Author: Momo Chan

Ten minutes into the movie, and the text I sent Jace still sat on Delivered. I was just about to call him when my phone buzzed. It wasn’t him. It was a notification from our gaming Discord server. Lyla, his childhood sweetheart, was spamming the chat, practically begging him to log on. A second later, the familiar avatar matching mine popped up with a reply: [Hop on. I’ll carry you to Diamond, babe.] Whatever excitement I had for the night evaporated instantly. I quit the server without a word, bought a bucket of popcorn, and sat through the premiere alone. By the time the credits rolled, my phone was flooded with dozens of missed calls from Jace. And one frantic, incoherent voicemail: “Baby, Lyla can explain! Seriously, something came up! It was an emergency!” “Tomorrow… I promise I’ll take you tomorrow, okay?” I didn’t reply. My tomorrow? It didn’t seem to need him anymore. 1 When Jace finally came home, I was on the sofa, focused on my game. “Sienna, can I trade these roses for a bowl of your famous noodles?” He was half-kneeling on the floor, offering a bouquet of red roses with a look of guilty charm plastered on his face. I didn’t stop tapping my screen. I just glanced at him. “Thanks.” Seeing that I wasn’t screaming, he let out a long sigh of relief, humming a tune as he turned on the TV to catch some sports highlights. On my screen, the enemy crystal shattered. Victory. Rank up. I gathered my takeout containers, stood up, and walked to the kitchen. Passing the trash can, I dropped the roses inside. The humming stopped. “What is that supposed to be?” I was washing my hands when he threw the question at me. I looked back, confused. He was staring at the trash can, frowning deeply, as if I were the heartless villain in his story. “I’m allergic to pollen,” I said simply. As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted explaining. Unless he had developed early-onset dementia, there was no way he could forget that I’d been hospitalized twice for pollen allergies. In the past, whenever we fought, he’d buy roses with apology cards. To give him an out, to keep the peace, I used to take them. I’d suffer in silence just to smooth things over. God, I was an idiot. Jace looked awkward for a split second before pivoting. “Okay, I’ll get you a different gift next time. Babe, I’m starving.” I stifled a yawn, heading for the bedroom. “There’s instant ramen in the cupboard.” Jace froze. He looked at me in total disbelief. “You’re not going to cook for me?” He used to complain that my cooking was too bland. But every time he specifically asked for a meal, I felt that pathetic rush of validation—like I was finally being seen. His face darkened. “I want your egg noodles. You always say instant stuff is unhealthy.” I stopped in the doorway and looked him in the eye. “Eating it once or twice won’t kill you. Besides, don’t you have an ‘iron stomach’?” That shut him up. He used to be a pro gamer, and now he was a head coach. Years of grueling schedules meant he treated food as fuel, destroying his gut in the process. I used to spend hours researching recipes, making gut-friendly meals just for him. If I hadn’t decided to surprise him at the training facility with soup one day, I never would have known. I wouldn’t have seen Lyla eating the nutritional lunch I woke up at 6:00 AM to prepare. I had lost it that day. I cried, I screamed. Jace had just watched me unravel. When I finally ran out of tears, he pulled me into a hug. “If I actually liked Lyla, do you think I’d be with you?” he’d said. “Sienna, you’re two years older than me. Can’t you be a little more mature? It’s just lunch.” “The girl has a weak appetite. I was just helping her out. I have an iron stomach; I can eat whatever garbage comes my way.” Back in the present, Jace frowned, looking me up and down. He let out a scoff. “You’re still mad I missed the movie?” “Fine, be mad at me. But us fighting is between us. Why did you leave the Discord server without saying a word? Do you know how embarrassing that makes Lyla look? She’s the admin.” It was a rank-boosting server. People joined and left all the time. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I don’t know anyone in there. Leaving isn’t a big deal.” I was too exhausted to argue. His expression shifted. He blocked the bedroom door. “You left right when Lyla asked me to play. People who don’t know better might think she’s wrecking our relationship and chased you off.” I actually laughed. So that was it. He wasn’t worried about my feelings; he was worried his precious childhood friend might get labeled a homewrecker. “Fine. Sure. I’ll issue a press release tomorrow. Can I sleep now?” “That’s not what I meant…” Click. I slammed the door and locked it. 2 Jace, of course, wouldn’t deign to sleep on the couch. The last time he slept on a sofa was before he retired. I had stayed up all night with him during training. I fell asleep on his single bed, and he didn’t want to wake me, so he curled up on a beanbag chair. When I told him to get a bigger bed for the studio, he tapped my nose, grinning. “Don’t think you can micromanage me 24/7.” Recently, the studio did get a king-sized bed. When I asked why, he shrugged. “Lyla naps there sometimes after hosting matches. The small bed hurt her back.” The honesty was so brutal it left me speechless. He didn’t even realize he instinctively put her comfort above everything else. Jace didn’t come home for three days. But I saw plenty of him. His Instagram stories were a highlight reel: racing tracks, VIP lounges, bars. He was in his element. He posted more in three days than he had in the last six months. One scroll down, and I saw Lyla’s post. A photo of Jace in his racing gear, arm tight around her waist, holding up a trophy. Caption: [Men are just giant children. Still my favorite immature winner.] They looked like the poster couple for “Young Love.” I double-tapped the photo to like it. Then I called an Uber, went to my office, and handed in my resignation. My manager was stunned. “This is so sudden, Sienna.” She knew how hard I’d worked. I went from an intern to a name people respected in the industry. I drank the bad wine, smiled at the rude clients, and swallowed my pride to build connections. I never really liked the job. I stuck with it partly because my network helped Jace’s career, and partly because I was competitive. “I heard your family is overseas,” she said, signing the paperwork. “Going back to get married?” I smiled, shaking my head. “I just miss home.” I had fought my parents to stay here, chasing a love that I thought was worth the distance. I gambled and lost. When my team heard I was leaving, they demanded a farewell dinner. We went to a trendy bistro downtown. Of course, the universe has a sick sense of humor. As we walked in, Jace and Lyla were walking out. They brushed past us. Jace barely glanced at me, his eyes cold, as he wrapped an arm around Lyla’s shoulders. “Come on, let me introduce you to Jagerbombs.” Lyla feigned surprise when she saw me, but her eyes danced with triumph. She leaned into Jace, whispering loud enough for me to hear. “Aren’t you worried Sienna will get mad again?” Jace sneered. “She doesn’t control me.” I listened to their footsteps fade and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Better this way. No awkward conversations. We drank until midnight. When I stumbled out to hail a cab, a familiar Porsche Panamera pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down. Jace looked furious. “Get in.” I stared at him. “You’ve been drinking. Driving under the influence is illegal.” “I didn’t drink. Get in the car, Sienna. Now.” It was impossible to get a ride at this hour. I didn’t have the energy to fight, so I opened the back door and slid in. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back. The car didn’t move. I opened my eyes to see Jace watching me in the rearview mirror, his expression complicated. “Sienna. Am I your Uber driver now?” I blinked, answering out of reflex. “Huh? But… you said I don’t get carsick, so I should sit in the back.” 3 I wasn’t trying to dig up the past. I was already planning to break up with him. But the righteous indignation in his voice—as if I was the rude one—triggered me. The passenger seat used to be mine. Then Lyla moved closer to the city, and Jace started “conveniently” driving her to work. She claimed she had severe motion sickness. Jace had looked at me, exasperated. “Sienna, you have a strong stomach. Just sit in the back.” I remembered choking back tears that day. “Why should I? No.” After that, he started leaving the house at dawn just to avoid driving me, terrified I’d try to claim my seat. I sighed, closing my eyes again. “If we aren’t moving, unlock the doors. I’ll walk.” He let out a frustrated groan and slammed on the gas. When we got home, Jace pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted. “Sienna, can we stop fighting?” All I wanted was a hot bath. “Sure.” My indifference panicked him. “Lyla and I are just friends. She’d never been to a track before, so I took her. That’s it.” “I know.” I stood in front of the bathroom cabinet, debating between a bath bomb and Epsom salts. “Then why aren’t you answering my texts?” I walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Once I was in the tub, I checked my phone. I had muted him days ago. [I went to the bar because you locked me out. I wasn’t gonna sleep on the floor.] [I decided I’m not giving up racing for you anymore.] [I’m joking, babe. Don’t be mad.] [Silent treatment? Really?] [I’ll pick you up. Sienna, I surrender…] Reading them, I thought back to the movie theater. Waiting ten minutes for a reply that never came. I finally understood. When he cared, he wouldn’t miss a single text. He’d stare at the screen waiting for a response. Jace used to mute my notifications because I was “annoying.” But that Discord server? He kept alerts on for that. I finished my bath and realized the problem: We only had one bed. If I broke up with him right now, tonight would be a logistical nightmare. When I walked out, Jace looked like he was struggling to find the right words. Before he could speak, his phone rang. Lyla. He answered immediately. I could hear a girl crying on the other end. He hung up, his jaw tight. “Something happened to Lyla? Go,” I said. His shoulders relaxed. “She got into a fender bender. It’s her first accident, she’s panicking. I just need to go handle the insurance stuff.” He grabbed his keys, paused, and pulled me into a hug. “Don’t overthink this, please? I’m begging you.” I went rigid. It took everything in me not to shove him away. He was too distracted to notice. He grabbed his jacket and left. Before I slept, I unpinned Jace from the top of my chat list. He sent a stream of texts throughout the night. [The hospital won’t let me leave, she needs a guardian. I’ll take you shopping tomorrow…] I didn’t read the rest. I tossed the phone aside and went to sleep. 4 With Jace, “tomorrow” was a concept, not a promise. After finalizing my exit from the company, I crashed at my best friend Quinn’s apartment. We ordered a mountain of fried chicken and binged horror movies. Right before a jump scare, I instinctively looked down at my phone. Lyla had posted again. And honestly, it was scarier than the movie. The photo showed Jace, sleeves rolled up, peeling an apple for a frail old woman in a hospital bed. Caption: [Grandma, I did it. I finally brought him to meet you.] The comments section was a dumpster fire of mutual friends: [Dude, Jace playing the fake boyfriend? If Sienna finds out, she’s gonna nuke the city.] [Sienna, don’t be jealous! Jace literally can’t live without you lol.] These were his former teammates. They always hated me. Thought I was too old, too controlling, too boring for their golden boy. Jace usually laughed it off. “They’re just joking. You know I’d die without you.” Turns out, his “reassurance” was just an inside joke for the boys. “Whatcha looking at?” Quinn slapped my shoulder, scaring the life out of me, and snatched my phone. Her face went red instantly. “That dog! I’m going to kill him!” She dialed Jace immediately. No answer. “Forget it,” I said, taking the phone back. “I don’t like him anymore anyway.” I wasn’t sad. My eyes just stung a little. Quinn sighed, grabbed my phone again, and blocked Jace on everything. “I just hate that you wasted three years on trash.” The doorbell rang. “Food’s here!” Quinn brightened up. “Rock paper scissors for who gets it!” I laughed, “You cheater,” and went to the door. I pulled it open, and my smile died. Jace stood there, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. His clothes were wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot. I tried to slam the door, but he jammed his hand against the frame. “Sienna,” he croaked. “You quit your job? You blocked me?” 5 “You audacious piece of sh*t! You have the nerve to show your face here?” Quinn didn’t hesitate. She flew past me and slapped Jace across the face. Hard. “Did you take the freight elevator up? Because you moved on fast! Don’t stand there looking pathetic!” She raised her hand for a second round. I stood there, blinking. Jace ignored the slap, desperate to get to me. “Sienna, please, just listen!” I sighed. We needed to end this properly. I gave Quinn a look. She glared at Jace but lowered her hand. I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. “Go ahead. Explain.” He faltered, looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes he used to weaponize. He looked at me like I was the one who broke his heart. Like I was the one pretending to be someone else’s partner. “Lyla… she’s in the hospital,” he rasped. “She wasn’t hurt in the crash, just shaken up. But her grandmother… she’s critical. Her dying wish was to see Lyla’s boyfriend.” His voice got quieter as he spoke. “You have to believe me. I just felt bad for her. I didn’t know she was going to post it on social media.” I nodded slowly. His brow furrowed. “Sienna, what is wrong with you?” “Usually you’d be crying, or screaming. Now? It’s like you don’t even care.” I let out a short, dry laugh. “Isn’t this what you always wanted?” I used to stop him from drinking because of his stomach. I hated his racing because his family had a history of heart disease. I was terrified of his reckless driving, but I forced myself into the passenger seat because he wanted me there. When he won that championship, he screamed at me in front of everyone. “If you’re scared, don’t get in the car! I just won, and you’re crying? You’re embarrassing me!” “Stop acting like my mother. It’s annoying.” He had looked at me with pure disgust that day. And yet, because I got upset, he actually stopped doing the things I hated. I thought it meant he loved me. I thought he was just bad with words. I was so stupid. I mistook toxicity for passion. “You’re right,” I said, looking him dead in the eye. “I don’t care anymore.” “Jace, I don’t want to see you again.” 