Author: Momo Chan

On my eighteenth birthday, I climbed to the roof of a skyscraper. But when I got there, I found another girl already preparing to jump. Floating above her head was a stream of glowing text, like a live chat feed. [Another jumper? Is she backup sent by the villainess?] [The villainess is so dramatic. The heroine’s family raised her in luxury for ten years, and now all they ask is for her to donate her heart to save the heroine. Why is she acting like it’s the end of the world?] [Wait, why is the jumper girl walking towards her? What is she doing?] I grabbed the girl around the waist and tackled her onto the safe side of the roof. “Let me go first,” I said. “I’m in a hurry.” 1 “Let me go! Just let me die!” The wind at the edge of the roof whipped her hair across her face. Tears the size of beans rolled down her cheeks. “I found out today… in my family’s eyes, I’m just an organ bank for my sister.” The girl, Chloe, cried until her face was a mess. “The only reason I exist is to be sacrificed for her.” “Don’t try to talk me out of it. even if I destroy this body, I won’t let them have what they want!” “I wasn’t planning on talking you out of it,” I said, watching her stunned expression. “I just saw you were hogging the spot, hesitating. That’s why I pulled you down.” “Why don’t you take a minute to mentally prepare yourself? Let me jump first. I’m on a tight schedule.” Chloe opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. Instead, the text above her head went wild. [Are people cutting in line for suicide now?] [This jumper girl seems mentally unstable. Don’t let her corrupt the villainess! We need that heart healthy for our heroine!] [The villainess is just being dramatic. I knew she wouldn’t jump. Who is she trying to scare with those tears?] Chloe stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief. “Why do you want to die so badly?” I sat on the ledge, swinging my legs carelessly over the abyss. “Because my parents want me dead sooner rather than later.” 2 I was born a monster. I can’t feel emotions. I only know how to mimic others—happiness, anger, sadness. Because of this, everyone around me hates me to the bone. Even my parents have said more than once: “I regret giving birth to you. Why don’t you just die?” They’re right. I am a monster who deserves to die. But I wanted to struggle a little first. I practiced smiling and crying in the mirror, trying to blend into the crowd like a normal person. But I kept failing. Like watching a comedy movie—I was the only one laughing out loud while everyone else was wiping tears, looking at me in shock. I didn’t get it. Shouldn’t you laugh at a comedy? Why were they crying? Or at a wedding, when the father hands the bride to the groom. Everyone was cheering and smiling, but I stood there with a mourning face. My mom saw me, dragged me out, and cursed me for being bad luck. I didn’t understand that either. A daughter leaving her childhood home should be sad, right? Why was everyone smiling? After that, I became more careful. When a relative dies: head down, eyes lowered, corners of the mouth down thirty degrees. When receiving a gift: eyes wide, corners of the mouth up forty-five degrees. When seeing someone cry: knit eyebrows into a frown, let out a couple of dry sobs. “Today is my eighteenth birthday. Starting today, my parents don’t have to support me anymore.” “They gave me some money and told me never to come back. They’re planning to adopt a new kid.” I swung my legs, the wind blowing hair into my face. “See? I tried. But it seems I’m really not suited for living in this world.” The text above Chloe’s head went quiet for a few seconds, then popped up again: [Wait, her symptoms sound like Alexithymia or emotional detachment disorder?] [Who cares what disorder she has? If she’s gonna jump, jump! Don’t delay our heroine’s life-saving surgery!] [Damn, this jumper girl really isn’t normal. A monster, right?] Suddenly, Chloe grabbed my swinging hand and dragged me back from the edge with surprising strength. “No… you’re not a monster.” Her voice was still trembling, but incredibly firm. “My foster mom always called me an ungrateful wolf, said I didn’t know how good I had it. But I know I’m not.” “You’re the same. I can tell you’re just sick.” I froze. This was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me. Before, people either cursed me, feared me, or looked at me like a sideshow freak. Inside my chest, the heart they said was “empty” suddenly gave a light thump. Like a pebble thrown into a frozen lake, cracking the surface. I twitched the corner of my mouth, trying to mimic a sarcastic expression. “What’s the use of saying that? It won’t comfort me, and it won’t save you.” “At least we don’t have to wait in line to jump.” Chloe sniffled. Tears were still falling, but she wore a clumsy smile. “I thought about it just now. I’m not jumping either. They want to steal my heart? I won’t give it to them. I’m going to live. I’ll live until they’re too old to move, watching me be healthy and happy, just to spite them!” The text above her head exploded. [The villainess is crazy?! She refuses to donate her heart?] [When is the heroine’s family getting here? Hurry up and catch her!] [Where did this jumper girl come from? She’s made the villainess lose her mind too!] Chloe didn’t see the words. She just stared at me. “Don’t jump either, okay? Even though I don’t know how to cure your illness, living one more day is always good, right? What if something good happens tomorrow?” I looked into her shining eyes. I suddenly remembered seeing a mother teaching her child about fruits in the supermarket yesterday. The kid pointed at a durian and said, “It smells bad.” The mother smiled and said, “Wait until you taste it. It just looks ugly on the outside.” Maybe I was like that too? Just a hard shell, a strange smell, waiting for someone willing to open me up and taste. 3 The door to the roof burst open. A woman dressed in expensive clothes stormed in with several men in suits. She stared unkindly at Chloe’s bleeding knee, her voice devoid of emotion. “Chloe, didn’t Mom tell you your body doesn’t belong to you? You’re not allowed to get hurt.” Beside her, a man with sharp features strode towards us. “Chloe, be a good girl and come back with your brother. Lily is still waiting for your heart.” The floating text got excited. [Ooh, the male lead is here! The villainess can’t escape now!] [Even though the male lead is the villainess’s biological brother, the family only adopted him because of her. But in his heart, only the heroine, his adopted sister, matters. The biological sister has to step aside.] [Although after the villainess dies giving her heart, the male lead will suddenly remember her goodness and go dark, tormenting the heroine… don’t worry everyone, it’s just their little lovers’ game. They get married and live happily ever after in the end.] “Come with me.” The man, Ethan, reached out to grab Chloe’s arm, his movement domineering and unquestionable. Chloe instinctively hid behind me. “Why should I give my heart to Lily?” “Why?” Ethan stared at her, his tone turning cold. “Because she is the only bloodline of the Stone family. If the Stones hadn’t adopted us siblings back then, who knows where we’d be?” “Your very life belongs to the Stone family. What’s donating a heart?” I grabbed Ethan’s wrist. The wind snapped his sleeves. For the first time, I didn’t mimic any expression. I just looked at him. “Don’t force her.” Ethan frowned. “Who are you? Get lost!” “Who I am doesn’t matter.” I released his wrist and pointed to my own chest. “A live heart donation means a life for a life. You want her life. Did you ask if she’s willing?” “I’m not willing!” Chloe screamed, her voice hoarse. She clutched the hem of my shirt, her knuckles white. Ethan’s face darkened like a storm cloud. “Chloe, stop making a scene. Lily is waiting in the operating room. Do you want her to die?” “What about me?” Chloe suddenly looked up, tearfully questioning him. “Brother, do you want me to die?” 4 [Isn’t the villainess just a plot device? How dare she talk back!] [Why is the male lead hesitating? Just knock her out and carry her away! The heroine is waiting in the hospital!] [This jumper girl is so nosy. Just jump off your building! Stop playing hero!] “She said she’s not willing. Didn’t you hear?” I stepped forward, blocking Chloe. “Medically speaking, live heart donation is prohibited except in extreme cases. What you’re doing is murder.” Hearing this, even the wealthy-looking woman froze. Ethan was clearly enraged. He shoved me. “Who do you think you are, meddling in the Stone family’s business?” I didn’t dodge. I let his hand slam into my shoulder. “I’m nobody.” I stared into his eyes and slowly raised my phone. A voice recording app was running, the sound wave moving across the screen. “But I know no one has the right to take another’s life, even in the name of repaying a debt.” “I’ve been recording since you burst in. If you dare touch her today, I’ll call the police immediately.” “Then let me go to jail,” he gritted his teeth. “Lily is the Stone family’s treasure. I will save her even if it costs me everything.” “But I am my own treasure too.” Chloe stood up straight. The pain in her knee made her tremble, but she didn’t take a step back. “Ethan, you’re my biological brother, but you never treated me like a sister. From today on, we’re done.” Complex emotions swirled in Ethan’s eyes. Shock, anger, and a trace of panic he tried to hide. He took a deep breath and made his biggest concession. “One day. I can only give you one last day.” “If you still refuse the surgery, don’t blame your brother for being ruthless.” Chloe grabbed my hand and walked towards the stairwell, step by step. I looked back. The Stone family didn’t follow. I asked, “Where are we going now? On the run? or finding a different building to jump off?” The floating text said that in this novel world, the male and female leads are absolute gods. Police wouldn’t help. So I was just bluffing earlier. I didn’t plan to actually go to the police station. I thought Chloe would have a plan. But I never expected what she said next. “Let’s find a place to buy a birthday cake first.” I froze. The heart in my chest suddenly started beating like a drum. The feeling was so foreign. I looked down at my chest. So this heart could have such vivid moments. It wasn’t beating to mimic someone else’s emotion. It was beating because this girl, just pulled back from the edge of death, said she wanted to buy me a birthday cake. “Why are you standing there? Let’s go…” Chloe stopped. She stared at the corner of my mouth. “You… you seem to be smiling.”

