pinged the System. “Didn’t the villain’s mom not go to school?” The System confirmed it and gave me a quick recap of the girl’s life. “She helped with farm work until she was sixteen, then ran away to the city to avoid marrying a rich old man. She worked odd jobs, schemed to sleep with a wealthy CEO for one night, and got pregnant with the villain. Later, the CEO’s ‘white moonlight’—his first love—came back. The villain’s mom couldn’t compete, got destroyed by the CEO, and died. Basically, she was cannon fodder, a malicious supporting female character.” I tutted and shook my head. “Always the malicious supporting characters. Why do system missions only redeem the evil male leads but never the female ones? Swap the gender, and this backstory becomes a tragic, brooding anti-hero everyone loves. Plain and simple, it’s just sexism.” Seeing I wasn’t talking, the little girl tugged at my sleeve. I looked over, and she immediately pulled her hand back, as if afraid of dirtying my coat. “Can you sell me to the city? I look okay. I’m sure I’d fetch a good price there.” The driver in the front seat was already glancing nervously in the rearview mirror. I face-palmed and quickly explained. “I’m not a trafficker. I’m just a poor mother who recently lost her daughter. I want to adopt you.” Well, in my last mission world, I was a mom to someone else. Since I left that world, technically, I did lose a daughter. So, it counts. The little girl didn’t speak again. She lowered her head, looking like a scruffy kitten. Seemingly defenseless, but tense all over, ready to hiss and scratch. I recalled my parenting experience and reached out, enveloping her red, freezing little hand in my palm. Only then did I realize how shockingly rough her hand was—covered in calluses. Meeting her guarded gaze, I took off my coat and draped it over her. She instinctively tried to shrug it off. I stopped her. “If you freeze, you won’t sell for a good price.” She stiffened and stopped moving, wrapping herself tight in the down jacket until only her fuzzy head poked out. My heart softened instantly. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a son. I won’t sell you later for a dowry.” 3 My identity in this world is a “fake heiress” who just found out the truth and supposedly jumped into a river in despair. She died, so I borrowed her identity. When I walked through the villa doors dragging the little girl, a voice was still trying to comfort the “real heiress.” “Even though she’s not blood-related, the years of affection are real. And although Jason was supposed to be your fiancé, he and Ann have been together for years. We can’t just give him to you.” “I don’t care! If not for her, I wouldn’t have suffered for so many years! Now you’re taking her side? I hate you! I hate you all!” The arguing stopped abruptly when I stepped inside with Destiny. That’s the name I gave the little girl on the way here. Her last name follows mine, Sterling. Her full name is Destiny Sterling. Bella, the real heiress, turned her head away, refusing to look at me. Mrs. Sterling (Mom) asked gently: “Ann, who is this?” “My adopted daughter, Destiny. Desi, say hi to Grandma and Auntie.” Thanks to the System, Destiny’s paperwork was already filed, so she finally stopped suspecting I was a trafficker. Now, she just obediently greeted the two people frozen in place. “Hello Grandma. Hello Auntie.” Mom reacted first. “Wait, Ann, what did you say? Adopted daughter? You registered her? How could you not discuss something this big with the family? And your fiancé, Jason… how could he accept this?” Bella’s focus was different: “Why are you making her call me Auntie? I don’t want you as my sister!” Before I could speak, Destiny instinctively stepped in front of me. She crouched slightly, arms tense, like a mother leopard protecting her cub. I paused, then reached out and held her small hand. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain once Desi is settled. As for Jason, I’m breaking off the engagement.” Mom panicked. “Are you worried your dad and I won’t want you now that Bella is back? Don’t worry, you’ll always be our daughter.” Bella rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Playing the victim to get ahead. What a green tea bitch.” I shook my head and led Destiny toward the second floor. Dropping a bombshell as I went. “I got sterilized. I plan to stay single and focus on raising Desi. Tell Jason to give up.” I walked away, leaving them in the wind, trying to process the word “sterilized.” 