6 A breakup shouldn’t require a consensus. But Jace didn’t seem to understand that. “Then I don’t need permission to pursue you again,” he declared. I wanted to tell him that unwanted pursuit is just stalking. But he was committed to the bit. He stopped going to work. He became a ghost haunting my periphery. Random strangers handed me stuffed animals on the street. My social media notifications were flooded with likes and comments from burner accounts. I blocked number after number, but new messages appeared daily, asking if I’d eaten, if I slept well. It was a grand performance. He was playing the tragic hero, but the only person he was moving was himself. I booked my flight. My parents sent my little brother, Sawyer, to pick me up. I hadn’t seen Sawyer in a year. The kid had grown. He was leaning against a rental car wearing designer sunglasses, all white linen and arrogance. He looked like he walked off the set of a K-Drama. “Sis! Missed you!” he shouted, throwing an arm around me. He grew up in the States, so he was touchy. He leaned in to kiss my cheek. Suddenly, a hand clamped onto my arm and yanked me backward. “Get your hands off her, you creep!” Sawyer and I froze. Jace was standing there, eyes wild, chest heaving. Sawyer took one look at Jace’s tear-filled eyes, connected the dots, and smirked. It was a cruel, sharp smile. He casually lit a cigarette, took a drag, and blew a cloud of smoke directly into Jace’s face. He looked Jace up and down with pure condescension. “So, Sienna,” Sawyer drawled, ignoring Jace entirely. “Who’s it gonna be? Him or me?” I cringed. I knew Sawyer was trying to defend me, but this alpha-male standoff was embarrassing. I pried Jace’s fingers off my arm, finger by finger. I didn’t even look at him. Instead, I frowned at Sawyer, reached out, and snatched the cigarette from his lips, crushing it under my shoe. “Who said you could smoke?” I scolded, swatting his shoulder. To Jace, that touch looked intimate. It looked like flirting. “Sienna,” Jace’s voice trembled. “This guy is clearly a player. He’s just trying to get in your pants. Don’t fall for it.” I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. My brother was a good kid who had never even had a serious girlfriend. Just because he was handsome, he was a predator? “None of your business,” I snapped. I grabbed Sawyer and shoved him into the car. “Sis! Look!” Sawyer laughed, checking the side mirror as we drove away. “Your ex is still standing there. He looks like he’s gonna cry!” I glanced back. He looked shattered. Not my problem.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386668”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After playing the part of the cowardly, universally despised male lead, I had finally completed my mission. Before faking my death, the System gave me one day to say goodbye to my targets. After three years of biting my tongue, I let loose, going scorched-earth on each and every one of them. 【I’ve been sick of you for ages, you damn poser!】 【Three years of tutoring and your brain is still underdeveloped? Are you an idiot?】 【Who in their right mind would want to be engaged to an old woman like you? You’ve already got one foot in the grave!】 Just as I sent the last message, basking in the glow of sweet satisfaction, the System shrieked in my head. 【We’re screwed, Host! I misread the date…】 【Your actual exit date is in SEVEN DAYS! Aaaah!】 Me: “?” The next second, the doorbell rang, sharp and frantic. 1 This was my third year playing the part of the universally despised male lead. And I had finally completed my mission. For three long years, I’d been the timid, spineless protagonist everyone loved to hate. A ghost at school, my adoptive sister’s beck-and-call boy at home. I had no friends, and my family’s affection was a currency I could never afford. My only stroke of luck was an arranged engagement, a marriage alliance set up by the family. But on the day of the engagement party, the truth detonated: I was the wrong son, switched at birth. A fake heir. The real Sterling heir had been found. In an instant, the world’s scorn, which had been a steady drizzle, became a hurricane directed straight at me. I was, once again, public enemy number one. Perhaps that was the final straw. The System, silent for three years, finally flickered back to life. 【Congratulations, Host. The ‘Universally Despised’ mission is complete. A substantial reward awaits you.】 【Tomorrow, you will return to your original world.】 I blinked, processing. “What about the ‘me’ in this world?” I asked. The System chuckled reassuringly. 【Don’t you worry about that. He’ll just… disappear.】 It sounded too easy. “Are you sure this is it? The final curtain? No more missions?” The System puffed out its digital chest. 【Absolutely! You can cash your check and check out tomorrow!】 A wave of relief washed over me. The System granted me one final day to say my goodbyes. But as I thought about it, who was there to say goodbye to? My death would probably cause less of a ripple than a stone tossed in the ocean. Bored, I picked up my phone, scrolling through my contacts. Just then, it buzzed. A message from “The Poser,” my nickname for her. 【I’ll have the tailor send your suit for the gala tomorrow.】 【For God’s sake, don’t wear one of your own hideous ones. You’re an embarrassment.】 That was my sister, Isabella Sterling. Or rather, my adoptive sister now. The true-born daughter of the family. From the moment I entered this world, she’d looked at me with nothing but disdain. She was a creature of sour moods and venomous words, constantly belittling me. My taste was trash, my intelligence laughable. A kind word from her was rarer than a unicorn. My very presence seemed to offend her senses. But she was the Sterling heiress, Dad’s only daughter. No one dared cross her. Even Mom told me to just grit my teeth and bear it. I had borne it. For three years. I’d been her doormat, her errand boy. But I was leaving tomorrow. And today, I was done bearing it. Me: 【You think your taste in clothes is any better?】 Me: 【Attachment: Image】 Me: 【Is this supposed to be a suit or a pile of shit?】 Me: 【That wasn’t a typo.】 Me: 【You act like you’re some fashion guru, but honestly, even with your rotten personality and non-existent friends, exactly zero people give a damn about you.】 A long pause followed. Then, a single question mark appeared from Isabella. The shock must have short-circuited her brain. The “typing…” indicator blinked on and off for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she wrote: 【What’s wrong with you?】 My fingers flew across the screen. 【Nothing’s wrong with me.】 【I’m just sick of your bullshit.】 【You damn poser.】 Silence. She was probably seeing red, a fury so pure it could power a small city. What did I care? I put her on mute. A soft knock on my door. A maid peeked in. “Mr. Sterling, the car is waiting. It’s time for your school event.” Even as the fake heir, my parents felt some lingering obligation, enough to see me through high school. The ride to school was heavy with unspoken tension. The driver, sensing the storm brewing at home, was silent, afraid to say the wrong thing. The car hadn’t even come to a full stop when I opened the door and a furious voice lashed out. “Bruce, do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you?” 2 I looked up. A girl stood before me, chest heaving with rage, her eyes shooting daggers. I gave her a slow, deliberate once-over. “And why, exactly, were you waiting for me?” Janet Thornton’s jaw dropped. “?” “I was taking pity on you!” she sputtered, her voice incredulous. “No one wants to be your partner for the coming-of-age gala tonight. I was doing you a favor by being your date, and this is the attitude I get?” The Thorntons and the Sterlings were old family friends. Janet and I were, for all intents and purposes, childhood friends. With her sharp, vibrant beauty, she was one of the most popular girls at school. Our parents had once even floated the idea of an engagement between us. An idea Janet had publicly and viciously shot down. I still remembered the look of pure disgust on her face, as if she’d been forced to swallow a fly. “Engaged to him?” she had sneered. “Are you insane? Are you trying to make me puke?” Her very public rejection had made me the laughingstock of our social circle for a solid year. But her reaction had served its purpose, earning me a cool 100 experience points and completing a third of my mission. Thinking back, I didn’t really want to give her a hard time. But then, a couple of her cronies passing by decided to chime in. “Yeah, Bruce. Making Miss Thornton wait for you? Who do you think you are?” “Don’t tell me you’re still playing hard to get. It’s pathetic.” Janet’s lips pressed into a thin, hard line. She took a step forward, her voice tight with anger. “Bruce. I’m talking to you!” I looked up, feigning confusion. “What is it? You’re blocking my way to the building.” She laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “Did you not hear a single word I just said? Aren’t you even going to apologize?” I blinked. “Apologize? To who?” I paused for effect. “To you?” “Do you really think you deserve one?” Janet froze, stunned into silence. “You decided to wait for me, but you never told me,” I continued, my voice calm. “What am I, a mind reader? And for the record, I never asked you to be my date. So who exactly is this little drama for? Here, let me get you a tissue. Maybe if you squeeze out a few crocodile tears, it’ll be more convincing.” Her two hangers-on jumped to her defense. “Janet was just trying to be nice because she felt sorry for you! And you throw it back in her face!” “Why are you being so nasty? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” I shot them a bored look. “Duh, of course it’s on purpose. What’s the point of saying it if it isn’t nasty?” I looked them up and down. “Did you two share a single brain cell and lose it? As nasty as my words are, the three of you aren’t exactly deserving of poetry.” Janet was the first to snap out of it, lunging forward to grab my arm. “Bruce—” My bodyguard smoothly stepped between us. I glanced back at her, my voice dripping with condescension. “While I’m feeling generous, you’ve got five seconds to spit out whatever else you have to say.” But the expression on her face wasn’t the fury I expected. It was… confusion. A deep, unsettling bewilderment. “Bruce, today you’re…” she stammered. “Are you sick?” I’d braced myself for an explosion, a tirade, anything. But this? This was all she had? I’d been surrounded by a bunch of amateurs. All this time, I’d seriously overestimated them. 3 I ignored Janet and headed straight for the principal’s office upstairs. I had more important things to do. A school gala held no appeal for me. It was just an excuse for the beautiful people to dance and take pictures. As the resident outcast, I was never anyone’s first choice for a dance partner, so I hadn’t even bothered to prepare, showing up in a simple hoodie and jeans. When I came out of the principal’s office, the way people looked at me in the hallway had changed. Their whispers were like the rustling of dry leaves. “So he’s not really a Sterling…” “That explains it. He never had that Sterling air about him…” “He and his sister are from two different worlds. Poor Isabella, having to put up with an adopted brother like that.” The winds carrying the news of my true identity had finally reached the school. I glanced at my phone and saw twenty missed calls. All from Isabella. A number that had been dormant for a decade suddenly flooding my screen with calls and texts. I almost thought she’d bought one of those spam-call packages online. I didn’t bother calling back, just tapped open her messages. There were too many to read. The last one caught my eye. Isabella: 【I’m coming back tomorrow.】 She was still overseas on a business trip. I stared at the message, unsure how to respond. Finally, I just locked my phone. Whatever. It was her house. She could come and go as she pleased. As I was heading downstairs, I ran into Janet again. She was dressed in a formal gown, her features sharper and more mature than I remembered. Seeing me, her lips tightened, suppressing her irritation. “Bruce, why haven’t you changed yet?” she demanded in a low voice. “I’m not dancing,” I said, frowning. Janet seemed to be on a different planet today. From past experience, her dance partner for the night should have been Alex Ryder, the most popular guy in our year. As she was about to say something else, my bodyguard stepped forward, politely but firmly blocking her path. “Miss Thornton, Mr. Sterling is engaged to Miss Lockwood.” Janet’s expression instantly turned to ice. “I know that! You don’t have to tell me!” I cupped a hand to my ear. “Let’s go,” I said to the bodyguard, turning away. Once in the car, I saw a few of Janet’s friends swarm around her. They were whispering and gesturing towards my family’s car, smirks on their faces. Janet’s expression shifted from confusion to utter shock. I could guess what they were telling her—the juicy gossip about my parentage. The car began to move. Suddenly, Janet shouted my name, her voice filled with urgency. “Bruce—!” She started running after the car, her gown hindering her steps. The driver accelerated, and the window slid shut, cutting off the sound of her frantic calls. I watched her figure shrink in the rearview mirror until she was just a tiny, dark speck. I turned to the bodyguard beside me. “What do you think she’s doing?” He considered this for a moment. “Training for a marathon, perhaps.” 