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I’ve been married to my aloof, high-achieving college senior for five years, but we still haven’t been able to have a baby. After another night of intense effort, I suddenly saw comments floating in the air like a live stream: [Lol, the male lead is set to be infertile. Even if he grinds an iron rod into a needle, he can’t get the supporting female lead pregnant.] [Male lead, just give up. Wait until you meet your destined heroine. Guaranteed triplets in one go.] Infertile male lead? So, basically sterile? Looking at the man trying to coax me into “one more time,” I kicked him away. I turned around and threw divorce papers in his face. “My family has an empire to inherit. I don’t want a sterile man.” He thought I was just throwing a tantrum until he found out I got myself a young “boy toy.” He lost it on the spot, kneeling before me with red eyes: “Babe, I’ve been drinking herbal remedies and seeing specialists. Try me again.” 1 At the courthouse entrance, the appointment time for our divorce was about to pass, but Julian Sterling still hadn’t shown up. He didn’t reply to my texts, nor did he answer my dozen calls. Only after the appointment time passed did he finally pick up. “Babe, I was in meetings all afternoon. Miss me?” I frowned and said coldly, “Julian, is this fun for you?” “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want you anymore. I want a divorce.” There was a long silence on the other end before he spoke coldly: “Unless I die, I will never divorce you in this lifetime.” I scoffed, speechless. “Won’t divorce? Fine. Don’t blame me for putting a green hat on you.” (Chinese idiom for cheating/cuckolding, adapted to context: “Don’t blame me if I start looking elsewhere.”) “Chloe Jiang, you dare!” The sound of something smashing came from the phone. Not wanting to listen to his tantrum, I hung up. An hour later, at the hottest club in NYC. My bestie and I ordered ten male models to dance for us. The guys were pulling out all the stops to flirt with me. One bold model held my hand with his wine glass and poured the drink down his unbuttoned shirt, staging a wet t-shirt show. He pitched his voice low: “Sister, my chest is so cold, touch it…” Just as I reached out, Viola pressed my hand down. “Chloe, are you serious?” “Aren’t you afraid your jealous husband will find out and be impossible to soothe?” I played with the model’s tie nonchalantly and said: “Better if he knows. Maybe he’ll divorce me faster.” “Divorce?” Viola’s eyes widened in shock. “Do you have someone new?” I paused and looked at her grumpily. “Why don’t you think he has someone new?” Viola shook her head without thinking. “Impossible. He’s a top-tier simp for you. How could he like anyone else but you?” “He will.” And the person he liked from the beginning wasn’t me. We were destined for a bad ending. 2 Julian Sterling was my college senior, the campus heartthrob, and top student. From school uniforms to wedding dresses, we were the model couple in everyone’s eyes. Classmates called it a fairytale come true—the princess and the prince. After graduation and marriage, our life was still sweet and happy. Julian spoiled me rotten. The only downside was that after five years of marriage, we had no children. For this, Julian and I went to the hospital for checkups. The results showed that both Julian and I were physically fine. We thought maybe fate just hadn’t brought us a child yet, so we let nature take its course. But half a month ago, I accidentally heard my little nephew say: “Auntie can’t have babies, so Auntie’s fortune will be mine.” Learning that his parents taught him this, I felt a chill down my spine along with the absurdity. Just because my dad is an only child and I’m his only child… And I haven’t been pregnant… They assumed I couldn’t conceive. They started eyeing my family’s assets. Who knows how many malicious thoughts they harbored in private? The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I felt. I decided to put having a baby on the agenda. That night, I started trying hard. 3 In the study, Julian was working. Seeing me appear in a skimpy slip dress, he raised an eyebrow. “Babe, if you’re sleepy, go to bed first. Don’t wait for me.” I cursed him internally for pretending. I sat on his desk and stepped on the part of him that was already misbehaving. He grabbed my ankle to move it away, looking serious. “Don’t mess around, Hubby is working.” I was so mad I unhooked my bra and threw it in his face. Julian took a deep breath and finally put down the documents. Playing with his pen, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze moving down from my chest. “Continue.” One simple word, but the implication was clear. Meeting his burning gaze, I slowly untied the ribbon and threw the palm-sized fabric at him. Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He couldn’t hold back for three seconds before propping up his exploding body to hug me. But I pressed my foot against his chest, keeping him away. “Julian, you haven’t finished your work.” His breathing was ragged, voice husky: “Babe, don’t tease me…” I looked down at him, lifting his chin with my toe. “Beg me.” He lowered his head and bit my instep lightly, voice affectionate: “Please.” Only then did I let go, satisfied. The well-dressed man instantly turned into a hungry wolf, burying his head to feast insatiably. I even agreed to many of his excessive demands, cooperating so well it surprised him. In the bedroom, after we reached the clouds again, Julian bit my earlobe and teased: “So good today. You aren’t keeping a wild man outside, are you?” I glared at him weakly. “I am. What are you going to do?” He thrusted hard a few times. “I’ll kill the wild man, then lock you up forever!” “Easy…” I bit my lip and slapped him lightly. “I can barely handle you, let alone someone else?” Julian chuckled, tangling his tongue with mine in a deep kiss. “I knew it. With such an excellent husband, how could you look at anyone else?” “So what happened? Which blind fool upset you?” 4 Seeing him ready to destroy the world for me, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Nothing big. Just that we haven’t had kids, and someone is eyeing my family’s assets.” After I finished telling him about the day’s events, Julian stroked my back. “Since they like eyeing other people’s stuff, let them taste what it’s like to be eyed.” “What scheme are you cooking up?” Julian deliberately kept me in suspense. “Want to know? Say something nice.” “Hubby, you’re the best. Tell me.” Julian smirked. “Unlike me who keeps myself clean, there isn’t a good man in that family. From the father to the son, they all have illegitimate children hidden outside.” “Push these people into the light, and I guarantee they’ll fight until the sky turns dark.” I tsk-tsked. “You’re really bad… but I like it.” “Like it?” Julian wrapped his arm around my waist and flipped me over. “Then let’s go again. I’ll make sure to plant the seed properly.” With that, he continued to sweat like a beast. Suddenly, comments appeared before my eyes: [Lol, the male lead is set to be infertile. Even if he grinds an iron rod into a needle, he can’t get the supporting female lead pregnant.] [Male lead, give up the struggle. Wait until you meet your destined heroine. Guaranteed triplets in one go.] [Advise the supporting female to divorce early. Good for everyone. After all, both your families really have empires to inherit.] [The supporting female doesn’t know yet, the male lead chased her because he mistook her for his savior.] [After the car accident, it was the heroine who pulled the male lead out, but by mistake, the supporting female sent him to the hospital.] …

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My childhood best friend, Lucas, likes the school beauty, Bella. Bella likes the class valedictorian, Daniel. Daniel likes me. But I only like Lucas. We were in a very stable love square, each happily simping for the person who wouldn’t give us the time of day. We all suffered the bitterness of unrequited love, chasing crushes who never looked back. Until I moved on and started flirting with the new kid with the bleached hair. Lucas and Daniel both lost their minds. even Bella was furious. Red-eyed, she choked me and sobbed: “Why?! How could you like that bleached-hair punk?” I explained: “Because love squares are just like quadrilaterals—unstable.” 1 Lucas rejected sitting with me again. His eyes were glued to Bella, and he happily took the seat behind her, refusing to be my desk partner. Daniel, the valedictorian, likes me, so I knew he wanted to sit with me. But Bella, being quick, snatched the opportunity first. When it was my turn to pick a seat, Lucas, wanting to avoid any misunderstanding and not hurt Bella’s feelings, deliberately avoided me. He chose to sit behind Bella. Bella was thrilled because she got to sit with Daniel, and her simp (me) hadn’t hooked up with hers (Daniel) yet. The teacher called my name. Finally, it was my turn. I walked in and saw that Lucas already had someone next to him. Daniel, who liked me, was snatched by Bella. I felt isolated. Three pairs of eyes stared at me. Regret in Daniel’s eyes. Coldness in Lucas’s eyes. Triumph in Bella’s eyes—she winked at me, declaring war. I always thought our love square was rock solid, impossible to shake. But tonight, I was hurt. It felt like I had simped my way out of the game. Am I not worthy of being a simp? Rude. Why won’t they play with me? I was a little sad. Bad grades, kicked out of the simp circle. Clearly, the four of us licking each other’s boots was a stable dynamic. How did I get voted off the island? Looking at Bella’s smug face, I was pissed. The teacher was getting impatient too: “Jane, what are you standing there for? Pick a seat! You’re wasting everyone’s study time!” I looked around. Because my grades were terrible—basically bottom of the class—by the time I got to pick, everyone else was settled. There were hardly any empty seats left. Only in the last row, next to the new transfer student with the bleached hair, was there an empty desk. The boy dressed like an alt kid, sporting arrogant bleached hair and earrings, radiating pure resentment. Since arriving a few days ago, he hadn’t said a word to anyone, doing whatever he pleased. But he was handsome. Not the gentle kind, but the aggressive, sharp kind of handsome. Girls blushed and passed him love notes or gifts, but he coldly rejected them all. If they persisted, he’d throw the stuff in the trash. A total “strangers keep away” vibe. Injured by the love square, I didn’t care anymore. I walked straight to the bleached-hair boy and fearlessly sat down. Ideally, Bella should be the winner of this love square. The guy who likes me and the guy I like are both circling her. She should be happy. But I saw Bella’s wide grin suddenly retract. Her smile vanished completely when I sat next to the bleached-hair boy. She even looked a little unhappy. This made me even angrier. She’s still unhappy! Don’t be so greedy, okay?! 2 The bleached-hair boy was sleeping on his desk. I swung my backpack over. The screech of the chair against the floor was ear-piercing, waking him up. He lifted his head impatiently, eyes full of undisguised rage, staring at me in surprise for a few seconds. He probably didn’t expect anyone to dare provoke him. He lowered his eyelids disdainfully: “Get lost.” Me: … He must think I’m another admirer trying to sit next to him. Men… so narcissistic… disgusting… Tsk tsk. I ignored his gaze and calmly moved all my books over. The bell rang for the end of class. He slammed his hand on the desk. My hand froze while organizing books. I looked up at him, confused. ? After a few seconds of standoff, he spoke again: “Get lost. I don’t like you. Are you deaf?” Me: ? I took a deep breath, pouted in confusion, and refused to indulge him. I poked his chest with my pen, forcing him back inch by inch: “Can you stop being so narcissistic?” “Not every girl who gets close to you likes you! Open your eyes and look. I’m last place! Last place in the class, get it?!” “By the time I got in, there were no seats left! Only this one! If I don’t sit here, where do I sit?” “Also, go ask around. I am Lucas’s number one simp. Who likes you?” “I’m busy simping for him. Zero people care about you!” This little bleached-hair kid is all thorns! But I, the class porcupine, am not just a name either. He stared at me silently for a while, then got angry: “You’re proud of that?” He probably despised me for being a simp. I flipped my hair heroically, put my book in the drawer, looked up into his dark eyes, and said: “Yes, I am proud. As long as I’m not simping for you.” He looked like he wanted to say something, but my childhood friend Lucas happened to walk over. He had his hands in his pockets, swaying over to me. His gaze shifted from my head to the bleached hair, then back to me: “Jane, what’s the meaning of this?” “Not simping for me anymore? Planning to simp for him?” “Moving on?” I don’t have a good temper. I was just annoyed by the bleached-hair kid, and now the guy I like is questioning me like this. Acting like he’s my boyfriend controlling me. Even with a good temper, I’m still human! I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed my notebook, ignored his gaze, and walked straight to Daniel. Then I said in a soft, sweet voice: “Daniel… I don’t understand this question…” Daniel likes me. He said I could ask him anything. But I liked Lucas, so whenever I had a question, I used it as an excuse to pester Lucas to explain it to me. I treated his patience as special treatment for me. Actually, thinking about it, he’s like that with everyone. Daniel clearly didn’t expect me to come to him. He looked pleasantly surprised, his ears turning red. I sat opposite him, very close, and asked softly: “This question, I still don’t get it…” Yes, this was the question I pestered Lucas about for ages before he explained it to me. Halfway through, Bella couldn’t stand me being close to Lucas, so she brought a question to him too. Lucas was ecstatic that Bella approached him. He finished explaining to me hurriedly and sloppy. Then he immediately and patiently explained to Bella. I don’t know when Lucas walked up to us. He pretended not to care, looked closer, and realized he had already explained this question to me. He broke down a little and questioned me angrily again: “Jane, I explained this to you. What are you trying to do?” 3 Angry already? Back then, he could ditch me instantly to please Bella. What I’m doing now isn’t even one percent of what he did, and he can’t handle it? Thinking about it is hilarious. I’ve liked Lucas since we were kids. He was the boy next door. Tall, handsome, gentle, polite, and attentive. My type. My bestie warned me many times that I had bad taste, that he was nice to everyone—a “central air conditioner.” But I was completely immersed in my self-woven dream of love and wouldn’t listen to anyone. Lucas’s face was iron black. He rolled his eyes at Daniel and said sourly: “Disgusting. Greasy.” “Jane! You go to him for questions but not me. Are you trying to make me jealous?” I got mad: “We’re discussing a problem here. What are you doing?” “Get lost!” This was the first time I lost my temper at my childhood friend. Before, I couldn’t lick his boots fast enough. The love square was wobbling. Bella sat in her seat, arms crossed, glaring as Daniel explained the question to me. Jealousy was drowning her. Daniel was smiling. Only Lucas was furious. After the explanation, I rolled back to my seat unhappily, eyes slightly red. The bleached-hair boy, Jaxon, looked at me with dark eyes and sneered: “Thought you said you didn’t like him?” “Aren’t you his simp? Why fight with your crush?” Thinking about how the person I liked was a jerk, and my simp career ended abruptly, I felt sad. Tears fell uncooperatively. “I don’t like him anymore, okay?” “I’m sitting next to you because I like you. Happy now?” “Whether I like you is my business. Can you control it?” I smashed the jar. Tears pattered down. Jaxon probably hadn’t been yelled at like this before. He didn’t expect one sentence to make me cry. The boy scratched his yellow hair, stammering and bristling: “Why are you crying?” “I didn’t say you couldn’t like me.” “Stop f*cking crying. So annoying!” 