Author: Momo Chan

I am the sole heir to one of the world’s most powerful conglomerates. My father’s influence is absolute, stretching from boardrooms to the darkest corners of the underworld. Yet, at my own engagement party, I watched my fiancée hand a “Voluntary Transfer of Bodily Ownership” contract to my sworn enemy, Marcus Thorne. “Adrian, don’t be angry.” Vivian Linwood held the contract up for me to see, her tone light and airy. “I love you, so I’ll save my precious first night for you.” “I will always be your wife, but I’m giving Marcus ownership of my body.” “What kind of joke is this?” My brow furrowed. I stepped forward to pull her back, but Marcus shoved me away. Vivian immediately stepped in front of him, her own brow furrowed in annoyance. “Adrian, don’t be so old-fashioned! My body is mine to give to whomever I please!” Then, right in front of me, she stood on her toes and kissed Marcus. In that instant, I became the biggest joke in high society. Before the media could ignite a firestorm, I calmly sent a single text message. 【The Linwood family’s gray-market enterprises no longer need our protection.】 1 Clutching the arm that ached from where Marcus had shoved me, I stared coldly at Vivian, who was now nestled in his embrace. 【Vivian, I gave you my love and my respect.】 【And you’re crawling on your belly to be his dog?】 Marcus’s fingers traced Vivian’s cheek with insolent slowness, his eyes locked on mine in a blatant challenge. A blush crept up Vivian’s neck, but she only spared me a fleeting, dismissive glance. 【Adrian, my body is not for my nominal fiancé to decide.】 Marcus spread his hands in a gesture of mock helplessness, a sneer playing on his lips. 【Well, Mr. Maxine, you heard the lady. She’s a willing participant.】 【The great Adrian Maxine can’t even hold onto his own woman? I guess that’s my gain.】 Watching them, a sharp pain twisted in my gut. My fingers tightened on the edge of that vile contract. 【Don’t forget, Vivian. Without me, your family would have been ruined long ago.】 But she was utterly unfazed. 【So?】 【Your grandfather promised that the Maxines would always take care of the Linwoods. Are you going to defy his wishes?】 She shot me a triumphant smirk, then snapped a photo of the contract and sent it to her friends’ group chat. 【With the right training, two husbands isn’t a problem. See? My two men, coexisting peacefully.】 The chat exploded. 【Vivi is a master at training men! Even the heir to the mighty Maxine fortune is begging for her affection like a puppy.】 【You’re my hero, Vivi! Drop the masterclass, we all need to learn…】 The ballroom buzzed with whispers and stifled laughter. Eyes darted from Vivian to me, filled with a mixture of shock and pity. The mockery washed over me in waves. 【The Maxines have dominated this city for a century, an unshakable empire. And this spineless creature is their heir?】 【Looks like the Maxine dynasty won’t last much longer…】 【What do you fools know?!】 A low, disapproving voice cut through the chatter, laced with a deep, almost fearful respect. 【The Maxine enterprise is far more than what you see on the surface. Years ago, the old man Maxine snapped his fingers and brought the city’s most dangerous crime syndicate to its knees. The families caught in that crossfire are still crawling out of the gutter!】 【You’ve all lived in peace for too long. Do you really think the Maxines are a family we can afford to gossip about?!】 A rare, sudden silence fell over the crowd. The gazes that now fell upon me were tinged with a dawning, horrified understanding. But I paid them no mind. Just as Vivian, a smirk playing on her lips, tried to force the contract into my hand, the grand doors of the hall swung open. My best friend, just back from the Delta to attend my engagement, strode in. 【Well, this is new. People actually begging to be put on a leash these days?】 Cassia Vance walked towards us, and the air itself seemed to part for her. She gave Vivian a cursory, dismissive glance before turning to me, her eyes filled with disapproval. 【Adrian, this woman is not fit to marry into the Maxine family. I’d say that even if your grandfather were standing right here!】 Others might have heard that and thought it was just about our family’s immense wealth dwarfing the Linwoods’. But Cassia was the only one here who knew the truth of who I really was. I knew what she meant. The Maxines, the silent bankers of the world’s powers, needed a matriarch of substance and strength. 【Hah.】 Vivian laughed, crossing her arms. 【And what kind of woman am I? My grandfather was a hero who saved Mr. Maxine’s life! Who the hell are you to talk?】 Cassia ignored her, her voice cutting like glass. 【A hero? If it weren’t for Adrian, your family would have sold you off in a marriage alliance for a pittance years ago! You wouldn’t even be here yapping like a stray!】 Before Vivian could retort, Cassia rounded on Marcus. 【And you. A leech who built his career by having Vivian steal project data from Adrian. The two of you, playing at true love? It’s pathetic.】 Watching Vivian’s face twist in fury, I felt a flicker of a memory. The day she’d run to me, begging for protection from an arranged marriage. She had been like a cornered kitten then, all claws retracted, hiding in my arms and sobbing. The tear that had fallen on my neck, a silent vow that she would marry no one else, seemed to burn me still. 【Adrian, you’re the only one in the world who’s ever been good to me.】 【Let me be part of your family. I want to protect you, too…】 But now, for another man, she stood against me without a moment’s hesitation. Cassia saw the arrogant certainty in Vivian’s eyes and sneered. 【You really think Adrian can’t live without you? The second you lose the protection of the Maxine name, let’s see if your new ‘master’ still wants his little pet.】 Vivian couldn’t stand hearing a bad word about Marcus. She snatched a glass of water from a nearby table and threw it in my face. 【Adrian, you’re the one who keeps a good dog on a leash!】 she shrieked. 【Make this bitch apologize to Marcus right now, or I’m leaving with him today!】 I lowered my eyes, slowly wiping the water from my face. This was supposed to be our happiest day. Instead, the woman I cherished had willingly become another man’s property, making me the laughingstock of our entire social circle. A profound weariness washed over me. I didn’t even look at them. 