4 Back in my room, I collapsed on the bed. The System was yammering away. “Host, when did you get sterilized? I didn’t know about this! Aren’t we together 24/7?!” I rolled my eyes. “System, are you dumb? If I didn’t say that, would the real heiress ever let her guard down around me?” “Instead of playing ‘happy sisters,’ giving up my inheritance rights is way more practical for her.” System: “Oh, right.” Suddenly remembering something, I turned my head. Sure enough, a small dumpling was still standing stiffly at the door. On the way here, I bought her new clothes and took her to a salon for a wash and cut. The stylist gave her two little pigtails. She looked like a doll from a New Year’s painting. I waved at her. Destiny slowly shuffled over. “Are you getting kicked out?” I pulled her onto the bed to sit. “Why do you think that?” She whispered, “Because you’re not their real daughter.” I looked at Destiny’s sharp little chin. Good, the kid is smart. No need to help her with homework. I didn’t explain immediately. Instead, I played along. “So, if we get kicked out and end up penniless, what do we do?” She said seriously, “Then I’ll farm to support you. I’m really good at farming. I can make compost, plant seeds, and weed. The cornfield behind my old house was all mine.” Her head drooped lower. “As long as you don’t send me back.” I finally understood where all the calluses on her hands came from. My heart ached sharply. I pulled her into a hug, letting her sharp little chin rest on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t send you away. Not in this lifetime.”

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I was on a reality show with my sister. I was making instant noodles for her when she insisted I was doing it wrong. “Mom always puts two eggs in when she makes ramen.” But growing up, I never once had an egg in my ramen. Right there on set, we called our mom. She admitted it. “It’s such a small thing, why are you making a big deal out of it? You’re being so petty, sis.” That day, a discussion quietly trended online. The headline read: [Turns out, hearts really are crooked. Parents never love equally.] 1 When I dialed Mom’s number, I was absolutely convinced my sister was remembering it wrong. When we were kids, we were poor. We only ate instant ramen on our birthdays. I remembered it clearly. There were never eggs in the ramen. My sister, Bella, wouldn’t back down. “There were too! Mom always poached two eggs at the bottom of the bowl. You’re just remembering it wrong.” This show was being livestreamed, and the chat was already buzzing with excitement. People were placing bets on who was wrong. The call connected quickly. Bella has a fast mouth. She spilled everything that happened in seconds. Silence on the other end of the line. Then, Mom admitted it. “Yeah, I put two eggs in for your sister.” Seeing Mom confirm her story, Bella looked smug instantly. But my heart sank to the bottom of a freezing lake. I asked, “Then Mom, why did I never get any eggs growing up?” Mom’s tone was dismissive, even a little accusatory: “It’s just two eggs. Why are you so petty, keeping score with your own sister?” I lowered my eyes and said nothing. I wasn’t keeping score over two eggs. I wanted to ask why she got them, and I didn’t. Bella realized something was off. Her smile faded. But Mom was still laughing on the other end: “Sis, you aren’t seriously mad over two eggs, are you? Come on, stop being dramatic. If it matters that much, come home and I’ll boil you ten eggs.” She reduced my silence to a tantrum over food. I knew if I argued further, Mom would just dig her heels in and get angry out of embarrassment. She’d probably ask if I wanted my sister dead to be satisfied. Most of the time, I wasn’t trying to win an argument. I just wanted fairness. 2 The livestream was still rolling. I didn’t dare listen to what else Mom might say. I hung up. The viewer count spiked during the call. “I feel like Hannah’s mom has no clue what Hannah actually cares about. She doesn’t think she did anything wrong.” “Kinda feeling bad for Hannah. Her parents don’t seem great to her.” “If they really cared, they wouldn’t have sent Hannah into the entertainment industry at fifteen. Look at her sister, studying abroad since she was a kid.” “Hilarious. A bunch of broke people feeling sorry for a celebrity?” “Here we go again. Who doesn’t know Hannah failed school? She’s basically illiterate.” With more viewers came more diverse opinions. The production team moved fast to control the comments. They told me about the situation and asked if I wanted to steer the narrative. “It’s fine. Bad publicity is still publicity.” I didn’t care if people cursed me out. The director looked at