4 Jaxon found me annoying, so he put on his hat and ignored me. My childhood friend Lucas, having a screw loose, blocked me after school, refusing to give up. “Jane, aren’t you my simp? Why don’t you come find me?” He really is a jerk. I felt sick. I tried to walk out with my backpack, but Lucas cornered me against the wall, blocking me tightly. “If you don’t explain clearly today, I won’t let you leave!” Unbearable. I raised my leg to kick him in the crotch, but found my whole body strength was no match for one of his hands. I thought I was really stuck. But Jaxon, slinging his backpack over one shoulder, walked to the door and swung his bag hard at Lucas, pushing him off me. “Make way. You’re blocking the path, don’t you know!” I was successfully freed. Realized the bleached-hair kid wasn’t too bad. Lucas felt we were ganging up on him and rolled his eyes. “F*ck, shameless. Half a day and you’re hooking up with another guy. Jane, do you have any shame?” I wanted to kick him to relieve my hatred. I didn’t expect Jaxon to meddle. He walked back from the hallway, grabbed me like a little chick with his long fingers, pulled me in front of him, and put his arm around me. “Name’s Lucas, right? Don’t understand English? How many times did she tell you to get lost? Are you deaf?” Lucas got mad too, face red with anger. “This is between me and her. What are you meddling for? Do you have the right?” Lucas’s retort actually left Jaxon speechless. I sneered and grabbed Jaxon’s hand back, venting for him and myself. “I like him, and he likes me. Someone who likes me is helping me. I consented. Why doesn’t he have the right?” Ignoring Lucas’s shocked look, I dragged Jaxon away. Actually, he’s so big, I couldn’t have moved him. But that day, it was easy. He obediently let me lead him. Walking out of the school gate, I realized Jaxon’s bleached hair wasn’t arrogant anymore. His face was even a bit shy. He remembered I was holding his hand and shook it off tsundere-style. “This young master doesn’t like simps!” Who said he was hard to approach? He helped me, and he bristles like a cat. Not a wolf, just a big puppy! How can such a big wolf-dog be so cute when shy? I burst out laughing and teased him: “Math says quadrilaterals aren’t as stable as triangles. Just like a love square is unstable.” “In that case, I like you, you like me. Isn’t that stable?” Jaxon blushed and called me shameless, thick-skinned. He fled in defeat. “This young master has never seen a girl as thick-skinned and shameless as you! Don’t follow me!” Lol. I’m famous for being a thick-skinned simp. This rumored gloomy, unapproachable bleached-hair kid is just a tsundere little kitten! The next day in class, Jaxon finally woke up, and I started harassing him. Poking him with my pen. “Jaxon, you haven’t answered me from last night!” I righteously told him last night that I stopped simping for Lucas and was switching targets. He ignored me and ran away blushing. People might think I’m a monster. Woken up by me, he was extremely impatient. “Get lost!” 5 Having discovered yesterday that he’s a paper tiger, I automatically ignored his “get lost.” I stopped my creepy smile and fearlessly asked: “Jaxon? Say, have you ever chased anyone?” He sounded incredibly impatient: “Wise men don’t fall in love. I don’t simp.” “No one has been worth chasing yet.” It was the last period, study hall. We were in the “bad class,” teachers didn’t care. The teacher said we relied on self-discipline. So the class was chaotic. Everyone doing what they wanted. Talking, discussing problems. My eyes were glued on Daniel gently explaining problems to others, Bella smiling widely, mingling with the crowd. And my childhood friend, especially Lucas. He rested his chin on his hand, staring happily and blissfully at Bella. She was making noise; he was watching. So lively. My eyes stung. Determined, I slammed my book on the desk. “I don’t want to be a simp anymore.” Hearing this, Jaxon sneered: “Oh, little fool, finally got smart for once?” “Why be a simp? Let others chase you like their life depends on it. That’s exciting.” I turned to meet his eyes, full of playfulness and teasing. But his eyes were bright, staring straight at me, making me dazed. I couldn’t think. Before my brain could react, my mouth spoke: “Then chase me?” Jaxon froze, like he was struck by lightning. Didn’t make a sound for a long time. After a while, his face full of disgust, he turned away ignoring me: “You? Worthy?” I noticed his ears were red. After school, I hadn’t finished packing. Lucas, bag slung over his shoulder, eyes cold, slapped my desk. “Jane, play time is over. Playing hard to get has a limit.” “If you apologize, I still won’t mind that you tangled with Jaxon and that hypocrite Daniel.” I really wanted to peel off his face to see how thick it was. How does he have the face to say that?! Jaxon looked at Lucas coldly, like looking at an idiot. I didn’t want to talk to Lucas. My mom said not to talk to idiots. So I packed up and prepared to turn and leave. But Lucas blocked my way, still babbling. The commotion was big. Bella came over, extremely jealous. “Lucas, why do you care about this damn simp?” Daniel was also there, don’t know if watching the drama or what. Lucas saw me giving him the cold shoulder and broke down, eyes red. “Jane, your methods are brilliant. To get my attention, you hooked up with other guys.” His skill at making up rumors is perfection. In that case, I was too lazy to explain. Jaxon was watching the show. I grabbed his tie, pulled him hard towards me, and fearlessly wolf-whistled at him. Then I glared at Lucas: “Yes, you’re right. I’m hooking up, so what! I moved on! I don’t like you anymore! You can get lost!” The man I teased instantly turned from bristling to docile puppy, ear tips dripping blood red. Lucas still thought I was trying to make him jealous. He pinched my hand: “How could you like a bleached-head?! Hard to get, that’s all! Even if you do this, I won’t like you!” Bella added fuel to the fire: “Lucas, let’s not get angry over a slut. I’m going shopping with Daniel. Come with us.” To spite me, Lucas agreed without thinking. When Daniel left, he looked reluctant, eyes red, confirming with me: “Jane, do you really like Jaxon?” I left in frustration. It was Jaxon who chased after me with a dark face, grabbing me: “Hey, used me as a shield, then throw me away?” It was dusk. Sunset hit him. I walked dutifully with my backpack. He walked backwards in front of me, bag slung over one shoulder. His yellow hair was even more brilliant in the sunset. For a moment, I was dazed. Brain malfunctioned again: “What, don’t believe I like you?” “I moved on.” Jaxon just scoffed.

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For five years, everyone said I was dead. Even the boy I grew up with burned paper money for me every year on my “death anniversary.” But he was also the one who said he wanted to cut ties with me, the one who said we should never contact each other again. Later, I returned to the States and ran into him at a bar. Before I could even say hello, his bodyguards pinned me to the floor. He looked at me with chilling indifference. “Who allowed you to get plastic surgery to look like her?” Then he ordered his men: “Ruined her face.” Wait, how did the guy I haven’t seen in years suddenly turn into a criminal? 1 As soon as I walked out of JFK, a figure in black tackled me. “Zoey, I missed you so much!” It was my best friend, Chloe. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and the feeling was mutual. She hugged me for so long I started to lose my breath. “Chloe, that’s enough. Oxygen.” “Right, right.” Chloe let go, her eyes sparkling. “You’re not leaving again this time, right?” I nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying.” Chloe suddenly thought of something and burst out laughing. “If Liam saw you, would he think he’s seeing a ghost?” Liam was my childhood sweetheart, the only guy I ever loved. Before I came back, Chloe filled me in on what happened back home. Liam wasn’t the same Liam from five years ago. He climbed the ladder faster than I did and was now the head of the Sterling family empire. And me? I spent five years hiding in Europe just to stay alive. Surviving this long used up almost all my luck. I hadn’t contacted Liam in a long time. I looked at Chloe. “You didn’t tell him I was coming back?” Chloe smirked mischievously. “Nope. Serves him right for being so heartless back then.” Back then… My thoughts drifted. Liam and I were solid. We planned to marry after graduation. But my dad’s sudden illness revealed a secret: I had two half-brothers and a half-sister I never knew about. Dad was on his deathbed, and to fight for the inheritance, they planned to get rid of me. A staged car accident left me hanging by a thread. Mom didn’t trust anyone in the States anymore. She sent her most trusted aide to take me abroad for treatment. Before leaving, I called Liam to say goodbye. Afraid he’d worry, I didn’t mention the accident. Liam misunderstood. He thought I didn’t trust him and kept questioning me over the phone. “Why are you leaving? I told you I’d do everything to help you.” “Do you think I’m not capable enough?” I never doubted Liam’s heart. But back then, we were young and powerless. I didn’t want to drag him down. And I didn’t even know if I would survive. So I hardened my heart. “My mind is made up.” Liam’s voice choked up. “Zoey, please. Don’t go.” I gripped the phone tightly, forcing out the last words. “Liam, I’m sorry.” At that, Liam laughed bitterly. “Zoey, this is the first time I’ve begged anyone. And the last.” “If we meet again, let’s pretend we’re strangers. Don’t contact me.” The moment the call ended, I couldn’t hold on anymore. Everything went black, and I fell into a long coma. 2 When I regained consciousness, it was twenty days later. I was in Switzerland, my injuries healing. The first news I heard was of my death back in the US. Aunt Helen, who accompanied me, explained: “The moment our private jet landed, your dad’s illegitimate kids spread the news that you died in the crash. They wanted to use public opinion to seize the assets quickly.” “Your mom decided to play along and confirm your death so they’d stop hunting you. It frees her up to deal with them.” “Illegitimate kids have inheritance rights, sure, but they need to be alive to collect.” “Just recover here. Your mom will handle everything back home.” I understood. But thinking of Mom fighting those wolves alone… I had no mind for anything else. I threw myself into rehab, desperate to get back and help her. But my injuries were severe, especially my face. It was practically destroyed. Even with the best medical team Mom hired, I looked different than before. Chloe recognized me immediately because we video chatted often. I linked arms with her. “Then let’s keep it a secret.” No one stays in the same place for five years. Let the past stay in the past. 3 Chloe didn’t take me home immediately. Instead, she drove me to a cemetery in Upstate New York. She pointed to a tombstone with my name on it, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. “Look at this guy. Said he didn’t love you, but burned paper money for you for five years straight.” “Said he loved you, but dates the heiress of the Vance family. Heard they’re close to tying the knot. I’ll take you to crash their wedding feast.” I didn’t speak, staring at the hyacinths in front of the grave. My favorite flower. This deception seemed to have fooled only Liam. What was he thinking when he heard I died? I shook my head, chuckling at myself. He has a new life now. Why dwell on it? The Vance heiress must be a great girl. Leaving the cemetery, Chloe chattered non-stop. “You’ve been gone five years. The city’s changed so much, right?” “Our old school area is all high-rises now.” “I have a list on my phone of all the best spots I’ve vetted personally.” “I don’t care, you have to come out for a drink with me tonight.” So, without even dropping off my luggage, I was dragged to a bar. As soon as we sat down, she whispered conspiratorially: “You’ve been a nun for years. Want me to order two male models for you to play with tonight?” My first instinct was to refuse, shaking my head vigorously. Chloe ignored me. “Relax, the quality has gone way up in the last two years. Satisfaction guaranteed.” I was shocked. Looks like she does this often. Meeting my gaze, Chloe shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. You think I’m silly enough to believe in true love like you?” Knowing Chloe wanted it, I didn’t stop her. 4 People really do change. Five years ago, Chloe hadn’t even been in a serious relationship. Now she was handling two male models with ease. Afraid she’d get drunk and taken advantage of, I didn’t drink much. Even my bathroom break was a speed run. But in my rush, I ran smack into a wall of muscle coming out of the restroom. I rubbed my head, muttering, “Who has a chest hard as a wall?” I looked up and froze. It was Liam. How… how is this coincidental? The man opposite me saw my face and froze too. Recovering, he grabbed my wrist, voice uncertain. “Zoey?” I didn’t really want to acknowledge him, but since I was recognized, I braced myself to say hi. But before I could smile, Liam threw me to the ground. His expression was terrifyingly cold, as if he didn’t know me at all. “Who allowed you to get plastic surgery to look like her? Did Layla Vance send you? To test me?” “Do you think I’m that easy?” A bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes. He turned to his bodyguards. “Ruined her face.” Pinned down by Liam’s bodyguards, I couldn’t believe it. How did the guy I haven’t seen in years turn into a criminal? Whether I’m the real Zoey or not, this is illegal! Why did Liam become like this? My limbs were immobilized, my jaw held tight. Someone approached me with a knife. The whole time, I stared into Liam’s eyes. Just as the blade was about to touch my face, Liam closed his eyes and spoke. “Forget it. Next time you appear in front of me, you won’t be so lucky.” They left quickly. Still shaken, I looked at the corner. There was a security camera. I pulled out my phone without hesitation. “911? I want to report a threat and assault.”