【Cassia,】 I said quietly. 【Let’s go.】 Even with the Maxines moving quickly to suppress the news, someone was working against us in the shadows. The story spread through the city like a virus. What should have been a grand celebration ended in disaster. And right on cue, Vivian’s parents arrived at my door, bearing expensive gifts. 【Adrian, dear, Vivian is just young and foolish. Please, you have to understand. It was all that boy, Marcus, who led her astray!】 【That’s right! The engagement between our families can’t be broken over a childish tantrum!】 They took turns trying to soothe me, dismissing the whole affair as youthful indiscretion. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing out loud. The Maxines had kept a low profile for so long that these people actually thought they could be pushed around. 【Understand?】 I slapped a copy of the contract down on the table. A cold smile touched my lips but never reached my eyes. 【You want me to understand that she’s another man’s pet?】 【The Maxine family can’t afford to worship at the altar of the Linwoods. This engagement is over.】 Seeing my resolve, Vivian’s mother’s face changed instantly. She slammed her hand on the table. 【Adrian! Don’t you forget, my father took a bullet for your grandfather!】 【Without the Linwoods, there would be no Maxines! How dare you act so high and mighty with us?】 Her voice was shrill, all traces of her earlier warmth gone. I leaned back in my chair, elbow resting on the armrest, and a slow, chilling smile spread across my face as I looked at the two snarling figures before me. 【Yes. What a… tremendous debt we owe you.】 The next day, Vivian, breaking character, asked to meet. She said she wanted to explain. I waited on a street corner from high noon until the sun began to set. She finally arrived, arm in arm with Marcus. 【Oh, Adrian, you didn’t really wait for five hours, did you? I was just speaking casually. You always did hang on my every word.】 She stepped forward and took my wrist. 【I know you have feelings for me, and I have them for you. Why don’t you reconsider my suggestion from yesterday?】 Her eyes were smiling, but I didn’t miss the flash of mockery within them. Am I a dog to be discarded and whistled back at her whim? I forced a gentle smile. 【It’s not out of the question. Have Marcus get on his knees and apologize to me, and I’ll consider it.】 I raised an eyebrow at him. Vivian’s face scrunched up in protest, but before she could speak, Marcus just laughed and agreed. I was stunned by his easy compliance. Then, he pulled a small bell from his pocket and gave it a gentle shake. 【My little slave,】 he commanded, his voice ringing with authority. 【Kneel.】 My pupils contracted. The idea was absurd. Here, on a crowded street, who would submit to such a humiliation? Especially someone as proud as Vivian. But in the next instant, right there in front of the law firm, under the watchful eyes of dozens of strangers, Vivian knelt. She hugged Marcus’s leg, rubbing her cheek against his trousers like an obedient puppy seeking praise. A triumphant smirk spread across Marcus’s face. He rested a hand casually on her head. 【Is this apology to your satisfaction, Mr. Maxine?】 【If you’re not fully satisfied, I could even let you have her for a day or two. Let you have some fun.】 Vivian showed no sign of resistance to his utterly degrading words. Instead, she shot me an annoyed glare. 【Adrian, if you truly loved me, you would accept me as I am, not make things difficult. I love you, that’s why I’m saving my first night for you, but I have a contract with my master now…】 【Don’t make this hard for me.】 Her words hit me like a physical blow. In that moment, something inside me turned to ice. She was a stranger to me now. My fingers curled into a fist. I looked down at her, my eyes dark and heavy. 【Perhaps I’ve spoiled you so much, Vivian, that you’ve forgotten. I’m not just Adrian. I am the sole heir to the Maxine empire. It is not I who cannot live without you. It is your family, and it is you, who cannot live without me. Without me, you are nothing.】 【Listen to me. This engagement is over. And I am the one ending it.】 Her eyes widened in fury. She jumped to her feet and grabbed my arm, her expression vicious. 【You wouldn’t dare! Your grandfather would never allow it! The Maxines can’t be so ungrateful!】 【Ungrateful?】 A bitter, sarcastic smile twisted my lips. I threw her hand off me as if it were contaminated. 【Your grandfather saved my grandfather, Vivian. He didn’t sell the entire Maxine line into servitude to your family for generations to come. That debt has been repaid a hundred times over.】 【Oh, and you might want to watch the news tonight. My grandfather will be making a personal statement to clear up the ‘misunderstanding’ of our engagement.】 My voice was low, steady, and cold as ice. She paled, but then a sneer replaced the fear on her face. 【You’re joking. You’re just trying to make me angry, to make me come crawling back to you!】 【This little game of push-and-pull is so obvious. It’s pathetic.】 Her flushed face, her useless denials—they were nothing but a joke to me. 【Believe what you want.】 I tossed the annulment papers into her arms, turned, and walked away without looking back. The news of the broken engagement sent shockwaves through the city. The Linwood Corporation’s stock plummeted overnight. Vivian called me more than twenty times. I blocked every number. I never expected our next meeting to be at a press conference where she was accusing me of cruel and abusive treatment. The allegations included, but were not limited to, being “overly controlling,” “emotional abuse,” and “using money to interfere with her personal freedom,” all backed by conveniently distorted chat logs. Vivian stood on the stage, the hand holding the microphone trembling. 【His control was so suffocating he even tried to police my friendships!】 Sensing her distress, Marcus’s eyes reddened on cue. He looked directly into the cameras. 【All Vivian has ever wanted is freedom for her soul. Mr. Maxine, please, let her go.】 A wave of murmurs rippled through the reporters. 【I can’t believe the Maxine heir is some kind of psycho. The rich really are messed up.】 