4 When I got home that evening, the head maid hurried to greet me. “Mr. Sterling, Miss Lockwood came by this afternoon,” she said. “She left when she found you weren’t home.” Eleanor Lockwood. My fiancée. But since the news about my identity broke, she hadn’t contacted me for a week. The engagement was nothing more than a business arrangement brokered by our parents. I understood she had no feelings for me. “What did she want?” I asked. The maid thought for a moment. “She said she couldn’t reach you, so she came to check.” My parents were away, and Isabella was out of the country. It was just me and the staff at home. I pulled out my phone. Sure enough, buried under a pile of group chat notifications was Eleanor’s icon, glowing with a red dot. 【Are you free? I’d like to talk about the engagement.】 My impression of Eleanor was neutral. She was conventionally attractive, but her eyes were cold, and she had a habit of looking down her nose at people. We had only met four or five times, and each time she was like a statue. No matter what I said, no matter what topic I tried to broach, she would turn her head away, her disinterest a palpable force field. She wouldn’t even spare me a glance. I’d heard she was a prodigy, skipping grades since elementary school before returning from abroad to take over her family’s company. An alliance with her was, frankly, above the Sterlings’ station. But the Lockwood family owed ours a debt from long ago, so I was the one who lucked out. Eleanor was probably resentful, but she couldn’t defy her family. So she took her frustration out on me with a suffocating cold shoulder. I, in turn, was an expert at quietly taking the abuse. After a while, I’d almost forgotten what she looked like, except for the memory of a very sharp jawline. I dialed her number and put it on speaker, busying myself with other things. “Bruce,” her voice, steady and cool, came through the phone. “I called to discuss the engagement party.” Our first attempt at an engagement party had been spectacularly derailed by the whole “real heir” drama, forcing a hasty postponement. “Nothing to discuss,” I said casually. “I’m calling it off.” Silence on the other end. Then, “You’re calling it off? Why?” “No reason,” I said breezily. “Just don’t feel like being engaged to you.” I was leaving tomorrow. The kid gloves were off. I was done playing their game. It was time they realized they weren’t the center of the universe. “Look, I’ll be blunt,” I explained with mock sincerity. “It’s your age, you know? I don’t have a geriatric fetish.” Her voice was tight, suppressing a volcano of rage. “I am only six years older than you.” “Only six years?” I exclaimed, feigning shock. “That’s huge! You’ll be thirty in a few years. After thirty comes forty, and after forty, you’re halfway to the grave. It won’t be long before you’re pushing up daisies.” Eleanor took a deep, shuddering breath. Each word sounded like it was being ground between her teeth. “Who… told you to say that?” I was losing patience. “That’s not important. The point is, you’re getting on in years. Let’s just call it a day and go our separate ways.” Without waiting for a reply, I hung up. The key to winning these arguments was never to let them drag you into justifying yourself. I might be the fake heir, but so what? In this narrative, she was the old one, and I was the one who couldn’t be bothered. With that mess handled, I opened my phone, accepted a new friend request, and sent over a list of instructions for the new house. Time for a long bath and a good night’s sleep. Just before bed, I summoned the System one last time. 【What time are you picking me up tomorrow?】 The System seemed… off. It stammered, unusually solicitous. 【Well… about that…】 【Why don’t you get some rest first? You’ve had a long day.】 After fighting three battles with three different people, I was exhausted beyond belief. I figured the System was just busy and didn’t think much of it. I’d sleep soundly, and when I opened my eyes, I’d be back home in my own world. And I did sleep soundly. In my dreams, I was a master of martial arts, leaving my tormentors bruised and beaten. I woke up feeling sore all over. I yawned and stretched, habitually reaching for my phone. It had exploded with missed calls and unread messages. The Poser: 【I’m almost home. I brought a doctor.】 The Firecracker: 【I knew it was the fake heir thing that pushed you over the edge. I’m coming to see you!】 The Ice Queen: 【I was up all night thinking. Is someone else trying to steal you away? We need to talk. In person.】 Downstairs, the maid’s panicked voice drifted up. “Mr. Sterling, you have guests—” “And I don’t think it’s just one—” Seriously? You guys move this fast? “System!” I hissed. “Get me out of here, now! They’re storming the castle!” There was a long, painful silence before the System spoke, its voice barely a whisper. 【Host… I… I misread the date…】 A cold dread washed over me. “And?” The System offered a weak, digital laugh. 【Your escape date is actually… in seven days…】 I froze. What?

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On Adoption Day at the orphanage, all the children were picked except me. I huddled in the corner, blind and unwanted. The Director tried to recommend me to a wealthy couple. “This child is wonderful, apart from her sight. She’s obedient and smart.” The wealthy couple refused. “Forget it. We don’t want a disabled child.” The Director patted my head. “It’s okay, Nana. Grandma will take care of you forever.” I clutched the hem of her shirt, biting my lip to keep quiet. Just then, a hard candy was pressed into my palm. And I heard a boy speak, stuttering over his words. “H-here. C-candy. For y-you.” Suddenly, floating text appeared in my mind’s eye, like comments on a livestream. [OMG! Did I see that right? The Male Lead spoke!] [He hasn’t spoken a word since the accident when he was five! He’s speaking because of the Female Lead!] Then, someone grabbed my hand tightly. “I… I want h-her. To be m-my sister.” 1 Last night, Grandma Director patted each of our heads. “New moms and dads are coming to see everyone tomorrow.” I lay in my small bed, my heart pounding like a drum. A new home. Would someone love me? Hug me? Would I have a window of my own? In the darkness, I secretly smiled. As soon as Grandma’s footsteps faded down the hall, the chubby kid in the next bed rolled over. “Hey, Blind Girl, what are you smiling about? No one’s gonna want you! They’re coming to pick kids, who wants a blind one? Loser!” I bit the soft flesh inside my lip hard. Don’t cry. Crying makes it worse. I buried my face deep into my thin pillow, forcing the tears back. The next day. The small auditorium was packed. The smell of strange perfumes, the click of leather shoes, and the suppressed cheers of children being chosen filled the air. I sat on a chair, palms sweating. I listened as name after name was called, followed by happy footsteps running away. The sounds grew quieter. Until the last bit of noise vanished. Only Grandma Director and I were left. Everyone gone? Really… not a single one left? Grandma touched my hair, speaking tentatively to someone nearby, “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, this child is Nana. She’s very sensible, quiet, and learns fast… just… she can’t see…” My heart leaped into my throat. I held my breath. Mrs. Sterling spoke. Her voice was beautiful. “Director, it’s not that we’re prejudiced. Our own child is very sick. We wanted to bring a healthy child home to liven things up, to be a companion. We can’t take care of a blind child properly, and we wouldn’t want her to suffer…” “It’s okay, Nana,” Grandma hugged my shoulders tighter, “Our Nana is so good, Grandma will raise you forever! Don’t be scared!” I clutched Grandma’s shirt, nails digging into my palm. Just then, something hard was suddenly shoved into my hand. Cold. Then, a young voice spoke, stumbling over the words: “H-here… c-candy. For y-you.” Before I could react, glowing text appeared in the eternal darkness of my vision: [Holy crap?! The Male Lead spoke?!] [OMG! Julian spoke! First time since he was five!] [In the original story, he was mute for ten years! He spoke for this blind girl?!] Then, a hand grabbed my wrist. The raspy voice spoke again. “I… I… want her.” “To be… be my sister.” The moment his fingertips touched my skin— A bright light flashed before my eyes. Objects in the darkness began to slowly take on color and shape. 2 The wealthy couple happily completed the adoption paperwork. Before leaving, Grandma whispered to me. “If they treat you badly, come back.” “Do you remember the way home?” I held her hand and nodded. Grandma handed me over to the wealthy couple. “This child can’t see, it’s inconvenient. Please be kind to her.” After two hours in the car, we finally stopped. But that cold hand never let go of mine. I followed them into a place as big as a palace. My heart hung in midair, thumping wildly. Would they regret it? Like those people before, thinking I was trouble? I tried to straighten my back, stepping carefully, ears pricked for every tiny sound, terrified of knocking something over and being annoying. Be good. Must be good. “Don’t be scared, Nana.” Mrs. Sterling’s voice came from above, “You’re home now. We chose you, so we will treat you well and love you forever.” Heat rushed to my eyes, and I nodded vigorously. The hand holding mine was cold, the knuckles distinct. From the orphanage to here, no matter what his parents said, no matter where we walked, he hadn’t loosened his grip one bit. “Look at our Julian,” Mr. Sterling said with a smile, “Liking his sister so much? Can’t bear to let go?” Even more amazing, as long as he touched me, I could see. But I didn’t dare say it. If I did, they’d think I was a monster. 3 We sat at a huge table for dinner. My right hand was firmly pressed under the table by Julian, palm to palm. He used his left hand to awkwardly hold a spoon, eating silently. “Nana, try this shrimp.” Mrs. Sterling gently placed food in my bowl. “And these ribs, very tender.” Mr. Sterling’s voice came from the other side. The food piled up in my bowl. I was hungry and grateful, but I could only use my free left hand to fumble for the spoon, eating in small bites. Halfway through, I got thirsty. The water glass wasn’t far to my left, but I couldn’t reach it. I licked my lips, hesitating to ask for help. Suddenly, the chair next to me moved. Julian pulled away briefly. The next second, a cold glass rim, smelling of tart orange juice, gently touched my lips. “Drink. Water.” The raw, raspy voice sounded low in my ear. I opened my mouth instinctively, and cool orange juice flowed in carefully. He was clumsy, and a few drops ran down my chin. The moment his fingertip accidentally brushed my chin— The text floated into view again. [!!! Julian is feeding her???] [Impossible! In the original story, he only changes for his first love when he grows up! He’s just a kid!] [Who is this blind NPC? Plot collapse warning!] [Male Lead is acting OOC! He’s supposed to be cold as ice!] [Help! Where is my cold, autistic boy?!] I sat there dumbly, holding the glass rim in my mouth, forgetting to swallow. 4 Mrs. Sterling’s laughter broke the silence. “Julian, you’ll scare your sister. Let go a little, let Nana drink by herself.” Julian didn’t move. But he seemed to understand a little, loosening his grip on my hand slightly. Then, he pulled a tissue and clumsily wiped the juice off my chin. “Oh my, our Julian is really…” Mrs. Sterling smiled, “So good today. Knowing how to take care of his sister.” Mr. Sterling added with a smile: “Yes, your sister is young and can’t see. You’re the big brother, you must protect her, okay?” The nanny, Mrs. Zhang, who had been silent, suddenly chimed in: “Oh, if I knew the Young Master liked playing with girls his age, I would have brought my granddaughter over! She’s so lively!” Mrs. Sterling seemed in a good mood and replied casually: “We thought he didn’t like contact with people, but… he likes playing with pretty little girls? Sure, bring her over during summer break.” That night, Mrs. Sterling bathed me herself. She was gentle, very tender. Just like the mother I imagined. Changed into soft new pajamas, I was sent back to the door of the room prepared for me. Time to separate. Mrs. Sterling wanted to take Julian back to his own room. But his hand clamped onto my wrist like iron, unmoving. “Julian, let go. Sister needs to sleep.” Julian resisted silently. Mr. Sterling stepped forward, trying to pry his fingers open. I heard a slight friction sound; Julian’s wrist must be red. He still wouldn’t let go. I felt his breathing quicken. Then, something warm and wet dropped onto the back of my hand. He was crying. “Julian, be good,” Mrs. Sterling sounded panicked too, “Sister can’t see, sleeping together is inconvenient, what if…” “Uncle, Auntie.” Relying on feeling, I reached out with my free hand toward Julian, fumbling until I wrapped my arm around his waist. “I… I want to sleep with big brother.” Mrs. Sterling sighed. “Sigh… these kids… alright, alright. Mrs. Zhang, go get Julian’s pillow and blanket.” The text scrolled again: [OMG! In the original, Julian only actively approached his wife in his whole life! This blind NPC took the spot?!] [??? Plot completely broken! Where’s my high-mountain flower?] [Wait… why do I think… it’s kinda cute? Two little ones warming each other?] [+1! So healing! Angel blind girl x Autistic young master! Ship it!] The parents’ footsteps faded. Mrs. Zhang brought the bedding, set it up, and left. Door closed.