me with some hesitation, then told me the plan for tomorrow’s show. “The team saw how much traction the ‘native family trauma’ topic is getting. We want to hold a roundtable discussion tomorrow about family upbringing. Hannah, are you okay participating?” I nodded. I could do it. My family background wasn’t exactly a secret in the industry. But no one knew the details. I was born in a poverty-stricken mountain village. A place so poor it didn’t even have a school. Because of that, I didn’t even finish middle school. Later, a photo of me went viral by accident, and I entered showbiz. My parents used the money I earned to send Bella abroad for school. They always said I was “sensible,” that I learned to earn money early so they didn’t have to worry. But I never chose to be sensible. I was forced to be. We were poor. They had to go to the city to work. They said living in the city was expensive, so they left me in the village. I never resented them for that. But later, they had Bella. And they kept her by their side the whole time. I asked them why. Didn’t they say the city was too expensive to bring me? Why could they bring Bella? They said I was the big sister, I had to be understanding. Bella was small, she needed to be with Mom and Dad. They couldn’t bear for Bella to grow up without parents. When I was mocked by anti-fans for being uneducated, they were busy sending Bella to the best schools overseas to get a shiny degree. I tried to comfort myself over and over. I’m the big sister. I need to be understanding. Mom and Dad don’t love me less. It’s just that when I was little, we didn’t have the means. But hearing Bella say today that her ramen always had two eggs… The lie popped like a soap bubble. 3 At 1:30 PM, the livestream started on time. Bella arrived punctually too. There were also a few industry veterans participating. Bella was bubbly, great at charming the elders. Completely different from me. When I first entered the industry, I was like a mushroom growing in a dark corner. I couldn’t even speak Mandarin properly, let alone flatter people. “A Juilliard grad? That’s impressive.” Simon, a famous music producer, sighed in admiration. “Hannah, your sister is amazing.” I smiled and nodded. Bella really was amazing. Unlike me, she was sparkling. “Juilliard? I just Googled it. Number one music school in the world? How is she so talented?” “More than that. Simon tried to get in back in the day and failed. That school only takes geniuses among geniuses.” “Hannah and her sister are polar opposites. One dropped out of middle school, the other is an academic god.” The chat quickly dug up Bella’s school history. Bella tried to pull me into the conversation. I shook my head. I didn’t really want to talk. When the time came, the host introduced the theme for the afternoon roundtable. [What is the best gift your parents ever gave you?] Bella spoke first. She never seemed to care about others’ judgment, always brimming with confidence. The kind of high-energy “little sun” everyone loves. You could tell at a glance she grew up surrounded by love. I looked at her with envy. Bella talked eloquently for a long time. Most of it I knew, some of it I didn’t. She said: “All the properties at home are in my name. And since I was born, they bought me an insurance policy. As soon as I turn twenty-five, I get $8,000 a month.” She smiled slyly, eyes twinkling. “Mom said no matter how bad inflation gets, even when I’m seventy or eighty, I’ll still get money they saved for me. Then I can tell everyone looking at me with envy, ‘This is candy my mom and dad bought me.’” The chat scrolled furiously: [I’m so jealous. Am I the only one hearing about this insurance now?] [Don’t be jealous. That policy costs like $30k a year. It’s expensive. You pay from birth until the kid is 25.] [Aren’t Hannah and Bella biological sisters? Didn’t she say her family was poor? How did Bella have this insurance since birth?] The people on set who knew a bit about my background cast glances at me, some subtle, some not. The host threw the question to me at the perfect moment. “Hannah and Bella are sisters. Did Hannah know she had this insurance too?” They thought I lied about being poor to build a persona. They wanted to dig up dirt on me. But I just said “Ah,” looking a bit embarrassed. “I don’t think I have that insurance.” If I had that kind of safety net back then, I wouldn’t have dropped out because of poverty. The atmosphere got awkward. The host quickly pivoted. “So Hannah, can you tell us what the best gift your parents gave you was?” “It should be a silver bracelet.” I unconsciously twisted