【That poor girl. She’s basically committing social suicide by exposing him. The Maxines will destroy her.】 The whispers grew louder. The room was in an uproar. Cassia and I watched from the back, exchanged a look, and let out a soft, humorless laugh. If they wanted a show, we’d give them a spectacle. Cassia strode forward, snatched a microphone from a reporter, and fired three questions at the stage. 【Freedom of the soul?】 【Vivian, that silk scarf around your neck. Why don’t you take it off and show everyone the collar marks your ‘master’ left you?】 【And Marcus. You convinced her to steal the core data for the Maxine ‘Stardust’ project. How do we settle that account?】 【You play the part of a willing slave for one man while clinging to the Maxine family’s fortune with the other. You really want to have your cake and eat it too, don’t you?】 The room erupted. The sound of camera shutters was like a machine gun. The flashing lights seemed to hurt Vivian’s eyes. She instinctively shielded Marcus. 【You can’t just come up here and make baseless accusations! You must be one of Adrian’s little mistresses, waiting for your turn to take my place!】 Then, her tone softened, turning to one of gentle warning. 【Adrian is not a good man. When he loved me, he gave me the world. When he stopped, he treated me like dirt, even attacking my family’s company.】 【Take it from someone who knows. My today will be your tomorrow. You should get out while you still can.】 It was a masterful performance. A few tears, a few soft words, and she had the room back on her side. But this was Cassia. The Iron Fist of the Delta. She wasn’t about to be taken down by a few crocodile tears. She mirrored Vivian, dabbing at her own eyes, her voice breaking with emotion. 【Oh, Vivian, you have it all wrong. Your family was never worthy of Adrian. It was you who pursued him, you who promised him a lifetime together. That fool defied his entire family for you, endured thirty-nine lashes of the family cane just to make you his wife.】 【He used his connections to build up your family, gave you a black card, gave you power. And you repaid him by signing a slave contract with another man at your engagement party.】 The tide turned again. The reporters were getting whiplash. Vivian shrieked that she was lying, but it was too late. Cassia had projected the photo of the contract onto the main screen behind the stage. No one believed her anymore. The crowd turned, calling her and Marcus shameless trash. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Marcus cursed under his breath. He dropped the microphone, and a deafening screech of feedback filled the room. As everyone winced and covered their ears, the on-site security guards suddenly swarmed the stage and shoved Cassia, hard, into the crowd below! There was a sickening thud. She hadn’t had time to react. Her head hit the floor, and blood instantly matted her hair, covering her face in a horrifying crimson mask. Marcus, his back to the audience, shot me a vicious, triumphant smile. Look at her, his eyes seemed to say. So pathetic… Something inside me snapped. My vision went red. I vaulted onto the stage and, in front of every camera in the city, I broke Marcus Thorne’s nose with a single punch. 【You’re a dead man, Thorne!】 He crumpled to the floor, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Vivian screamed, scrambling to grab my arm. 【Adrian! Stop! I was wrong, I was wrong! Please, let him go!】 The event manager finally reacted, rushing onto the stage and yelling for someone to call an ambulance. Seeing Cassia’s deathly pale face, a sliver of sanity returned to me. I gently lifted her unconscious body into my arms and headed for the door. Before I left, I delivered my final verdict. 【Vivian. Your family. Prepare for liquidation.】 Cassia’s surgery lasted eight agonizing hours. She was alive, but she was in the ICU. Once I knew she was out of immediate danger, the crushing anxiety that had gripped me for a day finally began to ease. I decided to go home and pack some things for her. I had just left the hospital when I was ambushed by a group of masked men and dragged to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Vivian emerged from the shadows, a knife in her hand. Marcus, his leg in a cast, limped behind her, his face a mask of venomous hatred. She was like a madwoman, screaming at me, pressing the cold blade of the knife to my neck, drawing a thin line of blood. 【You’re insane, Adrian! You sent someone to run Marcus down just to keep me by your side! He’s crippled for life now! Are you happy?!】 A car crash? Confusion flickered in my eyes. 【What are you talking about? If I wanted Marcus dead, he wouldn’t be breathing right now.】 【Shut up!】 She slapped me, the sting sharp and hot against my cheek. 【Who else would use such a despicable tactic! Calling the police is too good for you! I want you on your knees, begging for Marcus’s forgiveness!】 【Or do you think those guards you left at the hospital can protect Cassia?】 Her face was a twisted mask of fury as she held up her phone, showing me a video of someone pulling the oxygen tube from Cassia’s nose. Cassia… still lying in the ICU, for me… I couldn’t let anything else happen to her. 【Vivian! If a single hair on her head is harmed, I will make you and Marcus pay with your lives!】 She kicked me hard in the stomach. 【A prisoner dares to make demands? For every second you delay, I’ll have one of that little bitch’s fingers cut off!】 I gritted my teeth, the veins on my forehead bulging. My knees hit the concrete floor as I bowed my head to the smirking, triumphant Marcus. 【I was wrong. Please… forgive me.】 Marcus limped towards me, dragging a steel pipe. He swung it without a word, a brutal, crushing blow against my back. 【The great Maxine heir? Nothing but a dog at my feet!】 【Yes! Just like that! Harder!】 Vivian filmed the whole thing, her eyes gleaming with excitement. 【Adrian, say ‘I’m worthless trash, I deserve this,’ and I’ll make them stop.】 I turned my head and spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, silent. My eyes, shot through with red, must have looked like something that had crawled out of hell. I just stared at them. 【Oh, a tough one, are we? Let’s see what’s tougher, your bones or this pipe!】 