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It was 100 degrees during freshman orientation, so I paid out of pocket to treat the whole class to boba tea. The scholarship student my brother sponsors immediately lost it. “I know your family is rich, but that’s your brother’s hard-earned money. What right do you have to waste it?” With that, she slapped the drink out of my hand, spilling it everywhere. “I’ll let it slide this time, but if it happens again, I’ll teach you how to be frugal on your brother’s behalf!” I looked at the spilled boba, then slapped her right back. “From today on, my family stops sponsoring you!” “You like being frugal, right? Go ahead and be frugal on your own dime!” 1 The drill instructor had just dismissed us. I immediately rounded up a few guys to help carry boba tea from the shop across the street. The weather had been brutal lately. Several students in our formation had already passed out from heatstroke. So, I decided to treat everyone. Honestly, I mostly just wanted one myself. But drinking alone felt rude. Plus, my brother had specifically told me to make friends at college, so I figured this was a perfect opportunity. Also, the boba shop across from campus? My brother invested in it. Since I love boba but he hates all the additives in most places, he had his secretary open a “healthy” shop right there just for me. It was family-owned, safe, and delicious. After the guys brought the drinks over, I started handing them out. First dibs went to the guys who helped carry them. But as I started passing them to the rest of the formation, a cold sneer cut through the air. “Buying drinks just to seek male validation? Pathetic.” I frowned, looking for the source. But with so many people crowding around, I couldn’t pinpoint who said it. I sighed. Whatever. Haters gonna hate. After the small interruption, I continued handing out drinks. Everyone was thrilled. “Vivian, you’re an angel!” “Vivian for President! I’m following you for the next four years!” I laughed and joked with them. Suddenly, that sarcastic voice rang out again. “College students? Please. You’re just a bunch of shallow simps who can be bought with a drink.” This time, before I could even get mad, my classmates snapped back. “Calling us simps? What are you? Hiding in the crowd like a coward. Come say it to my face!” “Exactly! Vivian saw we were dying in the heat and bought drinks out of kindness. What’s your problem? Stop acting morally superior while getting a free drink!” I stood awkwardly by the boxes. I remembered my brother’s warning: “Vivian, make friends, but don’t stand out too much. People get jealous. Sometimes doing good deeds gets you punished.” He was right. The diversity of human stupidity never ceases to amaze me. I patiently addressed the unknown voice. “I’m not trying to buy anyone. I genuinely want to be friends, and it’s incredibly hot today. This is just a sincere gesture.” As soon as the words left my mouth, the person laughed louder. “Sincere?” “Spending your parents’ hard-earned money to show off? You call that sincere?” A thin girl stepped out of the crowd. She walked straight up to me and slapped the drink out of my hand. 2 The cup hit the ground and cracked open. Caramel-colored milk tea splashed all over the rubber track and my camouflage uniform. Sticky. Gross. I was stunned. It happened so fast. “Vivian, I know your family is rich, but that money comes from your parents’ blood and sweat. What right do you have to enjoy it without working, to waste it like this?” “I hate princess-syndrome girls like you who enjoy unearned blessings!” “Orientation is meant to build willpower! But you? Disrupting discipline! Dragging everyone into your gluttony! Don’t you think you’re just grandstanding?” “Sincere? You just want to flex!” With that, she kicked over the remaining boxes of boba. Then, she pulled a piece of paper from her bag. It had the counselor’s signature. “The counselor is sick and can’t come in. She appointed me as the temporary class monitor.” “From today on, everyone in this formation listens to me.” “No one is allowed to drink Vivian’s boba!” “If you do, I’ll report you for disrupting orientation!” The whole formation was stunned. Everyone stared at the spilled drinks with heartbreak in their eyes. But the girl was deep in her own world. She even started introducing herself. Her name was Sarah. She was a scholarship student from a remote mountain village. She had suffered a lot, so she despised people like us who spent money like water. “You guys can’t handle a little heat? Farmers back home work in 104-degree weather all day! You don’t see them drinking boba!” “If schools produce pleasure-seekers like you, this country is doomed!” “I can’t control others, but since I’m the monitor, I’m taking responsibility! I won’t let this culture of extravagance infect our class!” “Vivian, you started this. Go write a 5,000-word self-reflection essay. And however much you spent on these drinks, pay that amount into the class fund.” “You like showing off? That money will cover everyone’s water for the week. I will personally ration out water bottles to everyone!” Sarah’s speech left everyone speechless. I bought some drinks, and she escalated it to the downfall of the nation. The moral kidnapping was too strong. The guys who took drinks silently put them back. Everyone returned to their spots. I turned to go back too. As I passed her, our eyes met. Instantly, I remembered a photo. It was an ID photo in a file on my brother’s desk. He had mentioned it specifically. “Vivian, this girl got into the same university and major as you. I’m planning to sponsor her. Once school starts, I’ll ask her to look out for you.” So, Sarah is the girl my brother sponsors? 3 At lunch in the cafeteria, I sat with my roommate, Quinn. Quinn pouted, complaining about the morning’s disaster. “I swear, you were just being nice! What is Sarah’s problem?” “Acting like a dictator just because she’s ‘temporary monitor.’ Holding a chicken feather like it’s an arrow of authority. Who knows if she’ll even keep the position?” “So annoying! My boba!” Quinn tilted her head back, pretending to cry. I stuffed a piece of sweet and sour pork into her mouth. “Okay, okay, I’ll treat you next time.” “Maybe she’s just really straightforward. Different backgrounds, you know? We can’t empathize, so let’s just avoid her.” While talking, my chopsticks slipped, and a piece of pork fell onto the table. Quinn and I looked at each other. “Three-second rule!” Just as Quinn was about to pick it up to wash and eat, Sarah appeared. She slammed her tray onto our table. CLANG! It attracted stares from the entire line. Quinn and I looked at her, confused. Sarah started her lecture. “Vivian, was my speech this morning not clear enough?” “Do you think having money makes you exempt? Do you know how much effort goes into raising a pig? Farmers work day and night for us to have food, and you throw away perfectly good meat just because it has a little fat? Are you human? Do you deserve to be here?” I take back what I said about her being straightforward. She’s mentally ill. Why does she hallucinate so much? I stood up. I wasn’t having it. “First, we didn’t throw it away because of fat. We dropped it by accident and were about to wash it and eat it. You’re the one who started screaming.” “Second, I may not know farm life, but I know not to waste food! Unlike you, who kicked over 35 cups of boba this morning. Do the staff who made those not count as workers? Is their labor free for you to trample?” “Finally, you spilled rice when you slammed your tray down. Since you’re so frugal, please pick it up and eat it!” Quinn immediately washed the dropped pork and ate it. Chew chew chew. She swallowed and pointed at the rice grains on the floor, raising an eyebrow at Sarah. “I ate mine. I didn’t waste food.” “Your turn.” 4 Sarah’s eyes turned red instantly. She swept her arm across the table, knocking all our trays onto the floor. Grease splattered everywhere. Quinn and I were covered in sticky oil stains. Sarah looked at our mess with a sneer in her eyes. But when she spoke, she went full victim mode. “Vivian, Quinn, don’t go too far!” “You wasted food first! So what if I said something? I know you rich people look down on us poor people, but do you have to humiliate me in public?” I laughed out loud. We didn’t actually expect her to eat off the floor. We just wanted to vent. But she kept morally hijacking the conversation. She constantly tried to create class conflict. We are all students. We are equals. Who walks around broadcasting their background like her? Is being born rich a crime? Even a saint couldn’t handle her constant attacks. “How did we humiliate you? You’re the one screaming about waste! Quinn ate the pork, she didn’t waste anything. But when it’s your turn, your principles suddenly don’t apply?” “Sarah, I wasn’t going to make a big deal about this morning. But since you insist on pestering me… sorry.” “This morning, you destroyed 35 cups of boba. At $5 a cup, that’s $175. Plus my shoes, $1,500. They’re covered in grease because of you. I won’t make you buy new ones, just pay the cleaning fee. My usual place charges minimum $50. I’ll round down. You owe me $200.” Since she insists I’m a spoiled princess, I’ll act like one. Quinn followed my lead. “Oh right. Me too. My shoes aren’t as expensive as Vivian’s, but they aren’t cheap. Cleaning fee: $30.” If I recall correctly, my brother sent Sarah her first month’s stipend. He gives her $300 a month. Given her frugal nature, she should still have plenty left. It was enough. Of course, I was doing this to get my family’s money back. Since she’s so noble and loves suffering, she doesn’t need our sponsorship. I don’t have many virtues. But I love helping people achieve their dreams. Sarah loves hardship? I won’t stand in her way! I looked at Sarah and used her own weapon against her. “A class monitor should lead by example. You wouldn’t renege on a debt, would you?” The surrounding students started chiming in. “Yeah, monitor! Set an example!” “Poor but proud, right? Does that stop when you have to pay up?” “Exactly! Vivian and Quinn’s money didn’t fall from the sky. You destroyed the drinks and ruined their clothes. That’s all money. If you don’t pay, they should call the cops.” Under the pressure, Sarah was speechless. She took out her phone and, wincing in pain, transferred the money to us. I smiled at the notification. I raised my phone to the crowd. “I’m buying boba for everyone this afternoon!”