the bangle on my wrist. I’ve worn it since my debut. It was my thirteenth birthday present. In middle school, silver bangles were trendy. Most girls got them from their moms. They said wearing silver was good for your health. I wanted one too. So, I carefully asked Mom. Mom was working in another city then. She sounded impatient. She said silver was expensive and told me to be sensible. But on my thirteenth birthday, I received a silver bracelet. I thought Mom was just being tough with her words but soft in her heart. It wasn’t until later, when Mom let it slip, that I found out the truth. The sudden appearance of the silver bracelet was because… Bella wanted a silver bracelet. But after buying it and wearing it for a few days, she didn’t want it anymore. She thought it looked tacky and ugly. So that silver bracelet appeared on my wrist. When I found out, I was angry. Mom just laughed it off, telling me not to be so petty. The matter eventually faded away, and no one mentioned it again. I thought I had forgotten all these things. I didn’t expect a few simple questions to bring it all back. Wounds I thought had healed were just hidden. They didn’t get better with time; they festered, red and swollen, stinking in the dark. Occasionally stinging. Constantly aching. 4 The chat went silent when I said that. It took a long time for comments to reappear. [That’s so unfair. The sister gets everything, and Hannah only has one bangle to talk about.] [You guys mock Hannah for being uneducated, but she never got a proper education. She even had to drop out.] [This hurts. It feels like Hannah’s parents are so biased. They gave Bella such a good life but left Hannah behind.] A discussion quietly trended to the top of the search charts. The headline: [Turns out, hearts really are crooked. Parents never love equally.] The livestream viewer count skyrocketed. After I finished, it was Simon’s turn. He thought for a moment, seemingly unprepared. Apologetically, he said, “Sorry, I don’t think I have one.” Many people in the industry actually had unhappy childhoods. Simon was a child star. His parents were in the biz. So he was in the public eye from a very young age. But during his teenage years, he got hated on by the entire internet, so he quit. When he returned to the public eye, he had transitioned to a behind-the-scenes producer. Few people knew what he went through during those years. When others discussed this topic… More or less, they avoided deep answers. While we discussed, the chat was also sharing the best gifts they received. [I feel like the best gift my parents gave me was making me a citizen of the world from birth, letting me choose my nationality.] [For me, it’s that my parents didn’t force me to take the Gaokao (college entrance exam) and sent me straight abroad.] [It’s nice. If not for you guys, I wouldn’t know what a ‘world citizen’ is. But I’m not doing too bad. I have lots and lots of love. My parents love me very much.] But most people remained silent. The host seemed to realize the roundtable was getting too depressing. He quickly introduced the next segment. We were led into separate small rooms. There were many questions on the wall. Do you think your parents ever loved you? If you had a time machine, what would you say to your younger self? The director asked me to pick a few to answer. I looked at the questions. The director really knew how to probe. Every question pierced the heart. I was silent for a moment, then bared my heart to the public for the first time. “I think my parents probably loved me.” They loved me, but not enough. Their love was mixed with other things. I still remember when I first entered the industry and got my first paycheck of 3,000 yuan ($450). I kept 2,000 for myself and sent the rest home. After receiving the money, Mom and Dad proactively asked me: Was I cold in Beijing? Was I eating enough? That was the first time I felt their care. They finally remembered their eldest daughter. They would often send me food. Occasionally call to check on me. But I was always confused. I felt this might not be love. I said: “They loved me, but they loved my sister more.” “Their love for me was conditional. Their love for my sister was unconditional.” The chat was silent for a long time before scrolling again. [Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.] [That’s what parental love is like sometimes. Not too much, not too little, just enough to trap you completely. You can’t ruthlessly cut them off, and you can’t forget the pain. Stuck in the middle, suffering forever.]

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