Blow after blow rained down on me, targeting my most vulnerable spots. I heard the crack of bone more than once, the pain so intense it made my scalp tingle. Then, a final, heavy blow to the back of my head. The world went black. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Vivian’s panicked voice. 【…I think he stopped breathing. What do we do?】 【So he’s dead. Who cares?】 Marcus said, his voice casual. 【He’s just some rich businessman, not a crime lord who controls the city. Nobody’s going to miss him…】 Their footsteps faded away. My vision flickered between black and white, my ears ringing, my head splitting apart. I fumbled for the watch on my wrist, trying to press the distress signal, but I had no strength left. As I felt my life slipping away from blood loss, the world exploded. Through a curtain of fire and smoke, I saw a man in a black suit, followed by teams of bodyguards, all armed with assault rifles, storming into the warehouse. The man in the lead gathered me into his arms, calling my name over and over. 【Adrian, don’t sleep! Dad is here! Dad was late!】

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I was bitten by a zombie. The zombie stared at the blue blood oozing from my wound, frozen. “What are you looking at? I’m one of you,” I said calmly, pushing him away. I ran my other hand over the wound, and the torn flesh healed instantly. The zombie was stunned. “Stop staring. Look at you, all skin and bones… legs barely working. Go find something to eat,” I said with concern, patting him on the shoulder before walking away… 1 My name is Hedy, and I’m a pureblood vampire. The city teeming with zombies? That’s my masterpiece. I had been sealed at the bottom of the ocean for centuries until a scientist and his crew fished me out. The crystal coffin opened. The first thing I saw was a man in a white coat, wearing black-rimmed glasses. He was kind of handsome. Instead of being afraid, he said something incredibly cheesy in a gentle voice— “Are you lonely?” I rolled my eyes. “Duh. Try living for a few thousand years and tell me if you’re lonely,” I retorted, lying back down. I warned him that if he didn’t return me to the spot where I was sleeping, I’d drain him dry. He wasn’t fazed. Instead, he walked up to the coffin, resting his long, pale fingers on the edge, and leaned in to look at me. His voice was soft and slow, echoing clearly in the spacious, quiet lab. “If I could turn you into a human and end this endless loneliness, would you be willing?” Would I? Of course not! Loneliness aside, being a regular human is nowhere near as cool as being a vampire. But I thought this guy was talking big. I didn’t believe he had the power to turn me into a human, so I sat back up. 2 The guy introduced himself as Dr. Chen, a scientist. But not just any scientist. He came from a long line of researchers dedicated to studying the “vampire virus.” Generations ago, his ancestors discovered that a small percentage of humans were born with antibodies to the vampire virus. But vampires had essentially gone extinct over three hundred years ago. Unwilling to let generations of research go to waste, these scientists spent over a century tracking me down. And finally, in Dr. Chen’s generation, they found me. “After centuries of change, the original group of humans with antibodies is gone. But their descendants must still be out there…” Dr. Chen pushed up his glasses, the lenses flashing coldly. “Step one is to find a human carrier.” I laughed. “You went through all this trouble to find me just so I could help you find someone? Sorry, not interested.” Dr. Chen walked to a console and pressed a button. A hidden door in the lab slid open. He walked into the shadows and wheeled out a woman tied to a wheelchair with thick ropes. She had delicate features and almond eyes that darted around in terror. Her face was streaked with tears, and her hair was matted with sweat. A large gag in her mouth prevented her from speaking; she could only whimper in pain. When she saw me step out of the crystal coffin, her eyes widened in horror. “A woman?” I looked from her back to Dr. Chen, confused. “Data suggests her blood has an 80% chance of carrying the antibodies,” Dr. Chen replied. “Oh?” I was suddenly interested. Barefoot, I walked around the wheelchair, inspecting her. She wore a sharp suit with a collared shirt underneath and pointed leather heels. Is this what humans wear nowadays? “You want me to bite her?” I asked. The woman in the chair stiffened. Dr. Chen nodded. “Then wash her first.” Dr. Chen: “?” “I have high standards for hygiene.” 3 As a vampire who’s lived for thousands of years, I’ve evolved beyond needing blood to survive. For my first meal after centuries of sleep, I didn’t want someone who smelled like sweat and fear. After Dr. Chen wheeled her away, I explored the lab. I didn’t recognize anything. Just glowing rectangular slabs and weirdly shaped machines. A desk was piled with papers. I flipped through them—research on vampires. The bottom images showed monstrous creatures with green faces and fangs. I laughed and put them down. Fake news. Such ugly, image-less monsters were an insult to the inherent elegance of vampires. After a while, Dr. Chen brought the woman back. She was now wearing a soft white robe, her hair tied up to reveal a clean, pale neck. She looked fresh and vulnerable. Her eyes were covered with a white bandage wrapped around her head. I liked this detail. Who wants their food staring at them while they eat? I paced toward her, sensing her trembling. Maybe because I’d waited so long, I was getting impatient. I placed my hand on her head, tilting it to expose more of her neck. I found a vein pulsing with fresh blood. I bared my fangs and bit down. The soft vein pierced instantly. Warm, sweet blood flowed into my mouth. Even though I didn’t need blood to live, the instinct was hard to suppress. I held her neck, drinking greedily. I only stopped when I felt her body temperature drop and she fainted. Reluctantly, I let go. Humans are so fragile. If I wasn’t careful, I’d drain her dry. Seeing I was done, Dr. Chen approached with bandages and medicine, but I stopped him. I glanced at him and smirked. “No need for that.” I ran my hand over her neck. Where my fingers passed, the two puncture wounds vanished as if they never