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My adopted brother, whom I’ve had a crush on forever, has always been cold to me. I thought he just wasn’t the smiling type. Until one night, I heard his raspy voice calling someone’s name: “Sisi.” Heartbroken, I packed up my pet snake and moved out. Suddenly, floating text comments appeared before my eyes: [Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!] [The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.] [Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?] The day I moved out, a crack finally appeared in Ethan’s icy facade. He frowned slightly, lifting his eyelids. “Why?” I avoided his gaze, flustered. “I graduated. I can support myself now. It’s not good to keep living at home.” I was adopted by the Reed family. This reason should be reasonable enough. I really couldn’t say the truth. Hearing him call someone else’s name made me feel sad and awkward. I just wanted to run away. Ethan has always been a cold, self-restrained person. But that night, when he called “Sisi,” his voice was low and raspy. Like it was soaked in some deep emotion. Just thinking about it still shocks me. My suitcase was packed and sitting by the door. As expected, Ethan didn’t ask me to stay. He just opened the door to his study, dropping one sentence: “Don’t forget to take your pet.” He was cold to me, and cold to my pet. He never visited my little snake, let alone touched it. Now, he couldn’t wait to kick it out too. I was heartbroken. I grabbed the snake, terrarium and all, and left alone. The floating comments—like a livestream chat—appeared after I moved into my new apartment. I unpacked my stuff and collapsed on the sofa. My little white snake slowly crawled out of the open terrarium, climbing up my calf. Its cool scales pressed against my bare skin. Like always, I bent down and scooped it up. It climbed up my arm and settled on my shoulder. I started to suspect the mushrooms I fried for lunch weren’t fully cooked. Lines of text started popping up in front of my eyes. [Why did she move out?! My favorite trope of angsty tension under one roof is gone!] [Forget tension, the plot is about to hit the highway and you’re still driving a tricycle.] What are they babbling about? Highway? I just got my driver’s license; I’m not allowed on the highway yet. I looked down and started googling “What to do for mushroom poisoning.” I’ve heard of seeing little green men, but never floating text. While my mind wandered, I switched to my messages and saw Ethan pinned at the top. His profile picture was pure white. The messages stopped a day ago. Me: “Brother, I’m moving out.” Him (replying much later): “Okay.” So perfunctory. I got dumped before we even started dating. I buried my head in my knees, ready to cry my eyes out. I forgot the snake was still on my shoulder. It suddenly slipped into my collar, then stopped. Leaving a cold, slippery sensation. And… a snake tongue that didn’t retract in time. The snake seemed stunned too, freezing in place. My scalp tingled. I frantically fished it out. It still left a faint red mark. Emo mode paused. The text scrolled by rapidly. [Male Lead be like: Sorry, I type slow.] [Female Lead: Stop pretending.] [He wasn’t being perfunctory! You were playing with him at the time; he couldn’t free his hands. He typed that ‘Okay’ with his tail!] [Holy crap! Just joined the stream and it’s already this spicy.] [Ethan must be in heaven.] I understood the words, and my face instantly turned red. Is this snake… Ethan? He always wears gold-rimmed glasses. Is he a cobra? (Note: ‘Spectacled Cobra’ in Chinese/culture reference) Suspicion: Hallucinations from mushroom poisoning. I put the snake back in the terrarium and wanted to text my best friend. To tell her I might be tripping on mushrooms. My finger swiped, and I saw the messages I sent her last time. Me: “It’s over. I have no chance.” “Ethan seems to like someone!” “He even called her ‘Sisi’!” “Sob.” The comments seemed to be peeking at my screen. [Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!] [The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.] [Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?] Hey, didn’t I put on a privacy screen protector? I deleted the unsent text. I looked hesitantly at the terrarium by my feet. The white snake was wrapped around a grape vine, head raised, staring quietly at me. It and Ethan… really never appeared together. [Question Xu Xian, Understand Xu Xian, Become Xu Xian.] (Reference to the Legend of the White Snake, a man who fell in love with a snake demon) [Try this, feed Ethan some realgar wine. If he faints, he’s a snake. If not, he’s a snake demon.] I pursed my lips. I found Ethan’s number in my contacts and dialed it. The white snake’s eyes seemed to widen. Then, its tail started rattling. I don’t know the principle behind it, but… I understood. I hung up. That night, I was drawing on my tablet in my room. I actually received a message from Ethan first. “Forgot to tell you.” “The snake cousin gave you back then… it’s a rattlesnake.” [Male Lead trying to cover his tracks.] [What rattlesnake rattles with a ringtone sound?] My cousin gave me the snake. In high school, I was stressed and randomly wanted a pet snake. My cousin heard and brought one over. “Home-bred. Different from the ones you buy.” “Long life span, smart, obedient, clingy. Great emotional support.” “Knows to find food when hungry, knows to come home when it rains.” It was true. It understood all my commands. It was clingy, often wrapping around my calf. It slept with me at night. I thought I found the perfect snake. Turns out it was my brother. …It feels really weird. My secret crush and my favorite pet merged into one. Whatever. I can pretend I don’t know. I put down my pen and tablet, opening the door. The white snake had crawled out of the terrarium at some point and was waiting at the door. I hesitated, then squatted and held out my hand. It climbed onto my shoulder and shook its tail. The tail made a shhh-shhh sound, clear as day. [Male Lead trying SO hard to prove he isn’t himself.] [He doesn’t dare let her find out he’s a pervert.] [That is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. In the US, they bite more people than any other snake…] Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I felt like this snake looked a lot more handsome now. It leaned in, nuzzling my cheek with its nose affectionately. Tentatively, its tongue flicked the corner of my mouth. Leaving a cold, wet sensation. My breath hitched. I took it off, put it outside the door, and locked it quickly. [Male Lead got rejected just like that. But a snake is kinda hard to accept.] [Only in novels. If I saw a snake that big in my house, I’d move out overnight and leave the deed to the snake.] I threw myself onto the bed, burying my head in the quilt. My face was burning. It took a while to calm down. I texted my best friend. “Can you understand Xu Xian?” The comments were shocked. [???] [So you’re shy, not rejecting him?] Bestie: “???” “Is your latest obsession a snake-man character?” “If he’s hot, I totally get it.” I draw a lot of fan art. She probably misunderstood. I didn’t explain. Ethan’s human form is too handsome—cold and abstinent. His snake form is also special, iridescent scales, looking expensive. I just made the mistake every simp makes. I adjusted my mindset, opened the door again, and brought the snake back in. Petting time. The high-and-mighty Ethan was now at my mercy. I squeezed and petted him, taking revenge for his coldness. He didn’t resist at all. He even seemed excited, trembling slightly. [Which part of the snake corresponds to which part of the human?] [Look at him acting cheap. She hasn’t even used any tricks yet and he’s already surrendered.] I wanted to continue my revenge. But my hands were tired, and he wasn’t tired at all. I gave up and tossed him aside. Maybe the contact tonight was too intimate. I had a very… vivid dream. The snake repeated that accidental movement from the afternoon. Coiled on my chest. But not cold. Slightly hot. Scales rough, sliding over me slowly and gently. I couldn’t take it, grabbing the corner of the quilt, arching my back. The sensation blurred the line between dream and reality. So much so that when I opened my eyes, I was still dazed. The room was dim. I turned on the nightlight. The white snake was lying by the bed, motionless, sleeping soundly. So it really was a dream. Because the night was too hot, the first thing I did after waking up was shower. I have mild dermatographia; a touch leaves a red mark, but it usually fades fast. The mark from yesterday afternoon still hadn’t faded. Faintly red. Maybe I should get that treated. Wrapped in a towel, I pushed open the glass door. The snake was awake, coiled in a circle, sitting at the door. Staring at me intensely. When I first got the snake, I learned most are nocturnal. So I tried not to disturb it during the day. But my cousin said: “Don’t worry about him. He plays when he wants. He can adjust.” He sure can adjust. His schedule matches mine now. I clutched my towel, unable to squat down to pick him up. The snake and I stared at each other. [Ethan’s expression is killing me. Why so aggrieved?] [Your wifey won’t pick you up.] He paused for a moment, then slithered up on his own. Snake tail wrapping around my calf. The first time he climbed up from there. I hadn’t wiped the water off my body yet. The cold scales sliding against my skin… Tingling. Numbing. He wrapped tight. I could barely walk. I stumbled to the bedroom door and fell onto the bed, no time to read the comments. …… I grabbed the snake by the seven-inch point (neck), held him up, and threw him out. “Get out. I need to change.”

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We’d been giving each other the silent treatment for three months when we were invited onto a variety show. The challenge: Call the person you love most. Out of spite, my boyfriend, the A-list movie star, called his assistant, Sherry. The internet went wild, shipping them instantly. I dialed an unknown number, calling my mom in a different universe. The internet mocked me. Sean sneered. “You’re an orphan, Jenny. Where did you dig up a mother? Hiring an actor to save face? That’s a new low, even for you.” I didn’t say a word. As he smirked at me, I sprinted to the window and jumped. The System had just told me: If I die in this world, I can finally go home and reunite with my mom. “Hiring an actor to save face? That’s a new low!” [Host, as soon as your physical body dies in this world, you can go home.] Two voices rang out simultaneously. I stared blankly ahead, lost in thought for a moment. Sean thought I was looking at him and let out a contemptuous laugh. “What? Don’t tell me you don’t have anyone you love? That’s pathetic.” The studio audience roared with laughter at his jab. I was the only one not laughing. He wasn’t wrong. Since coming to this world and accepting the mission to make him fall in love with me, my entire life had revolved around him. I needed to complete the mission quickly to go home and save my sick mother. I didn’t make friends. I relied only on him. I was like a parasitic vine. The internet called me “The World’s Stickiest Chewing Gum.” In the years when Sean loved me most, he used to hold me and promise, “Jenny, I’ll be with you forever. We’ll never be apart.” I believed him. Until I walked in on him kissing Sherry. He explained it away impatiently, his eyes glued to Sherry’s blushing face. “It was just a game, a penalty. Stop being so paranoid. We’re innocent, stop having such a dirty mind.” We had a huge fight. Then, three months ago, I caught them walking out of a bathroom together in bathrobes. I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. He didn’t even bother explaining. Instead, he put his arm around Sherry, seemingly on purpose. “Nag, nag, nag. All you do is fight. Can’t you be more obedient like Sherry?” In that moment, I finally realized. It was over. I couldn’t do this mission anymore. Luckily, the System didn’t force me. It agreed to cancel the mission and even promised to honor the reward—curing my mom. With that, I had no more reservations. Recovering from my daze, the System’s voice echoed in my mind again. [Host, your mother asked me to tell you that she misses you very much.] My nose stung, and tears welled up instantly. Yes, I have people I love. I have a mom. And I miss her so much. “I want… to go home.” I muttered unconsciously, my voice choking up. Sean paused, a flash of hesitation in his eyes, but his mouth remained hard. “Jenny, your acting skills are really improving…” I pretended not to hear him. I stood up and walked quickly to the window. Amidst the screams of the crew and the crash of livestream equipment, I jumped straight off the ledge. Sean, I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want these five years of feelings anymore. I just want to go home. Chapter 1 When I woke up, the sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. I thought I was back. But before I could rejoice, a familiar voice made my heart sink. Regrettably, I didn’t die. “Jenny, you jumped off a building to threaten me just because I called Sherry? I only said a few words to you! You started the fight!” “If you really wanted to die, go find a skyscraper! The third floor won’t kill you. Stop acting.” Sean’s eyes were bloodshot. I stared at him blankly. Before I could speak, Sherry burst through the door. Her face was wet with tears, looking fragile and pitiful. “Jenny, I’m so sorry. Sean was just trying to make you jealous. I won’t show up anymore. I won’t disturb you guys again.” She looked at Sean with teary, reluctant eyes, then turned to leave. She didn’t get far before Sean grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. His face was dark. “You didn’t do anything wrong, why leave? Don’t cry. I’ll make Jenny clarify everything for you.” He turned to look at me, his gaze turning icy. “Jenny, because your jump was livestreamed, Sherry is getting cyberbullied. You need to put out a statement explaining she’s innocent. She shouldn’t be dragged into this.” “Because of your stunt, people are calling Sherry a homewrecker. You need to apologize to her. You were wrong, and I won’t indulge your tantrums anymore.” I almost wanted to laugh. But then I realized none of this mattered anymore. I tossed my phone to Sean, my face calm. “Sure. Post whatever clarification you want.” “I just want to go home.” The System responded instantly: [Host, it will be soon.] I closed my eyes again. “Get out. Both of you.” Sean froze, surprised I didn’t fight back, but he didn’t leave. He unlocked my phone and quickly posted the statement. When he handed the phone back, his expression was complicated. “Jenny, after all these years, your wallpaper is still that photo.” I didn’t speak. I glanced at the screen. It was a photo of Sean and me holding a cake, smiling brightly, full of love. I felt a bit dazed. Back then, he wasn’t a movie star. He was a background actor, a stunt double. But when my birthday came, he spent every dime he had to buy me an expensive, beautiful cake. “Jenny, thank you for staying with me. From now on, I’ll buy you the prettiest, most expensive cake every year. We’ll be together forever.” Later, he got famous and kept his promise. But at some point, the cakes and gifts became cold and sharp. Eating them wasn’t sweet anymore. It just left a bitter aftertaste. I lay in the hospital for a week, spending every day thinking about how to die. The day I was discharged, Sean came to pick me up. Fans were swarming the hospital entrance. Seeing me, they started screaming abuse. “Jenny, go die! Why didn’t the fall kill you?!” “Manipulative bitch! Why are you so toxic?” “You framed Sherry as the mistress? You look more like the mistress! Who knows how many beds you climbed to get here!” I let it go in one ear and out the other. After so many years, I was used to the abuse. Sean thought I was tough, good-tempered, resilient. He often praised my “broad-mindedness.” In reality, I was just numb from the pain. I hurt so much I couldn’t change my expression. We finally shook off the fans, and Sean stopped the car in front of me. The passenger window rolled down, revealing Sherry’s flushed face. “Jenny, get in quick. Your haters are coming back. Let’s not get scolded together, haha.” She stuck out her tongue, smiling like a cat that got the cream. Sean wasn’t angry at all. He looked at Sherry with a smile, his eyes involuntarily soft. The passenger seat, once exclusively mine, had changed. There were small cosmetics, a mirror, and Sherry’s favorite plush bunny and snacks. These were things Sean had forbidden me from keeping in the car. He claimed it would damage the interior or get photographed by paparazzi. Thinking about it now… it just depended on whether he loved you or not. But. It didn’t matter. I took two steps back. I flagged down a taxi and went back to my small rental apartment. I sold off most of my assets and donated the money to charity. I was preparing a shard of porcelain to slit my wrists when the doorbell rang. Outside stood a grim-faced Sean, followed by a red-eyed Sherry. “Jenny, do you have to throw a tantrum? I honestly don’t know what you’re upset about now!” He sighed, looking at me heavily. As if resigning himself. “Fine. It’s your birthday today. I won’t fight with you. I bought a cake. We’re here to celebrate.” Sherry blushed slightly and stammered a “Happy Birthday.” My gaze fell on the necklace she was wearing. Sherry touched it, smiling sweetly. “Sean gave this to me. I liked it the moment I saw it. He said it was just a trinket and gave it to me.” Sean nodded, walking into the room and sitting down. “It was old anyway. Keeping it was pointless. If Sherry likes it, let her have it. I didn’t like it anymore.” I stiffened, stunned for a moment. That necklace was a matching couple’s set we bought when we first got together. It cost a few hundred bucks—not much—but he treasured it back then. “I’m going to keep this forever! It’s the proof of our love. If I lose it, punish me by never letting me see you again, okay?” Every year on his birthday, he loved wearing it with me. Starting last year, he stopped wearing it. I didn’t ask. I just didn’t expect to see it on Sherry’s neck. When the cake box was opened, Sean froze, panic flashing in his eyes. I stopped his hand from closing the box. I saw the words clearly: [Happy Wedding.] Sean and Sherry, Happy Wedding. “Th-they must have made a mistake. Jenny, you won’t be mad, right? It’s just a cake. We can scrape the words off.” Sherry looked pale, but behind Sean’s back, her eyes were full of provocation. “Jenny, I’m sorry. I messed up. I didn’t check with the baker carefully. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to.” She cried hard. The guilt on Sean’s face vanished. He wiped her tears, cooing at her gently. Seeing me silent, his face darkened. “Jenny! Sherry is crying. How can you be so cold? It’s just a cake. I’ll buy you another one.” “Can you stop being so petty? Besides, you jumping off the building got Sherry cyberbullied. She’s already emotional, but she still came to celebrate your birthday. Why do you have to be against her?” I rubbed my temples, exhausted. My heart was flat. Sean was right. It’s just a cake. It has flaws. But was it only the cake that was flawed? “Sean, let’s break up.” Chapter 2 Sean froze, looking at me in disbelief. I didn’t wait for him to speak. My face was pale, my voice weak. “I’m going home. We won’t see each other again. I wish you a happy life together.” Crash. Sean knocked over a glass of water, standing there dazed. As if searching for proof that I was lying, he spoke hoarsely after a long silence. “Home? Where can you go besides my place? You don’t have a home! Jenny, stop making a scene. You have no parents, where would you go?” “If you don’t want to apologize to Sherry, just say so. I won’t force you. But you can’t just say break up like that!” I shook my head with difficulty. My body was getting weaker, my vision blurring. Sean panicked completely. As I fell, he rushed over and caught me. But he accidentally kicked over the black trash can. The blood inside spilled out instantly. My wrist, already cut, hit the floor hard. It hurt. “Ah! Blood! So much blood!” “Jenny! You’re crazy! Who gave you permission to kill yourself?! What kind of drama are you staging now! Jenny!” I couldn’t hear him clearly anymore. Sean. In this life and the next, let’s never meet again.