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On the very day the “True Heiress” returned, I was kicked to the curb. My adoptive parents insisted I taste the bitterness their biological daughter had endured for twenty years. Ha, bitterness? To us real hustlers, this is just a little “budget cut.” Playing the underdog? That’s my specialty. 1 It was midnight, and a torrential downpour was hammering New York City. I stood outside the Vanderbilt mansion, owning nothing but the clothes on my back and the phone practically glued to my hand. Less than two hours after the real daughter came home, my adoptive parents threw me out. Lily, the real daughter, said she had suffered for twenty-two years in my place, so it was only fair I tasted what it was like to be destitute. The heavy iron gates slammed shut, and the icy rain slapped my face mercilessly. 2 As a corporate slave who transmigrated into the role of a disposable “fake heiress,” I enjoyed the high life for less than twenty-four hours before becoming broke again. I circled the villa and found a dry corner under the first-floor terrace, right below my brother Lucas’s room. “Don’t worry, she’s broke. Once she suffers a bit, she’ll realize how good she had it here. She’ll come crawling back to beg you soon enough,” Lily’s voice drifted down from the drainpipe. Tsk, so much for soundproofing in a mansion. I knew it. Lucas, who was all handsy this afternoon and giving off weird Flowers in the Attic vibes, was suddenly silent tonight. Turns out he wants to keep me as a pet. Well, he calculated wrong. For Lucas, owning only one luxury condo means poverty. But for a true hustler like me, having two hundred bucks in my digital wallet means I can survive for two weeks. Plus, I still had the eighty thousand dollars left over from this month’s allowance in my account. To the rich, that’s ice cream money. To us normal folks? That’s years of living expenses if I’m careful. What they think is hitting rock bottom is just a lifestyle downgrade for me. 3 Twenty minutes later, my Uber arrived. The driver got out with an umbrella and opened the door for me—a full VIP service that made me feel like an heiress again. Worth the 20% surge pricing. I don’t know what’s wrong with TV heroines who walk in the rain until they get a fever after being kicked out. Pure masochism. I don’t have money for medical bills. Life is hard enough; I’m not suffering unnecessarily. 4 The driver dropped me off at the nearest budget hotel. $150 a night. I took a hot shower and changed into the hotel bathrobe while sending my clothes to the front desk for dry cleaning. Before sleeping, I downed two packets of Emergen-C I ordered on DoorDash. When you’re out on your own, health is wealth. If no one loves you, you gotta love yourself. 5 I woke up feeling refreshed. Wearing my dry-cleaned clothes, I left the hotel and headed to a nearby wholesale market. I squeezed into a crowded stall and haggled like my life depended on it, spending a hundred bucks on four t-shirts, three pairs of shorts, and a pair of canvas shoes. As I left, the stall owner complained while bagging my stuff, “Girl, you dress so fancy but bargain so hard. I gave you the cost price and even threw in a nice bag.” Of course. I needed a decent bag to sell my Louis Vuitton outfit for a good price. It’s a pity about the lambskin shoes. Rich people must burn money for fun; these shoes got scuffed soles after one day. Can’t even sell them secondhand. But my rhinestone phone case is worth something. An $800 phone with a $3,000 case. If I hadn’t checked the shopping history, I wouldn’t believe money could be wasted like this. And the original owner of this body couldn’t survive and went to work at a bar? Brain dead behavior. 6 I spun like a top all morning and finally liquidated all my valuables. Now, nothing on me costs more than $29.99. It’s giving “Temu chic,” and honestly? I’m comfortable. This fits my spending habits way better. Walking with an extra sixty-five thousand dollars in my account, I felt like I was floating. Rich! I gotta treat myself. I found a hole-in-the-wall noodle spot near the CBD. Not much meat, but the sauce was authentic and fragrant. Best of all? Cheap. Fifteen bucks for a huge bowl, free noodle refills. I hadn’t eaten properly since last night, so I slurped it down fast. Scraping the last bit of sauce and meat, I let out a loud burp. I didn’t dare eat before selling my clothes, afraid of staining them and lowering the value. Wearing gold and silver makes me nervous; downgrading my lifestyle makes me happy. I guess I’m just not cut out for fine dining. 7 That afternoon, I bought a prepaid SIM card and swapped my $800 phone for a $200 budget Android. The familiar OS felt like home. Ah, smells like value. Dropping it doesn’t hurt my heart anymore! Durable as ever. I scrolled through my chat history. The last two days were filled with mockery and sarcasm, plus “sponsorship” offers from rich second-generation kids led by my “brother.” Screw them. Money rotted their brains. How did the original owner live like this? Her social circle was trash. Not even one brain-dead bestie to borrow money from. The most annoying message was from Lucas, acting like a king: “Have you realized your mistake yet?” What mistake? Does he think he can hang me from the city walls? It’s a society of laws, buddy. I sent a “F*** off” and blocked him. Realize my mistake? As if! What a piece of work. 8 After liquidating everything, I checked out of the hotel carrying a big black trash bag. Inside was my entire life: my new clothes, plus the hotel’s disposable toothbrush and slippers. Hotels in Manhattan are too expensive. I planned to move further out to Queens or Brooklyn. The reason I hadn’t left the expensive city yet was that, as a senior, I needed to pick up my diploma and degree certificate soon. Before transmigration, I was sent to a factory right after middle school. A true fish that slipped through the compulsory education net. Thinking about becoming a certified college graduate made me a little excited. Modern novels really lack logic just to torture the cannon fodder characters. Why would someone with limbs and a bachelor’s degree go work at the male lead’s bar just to get humiliated? Waiting for a drink to the face? 9 I went back to school the day after graduation, specifically avoiding the ceremony. Seeing Lily’s triumphant, high-and-mighty face once was enough. I didn’t need to nauseate myself a second time. We were actually roommates, though I only slept there once or twice. During school, I lived in a luxury apartment bought by the family, complete with a maid. Lily, who had to work part-time every day, was insanely jealous. Classic foil setup to draw aggro. One of the reasons she targeted me. But it wasn’t my fault, or even my parents’ fault. They were migrant workers who happened to have a baby in the room next to the VIP suite on the same day. The rival family that the Vanderbilts bankrupted switched the babies for revenge. The original owner’s parents were poor but responsible. They raised Lily to get into the same university as me before passing away from illness. I don’t understand why the Vanderbilt family had to humiliate that old couple. What did they do wrong? Do poor people not deserve to have children?

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My mother was desperate for a son. After finally getting pregnant, she took every sketchy “gender-swapping” pill and herbal remedy she could find, convinced they would turn her fetus into a boy. In my past life, I begged her to stop. I showed her science books, pleaded with her to be healthy. She listened, stopped the crazy remedies, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl. My entire family blamed me. They said it was my fault the baby wasn’t a boy. I ended up dying at their hands. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment my mother announced her pregnancy. This time, I kept my mouth shut. Chapter 1 “Penny, I’m pregnant. Do you want a little brother or a little sister?” When I heard my mom say those words, I realized I had been reborn. In my previous life, my mom got pregnant with her second child at forty. Desperate for a son, she resorted to every trick in the book—”gender-swapping pills,” weird herbal brews soaked with animal parts, you name it. I tried to stop her, showing her parenting books and articles about the dangers. Because of my intervention, she had a healthy baby girl. My family blamed me. They claimed my interference turned the “brother” into a sister. They said I was responsible for her. I loved my little sister and took care of her tirelessly. But she grew up hating me, blaming me for her gender because the guy she liked was gay. In a fit of rage, she hacked me to death with a kitchen knife. This time, I’ll give them exactly what they want. I flashed a huge smile. “Of course I want a brother! Otherwise, who will carry on the family name? Mom, Dad and Grandma treat you so well, you can’t let the family line end with you!” My dad and grandma immediately shot me approving looks. My mom’s smile froze for a second before she forced it back. “Penny, how can you say that? A sister would be just as sweet and well-behaved as you.” Heh. In my last life, when I honestly said I wanted a sister, she went crying to Dad and Grandma, claiming I cursed her to have a girl because I was afraid a brother would steal my inheritance. Dad beat me black and blue for that. “What’s good about a girl? If you don’t give me a brother, who’s going to have my back? When I make money, am I supposed to give it to outsiders?” I said with righteous conviction. Grandma beamed, grabbing my hand. “Our Penny has grown up! She finally understands!” I hugged Grandma affectionately. “Grandma, it’s all thanks to my little brother. Just the thought of him makes me sensible. He’s going to be the pillar of this family!” In the past, whenever Dad and Grandma bullied Mom, she would just cry. I’d rush to defend her, only for her to turn around, play peacemaker, and join them in scolding me for being disrespectful. I took countless beatings for her. Never again. Mom’s face turned pale, and she looked like she might faint. Chapter 2 Soon enough, Grandma found some “gender-swapping pills” for Mom. “Even though it’s probably a boy, we can’t leave it to chance. I spent a fortune on these pills. The seller guaranteed it’ll be a boy if you finish the course.” Grandma handed the bottle to Mom. Mom looked at me. I focused on mopping the floor, pretending not to see a thing. She had no choice but to take them. “Grandma, I heard pregnancy makes you forgetful. Maybe you should keep the pills and give them to Mom every day. This is about my little brother; we can’t risk any mistakes,” I suggested. You love taking them? Eat up! Grandma nodded vigorously. “Right, right! Penny is so smart. All that schooling wasn’t for nothing.” I gave Grandma a sweet smile. That night, while Dad was working the night shift, Mom pulled me into the master bedroom. “Penny, I don’t want to take those pills. Look at these news articles, they say those pills are dangerous,” she whimpered, showing me her phone. So she knew. She knew they were scams, yet in my past life, she told my sister that if I hadn’t stopped her, my sister would have been a boy. I treated her as my closest ally, a fellow victim of this family. I fought her battles, and she sacrificed me without hesitation. Good. Very good. I smiled slightly and raised my voice. “Mom, how can you believe the media? They write nonsense all the time!” I walked out of the room, shouting, “Grandma! Come quick! Mom doesn’t want to take the pills!” Mom couldn’t stop me in time. Grandma rushed in hearing my shout. I shoved the phone in Grandma’s face. “Grandma, look! Mom is reading this garbage because she doesn’t want to take the pills. She doesn’t want a son!” Grandma was illiterate, but she squinted at the phone anyway. “Mom, no! It was Penny who told me this! She’s always scheming, how would I know about this stuff?” Mom immediately tried to throw me under the bus. I widened my eyes innocently and pulled out my old Nokia phone, playing the recording I had just made. The recording stopped right before her accusation. Mom was speechless. Chapter 3 For the sake of the “grandson” in her belly, Grandma didn’t scold Mom too much, just gave her a death glare. She pulled me out of the room. “Penny, don’t hold it against your mother,” Grandma advised. She wasn’t siding with Mom; she was siding with the “grandson.” I smiled obediently. “Grandma, how could I blame Mom? I’m just worried…” “Worried about what?” “I’m worried little brother will think Mom doesn’t welcome him. What if he decides not to come?” I said with a concerned face. Grandma’s eyes darted around nervously. I stopped there. I knew she got the message. I didn’t want to be involved anymore. I was a senior in high school; studying was my priority. In my last life, I split my focus taking care of Mom and only got into a decent state college. With this second chance, I deserved a better life. “Grandma, I’m graduating soon. Once I’m done, I’ll get a job and won’t need my room anymore. Why don’t I move into the dorms now? That way, you can turn my room into the nursery for little brother,” I told Grandma. My boss taught me well in my past life—always paint a pretty picture. Grandma beamed, praising my thoughtfulness. I don’t know what she told Dad, but he agreed. The day I left for the dorms, I saw Grandma carrying a jar of “special herbal wine” like it was treasure. Mom, enjoy your days ahead. Chapter 4 I started living at school, throwing myself into my studies. Although Dad and Grandma agreed to let me stay at school, they gave me a pitiful allowance. It was barely enough for three meals a day. Since I didn’t want to go home on weekends, I skipped breakfast to save money, eating only twice a day. My deskmate, Sarah, noticed I hadn’t eaten breakfast for a week. One morning, she handed me two meat buns. “Here. You can’t study on an empty stomach. Don’t worry about it; my family owns a bakery. Feeding you is nothing.” I laughed and cried at the same time, clasping my hands together. “Thank you, benefactor! I will repay this kindness one day!” “Shut up,” she pushed me playfully. In my past life, we were best friends too. After I was murdered, she couldn’t reach me and called the police immediately. But because my sister was a minor and my parents wrote a letter of forgiveness, she only got three years in juvie. Classmates noticed my situation and often gave me food—an apple here, a bag of chips there. But Sarah’s two meat buns every morning were a constant. Time flew by, and the semester ended. I jumped from the 50th rank to the top 10 in the final exams. Teachers and classmates were happy for me. After finals, winter break arrived, and I had to go home. Chapter 5 The moment I opened the door, my jaw dropped. The house was a mess. The smell was indescribable—a mix of rot and something sour. Jars of murky liquid with questionable animal parts lined the kitchen counter. The olfactory assault almost made me vomit. “Penny, you’re back!” Grandma returned from grocery shopping, beaming. She shoved her bags into my hands. I saw a plastic bottle filled with bright red liquid. It looked like blood. “What is this?” I asked. “Deer blood.” Grandma snatched it back as if afraid I’d drink it. “It’s good stuff! The recipe says drinking buck’s blood guarantees a son. It’s for your mom, don’t even think about it.” My mouth twitched. In this life, without my interference—and with my encouragement—Grandma had gone completely off the rails. “Penny.” Mom walked out. She should be about six months along, but she had ballooned. A double chin, a terrifyingly huge belly. Her hair was thinning, her eyebrows had fallen out, yet she had a dark shadow of a mustache and visible pores. She used to be so vain about her beauty. She was beautiful. Now, she had nothing to do with the word. She looked at me teary-eyed. “Penny, you didn’t come home for so long. Is it because you’re unhappy about having a brother?” “Come back. Even with a brother, you’re still our daughter. He won’t take your place.” Crazy woman. I rolled my eyes. Judging by her appearance, Grandma had been feeding her a lot of “good stuff.” She wanted me back just to use me as an excuse to stop eating them. It’s not like she called the shots in this house anyway. Ignoring her, I pulled Grandma aside. I mysteriously pulled out a talisman I had drawn based on a Baidu search. “Grandma, my classmate’s mom had a son last year. He said she wore this talisman every day. I begged him for ages before he gave it to me.” Grandma’s beady eyes lit up. She snatched the talisman. “You’re a smart girl.” I stayed home for one night and witnessed Mom’s diet. Greasy meat, followed by “fetal preservation pills” washed down with deer blood, then two bowls of that “special wine.” Watching Mom’s face turn ash-gray after drinking it, I was impressed. The “brother” in her belly was still kicking after all that. Talk about vitality. Mom kept shooting me pleading glances while drinking the blood. I ignored them all. Eventually, her gaze turned venomous. My room had already been converted into a nursery, so I slept on the living room sofa.