existed. Dr. Chen paused, clearly surprised by my ability. He pushed up his glasses and muttered, “Seeing is believing.” I took the clean towel he offered and wiped the blood from my lips, staring at the unconscious woman with mixed feelings. As a vampire, I had principles. I could accept humans as food, but I couldn’t tolerate them becoming monsters because of me. This was the first time I hadn’t drained a human dry. Although I could predict what she would become, a part of me hoped for a miracle. Through her blood, I gained her memories—her logic, her way of speaking, everything about being a modern human. This was another ability I had evolved. Her name was Sarah, a corporate executive. She was kidnapped by Dr. Chen on her way home from work. About ten minutes passed. She wasn’t fully awake, but her body started twitching. Dr. Chen looked excited, putting on thermal glasses to monitor her changes. I sat on the desk, waiting calmly. Something was wrong. The smell. The fresh, clean scent was rapidly turning into the stench of rotting flesh. Humans couldn’t smell it yet, but it was oozing from her blood through her skin. Dr. Chen moved closer with a notepad, recording her transformation. Her breathing grew heavy and rapid. Suddenly, she woke up with a guttural, beast-like roar. Her eyes turned a milky gray. Her skin became ashen and dry, thin as paper, revealing black veins underneath. She wasn’t Sarah anymore. She was a zombie created by me. And she had a craving for blood even stronger and wilder than mine. The moment those dead eyes saw us, she struggled violently. If the ropes weren’t thick enough, she would have broken free. Watching this, I glanced sideways at Dr. Chen. “Where did you get that 80% figure?” He ignored my sarcasm. His gaze on Sarah was filled with excitement and greed. For a scientist studying vampires, witnessing a human turn into a zombie was a massive breakthrough. He didn’t have time for my snark. “Experiment failed,” Dr. Chen said, finishing his notes. He looked at me. “But now we have a zombie virus carrier. We won’t need to trouble you for future experiments, Miss Hedy.” I looked at Sarah. Ten minutes ago, she was a normal human. Now she was a hideous monster. I felt a twinge of guilt. But I quickly squashed it. I had slept too long. I forgot how many lives had ended in my jaws. “Good luck to you,” I said, picking up a phone from the desk. Sarah’s memories told me it was hers. I waved the phone. “Call me if there’s progress.” 4 With Sarah’s memories, I now thought like a modern independent woman. Her WeChat wallet had enough money for me to splurge for a while. I used the PIN from her memories to pay for a new outfit. “Thank you for your purchase. Here is your receipt.” The cashier smiled kindly, handing me a slip of paper. “Throw it away for me,” I said, twirling in front of the mirror. The black dress flared out. As I walked out of the store, a WeChat call came in. Caller ID: Jason. Sarah’s crush. To avoid trouble, I hung up. The status changed to “Typing…”, then a message popped up: “Are you okay?” I typed: “I’m OK.” Sent. No reply. I searched my memories for his face. Handsome, but distant. I checked his Moments. Blank. Black profile pic, black background. Low enthusiasm, no interaction. No wonder he was just a crush. I put the phone away and instinctively walked toward a coffee shop. It was Sarah’s habit. She liked to work in a specific cafe on lazy afternoons. Human food didn’t satisfy me, but I didn’t hate it. Since I was awake, I might as well see what the world had become. Passing a small convenience store, I saw no customers. The owner, a woman in her forties, was eating spicy strips and sunning herself by the door. I glanced at her spicy strips; she glanced at my all-black outfit. Neither of us noticed the breaking news on the TV inside— “Serious riots have broken out across the city. Large numbers of violent individuals are attacking civilians indiscriminately. Please exercise caution and ensure your safety…”

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I took my coworkers to a club to party, but when the bill came, I realized I was broke. Desperate, I walked up to the VIP booth and approached the most handsome guy there. “Hey, can you cover my tab? I’ll Venmo you later.” The man feigned indifference. “Miss, do we know each other?” I snatched the drink right out of his hand. “Nope. But ask your bodyguard how many times he’s called me for help.” “I’ve saved your ass plenty of times. Can’t you return the favor just once?” The man looked confused, but his bodyguard quickly covered his face with his hand, whispering: “Sir, it’s true. Whenever you get blackout drunk, you don’t let anyone near you. Except her.” “To get you home safely, I’ve had to call her for emergency backup several times.” 1 The man’s friends all perked up their ears, disbelief written on their faces. “Seriously? When Lucas gets drunk, he’s basically untouchable. How can anyone be an exception?” “I remember that one time Lucas got wasted. I tried to help him back to his room, and snap, he nearly broke my arm.” “Same here. They say drunk Lucas is like the Grim Reaper—anyone who gets close gets hurt. I was young and dumb and didn’t believe it, so I tried to get close to him when he was plastered. Result? Full body cast, two months in the hospital.” “Doctors say Lucas has an overly aggressive defense mechanism. When he’s drunk, he trusts no one, so he attacks instinctively. What’s so special about this girl that she’s the only one he trusts?” “I don’t believe it. Unless she proves it right now.” I raised an eyebrow, pulling out my phone to show my QR code. “Sure. Venmo me $500 first, and I’ll put on a show.” Someone actually transferred the money. Ding. Payment received. I pointed at the cashier. “I’m gonna go pay my bill first. Get him drunk, then come find me.” The whole booth started cheering and jeering. Only the man named Lucas Thorne narrowed his eyes, staring at me dangerously. I wasn’t scared. I’ve seen what he looks like drunk. I have photos of him hugging a toilet bowl saved on my phone. Heh. Don’t let his current regal, elegant, gentlemanly appearance fool you. In front of me, his image was long gone. After settling the bill at the front desk, my coworkers and I parted ways. They went home, and I turned back to the VIP booth. Since I took the $500, I had to deliver the performance. Sure enough, Lucas’s friends were racking their brains trying to get him drunk. But Lucas wouldn’t drink. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight out of the club. He stuffed me into his luxury Maybach. Slam. He shut the door hard. Like a shaken soda bottle finally popping its cap. I rubbed my nose. “It’s not like I asked you to only trust me when you’re drunk. It’s a hassle for me too, you know?” 2 This whole thing started six months ago. I was working late one night when I saw a man sprawled out in the middle of the road, using a rental bike as a blanket. It was hilarious. As a chronically online girlie, I had to film it. But when I got closer… damn, what a handsome face! Except he was wasted, reeking of alcohol. He was mumbling about being thirsty. I took out my water bottle and poured him a cup. He was surprisingly obedient, gulping down three big mouthfuls. I tried to wake him up. “Hey, don’t sleep on the street.” “Where’s your phone? I’ll call your friends to pick you up.” He ignored me, sleeping soundly on the asphalt. Helpless, I patted down his pockets. Found out his legs were insanely long and straight. He could be a model. I found his phone, unlocked it with Face ID, and video called the first contact on his WeChat. I pointed the camera at the man’s face so the other person could see clearly. “Hello, the owner of this phone is sleeping on the street. If you’re his friend, come get him.” Before the person could ask for a location, they screamed in panic: “Get five meters away from the Young Master! Immediately!” I thought he was worried I’d assault the handsome guy, so I sneered: “Relax, I’m not interested in drunks.” “I’m sending you the location. Hurry up.” The person warned me again, even more intensely: “Do not ignore my warning unless you want to die!” Psycho. I hung up. Then I sat next to the man to guard him. He was actually using my thigh as a pillow, sleeping soundly under the moonlight. Ten minutes later, the friend arrived. Seeing the scene, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. I raised my hands. “See for yourself. I absolutely did not touch your friend inappropriately.” As soon as I finished speaking, the man shifted. Not only did he rest his head on my thigh, but he wrapped his arms around my waist, using me as a body pillow. I couldn’t pry him off. I pulled his ear. “Hey, wake up! Your friend is here. Let go and go home!” He didn’t hear a thing. slept like a log. I looked at the friend for help. “Come help me! I can’t move his arms.” But the friend stood five meters away and refused to come closer. I was furious. “Why are you just standing there?” He said, “I don’t want to die.” Me: “…” What does that mean? 3 The guy explained he wasn’t a friend, but a bodyguard. Later, the bodyguard pulled the car around, parked five meters away, and told me: “You figure out how to get the Young Master into the car.” “Are you sick? He’s your boss, not mine. I was nice enough to call you, and now you’re pushing your luck?” But the bodyguard refused to help, watching from a distance with arms crossed. I was livid. I started dragging the drunk guy like a dead pig, venting my anger. The bodyguard, probably afraid I’d bruise his boss, finally stepped forward to help. But the next second, the man who was sleeping like a log suddenly sprang up. With incredible speed, he pulled a Swiss Army knife from his waist. He shielded me behind him and slashed at the bodyguard. The movement, the speed, the ferocity. If the bodyguard hadn’t dodged fast, it would have been a murder scene. My eyes nearly popped out. My brain was full of question marks: “???” The bodyguard was back at the five-meter mark, smiling awkwardly at me. “Now you know why I didn’t help!” “When the Young Master is drunk, no one can get close to him. He’s extremely aggressive.” I instinctively touched my neck. I should run too. But the drunk man sheathed the knife, rested his big head on my shoulder, and went back to sleep. I was speechless. “…” The bodyguard was baffled too. “You are the only person I’ve ever seen who can get close to the Young Master when he’s drunk.” Are you blind? He’s leaning on me! I wanted to cry. “What do we do now?” The bodyguard said, “I have to trouble you to help get him into the car and drive him home. Can you drive?” “Okay-ish. So-so.” I was still skeptical. “Are you two pranking me? Why can only I get close to him? What about his parents?” “The Young Master’s parents passed away long ago. He only has a grandfather, but even he can’t approach him when he’s drunk.” This was truly bizarre. I had to use all my strength to get a 6’1″ man into the car and then drive him home. Later, the bodyguard added me on WeChat, saying he might need me again. “Get lost! Don’t even think about it!” The bodyguard transferred $500 to me. I immediately smiled. “No problem! Call anytime! Don’t be polite! But it’s this price every time.” 4 Half a month later, one night, the bodyguard suddenly transferred me $500. [Ms. Chen, emergency! Please come over. Location sent.] I followed the GPS to the most luxurious club in the city. Pushing open the VIP room door, I saw several big shots I’d only seen on TV lying unconscious on the floor. Later, ambulances came and took them all away. The only one left in the room was Lucas, holding his Swiss Army knife, leaning against the corner, drunk but alert to everything around him. Honestly, seeing his red eyes and murderous aura, I didn’t dare approach him either. My legs were shaking. I quickly refunded the money. “No way. I can’t do this.” The bodyguard immediately transferred $5,000. “Understood. Premium hazard pay, right?” “…” That’s not what I meant. But it was five thousand dollars! I’m just a lowly corporate slave. How could I resist the temptation of five grand? So, I walked right up to him. Carefully patted his shoulder. “Don’t kill me. Put the knife down.” I really didn’t expect him to be so obedient. He looked at me with hazy eyes for a while, then put the knife away. Then he swayed and collapsed into my arms. Holy crap! He was heavy. I lost my balance and fell with him. Luckily, before hitting the ground, he spun around and cushioned my fall. I landed heavily on top of him.