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In the city of Southwood, during a prestigious violin competition, my father’s illegitimate daughter snapped my bow in half. I snatched hers, took the stage, and played a melody so breathtaking it stunned the entire audience. Sarah, the illegitimate daughter, fled the country in tears, humiliated by the crowd’s mockery. That night, my childhood friends—twin brothers from the wealthy Sterling family—both proposed to me. After some thought, I chose the older brother, Liam. But eight months later, as I lay hemorrhaging during childbirth, he looked at me with cold hatred. “If you hadn’t stolen Sarah’s bow, she wouldn’t have stayed away for so long. You ruined our future together. Now, you have to pay.” I begged the other twin, Lucas, to take me to the hospital. Instead, I heard him say to someone else: “She’s finally bleeding out? My year of personally overseeing her diet wasn’t in vain. When she bullied Sarah, did she ever think karma would come for her?” Only then did I realize their proposals were just revenge for Sarah. I died, taking my unborn child with me. A year later, Sarah returned from her “vacation” abroad to accept the marriage alliance with the Sterling family. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the violin competition. Everyone thought I would forfeit. Instead, I waved my hand. “Bring me my best violin! I’m going to make her cry so hard she won’t have tears left!” When my final note resonated through the hall, the applause was thunderous—far louder than what Sarah had received. Sarah stood frozen, hand over her mouth in shock. I glanced at her. “Now, someone can run away crying and buy a plane ticket to flee the country.” Just like she did in my past life. But Sarah didn’t move. She just stood there, slumped in disbelief. In that instant, a chill ran down my spine— Was she reborn too? In my past life, even after she left, she kept tabs on everything back home. That’s why she returned to marry into the Sterling family the moment I died. Only someone who knew my fate in the previous life would be this shocked to see me fight back with my best violin instead of quitting. But she was wrong. Her schemes from the past life wouldn’t break me this time. I came back for one thing: to slap them all in the face. Having delivered my perfect opening act, I bowed deeply to the audience and prepared to leave. But just as I was about to exit, two pairs of hands grabbed me. “Frost, your performance was exquisite. We are both captivated. Which of us has the honor of winning your favor?” My heart skipped a beat— Liam Sterling. Lucas Sterling. In my past life, they only came to propose after I left the venue. Why were they doing this publicly now? Looking into their eyes, my breath hitched— I wasn’t wrong. These were the same cold eyes that watched me bleed out in agony in my past life. So… They were all reborn. “Neither.” I shook them off and walked away. “Frost.” Liam, the older brother, called out to me. “This competition was organized for the purpose of a marriage alliance. Since you participated, you should follow the rules.” I paused— This was a marriage alliance competition? No wonder Sarah targeted me so viciously. I turned to look at the brothers. Though they were smiling at me, their eyes kept darting toward Sarah, who was crying in the corner. They couldn’t hide the heartache in their gaze. I felt a wave of irony wash over me— In my past life, just because Sarah said she didn’t want to see me, they conspired to kill me and my unborn child. In this life, were they trying to avenge Sarah in a different way? I smiled. “Do you really want to marry me?” “Of course, Frost.” Both men stepped forward, dropping to one knee, looking up at me with devotion. “We grew up together. I promise I love you more than my brother does.” “No, Frost. I may not be as mature as my brother, but I swear I will love you with everything I have!” I pointed at Liam, just like in my past life. “I choose you.” Liam’s lips curled into a smile, as if he expected this. But then I added: “The dowry is 100 billion dollars. Do you accept?” “What?” The brothers looked up in shock. Even Sarah couldn’t help but step forward. “Sister, marriage isn’t a business transaction. How can you bully the brothers like this!” “Since when does an illegitimate daughter have the right to speak here?” I shot her a cold glance. Just that one look made both brothers stand up instantly, shielding Sarah behind them. As if I were about to hurt her. I laughed. It was a bitter, mocking laugh— Once, they protected me like this too. They swore to guard me for life. We were born when our families were on the brink of collapse. To help Liam escape assassins, I dressed as him to lure them away and broke my leg in the process. To help Lucas, who had rare blood, recover from injuries, I donated blood until I passed out, multiple times. They once held me, swearing to repay me with their lives, working tirelessly to restore their family’s glory just to protect me. But the moment my father brought Sarah home, their world narrowed to just her. If Sarah said she liked something, they would take the gifts I painstakingly prepared and give them to her. If Sarah shed a single tear, the two who never dared speak a harsh word to me would demand I take responsibility for her sadness. Looking at the two men guarding Sarah like a treasure, I sneered. “See? You don’t genuinely want to marry me. 100 billion is a lot, but it’s not something you can’t afford. “If you aren’t even willing to show this much sincerity, how can I trust you?” I turned to leave. “Wait!” They called out in panic. Liam gritted his teeth. “Okay…” “Really?” I turned back immediately, handing over a hastily drafted asset agreement. “Then sign it.” Liam frowned, but he signed. That day, the brothers left with the teary-eyed Sarah, leaving me alone at the venue. But I didn’t care. The moment the 100 billion hit my account, I made a call. “Yes, I’m coming to Europe to find you. When will I return?” I laughed. “I won’t be returning.” There was a pause on the other end, followed by a low chuckle. “Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Song.” Hanging up, I looked at the endless zeros in my account and smirked— Did they really think I’d marry either of them? But considering what they did to me in my past life, this compensation was well-deserved. I didn’t care where Sarah or the brothers went. I packed my bags and had a farewell dinner with my friends. But in the middle of the party, a group of bodyguards stormed in and dragged me away. When I opened my eyes, a slap landed hard on my face. Lucas looked down at me with contempt. “Bitch! The Sterling family already gave you 100 billion. Why won’t you let Sarah go?!” I was stunned. Only then did I see Sarah, dressed in tattered clothes, sobbing in Liam’s arms. “I know Sister is marrying into the Sterling family and plans to leave the country, but why couldn’t she let me go? She sent a dozen men to… to ruin me? “If the brothers hadn’t arrived in time, I would have…” Even the usually calm Liam had veins popping on his hands. “Song Frost.” His voice was colder than in my past life. “Apologize.” “Heh.” I spat out blood. “You believe the words of an illegitimate daughter?” Sarah cried even harder. The brothers looked at her with undisguised heartache, then shouted at me: “Song Frost! Kneel and apologize!” I lifted my chin high. “No. If anyone should apologize, it’s this bitch and her shameless mother who drove my mom to her death!” “You!” Another slap hit my face. Liam struck me for the first time. “I’m asking you one more time. Will you kneel?” My vision went black, ears ringing. I could barely stand. But I gritted my teeth and squeezed out a sentence: “Only if you kill me!” “Heh…” Liam laughed in anger and nodded. Immediately, someone dragged me to the swimming pool. A kick to the back of my knees forced me down with a splash. “Death is too easy for a vicious woman like you. You should taste what you did to Sarah.” My head was pushed down, inches from the water. Terror made my breathing erratic. “No! Liam! Lucas! You know I’m terrified of water!” “Push her down!” My face submerged. The suffocating feeling brought back the memories— Back when the brothers were thrown into the sea by enemies, I desperately pulled them to shore, only to be swept away by a riptide. Rescue teams searched for three days and nights before finding me clinging to a piece of drift wood, unconscious. Since then, I’ve been terrified of water, even pools. In the past, if anyone even pointed a shower head at me as a joke, the brothers would cut all business ties with them, ignoring their begging. Now, they were drowning me themselves over a fabricated crime. The bodyguards dunked me repeatedly. My lungs burned, heavy and unable to breathe. Finally, Sarah whimpered that she forgave me, and they threw me onto the ground. I couldn’t breathe. I reached out weakly toward them. “Help me… I… can’t breathe…” “Stop acting.” They quickly shielded Sarah behind them. “What you suffered isn’t one-thousandth of what you did to Sarah. Trying to play the victim now?” I couldn’t speak. My face was turning blue. But they only saw Sarah’s red eyes. They left with her immediately, abandoning me. Darkness took me. When I woke up, the doctor sighed. “Lucky the cleaner found you. How did you manage to drown in such a shallow pool?” I couldn’t speak. “Speaking of which, you almost died. Why isn’t your family here?” Family? Thinking of my late mother, I held back tears. “They’re busy…” “Busier than the family next door? “The girl in the next room, I heard her two brothers are CEOs. They stopped doing business just to be with her, even though she wasn’t even hurt. You’re much worse off. “Think her name is Sarah Song. Sounds like yours.” I closed my eyes and said nothing. I discharged myself that day, unwilling to hear the laughter from the next room. Liam didn’t contact me for a while. When he heard nothing from me, assuming I had learned my lesson, he messaged: [Engagement ceremony tonight.] I didn’t refuse. I even arrived half an hour early. Everyone said I was eager for this engagement. The brothers thought so too. But once everyone arrived, the big screen suddenly played the footage of me being drowned in the pool. My desperate screams echoed through the hall. Liam frowned deeply. “What are you doing!” I stood up and took the microphone. “Everyone saw what the Sterling brothers did. From today on, I, Song Frost, sever all ties with Liam and Lucas Sterling!” “Oh my god! Didn’t the Sterling brothers propose? Are they bullying their fiancée and future sister-in-law for an illegitimate daughter?” “Even if she wasn’t their fiancée, that’s too cruel!” “Miss Song is right! Cut them off!” … “I’m sorry! It’s all because of me that the brothers are being blackmailed by my sister. I’ll leave now. I hope sister can calm down!” Sarah suddenly cried and turned to run. The brothers quickly pulled her into their arms, frowning at me. “If you want to throw a tantrum, don’t drag Sarah into it! Explain yourself and apologize to her!” “Apologize to an illegitimate daughter? Seriously?” “You!” “Liam. Lucas.” I looked at them steadily. “We will never see each other again.” I brushed past their shoulders and walked away. They froze. Just as they were about to stop me, my father’s voice boomed: “Scoundrel! Who are you calling illegitimate!” I turned to see my stepmother, Linda Liu, crying in his arms as they walked out. Father took the microphone. “I’m sorry, everyone. Actually, Song Frost is my illegitimate daughter. For years, I pitied her for losing her mother, so I claimed Sarah was the illegitimate one. “But I didn’t expect Song Frost to be so ungrateful. Bullying Sarah was bad enough, but now she insults her at her own engagement! “I won’t indulge her anymore. Today I’m telling you all— “Song Frost is the child of my first love. Her mother died before we could marry. Sarah and my wife pitied her, which is why she acts so entitled.” “What?!” The crowd was shocked. “So Song Frost is the bastard!” “Her mom got pregnant out of wedlock? Tsk tsk! Like mother like daughter.” Only Liam and Lucas weren’t surprised. They narrowed their eyes at me. “We knew you bullied Sarah long ago.” “Heh…”