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When I started college, my mom came up with the brilliant idea of giving me my allowance in “installments.” “Penny, you’re all grown up now. To help you develop financial planning skills, I’ve decided to give you your allowance in installments.” At first, I thought she meant monthly, or maybe even weekly. But on move-in day, after she toured the cafeteria, she Venmoed me exactly $1.05. I was confused. “Mom, did you send the wrong amount?” She smiled and shook her head. “Silly girl, that’s for your lunch today. I checked the prices; you can get the cheapest meal deal at that one stall.” “From now on, just submit an expense request to me for every meal based on this standard.” I stood there, completely dumbfounded. So when she said installments, she didn’t mean monthly or weekly. She meant per meal. By the third day, I was standing in the breakfast line, short 25 cents for a boiled egg. When I texted her, instead of sending money, she replied: “I bought your brother a house in cash yesterday. I’m tight on funds right now. Skipping a meal won’t kill you.” The cafeteria lady’s look of surprise and pity burned a hole through my fragile self-esteem. That day, holding the egg the lady gave me for free, I went on a job search site and found work. But later, when I finally stopped needing her, she panicked. Chapter 1 On the fourth day of orientation, I agonized over the text, deleting and retyping before finally hitting send. “Mom, there are still a few days of orientation left. If I don’t eat breakfast, I won’t have the energy to train.” “Can you send me two dollars?” To my surprise, she replied instantly. But when I read the message, my heart sank. “Two dollars? Isn’t an egg like a dollar fifty? Why do you need so much? Are you trying to scam me?” Sweat trickled down my forehead. My stomach was cramping from hunger. Still, I explained carefully: “One egg isn’t enough. I want to buy a bagel too.” This time, she didn’t reply for a long time. My roommates had already finished their breakfast and were heading to the field for drills. I clutched my empty stomach, my eyes drifting involuntarily to my roommate’s desk. There sat a box of delicious-looking muffins. Chloe, who slept in the bed next to mine, was a pampered rich girl. On the first day, her parents had frowned at our six-person dorm room. Worried their daughter wouldn’t sleep well or would clash with her roommates due to her “unique” personality. I still remember her mom, a powerful CEO type, tirelessly asking the rest of us to look after her daughter. It was a side of a mother I had never seen in my own. Right now, Chloe was complaining about a hole in her uniform. I thought about it, then tossed my shattered pride to the wind. I picked up my uniform and said to Chloe, “Chloe, I’ll trade with you. But can you… give me a muffin?” Instantly, I felt burning gazes on my back. Then came the snickers. “Is she starving or something? Does her family not feed her?” My face burned, but I couldn’t say a word. Because since I started college, they really didn’t want to feed me anymore. Just as I thought Chloe would mock me like the others… I felt a warmth in my palm. I looked up. A muffin had been placed in my hand. Chloe didn’t say a word. She swapped our uniforms and left the room. As I ran to the field gnawing on the muffin, I got a text from my brother. “Penny, heard you asked Mom for money this morning. She was so upset she couldn’t even eat. I have to say something.” “Mom’s been stressed about the renovation costs lately. You shouldn’t keep asking her for money. Here, I’ll send you a little to tide you over. Don’t bother Mom for a while.” I stared at the two messages, frozen. Finally, I wiped my stinging eyes. I accepted the five dollars my brother sent. Yeah, enough to get me through the rest of orientation. But I still never expected my mom to love me this little. Halfway through training, the RA suddenly called me out. She asked me seriously, “Did you scam money from your family?” Chapter 2 I looked at the RA blankly. “No, I didn’t.” Her expression darkened. “You’re Penny Zhu, right? Your mom just called me, naming you specifically, saying you tricked your brother into sending you money behind her back.” “Student, online scams are serious. If you have financial trouble, tell your parents first. If not, come to me. Don’t go down the wrong path!” Her words felt like a bucket of ice water. So that’s it. I took my brother’s money, yes, but I never tricked him. To prove my innocence, I pulled up the chat history with my brother. “RA, I really didn’t scam him.” The young woman in front of me, only a few years older, looked surprised after reading the messages. “Five dollars?” I nodded. Just then, my brother called. With the RA’s nod, I answered. Immediately, my sister-in-law’s voice screeched through the phone: “Penny, what is wrong with you? You know your brother and I are stressed about renovation costs, and you still ask him for money?” “Send it back right now!” Embarrassed, I lowered my voice. “I didn’t ask him for it. He gave it to me voluntarily.” But she wasn’t listening. She cursed into the phone, “Your mom was right, you’re just a money-loser! If you hadn’t jinxed your dad to death, would your brother and I be struggling like this?!” Of course. Family knows exactly where your weak spots are, and where to pour the salt. Hearing her mention Dad, I shook with rage, clutching the phone. “Shut up!” That was probably the first time I ever spoke to her like that. There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then she exploded, spewing every curse word imaginable. But what hurt the most wasn’t her words. It was Mom’s voice in the background. “Yes, scold her good.” “She took money she shouldn’t have. She deserves it!” The call ended with a click. I stood there, legs trembling. Seeing the RA’s complicated expression, I instinctively apologized, “Sorry RA, causing you trouble…” But she interrupted me. When she looked at me again, her eyes were full of gentleness. “It’s not your fault, Penny.” “I’ll testify for you. You didn’t scam them.” She took my phone and, before I could react, opened my Venmo QR code. “Five dollars isn’t enough for anything. If you have trouble in the future, come to me first.” A notification chimed. “You received $50.00…” I waved my hands in shock. “No, RA, I can’t take your money.” She shook her head, face serious again. “What are you thinking? Consider it a loan.” I didn’t cry when I starved for three days. I didn’t cry when my sister-in-law cursed me out. But feeling the kindness from an RA I’d only known for three days, tears streamed down my face. With her help, I ate full meals for the next few days and finished orientation. Job hunting went smoothly too. Passing out flyers at the mall, $15 an hour. I calculated I could pay the RA back in a week. But the day I got my first paycheck, Mom called. “Penny, did you sneak out to work part-time?” Chapter 3 I was in disbelief. Aside from my roommates, I hadn’t told anyone about the job. Suddenly, I realized something. Yesterday was Saturday. I left early and tried to be quiet, but I still woke Chloe up. She snapped immediately: “Penny, are you sick? Why are you making so much noise this early? Don’t you know I’m sleeping?” I was in the wrong, so I apologized patiently: “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.” But she wasn’t satisfied. She rolled her eyes as she got out of bed. “Parents send you to college and you run off to hand out flyers. How pathetic.” That was my first taste of Chloe’s temper. I didn’t have the standing to fight her. Besides, she was right. I was pathetic. I just wanted to eat. But would she tell my mom? Confused, I heard my mom say, “Since you can make money now, I’ll pause your allowance.” I sighed in relief. But after hanging up, she sent me a “bill.” Black and white, listing eighteen years of raising me. I owed her $180,000. “Repayment Installment Plan: Penny pays $1,000 a month.” I tried to type, but my fingers wouldn’t stop shaking. Mom sent another voice note. “Considering you’re still young and can’t earn much, I’ll give you a discount. Just pay me $700 a month during college. After graduation, you’ll have to pay more.” The more I listened, the dizzier I got. When I was born, no one told me my life came with a debt. Or maybe I really did owe her. After all, three years ago, I was indirectly responsible for Dad’s accidental death. It was the first semester of tenth grade. I got into the city’s top high school. Everyone was happy, especially Dad. But back then, Dad’s project payment hadn’t come through. To scrape together my $200 monthly living expenses and the $1,000 for books and dorm fees… Dad took a temp job at a construction site. On the phone, he sounded happy, saying he’d be home with the money in three days. But fate played a cruel joke on me, and on my honest, hardworking father. He never came home with the money. An accident kept him forever at that sun-scorched construction site. That’s why I accepted Mom’s “installment plan” for my allowance. But now, three years later, the bullet fate fired finally hit me right between the eyes. I realized belatedly that there are mothers in this world who truly don’t love their children. Fine. Since I owe her. Once I pay it off, I’ll be free, right? In one week, I applied for financial aid and studied like my life depended on it between shifts. Fueled by spite, I forced myself to stand outside the mall all day. I wanted money. Lots of money. But back then, I didn’t realize that just burning through your health doesn’t equal making money. On the fourteenth day of working, my blood sugar crashed. Through blurry vision, I saw a white-haired old lady saying something to me. But before I could respond, I face-planted onto the ground. When I woke up, a kind stranger had taken me to the hospital. And with that, I met my first turning point. By my bedside, the first person I saw was that old lady. Yesterday, I helped her push her recycling tricycle across the street. Today, she held my hand, eyes full of tears. “Nana, you’re awake?” “Grandma has been watching over you. Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.” Chapter 4 I looked at her in confusion. Before I could ask why she called me “Nana,” Mom called. Answering, I still held onto a sliver of hope that she might care. But she was just here to collect. “Penny, you’ve been working all weekend, right? You must have made some money. Remember to transfer it at the end of the month. Oh, just send it directly to your brother.” The smell of disinfectant was sharp. My eyes watered. Just as I was about to tell her I fainted and was in the hospital… The door burst open. A young man in a suit rushed in. He looked expensive. Who was he here for? I watched as he walked over. “Grandma, why did you run off again?” “I heard you were at the hospital, you scared me to death!” I realized. He was the old lady’s grandson. I thought he would take her away. But the man stared at me blankly. Then, his eyes turned red. “Grandma, the ‘Nana’ you talked about… is her?” I was lost. While still confused, I was handed a contract. This time, not a repayment bill. But a “Sponsorship Agreement.” Grandma held my hand, not looking away for a second. The man’s mouth moved: “I’m Chen. My grandma misses her late granddaughter and mistook you for Nana. She’s been looking for you for days.” “As for just now, I heard your phone call. You seem to be in a tough spot. Maybe this contract can help you, and help us.” Feeling like I was in a dream, I read the contract. Chen was telling the truth. Three years ago, his sister Nana died in a car accident near that mall. Grandma couldn’t handle the grief and started collecting recyclables around the mall every day. By chance, she saw me handing out flyers and mistook me for Nana. Because Nana had been working part-time there when the accident happened. She had been looking for me for three days. Today I fainted, and she just happened to find me. This time, she finally saved her “granddaughter.”