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I confessed to Julian seventeen times. Each time, he rejected me without hesitation. Just as I was about to give up, I accidentally stumbled into his room. The cold walls were plastered with my photos. On his bed lay a body pillow with my image. A whiteboard meticulously tracked my interactions and intimacy levels with every guy I knew. I froze on the spot. Seriously? After all this, he still has the nerve to say he doesn’t love me? So, I pretended not to know and sent him two messages. “Mr. Vance, I’ve thought it through. I won’t bother you anymore.” “By the way, I have a kissing scene tomorrow. Want to come give me some pointers?” 1 My dad sold me to Julian Vance. His company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and in desperation, he came up with the brilliant idea of selling his daughter. The Vance family is old money, famous in elite circles. Dad went straight to them. At first, he tried to sell me to the eldest son. The eldest son was already married, but my dad didn’t care. He said rich guys always have a wife at home and a side chick outside. So basically, he wanted me to be a mistress. I obviously refused, crying snot and tears at the Vance family gate. Maybe my crying face was too ugly, because the eldest son wasn’t interested. Instead, the reclusive second son, Julian, looked down at me. His face was cold, features sharp, eyes dark and distant. I had heard rumors about him. He was the black sheep of the family. Antisocial, weird, always alone. Even his father disliked him. My dad had no hope with him and was dragging me away, but Julian stopped us. He leaned down slightly and asked eighteen-year-old me: “Do you want to come with me?” I don’t know what I was thinking at the time. Maybe I was just tired of being pawned off by my dad. Or maybe Julian was just really, really good-looking. So, I nodded and asked: “Can I?” 2 Julian gave my dad a huge sum of money and took me back to his villa. I assumed I was his trophy bird in a gilded cage, but something was off about him. He spent a fortune to keep me, fed me well, treated me well, but never touched me. Our rooms weren’t even on the same floor. I lived in the sunny master bedroom on the second floor. He lived in the dark, damp basement. At first, I thought he was waiting for me to get older. But after two years, when I turned twenty, he still showed no interest. I figured maybe he was shy, so I decided to take the initiative. I put on a white dress, channeling that innocent “first love” vibe, showing off my collarbone and arms, and greeted him at the door. Julian just frowned, took off his suit jacket, and wrapped me up like a burrito. “You’ll catch a cold wearing so little.” Then he walked straight to the basement without looking back. I didn’t give up. The next day, I posed seductively on the sofa, giving him “come hither” eyes while slowly lifting my shirt to show off my abs. Julian pursed his lips and asked, confused, “Why isn’t the AC on if it’s so hot?” The third time, I put on perfume and threw myself into his arms. He leaned down, his breath tickling my ear. Just as the mood was getting steamy, he asked: “Did you not shower? You smell weird.” … It was like winking at a blind man. So, I decided to be direct. 3 The day I confessed to Julian was a normal weekend. During dinner, I told him I liked him. I thought he’d say yes. After all, he was so good to me. He never hesitated to give me money. When I said I wanted to be an actress, he set me up with an agency and resources immediately. But just as I was feeling confident, Julian’s spoon paused. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Don’t let it happen again.” I thought he was just being dense, but he really rejected me. I cried under my blanket that day, heart-wrenching sobs until the sun went down. I didn’t understand. If he didn’t like me, why keep me? Why be so good to me? It’s easy for a naive girl to fall for that, okay? But I am persistent. After crying, I confessed seventeen more times. Each time with a different speech, full of deep emotion. I refused to believe he wouldn’t be moved. But he really wasn’t. He rejected me ruthlessly every time, saying there was no possibility between us. Even though I liked him, after being rejected seventeen times, I lost hope. I realized he was a stone that couldn’t be warmed. That night, Julian went on a business trip. I was sitting on the stairs, hugging my knees and crying, when a snake suddenly slithered past me. I jumped. I remembered seeing a small snake when I first moved in. I was terrified, and Julian had the whole villa fumigated. I hadn’t seen a snake in years. Where did this one come from? Cold sweat dripped down my back as I watched it. It went downstairs to the basement, straight to a door, and slipped through the crack. That was Julian’s bedroom. If a snake got into his bed… Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. I wanted to go in, but I remembered Julian’s rule. He never let anyone into his room, not even the housekeeper. He always locked it when he left. Maybe he was in a rush today and forgot. Hesitating, I grabbed a stick and pushed the door open, thinking of the snake. But what I saw froze me in place. 4 Julian’s room was minimalist gray. But the wall facing me was covered in photos. Photos of me. From when I was eighteen entering the house until now. Different times, places, expressions. Some were from my Instagram, some were selfies I sent to tease him, and some were candid shots I didn’t even know he took. My eyes widened in shock. Then I looked at the whiteboard next to the wall. It was filled with Julian’s bold handwriting. “Greg, college classmate. Chats with Ranran every few days. Average looks, no threat.” “Zhou, record label owner. Frequent ‘accidental’ meetings. Ulterior motives. Handled. No threat.” “Xie, obsessive fan. Stalked Ranran. Reported to police. In jail. No threat.” … It detailed every interaction I had with the opposite sex. Every name had an X next to it, except the last line. “Perry, male lead in Ranran’s new drama. Rising star, clean record, good looking, popular with women. High threat.” Note: “Likes to message Ranran. Minimize contact outside of filming.” I stared at the board dumbfounded. He was… investigating me? If he didn’t like me, why do this? Why block me from other guys? I suddenly remembered college. Guys chased me, but after Julian visited, they’d all distance themselves. Could Julian actually like me? My heart pounded. I scanned the room and my eyes landed on his bed. It was neat, but the pillow was out of place. It was a body pillow. With a life-sized print of me on it. My face burned instantly. I imagined him sleeping with that pillow every night. I thought he was a gentleman. Turns out he’s a pervert. But if he likes me this much, why reject me? I couldn’t figure it out. The snake slithered out the window while I was staring. I looked at the wall of photos and remembered his rejection today. “Ranran, I’m not interested in you. I just see you as a sister. Stop thinking like that.” Who makes a body pillow of their sister? What a pretender. I pretended I saw nothing and quietly left his room. Looking at the sunny sky outside, I let out a long breath. Then I took out my phone and sent him two messages. [Mr. Vance, I’ve thought it through. I won’t bother you anymore.] [By the way, I have a kissing scene with Perry tomorrow. Want to come give me some pointers?]