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My dad was a high school dropout with a rap sheet. My mom was a wild child with a temper. They had me when they were barely legal. They didn’t care much about my upbringing, until one day, they realized something was wrong. Very wrong. Dad: “She’s in sixth grade and hasn’t cut class once. Do you think she’s sick?” Mom: “Look what I found under her bed! A Principal’s Honor Roll certificate! It’s disgusting. What are we going to do?” That day, they dragged me out of the house for a “corruption tour”—hair dye, tattoos, and internet cafes. They were determined to set me on the “right” path: the path of delinquency. 1. Jax saw me putting on my backpack and stopped me. “Where are you going this early?” “School,” I said. “It’s Saturday, kid.” “Finals are coming up. My study group is meeting at the library.” Jax, who was nursing a hangover on the couch, rubbed his eyes. “Wait. Just… wait.” He sat up, looking at me like I was a stranger. Then he craned his neck and yelled, “Roxy! Roxy, get your ass out here!” Roxy stumbled out of the bedroom. She’d been out all night; her smoky eyeliner was smeared halfway down her cheek. “Stop screaming, my head is splitting,” she groaned, kicking a beer can out of the way. “Your daughter,” Jax pointed a shaking finger at me. “She’s going to school. On a Saturday. Voluntarily.” Roxy pulled off a false eyelash. “You handle it.” “I’m serious!” I sighed. “Can I go now?” Roxy waved a hand. “Whatever. Go be a nerd.” When I got home that afternoon, they were both sitting in the living room. Awake. This was rare. Usually, our schedules were like ships passing in the night. I went to school while they slept; they went out to party when I did my homework. Seeing them both sober and staring at me was unsettling. I walked past them, head down, and went straight to my room. My stuff had been tossed. Books on the floor, drawers open. Outside, I heard Jax’s voice, surprisingly serious. “I called the school. She was actually there. It’s freaky.” “I thought she was sneaking out to see a boy,” Roxy sounded disappointed. “I tore her room apart looking for love letters. When I was her age, my diary was full of names…” “Which names?” Jax asked. “Focus, idiot. The point is, I found this instead.” Paper rustled. “Is that… what I think it is?” Jax’s voice trembled. “Yeah,” Roxy sighed. “A certificate. Not for ‘Most Improved’ or ‘Perfect Attendance.’ It’s for ‘Academic Excellence.’ Straight A’s. She’s hiding this filth in our house.” Silence. “We failed her,” Roxy sniffled. “I expected her to be rebellious, but… rebelling by being a model citizen? I didn’t see that coming.” 2. I wasn’t listening anymore. I was looking around my trashed room with a weird sense of satisfaction. My friend Sarah always complained that her parents took her door off the hinges so they could watch her. I used to be jealous. My parents never came in here. I could have built a bomb in here and they wouldn’t have noticed. But today? They raided my room. They cared. I walked out, trying to hide a smile. “You guys went through my stuff?” They exchanged a guilty look. Jax pointed at Roxy. “Her idea.” Smack. Roxy hit his arm. “You liar!” “It’s okay,” I said. “Just… try not to mess up my filing system next time.” “There won’t be a next time,” Roxy said quickly. “No, please,” I said. “Feel free to invade my privacy.” They looked at me like I had grown a second head. “Go change,” Roxy commanded, recovering her composure. “We’re going out. You need fixing.” 3. And so began the strangest family outing in history. First stop: The Hair Salon. The owner knew Roxy. “Back again, Rox? Want to go purple this time?” “Not me,” she pushed me forward. “Her. Fix this.” The guy looked at my natural, un-styled hair. “She’s just a kid.” “Exactly. Give her some color.” I sat in the chair. “I want to choose.” Roxy hesitated. “Fine. But pick something edgy. Orange? Neon green?” I looked at the color chart. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. “I want… Midnight Black.” “That’s just black,” Jax said. “No,” I said solemnly. “It represents the darkness of my soul. It’s the color of the void. It’s misunderstood. It’s… deep.” Jax’s eyes widened. He nudged Roxy. “Whoa. She’s got the emo poetry down. That’s my girl.” Half an hour later, I walked out with a trim and slightly shinier black hair. “Is it rebellious?” they asked the stylist while paying. “Uh, sure,” the stylist shrugged. “Very goth.” 4. Next stop: The Tattoo Parlor. The walls were covered in flash art—skulls, snakes, daggers. “Old Mike, new client,” Roxy announced. Mike looked up from his sketchpad. “She’s twelve.” “She’s mature for her age,” Jax said. He rolled up his sleeve to show a faded dragon. “Show her the good stuff.” Roxy showed off her wrist—a string of numbers. “My parents’ death dates. Don’t copy that.” Then she showed her bicep. The characters for ‘New Beginning.’ “My ex’s name was Newman. When we broke up, I added ‘Beginning’ to cover it.” I tried not to laugh. “I know what I want,” I said. “Yeah? Something fierce?” Jax grinned. “I want a quote.” “Nice,” Old Mike prepped his gun. ” What is it? ‘Born to Die’? ‘Only God Can Judge Me’?” “No,” I said. “‘I Love Mom and Dad’.” Jax and Roxy froze. Old Mike put the gun down. “I’m not tattooing a kid, and I’m definitely not tattooing that.” Roxy grabbed my arm. “Let’s go. You’re embarrassing me. You’re too soft.” “Wait,” I said. “If I can’t get a tattoo, take me to the arcade.” 5. We ended up at a gaming center. Jax and Roxy were in their element. They flanked me, booting up League of Legends and Overwatch. “Okay, kid, pick your poison. Which one is cooler?” I sat at the middle computer. I opened Microsoft Word. “Look at this,” I said, typing rapidly. “See how fast I can type the essay I memorized? And look at the formatting options! The gradient text effects! It’s thrilling!” They stared at my screen. “Is this… a simulator?” Jax asked. “It’s a productivity tool,” I beamed. They watched me format a document for twenty minutes in silence. “I think she’s broken,” Roxy whispered to Jax.

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Good news: I’m living with the biggest pop star in the country. Bad news: I’m his dog. Worse news: I’m a Beagle. The reigning pop princess tried to pet my floppy ears. So I lifted my leg and peed orange juice all over her designer dress. The Male Lead, Julian, was having a depressive episode late at night. So I shredded his pants into confetti. Netizens commented: “Who said Julian had a bad temper? He’s practically a saint.” “I declare Julian the most patient man on Earth.” The System told me to “capture his heart.” Capture? Not happening. I am the Beagle King, and I’m here to wreck the world. 1 I was doom-scrolling late at night, thirsting over hot guys. My fingers flew across the keyboard in the comments section: “Daddy, let me be your dog!” When I opened my eyes, my wish had come true. I had transmigrated into a book. As the top pop star’s dog. Biologically speaking. “Host, soul transfer complete… wait.” The System suddenly popped up, its electronic voice tinged with confusion: “Why is the camera angle so low? Why are you crawling on the floor?” Me: “…” Open your eyes and look. “Oh my god! Host, why are you a dog?!” The System let out a scream like a dying pig: “Boohoo! Sorry Host, there was a glitch in the vessel matching process.” “It’s over! You’re a loud, floppy-eared donkey-dog! How are you supposed to romance the Male Lead now? He’s doomed! This world is going to collapse!” It kept rambling until my brain hurt. I took a deep breath and let out a long, resounding “AROOOOOOO!” That shut the noisy System up. It told me the Male Lead of this world is named Julian, a top-tier idol. But he was set up by the industry bigwigs. Because he refused to sleep his way to the top, the internet is now flooded with fake scandals about him. He’s on the verge of turning into a villain, which threatens the stability of this world. “Host, if you save him and raise his affection level to 100%, you can return to your original world and receive a reward of 15 million dollars!” The System rubbed its virtual hands together greedily: “Please work hard to capture the Male Lead’s heart so you can become human again soon!” I ignored it. I was busy admiring myself in the mirror. Pink paw pads pressing against the glass. A wet black nose, big brown ears, and puppy-dog eyes. I was still a puppy in my prime. My tail wagged involuntarily. Being human is exhausting! Work, stress, bills. As the Beagle King, I am chaos incarnate. I’m going to wreck this world! 2 It was early morning when I arrived. The living room was pitch black. Just as I was about to dig into the sofa to check for snacks, the System screamed: “Host! Spare the sofa! The Male Lead is sitting right there!” I looked up. A tall figure sat alone in the darkness. Wine bottles littered the coffee table. His long, bony fingers gripped a glass, mechanically bringing it to his lips. I trotted over immediately. The System was hopeful: “Yes, Host! Use your cuteness to heal him!” I kicked off with my back legs, jumped onto the coffee table, and swiped with my snout. Crash. All the wine glasses fell like bowling pins. The Beagle is hungry! The human only cares about drinking! Beagle good, human bad. Julian snapped out of his trance. He reached out and patted my head: “Sorry, Goody. I’ll get you some food.” So my name is Goody. (Note: ‘Guai Guai’ implies obedient/good/well-behaved) Nice. I am a good boy. He fumbled to turn on the lights. He stumbled over to pour me some kibble. He had dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, but was still undeniably handsome. Faint red scars were visible on his arms. Julian brought over a special doggy dining set and squatted down in front of me. He took out a little carrot hair tie and gently tied my long ears back so they wouldn’t get messy. Julian looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, he was so thin. But my food was gourmet. Kibble mixed with fresh chicken breast and topped with delicious freeze-dried treats. I chowed down happily. Julian silently cleaned up the broken glass. When the living room was clean, he looked exhausted. He didn’t drink anymore. He kissed my head and stumbled into the bedroom. 3 Morning sunlight poured over me like melted honey, turning my fur gold. After a good night’s sleep, I had fully embraced my Beagle identity. I shook my body and let out the first song of the morning: “Arooooooo~” Then I did laps around the apartment. Tap tap tap tap went my paws on the floor. Julian wasn’t awake yet. I jumped on the dining table, searched, found nothing. Beagle hungry. I trotted to Julian’s bedroom. The door was open, so I slipped inside. The System sounded the alarm like a rubber chicken being squeezed: “Host! Save the Male Lead!” Julian was preparing to cosplay a hanging ornament. Seriously, this guy. I launched myself into the air—”AROOO!”—and bit precisely onto the cuff of his loose pajama pants. Riiip. The fabric tore. He swayed, trying to shake me off in a panic but afraid of hurting me. He had to let go of the rope and jump off the chair. His pants were weak. In seconds, I shredded them into strips of cloth. He didn’t get mad. He slumped into the chair, staring at me blankly. I shook my head, spitting out the fabric. I walked up and gently nudged his leg with my furry head. Wagging my tail, I let out a soft, whiny “aroo”. The System freaked out: “Host, are you still in there?! Did the dog take over? Why are you so gentle!” I magnanimously offered my pink paw: “He is my loyal servant, after all. I’m a smart Beagle; sometimes servants need rewards.” Julian stared at my wet puppy eyes in surprise. Ripples appeared in his dead eyes. His eyes reddened, and huge tears rolled down. He picked me up and buried his face in my soft belly. Hot tears soaked my clean fur: “I’m sorry… I made you worry.” I wagged my tail and patted his shoulder. I didn’t struggle. 4 After a while, Julian calmed down. I kicked him in the face and landed smoothly on the floor. Julian smiled: “Goody, Daddy’s sorry. I can’t take you out to play right now.” I held my head high. It’s fine, we can play inside. I zoomed out of the bedroom, leaped onto the sofa, and happily started chewing a throw pillow. Papers were scattered all over the sofa. “Abuser,” “Die,” “Quit the industry”… and even nastier words were written on them. Hate mail. Whatever. Paper is for shredding. I, the Beagle King, will serve as the shredder. After dealing with the sofa, I eyed the funeral wreaths by the door with Julian’s name on them. Idiot, why bring this bad luck inside? Leave it to the Beagle. I pounced, biting and clawing. The bamboo frames were tough, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I diligently dismantled the wreaths, muttering “aroo aroo” curses at the haters. When Julian came into the living room, it was a disaster zone. Satisfying. I barked majestically at him. Seeing this, Julian’s eyes reddened again. He cried out my name and tried to hug me. I disgusted-ly blocked his mouth with my paw. Julian: “Goody, you need a bath. Your paws stink.”