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I bought myself a gorgeous urn. I excitedly imagined myself turning into ash and lying inside it. I couldn’t wait, so I swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. Just as I was full of anticipation, ready to say goodbye to this world, a call from an unknown number interrupted me: “Is this Miss Lin? I want the urn you just bought. I need it urgently. Name your price.” I looked at the empty pill bottle and laughed in anger: “What a coincidence, are you dying today too?” “How about this? Whoever kicks the bucket first gets it?” “But I should be faster than you.” “If we die at the same time, mixing our ashes together works too.” Silence on the other end for a moment, then: “…Deal.” Chapter 1 Today is a good day to die. Before I go, I plan to treat myself. I never lived like a princess, so I might as well be extravagant in death, right? So I walked into a funeral home and picked out a super shiny, blinged-out urn. It was the complete opposite of my dull, gray life. The sales girl tapped her finger on the sample urn. “Full payment or installments?” Wow, insulting me even now. Who the hell buys an urn on installment? “Full payment,” I said firmly, slapping my credit card on the counter. “Sign the contract now.” The sales girl looked at me like I was crazy. The moment the card swiped, my phone buzzed. Caller ID: “Third Brother.” I rolled my eyes and picked up. Before he could speak, I cut in: “Not lending money, not giving gifts, not buying a house, don’t need insurance, won’t like, share, or comment on your posts…” He interrupted through gritted teeth: “Lin Yang, just… go die!” Then he hung up. I raised an eyebrow at the phone. Thanks for the invitation, already working on it. Walking out of the funeral home, I took a deep breath and pulled a bottle of sleeping pills from my bag. The doctor said the brain tumor pressing on my nerves would make the end excruciatingly painful. Better to… The phone rang again. Unknown number. Why does everyone want to interrupt my death?! “Hello?” I answered impatiently. The voice on the other end was confident: “Is this Miss Lin? I want the urn you just bought. I need it urgently. Name your price.” ??? I laughed in anger, chewing on the pills resentfully. “…Coincidence much? You dying today too?” …Silence on the other end for a moment. When he spoke again, he was suddenly polite: “Miss Lin, I’m Gu Yan. This urn is really important to me.” Gu Yan? The Gu Group heir who’s all over the financial news? I almost choked on the pills. “Is CEO Gu terminally ill too?” I looked at the empty bottle and explained, “This really isn’t about money.” I added fuel to the fire: “How about this? Whoever kicks the bucket first gets it?” Gu Yan’s tone suddenly turned smug: “Then it’s definitely me. I’m already cutting my wrists.” I wasn’t convinced: “Impossible. I should be faster. I just took the pills. If you want to beat me, you better hurry up.” “Where are you?” Gu Yan’s voice suddenly tightened. I thought I heard a kitchen knife drop. “I’ll send someone over right now.” He’s in a rush? Where did this sudden competitive spirit come from? “Don’t waste your energy.” “I’ve been unlucky since I was a kid. Suicide is the one thing I’ll definitely be faster at…” Before I could finish, a sharp pain exploded in my temples. Before losing consciousness completely, I used my last bit of strength to call my mom, planning to say goodbye. The moment it connected, everything went black. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a handsome, angular face. “Awake? I’m Gu Yan.” I blinked. “I’m not dead?” “Stomach pumped.” He handed me a cup of water. “Doctor said you swallowed over three hundred pills. Almost died from overeating.” My phone vibrated. I glanced at a voice message from my third brother in the family group chat. I played it on speaker. His furious voice echoed through the ward: “Lin Yang, are you done yet? Ningning is getting married tomorrow, and you pick now to pull this stunt?” Gu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. I replied calmly. [Yangyang Not Late: Yes.] As soon as I sent it, the system notification popped up: “Dad left the group chat.” A moment later: “Mom left the group chat,” “Second Brother left the group chat,” “Eldest Brother left the group chat.” …I stared silently at the (1) behind the group name. “Brilliant.” Gu Yan suddenly started clapping. “More exciting than our board meetings.” Chapter 2 I finally took a good look at this legendary financial tycoon. He was young and handsome, just unnaturally pale. He pulled a document from his briefcase: “About the urn…” “No deal,” I said firmly. “That’s the last bit of dignity I’m giving myself.” “One hundred million,” he said lightly. “Deal!” Before I could speak, someone answered for me. The ward door burst open, and my mother rushed in, smelling of perfume. Her eyes landed on Gu Yan, and her face changed instantly: “Gu… CEO Gu? Why are you here?” Gu Yan stood up calmly: “I came to visit my fiancée.” My mother and I widened our eyes simultaneously. Mother pointed at me, stuttering. “Fi… fiancée?” “Her?” I pointed at myself, trembling: Me? Gu Yan kept a straight face: “Yes. We both liked the same urn and plan to mix our ashes together after we die in a couple of days.” I almost choked on my own spit. The day after my stomach was pumped, I was lying in bed studying my brain CT scan. I looked up to see Gu Yan standing at the door with a fruit basket. He had swapped his suit for casual wear, looking much more approachable—if you ignored the three suited bodyguards behind him. “CEO Gu.” I pointed at the fruit basket. “Are you visiting a patient or making an offering?” Gu Yan put the basket on the nightstand: “Heard you like strawberries.” I froze. …I’m allergic to strawberries. The door slammed open. Third Brother, Lu Zichen, stormed in smelling of alcohol, followed by my parents and—Lu Ningning in her wedding dress. “Lin Yang!” Third Brother ripped the IV tube from my hand. “You f*cking—” His roar cut off abruptly as Gu Yan’s bodyguards pinned him against the wall. The room went dead silent. I looked down at the blood beading on my hand and suddenly found it hilarious. This is my family. Even when I’m dying, they have to yell at me first. Mother reacted first, pointing a trembling finger at the CT scan: “Is this true?” Father snatched the medical record, flipping through it loudly: “Impossible! Last week she was still—” Third Brother broke free from the bodyguards, grabbed my CT scan, and smashed it against the wall, voice shaking: “How can this be? Lin Yang, you’re lying about this now?!” “Zichen!” Father shouted, then turned to me, voice suddenly terrifyingly gentle, “Yangyang, Dad knows a brain specialist. We’ll transfer you, right now…” I shrank back. “No need. I’ve already hired the best medical experts from the Gu Group for her.” Everyone’s eyes shot to Gu Yan. He stood calmly by my bed, like a dutiful fiancé: “After all, Lin Yang is my responsibility now.” Third Brother froze, then sneered, “Buddy, who are you?” Gu Yan slowly pulled a photo from his jacket pocket and held it up to Third Brother: “Recognize this?” In the photo, a tiny me and a tiny Gu Yan stood in an amusement park. I was holding cotton candy, and he looked disgusted while wiping sugar off my face. The whole family was stunned. Including me. My family was “escorted” out of the ward. The last to leave was Lu Ningning. She looked back at me, lips trembling, saying something I couldn’t hear. After the door closed, I collapsed on the bed. “When… when did this happen?” I stammered. “Last night.” “Tech department stayed up all night photoshopping it,” Gu Yan said with a shrug. I stared wide-eyed: “You… why?” Gu Yan took an apple from the basket and started peeling it: “Just didn’t like what I saw.” I took the apple and took a bite: “So what’s your illness?” Gu Yan paused: “Who said I was sick?” “If you’re not sick, why buy an urn?” “Collecting.” I almost choked on the apple: “CEO Gu, unique hobby you got there?” Gu Yan sighed, suddenly unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a small scar on his chest: “Heart surgery last year.” I stared at the scar: “So…?” “So I’m half dead too,” he said casually. “Sharing an urn with you isn’t a bad deal.” My nose suddenly tingled, and I quickly looked down to gnaw on the apple to hide it. “By the way.” Gu Yan pulled a black card from his pocket and placed it on the pillow. “Medical expenses.” I stared at the card and laughed: “CEO Gu, is this you being my sugar daddy?” “Consider it an investment,” he said calmly. “I’m betting on your design talent.” “What design talent?” “Designing the urn.” He pointed to a folder. “My condition is, leave a QR code. Scanning it shows our photo.” I burst out laughing: “And then what? ‘Congratulations, you’ve scanned a pair of doomed lovebirds’?” Gu Yan actually nodded: “Could work.” We both laughed together. Chapter 3 Gu Yan’s heart condition was serious. How serious? Let’s put it this way. My death was a countdown; Gu Yan’s death could happen any second. “Mahjong! Full flush, kong on the river!” I pushed my tiles down. A wail erupted from the nurses in the ward. “Miss Lin! This is the ICU, not a casino!” the head nurse yelled. Gu Yan calmly pulled out a black card: “Damage compensation.” Gu Yan’s bodyguards were shaking with suppressed laughter. One accidentally knocked over the IV stand, pulling off Gu Yan’s ECG leads. “Beep—” The heart monitor flatlined instantly. “CEO Gu!” The bodyguards panicked. I didn’t even look up as I shuffled the tiles: “Don’t panic. He pulled this trick yesterday to skip rounds.” Gu Yan slowly reconnected the leads, and the heartbeat curve returned. He winked at me: “Fast learner.” The sight of the head nurse fleeing made me laugh until my IV tube shook. “Again?” he asked. I looked at the clock: “One more round, then radiation therapy.” “Coming back after?” “Yeah. I can play while on the drip. Just hang the bottle on the mahjong table leg.” Gu Yan laughed, and he looked kind of good doing it. Suddenly his face changed, and he clutched his chest and collapsed. “Gu Yan?!” On the third day after Gu Yan’s heart attack, I invented a new therapy—using mahjong tiles to spell out ECG patterns. “Look, sinus rhythm.” Professor Zhang, Gu Yan’s doctor, stood at the door, dropping his clipboard: “Miss Lin, do you know where the psychiatric department is?” “Yep,” I said without looking up. “Borrowed a deck of cards from their rec room last week to play ‘Guess Who Dies First’ with Gu Yan.” Professor Zhang looked like he’d seen a ghost. Gu Yan smiled weakly: “Professor, she’s just… expressing concern in a special way.” “Special?” Professor Zhang pointed at the abstract art on the wall made of CT scans. “She turned your MRI into Starry Night!” I puffed out my chest proudly: “Van Gogh would be proud!” Professor Zhang stormed off. Gu Yan looked at the ceiling and suddenly said: “When I was a kid, my hospital room was never this lively.” I stopped arranging tiles: “Why?” “Sick kids in the Gu family are weaknesses,” he said lightly. “The board questions your eligibility to inherit.” I imagined little Gu Yan lying in a hospital bed surrounded by suits pointing fingers, and suddenly got angry: “Damn it! I’ll go paint your headquarters Hello Kitty right now!” Gu Yan laughed until he coughed: “I’d be disowned.” “Even better,” I handed him an oxygen mask. “Be my henchman. I’ll treat you to spicy food and good drinks.” “With your savings?” He raised an eyebrow. “You maxed out your credit card for an urn.” “Hey!” I threw a pillow at him. “Who are you looking down on? I’m at least—” The door opened. Lu Ningning stood there with a fruit basket, eyes red like a rabbit: “Sis… can I come in?” My face fell instantly: “Wrong room. Your sister is in obstetrics.” Lu Ningning’s tears fell. “I… I came to apologize.” She rushed over and knelt: “Sis! I really know I was wrong! I peeked at your diary and found out what you went through all those years…” My blood ran cold. Chapter 4 That diary from when I was fifteen recorded every unbearable memory from the seven years I was trafficked. And the reason I was kidnapped was to protect my sister. All these years, I thought no one but me remembered. Lu Ningning tremblingly pulled out a stack of papers: “I… I found everyone you mentioned… the orphanage worker has been arrested, and that…” I snatched the papers. On top was a police report receipt. Dated the day I was diagnosed. “Why?” My throat was dry. “Don’t you hate me most?” Lu Ningning cried, makeup running: “How could I hate you? I just wanted your attention, but you always…” Gu Yan suddenly sat up: “Lin Yang, you look pale.” Of course I was. Memories I deliberately buried came crashing back—the worker’s belt, fighting dogs for food, the dark storage room… These bloody wounds never disappeared. They were reefs hidden under the skin, aching in every moment I felt unloved. “Get out.” I pointed at the door. “Everyone out.” Lu Ningning wanted to say more but was dragged out by Gu Yan’s bodyguards. After the room quieted, I realized I was clutching the papers tightly. “Want to talk?” Gu Yan asked softly. “About what? How I was abused for seven years? How I was locked in a cage like livestock to be picked? How I was sold three times?” My smile was uglier than crying. “Or how I came back to find this family never accepted me?” Gu Yan listened quietly, then said: “I was kidnapped when I was ten.” I looked up sharply. “My uncle hired them,” he said calmly, like telling someone else’s story. “They locked me in a basement, one cup of water a day, to force my dad to sign over shares.” My throat tightened: “Then?” “Then I escaped, went straight to the shareholder meeting.” He twitched his lips. “Appeared in the conference room covered in blood, exposed my uncle right there.” “So your heart…” “Root of the problem from back then,” he glossed over it. “My point is, pain doesn’t need comparison. Your pain isn’t less important just because mine was worse.” “And some scars look like defects, but who says they can’t be art from another angle?” My nose stung, and I looked down, pretending to organize papers: “CEO Gu, your chicken soup is a bit salty.” Gu Yan smiled and pulled a folder from the nightstand: “Speaking of which, I have a proposal.” Inside was a “Patient Alliance Special Action Plan,” detailing how to use our remaining time: Establish the Brat Foundation, treating unreliable parents. Teach every kid in the hospital to weave bracelets from IV tubes. Perform death metal at the Gu Group annual meeting. Send a box of screaming chickens to everyone who bullied us. Family Crematorium (Total destruction of toxic family). “This…” I flipped through the plan. “When did you make this?” “While you were snoring last night.” He handed me a pen. “Sign?” The plan was like a light suddenly turning on. I realized living doesn’t have to be waiting for death. It can be blowing up years of grievances into fireworks before the finish line. I signed my name with a flourish: “Happy cooperation, partner.” Gu Yan picked up the call button: “Nurse, we need two glasses of champagne.” “Alcohol is prohibited!” the head nurse roared over the speaker. “Then two bottles of saline,” I added. “Vintage ’82.”

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Sophomore year, I sent my boyfriend a box of gifts. He was happily video chatting with me when his roommate suddenly interrupted: “Why are you showing off that cheap junk?” My boyfriend turned to him, teasing, “You treat that raggedy charm like a treasure too. Won’t even let anyone touch it.” The next second, my ex-boyfriend’s face appeared on the screen. I immediately remembered my senior year of high school. I was framed for stealing exam papers and lost my guaranteed admission spot. The bad boy who once promised to be my shield looked at me impatiently and said: “What is she, and what are you? Do you really have to provoke her?” Chapter 1 I froze for a second before recognizing the face on the screen. It was Caleb. I hadn’t seen him in a few years. He was even more handsome now. No longer pretending to be a poor kid in front of me, he was back to being the wealthy young master, just less flashy and raw than before. The moment he glanced at me, the cigarette in his hand trembled. Ash fell onto his hand. He looked away quickly and scoffed: “That’s it?” Liam’s face went cold instantly. “If you can’t say anything nice, get lost. My girlfriend is the best in the world.” “The best? Who knows if she’s just after your money.” Caleb leaned back against the headboard, his eyes unreadable. Liam turned back to me, grinning brightly. “Babe, what else do you like? Anything money can buy is no problem. You know I’m so rich it hurts.” “Please, let me spend some money on you.” He acted cute towards the camera. I looked down at the floor. Caleb suddenly sneered. “Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? Hurry up and ask for it.” Liam only had a good temper with me. He couldn’t stand anyone badmouthing me. He turned around and kicked the table. “Did the Gu family go bankrupt? You’re so sensitive about money!” Finally, Liam frowned and roasted him again: “Are you on your period? You’ve been shady to my girlfriend all day.” As soon as he finished, Caleb’s face turned black. His chest heaved, but he couldn’t say a word. He stormed out, slamming the door. Liam acted like he didn’t hear a thing, continuing to lie on the desk talking to me. “Babe, I’m sorry. I don’t know what his problem is. Don’t be unhappy. I’ll take you to see some houses.” “My family’s new development is finished. Want to go see? I reserved the best units for you.” He rambled on, carefully watching my expression. If anyone else saw the pampered prince of the Shen family talking to a woman like this, their jaws would drop. I looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay.” “Let’s talk about the houses later. Class is starting soon.” “Okay, wait for me. I’ll come pick you up right away.” Honestly, I was prepared to run into Caleb when I came here. But I didn’t expect him to be roommates with Liam. When I was fighting tooth and nail to climb up, I always thought about showing Caleb that leaving him only made my life better. But now that I saw him, I didn’t feel anything. Chapter 2 It started raining when I came out. I leaned against the dorm entrance reading a paper, waiting for Liam. “You’ve gotten bold, Penny.” “Where’s Liam?” I looked past him, gazing into the distance. Caleb suddenly reached out and pulled me under his umbrella. “Can’t I pick you up?” One sentence dragged me from the Ivy League campus back to the damp slums. Heavy rain poured outside the window. The power went out in the classroom. Other students were celebrating getting out early, but I was calculating how much extra I could make delivering food in this weather. I had no choice. I was an orphan. If I didn’t make money, no one would. Plunging into the rain, I was soaked instantly. Afraid of getting a complaint, I took off my raincoat to cover the delivery box on the back. Before I could celebrate earning some money, my electric scooter skidded and crashed heavily. My leg was scraped badly. I tried for a long time but couldn’t stand up. Helpless, I called my childhood friend to pick me up. But instead of him, Caleb came. Back then, Caleb was still a delinquent. Wearing jingling accessories, looking like a walking hardware store, he ran through the wind and rain to my side. “Where’s Kevin?” “Can’t I pick you up? I’m your good friend too.” He helped me lift the scooter and then picked me up. A faint smell of herbal medicine surrounded me. I lay on his back, watching the young master fumble to start the scooter, cursing the whole time. “Penny, are you sick? Can’t you tell me if you need money? Delivering food in this rain, aren’t you afraid of an accident?” “Mr. Wang would have a heart attack in front of the whole class if something happened to you.” Mr. Wang was our homeroom teacher who took great care of me. I lay on his back, feeling his warmth. Maybe because I found him annoying, or maybe my fast heartbeat was messing with my brain, I reached out and covered his mouth. “Shut up.” It was instantly quiet around us, except for the sound of rain and my pounding heart. His breath hit my hand, making my ears burn even more. I, who always valued efficiency, suddenly wished time would stop for a while. But now. I wished time would speed up, letting me escape being with him. “Penny, I’m here.” Liam arrived. I couldn’t wait to run to him. He pulled me into his arms before looking at Caleb. Caleb stood in the rain, looking lonely for no reason. He clutched the charm in his hand, opening and closing his mouth. Liam glanced at it, his grip on my hand tightening. “Let’s go.” But Caleb called out to him. “Do you know who gave me this charm?” My body stiffened. Liam turned around with a smile. “Does it matter who gave it?” “Aren’t you just pining over a raggedy charm after getting dumped?” Caleb didn’t get angry. “But when she gave it to me, she put a safety talisman inside. She begged for it personally.” “Liam, has your girlfriend ever given you one?” They stared at each other in silence. Liam suddenly grabbed my arm, revealing the bracelet on my wrist. “I can’t bear to let my girlfriend do those things for me, so I begged for one for her.” Caleb’s pupils constricted. The charm in his hand was crushed into wrinkles. He opened his mouth, then closed it. I guessed he wanted to ask. If the scar on my wrist had healed. Chapter 3 Back then, the day I found out Caleb was in the hospital due to a car accident, I learned what it meant to be scared out of my wits. Kevin took me to the hospital, but I could only watch him through the glass. Caleb lay amidst buzzing machines, tubes all over his body. The doctor was telling the Gu family about his condition. “The patient’s situation is not optimistic. Whether he wakes up depends on today and tomorrow. If he doesn’t wake up by tomorrow…” “The family should prepare for the worst.” I covered my mouth and slowly slid down the wall to the floor. In that moment, staring at the white wall, I thought about praying to gods for the first time. For eighteen years, I had been an atheist. But this time, I wanted to beg the heavens to let me be lucky once and keep him. I guarded the door of his ward all night. The next day, Kevin took me to a temple. It was said to be the most efficacious temple in the area, located on a mountain so high you couldn’t see the top. Even though there was a cable car, few people took it. Because everyone thought climbing up the mountain path showed more sincerity. That way, the Buddha would grant their wishes. Kevin silently accompanied me up the mountain. The mountain path was hard, but Kevin and I didn’t dare delay for a second. By the time we got up there, we were soaked in sweat. Kneeling before the Buddha, I offered all my piety. “Please, Buddha, let Caleb wake up.” A monk beside me handed me a safety talisman and smiled. “Though there are twists and turns, it will end in fulfillment.” I joyfully put the talisman into the charm pouch. I practically ran down the mountain. But joy turned to sorrow. I fell, gashing a large cut on my arm. Right then, the hospital called to say Caleb was awake. I cried and laughed, ignoring my injured wrist, and rushed to the hospital. Caleb had just woken from a coma, still wearing a ventilator. His hand kept waving. I thought he was uncomfortable and went to call the doctor. But when the doctor came, he just pointed at my wrist. “Hurts…” “Worry about yourself first.” Anxiety turned me into a firecracker, unable to speak properly, but he just smiled good-naturedly. Later, when he was discharged, I gave him the charm with the safety talisman. He had a scar on his back from the accident. I had a scar on my arm because of him. “These are couple scars.” Caleb pulled me into his arms, holding the charm. “Penny, let’s be together.” The messy stitches on the charm hid a girl’s secret crush. I agreed, starting a secret campus romance. Back then, I thought Caleb and I would have a happy ending. And now, the scar on my wrist was covered by a bracelet engraved with Liam’s name. Chapter 4 After a calculus class, I was energized, but Liam turned into a wilted puppy. He switched to his second personality, clingily leaning on me to act cute. “Babe, I’m so dumb compared to you.” I rubbed his head amusingly to comfort him. “Not dumb, not dumb. I’ll explain whatever you didn’t understand.” “No, let’s eat first.” He pulled my hand and walked out, then stopped halfway. “I left my phone on the desk.” “I’ll get it, wait for me.” He ran off quickly. I leaned against the wall filling out an application form. Recently, there was an internship opportunity in the department, and people were fighting over it. Although I was first in my year, I couldn’t slack off. My temples started throbbing again. My hand reached into my bag. “Here.” A lighter and cigarettes were placed in my hand. But I took out a piece of candy instead. “Quit.” Caleb nodded, an emotion I couldn’t read in his eyes. “Do you have to work yourself so hard?” He had said this before, and we fought. Before the college entrance exam, I reached the point of tying my hair to the beam and pricking my thigh with an awl (metaphorically working extremely hard). To stay awake, I learned to smoke. I was ambitious. I had to go to Tsinghua University. It was the first stop of my dream. When Kevin came to deliver food on his mom’s orders, he was shocked. But he didn’t say anything, just threw me a box of supplements. “Eat, then study.” I nodded and ate silently. My phone rang repeatedly. It was a message from Caleb. “Penny, I miss you so much. Come find me, okay?” Below was the address of a famously expensive bar. I didn’t want to go, but it was his birthday. I softened. When I entered the private room, Caleb reached out and hugged me. “You haven’t been with me for a long time. Stay with me today.” “No, I have to go back to do practice questions at ten. After the exam…” Before I could finish, a female voice interrupted. “Forget it. She’s a self-reliant straight-A student. Why are you interfering?” I knew the speaker. It was Caleb’s childhood friend, Vanessa. She looked me up and down with disdain and sneered. “Tsk, playing hard to get should have a limit. Don’t cry when you overplay your hand.” Laughter erupted as soon as she finished speaking. Caleb’s face went cold. He smashed a glass on the spot. “Say one more shady thing and see what happens?” “What my girlfriend does is none of your damn business.” He threw a huge tantrum. Those friends didn’t dare say another bad word about me. He dragged Vanessa over to apologize to me. Actually, I knew his friends looked down on me, thinking I was with him for money. But I didn’t care about their opinions. I only cared about Caleb’s opinion. As long as Caleb believed in me and supported me, I had nothing to fear. That night, Caleb ended the celebration early and personally drove me home. “Don’t get too tired. Rest early after finishing the questions.” His eyes were bright. Finally, he spoke shyly. “Can you say happy birthday to me?” “Happy birthday. Here’s your gift.” It was a pair of boxing gloves. It cost me a month’s salary. Caleb grinned from ear to ear. “I love it.” I took a deep breath buried in his jacket, feeling all my fatigue disappear. In the days that followed, he silently took care of my three meals a day. I studied like crazy. Finally, I found a free day to visit him. But I heard him complaining to Vanessa. “Does she have to make herself so tired?” “Isn’t it good to just stay by my side? I’ll give her whatever she wants. I don’t know why she’s being so stubborn.” I didn’t hear what he and Vanessa said afterwards. I just felt a sudden sourness in my heart. But at that time, I thought he was just concerned about me. I didn’t know this was just the beginning of the explosion of conflicts between us.