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I was on a business trip in New York City, unable to sleep. Scrolling through Reddit in my hotel bed, I stumbled upon a bizarre post: [True Crime Deep Dive: On the night of July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the heiress to the W Group fortune was brutally beheaded while on a business trip in NYC. Her head was found in the hotel mini-fridge. The killer was her late father’s illegitimate son, who posed as a delivery driver to gain entry.] I paused. I am the heiress of the W Group. I am currently on a business trip in NYC. But my dad didn’t have an illegitimate son. And today is July 30th. But it’s only 10:00 PM right now. How could I be reading a news report about a murder that happens thirty minutes in the future? I figured it was just a sick prank by some bored internet troll. But when I got up to grab a water, I froze. The interior of the hotel mini-fridge was identical to the crime scene photo in the post. And the spot where the severed head was placed in the photo… was currently empty in my fridge. Just then, the doorbell rang. “Delivery!” 1 My heart skipped a beat. I immediately dialed my security team. First off, I haven’t eaten takeout in years. When I travel, I book the Presidential Suite. All my meals are prepared by the hotel. Even if I ordered delivery, hotel staff would bring it up. No delivery driver is allowed on this floor. I suddenly remembered the Reddit post. It was absurd, impossible to believe. But the people, the time, the location… everything matched. Was this really a death notice? When I didn’t answer, the pounding on the door got louder. Bang! Bang! Bang! “Hello? Delivery! Come get your food!” The voice was raspy, sounding like a middle-aged man. Remembering the post said the killer was my father’s illegitimate son, I relaxed slightly. This guy sounded old enough to be my dad’s contemporary, not his son. Luckily, my security team was staying on a lower floor. They’d be here in minutes. I calmed myself down. The knocking continued, sparking my curiosity. I walked softly to the heavy door. But the moment I got close, the knocking stopped. Dead silence outside. I held my breath and peered through the peephole. The hallway was empty. But the next second— Bang! Bang! Two massive thuds against the door. Then! A face shot up from below, filling the entire peephole! The skin was wrinkled and greasy, a thick double chin spilling over the collar of a delivery uniform. Cloudy eyes stared dead at me through the glass. His mouth slowly, stiffly stretched into a grotesque grin. Bang! Bang! He hit the door again, harder this time. It was like he knew I was right there. I stumbled back, nearly falling. Just as I thought he would break the door down, his voice changed. It became soft, almost a whisper. “Delivery for you… I’ll just leave it here.” Footsteps retreated. Tap tap tap tap… Fading down the hallway. Did he leave? My security team arrived shortly after. Seeing the line of burly men in black suits guarding my door, I finally exhaled. But I was furious. How could a 5-star hotel have such lax security? I called the front desk immediately. After checking the surveillance, the receptionist sounded confused. “Ms. Chen… we apologize for the disturbance. But we’ve checked all camera feeds for the elevators, hallways, and stairwells leading to the Presidential floor for the last thirty minutes… There is no record of anyone in a delivery uniform entering the area. The only people on the footage are your security team.” She paused, her voice trembling slightly. “And… there is no footage of the ‘delivery driver’ leaving, either…” Buzz— A chill shot from my feet to my skull. Not on camera? Didn’t go up, didn’t come down? That meant the “delivery driver” had been hiding on this floor the entire time! Unease settled in my gut. I called the police immediately. With my elite security team—all national martial arts champions—outside, I felt safe enough to wait for the cops. Sweating from the stress, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. Back on the sofa, I opened my phone. The Reddit post was at the top of my feed again. This time, I looked closer. Posted: July 30, 2035, 22:45 Ten years in the future?! How is that possible? I refreshed the page. The date remained 2035. Every other post on my feed had normal dates. I read the entire post. The murder case went cold for ten years. The illegitimate son inherited the family empire, liquidated everything within a few years, and fled the country with billions. The police never found him. My mother, the legitimate wife, was committed to a mental asylum by the son, claiming she lost her mind from grief. She committed suicide six months later. A sense of dread washed over me. I scrolled to the comments. The top comments made my heart stop: “OP got it wrong. The son didn’t disguise himself as the driver. The driver was just a distraction he hired.” “Exactly. She’s a billionaire heiress in a Presidential Suite with bodyguards. A delivery guy couldn’t get close.” “The real killer was hiding inside the hotel room.” Inside the hotel room… Inside the hotel room! Those words sucked the warmth from my body. I froze. My eyes darted to the time on my phone screen. 22:29 The post said the murder happened at 22:30. Before I could even process the thought— Thud! A dull, heavy blow struck the back of my head! Warm, sticky liquid, smelling of rust, poured down my face and neck. Then I felt the cold slice of a blade against my throat. With the last of my strength, I tried to turn my head, to see the face behind me. But a hand like an iron clamp held my head down, covering my mouth and nose. The post was real. The victim was me. I collapsed in a pool of blood, eyes closing in helpless rage. 2 I opened my eyes. I was back in the hotel bed. The phantom pain in my head and neck lingered, but there was no blood. I looked at my phone. The Reddit post was on the screen. Time: 10:00 PM. I was reborn! Back to thirty minutes before the murder! I scanned the room nervously. The killer was hiding in here, right now. I forced myself to stay calm. Knowing the killer was inside, I texted my security team and 911 instead of calling. Almost immediately after I sent the texts, the doorbell rang. “Delivery!” The raspy voice called out. Knowing he was just a distraction, I wanted to ignore him. But to put on a show for the killer inside, I yelled, “Wrong room! I didn’t order anything!” Then I put on headphones, pretending to ignore the knocking, while my eyes frantically scanned the room—curtains, closet, bathroom… Where was he hiding? The knocking stopped. The footsteps faded. My bodyguards arrived on time. The timeline matched my previous life. I lunged for the door, throwing myself into the center of the protective circle of bodyguards. As we rushed out, I thought I heard a faint rustling sound from inside the room. I glanced back. In a dark corner of the living room, I felt an intense gaze burning into me. “Go! Move!” I ordered, terrified to look closer. We crowded into the elevator, then into my stretch limo. The door slammed shut. We drove away from the hotel. Safe? I checked my phone. I opened Reddit. The post was at the top again. I scrolled to the comments. My heart stopped. New comments had appeared: “The heiress was smart, but she still died.” “She thought she escaped once she got in the car…” “Too bad she still died…” A bone-deep chill seized me. I forced myself to turn around and look at the people in the car. One, two, three… six, seven. Seven people. My security team only has six members. Everyone was wearing black suits and sunglasses. I tried to find an unfamiliar face. But strangely, all seven faces looked familiar. How is this possible? I forced myself to think. “Stop the car,” I said, voice steady. “Everyone except Leo gets out. Go back to the hotel and help the police catch the fake delivery guy.” Leo was my personal bodyguard, assigned by my parents ten years ago. He was the only one I trusted completely. The car door opened. Six bodyguards got out and ran back toward the hotel. They looked normal, except one. As he ran, he glanced back at the car with a weird expression. Not looking at me. Looking at the car. I didn’t have time to analyze it. I told Leo to drive. “Head to the nearest police station. Fast.” I slumped in the seat, soaked in cold sweat. Just me and Leo now. The car moved smoothly. Safe… for now? I checked the time: 22:28 Two minutes left! I leaned back, trying to slow my heart rate. Leo was focused on driving. My reflection in the window was pale. Just as I started to relax— A puff of cold air blew against my right ear! My pupils dilated. There’s someone else in the car! Before I could move, a hand shot out from behind the seat, gripping my throat! Another hand, wielding a knife, stabbed into the left side of my neck! Squelch! Pain exploded! Blood sprayed! He was too fast. Even Leo couldn’t react in time. My vision turned red. I saw Leo turn around, his face twisted in horror. My phone slipped from my hand. Screen on: 22:30 10:30 PM. again. There was only one other person in the car besides me. Leo didn’t do it. Who was the second person? How did they get in? Darkness swallowed me. 3 I woke up in the hotel room again. Time: 10:00 PM. I checked the Reddit post. The title had changed: [True Crime Update: On July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the W Group heiress was beheaded in NYC. Her head was found under the East River Bridge. The killer was her father’s illegitimate son.] It changed. The East River Bridge was on the route I took in my second life. So the future can be changed! I texted the police and called only Leo up to the room. In the last life, I saw Leo didn’t attack me. He was safe. I ignored the delivery guy again. When Leo arrived, I bolted out the door, dragging him to the private elevator. In the garage, I chose the smallest sedan instead of the limo. I made Leo check the entire car with a flashlight—undercarriage, tires, trunk, back seat. “Ms. Chen, exterior is clear. Interior is clear. Safe!” I relaxed a little. This car was tiny. Nowhere to hide. “Drive! Police station!” I jumped into the passenger seat. Leo drove. The car merged into traffic. Silence inside. I stared at the back seat, paranoia eating at me. Leo drove carefully, checking the mirrors. I checked my phone. The Reddit post was gone. I smiled. Did I finally escape? Time: 22:28 22:29 The police station was just ahead! Red light! The car stopped. As the countdown hit 3, and Leo prepared to accelerate— A hot breath blew against the back of my neck. A low, male chuckle sounded right behind my ear. My hair stood on end! My heart stopped! Impossible! Only me and Leo! And Leo is driving! The next second, a pair of cold hands shot out from the gap between the headrest and the seat back! They locked around my throat! “Urgh!” Suffocation hit me instantly. I saw Leo react, unbuckling his seatbelt and lunging toward the back seat. Too late. The knife went in. As my consciousness faded, my phone screen lit up. The Reddit post was back. Comments refreshing rapidly: “She was smart this time, but still died.” “So sad. The killer only wanted to behead her, but she ran, so he got mad and chopped her into a thousand pieces.” … 4 Hotel room. 10:00 PM. I looked at the phone. Title changed again: [Heiress dismembered and scattered.] The comments were right. Running angered him. My body ached. My eyelids were heavy. Each rebirth drained me more. Despair washed over me. I tried everything. I still died. Was the killer a ghost? But the post said “illegitimate son.” A human. How does he do it? Screw it! If I can loop, I’m going big! I texted the police. When the team arrived, I marched everyone to the hotel lobby. I asked the front desk to call every guest. “Anyone who comes to the lobby and livestreams me right now gets $10,000 cash. If you stream all night, another $10,000.” People flooded the lobby. A cleaning lady scoffed. “Yeah right, little girl.” I Venmo’d her $5,000 on the spot. “Whoa!” The crowd went wild. Phones went up. Flashlights on. I started giving an impromptu business lecture, my eyes scanning the crowd like radar. 22:15… 22:28… 22:30! Heart pounding! I survived 10:30! The killer couldn’t act with so many cameras. The police arrived. This was the first time I lived long enough to see them. I told them about the fake delivery guy upstairs. Soon, they brought down the greasy middle-aged man in handcuffs. The crowd parted. As he passed me, he looked up. His cloudy eyes locked onto mine, lips curling into a mocking smile. Like he was looking at a dead woman. I felt sick. So I didn’t relax. I stayed in the lobby, under the cameras, until dawn. I paid everyone. Exhausted, I couldn’t stay. “Police station,” I told Leo. But I was traumatized by cars. So we took the bus. First bus of the morning. Empty. We sat in the back. Watching the city wake up, I finally relaxed. The bus stopped at the station near the precinct. I got up, walking to the rear door with Leo. It was quiet. The moment my foot touched the sidewalk— Slash! Familiar pain! A blade sliced my throat open! The world tilted red. Screams erupted. With my last ounce of strength, I turned my head. I saw a hand with a crescent-shaped scar. Leo stood next to me, looking behind me in horror. As he lunged, I blacked out.

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