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Before high school graduation, I gave the boy I secretly loved a jar of hand-folded paper stars. At the graduation party, my heart was full of hope, ready to confess my feelings. But just outside the private room, I heard him complaining to his friends. “In this day and age, who gives folded stars as a gift? It’s so cheap and tacky.” His friend laughed. “Why is it that Lily gave the gift, but you’re the one embarrassed? Want me to throw it away for you?” “Sure!” Caleb didn’t hesitate for a second. He tossed the jar to his friend. And his eyes met mine, standing just outside the door. I watched quietly as his smile faded, then I turned and walked away. Years later, old classmates told me Caleb spent ten years looking for me. Chapter 1 Caleb probably never expected that I, the subject of his ridicule, would overhear his conversation. So when the waiter opened the door, the smile on his face froze instantly. His friend saw me and immediately wiped the smirk off his face. He placed the jar of stars back in front of Caleb. “After all, it’s Lily’s heartfelt gift. It wouldn’t be right to throw it away.” Caleb looked distressed, not knowing how to explain himself. Every single star in that jar had a note written inside. I squeezed out time every night before bed to fold them. Nine hundred and ninety-nine stars in total. Actually, there was something else inside—a necklace, buried under the stars. The necklace wasn’t expensive, maybe fifty bucks, but I saved up for a long time, skipping meals to buy it. But he surely wouldn’t care for it. After all, Caleb came from a wealthy family, while I was just a girl from the countryside. My monthly living expenses weren’t even a fraction of his pocket change. I stepped forward and took back the jar of stars. “Sorry, I’ll throw it away myself.” I grabbed my things, turned, and walked out of the private room. I left the restaurant and headed straight for the nearest dumpster. I stopped and instinctively looked back. I saw Caleb had chased after me, but he stopped at the restaurant entrance. My emotions were a mess. It felt like someone had ripped away my dignity, leaving me exposed and pathetic. Especially Caleb’s casual, mocking tone—it made me feel incredibly ashamed. Hardening my heart, I tossed the jar into the trash can and walked away without looking back. My two-year crush ended with an imperfect period. I didn’t expect this one incident to plant a thorn in my heart that would fester for years, impossible to remove. After throwing away the stars, I didn’t return to the restaurant. I went home. The dinner was split-bill. I didn’t have much money and hadn’t planned to go, but I wanted to confess to Caleb, so I showed up. Chapter 2 Luckily, I found out he didn’t like me before I confessed. Otherwise, being rejected in front of everyone would have been so embarrassing. Back home, Dad wasn’t back from work yet. Mom was making dinner. I hurried to help, adding firewood to the stove. Seeing me, Mom was surprised. “Sweetie, weren’t you at the graduation dinner? Why are you back?” I smiled and explained, “What’s there to celebrate? It was boring, so I came back.” Mom asked anxiously, “Did you not have enough money? I’ll go get some for you!” She wiped her wet hands on her apron. I quickly stopped her. “No, Mom. I just felt it was meaningless. We probably won’t contact each other for a hundred years after graduation. The food isn’t even that good, and it’s a waste of money. I’d rather eat with you and Dad.” Mom didn’t insist, continuing with dinner. I threw wood into the stove. The fire roared to life, warming my face. “Mom, when I get into a good college and find a good job, I’ll bring you and Dad to live in the city.” I started daydreaming and planning the future. Mom listened and kept saying okay. A table full of dishes was ready, just waiting for Dad. Usually, he would have been home by now. Mom looked worried too. “I’ll go to the construction site and check,” I said, getting up. Just as I was about to leave, Uncle Liu from the village came running in a panic. “Bad news! Bad news! Brother Li was hit by a steel plate at the site!” When Uncle Liu took Mom and me to the hospital, the doctor told us they had done their best. Hundreds of pounds of steel had crushed my dad, causing massive internal bleeding. Mom fainted upon hearing the news. Seeing Dad’s body, I burst into tears, throwing myself on him and shaking him. “Dad, wake up! Didn’t you want to see me get into college?” But he wouldn’t wake up. Suddenly, screams came from the hallway, followed by a loud “thud.” “Someone jumped! Someone jumped off the building!” people shouted in panic. I was drowning in the pain of losing my father. Not long after, Uncle Liu rushed back, looking lost. He said to me, “Lily, your mom jumped.” It turned out the person who jumped was my mother. I heard the news with strange calmness. Tears fell one by one, unstoppable. I experienced so much in one day. I learned the person I liked never liked me back. And I lost both parents instantly, becoming an orphan. I knew Mom couldn’t handle the blow of Dad leaving. Although we were poor, they loved each other deeply. Mom had always been in poor health and needed medication long-term. Dad loved Mom dearly, never letting her work or suffer. He worked construction just because the wages were slightly higher. My dad’s name was Li Hua (Flower), my mom’s name was Wang Ci (Kindness), so my name is Li Aici (Love Kindness/Lily). They loved me too, giving me the best of everything they could. I used to have a loving mom and dad, a happy home. Chapter 3 But now, I had nothing. For the next few days, I was like a walking corpse, calmly handling my parents’ funeral. I hadn’t slept for days. My eyelids were fighting a losing battle. I was so tired. So I lay down in the cornfield and fell asleep instantly. In my dream, I was reunited with Mom and Dad. I came home from school. Mom was cooking dinner in the kitchen, smiling and telling me to wash my hands. At the table, Mom kept putting food in my bowl, and Dad sipped his little cup of wine. Life was hard, but being together was happy. Just as the three of us were happily eating, the scene changed abruptly. I saw Dad lying quietly on the operating table, un-wakeable. I saw Mom jump from the roof, blood flowing. I was plunged into darkness, screaming helplessly. The sweet dream turned into a suffocating nightmare. “Mom! Dad!” I snapped my eyes open, screaming hysterically. Only the air answered me. I wasn’t on the hard ground anymore, but in a soft bed. I sat up, gasping for air. My pajamas were soaked in sweat. Slowly, I came back to reality. It had been ten years. The eighteen-year-old girl was now twenty-eight. I had this dream almost every day. In the dream, there was Caleb’s disdainful mockery, the reunion with my parents, and the sudden separation by death. I lived through joys and sorrows in my dreams, over and over. Sometimes I couldn’t even tell if I was living in reality or a fantasy. The ticking of the wall clock was loud in the silent night. I turned on the lamp, picked up the sleeping pills on the nightstand, and sighed deeply. Failed again. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve failed to kill myself. After my parents left, I took my dad’s worker’s compensation and went to college in another city. Later, the government built a highway and took the village land. Every household, including mine, got a large demolition compensation. But I couldn’t feel happy at all. I became more silent, unable to sleep night after night. After graduation, my mental state wasn’t fit for work. Finally, on the advice of a community worker, I saw a psychiatrist. The doctor said the events when I was eighteen caused deep repression, trapping me in a maze I couldn’t escape. The final diagnosis was somatic symptom disorder with fatigue and depression. The psychiatrist played soft music and started chatting with me. “Lily, actually, you can try distracting yourself with life.” I didn’t understand him. I looked puzzled. “Distracting myself with life?” Chapter 4 The psychiatrist nodded. “For example, raise a cute pet. That way, your attention will naturally focus on the animal.” I was silent for a minute, then sighed deeply. I was barely alive myself; where would I find the energy to raise a cute animal? “Buddhism says ten years is a cycle of reincarnation. I’ve been chanting and praying for my parents for ten years. Do you think they should have reincarnated by now?” I asked casually. Yes, after receiving the demolition money, I suddenly became rich. But with my parents gone, what use was money? My college roommate told me to find something to pin my hopes on. So I often went to the temple to pray, hoping my parents would have a better next life. I continued, “It’s time for me to go back and see them.” Our home had become a highway. I had settled my parents in the nearest cemetery. I hadn’t gone back once in ten years. I didn’t dare to. The psychiatrist handed me the medicine, instructing, “Remember to take your meds on time.” I thanked him and took the medicine. I asked with a smile, “We’ve known each other for almost five years, right?” The doctor nodded. “Mmh.” I didn’t say anything else and got up to leave. “Li Aici.” The doctor called out to me as I was opening the door. I stopped and turned around. He looked at me meaningfully, then smiled gently. “I’ll wait for you to come back from your hometown. I still have many days of chatting left with you.” I didn’t answer him. I opened the door and left. I weighed the bag of medicine in my hand. It felt heavier. Seems my condition is getting worse. I had my ID with me when I left the house, so after leaving the hospital, I went straight to the airport and bought the earliest ticket home. As soon as I got on the plane, I fell asleep again. In the dream, my parents and I were sitting under the big tree in front of our house, cooling off. We saw a plane flying overhead. “That plane is so small. Wonder what it feels like to sit inside,” Mom asked. She was a born-and-raised country woman, uneducated, illiterate. The farthest place she had been was the town hospital. She had never been to an airport. I smiled and explained, “It looks small in the sky, but it’s huge on the ground. When I have money, I’ll take you guys on a plane.” Mom looked happy and expectant, then worried. “But I heard tickets are super expensive.” I patted my chest. “I’ll be rich then, so tickets won’t be expensive.” After landing, I transferred to a high-speed train back to the small town. Ten years had passed. The town had changed a lot. The roads were wider, high-rises had been built. I couldn’t find the look of my memories. I took a taxi straight to the cemetery. I bought a paper villa, a paper car, and lots of gold and silver ingots at a funeral supply store, then went to my parents’ grave. “Mom, Dad, I’m here to see you.” I lit the paper money and placed it on the paper house. The fire roared to life instantly. “Sorry I haven’t come to see you for ten years. For ten years, day after day, I dream that you’re still here, the three of us eating together.” “Mom, Dad, you always said the big city is great. But I don’t think so. Every time I go home, it’s cold and lonely. I have no friends.” “Ten years is a cycle. I wonder how you are now? I miss you. Can I come accompany you?” The fire burned the paper money, baking the tears streaming down my face.

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