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My uncle’s family bound themselves to us with a “Double Effect” system. If my dad earned $10,000, my uncle’s stock account would mysteriously gain $20,000. If my mom got a facial, my aunt’s rough skin would become twice as smooth for no reason. My family scrimped and saved for years to buy a spacious condo. Immediately, my uncle’s family bought a townhouse in the same complex. This continued until the last subject of the college entrance exams. I accidentally drank spiked water. I endured the stomach cramps and finished the test, thinking I was done for. But the next moment, paramedics rushed past, carrying my cousin, who had uncontrollably soiled himself in another exam hall. 1 As soon as I walked out of the exam hall, my parents rushed me to the hospital. They couldn’t understand it. My grades were usually trash, so I never had test anxiety. Why would I suddenly have stomach spasms? Compared to me, my cousin, Brandon, had it much worse. His “incident” was so spectacular that experts at the city’s top hospital were treating him like a lab rat, running every test imaginable. But they couldn’t find a physical cause for why he turned into a human fountain. Finally, the experts concluded that Brandon must have succumbed to immense psychological pressure during the exam. Grandma and Grandpa were wailing in the hospital corridor. “My precious grandson! My poor baby! He’s suffered so much!” “Brandon has always been top of his class! He was Ivy League material! Who knew he was under so much pressure?!” I walked past the emergency room, watching my grandparents howl. You’d think Brandon had died. My parents exchanged glances, unsure whether to approach. The moment Grandma saw me, she charged over like a rabid chicken. “You jinx! What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at your cousin?” So even Grandma thought it was funny. My mom shielded me, her face cold. My dad stepped forward to stop Grandma. “Mom, what are you doing? Roxy is sick too. She just came from another department.” Grandma didn’t show an ounce of concern. Instead, she glared at me with hatred. “She’s sick too? She must have passed her bad luck to Brandon! She did it on purpose so he wouldn’t get into Harvard!” My mom exploded. “My daughter getting sick is bad luck, but your precious grandson getting sick isn’t? Brandon shitting himself in the exam hall and spraying everyone’s papers—now that’s bad luck! Grandma, keep spewing nonsense, and see if karma doesn’t hit your precious grandson right in the ass!” Grandma’s eyes went wide. She looked like she’d been struck by lightning. She opened her mouth to curse but couldn’t get a word out. My mom smiled silently. “Children suffering is usually because the elders committed sins! Keep cursing, keep scolding. My daughter is tough, but your delicate grandson might not survive your bad karma!” Grandma was so angry smoke was coming out of her ears. She clenched her fists, grinding her teeth loud enough for us to hear. I could tell she was cursing us out in her head. Grandpa couldn’t take it anymore and scolded my dad. “Enough! Can’t you say something?” My dad mumbled, “Dad, I’m clumsy with words, just like you. You didn’t say anything just now either.” Grandpa’s face turned red, and he waved his hand, telling us to get lost! 2 So, we got lost. The difference was, my dad and I left with relief, while my mom left triumphantly. My mom used to be gentle. Her sharp tongue was honed over nearly two decades of fighting with Grandma. Being able to shut Grandma up would keep her happy until dinner. For years, my dad stood by my mom. Mostly because Grandma was too much. Misogyny aside, she insisted I was bad luck! Brandon and I were born around the same time, just an hour apart. But Grandma listened to some wandering fortune teller who said our fates clashed. Since Brandon was the “destined genius,” I must be the jinx suppressing him. Grandma wanted to send me away. My parents refused. From then on, Grandma never gave me a kind look. My parents were educated and didn’t believe in such superstitions. Knowing Grandma disliked me, I grew up at my maternal grandma’s house in the city. We thought distance would fade the nonsense about clashing fates. But my uncle’s family had other ideas! When I started elementary school, they moved to the city too. We bought a condo; they bought a townhouse in the same complex. We went to the same school, just different classes. Even my aunt’s boutique opened right across the street from my mom’s office. We couldn’t avoid them! Just now, as we left the hospital, Uncle’s call came in like a debt collector. My dad was driving, so my mom answered on speaker, holding the phone far away. Uncle’s furious voice roared out. “Dave! Did anything happen while you were driving just now?” My dad glanced at the phone with disdain. “No! I’m driving normally. What could happen?” Uncle asked again, “I heard Roxy is sick? Is that true?” My mom rolled her eyes. “Brother, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” “Hey, hey, hey…” My mom hung up and muted the phone. “Gold miners couldn’t dig up a psycho like him! A few years ago he seemed to care, now he’s just like your mom, blaming Roxy for everything that happens to his son.” My dad said quietly, “He didn’t say that… forget it. Let’s not talk about the kids’ exams anymore.” My mom turned to look at me from the passenger seat. “Roxy, you did your best. Don’t stress.” I frowned at the frantic WeChat messages from Uncle. [Roxy, is your dad really okay driving?] Why was Uncle so nervous about my dad driving? When we got to the parking lot, my mom noticed a scratch on the rear bumper. “When did this happen?” My dad slapped a Tom & Jerry sticker over it. “Company finances are tight. Let’s leave it for now.” That night, I scrolled through my friend Lucy’s feed. [So unlucky today! Encountered a bio-weapon in the exam hall, and then got rear-ended leaving the city. Please let the rest of the trip be smooth.] The photo showed a three-car pileup on the highway. The car in front had its rear end smashed. And in the corner of the photo, my uncle was angrily holding his phone. Too much of a coincidence? 3 That night, the news reported on the exam incident with a blurry surveillance video. In the video, Brandon suddenly raised his arms and shouted, “I can’t take it anymore!” As soon as he took a step, his pants fell down. The students near him were the victims. Their exam papers were sprayed with disgusting brown liquid. The news station even thoughtfully mosaicked Brandon’s eruption. We hadn’t watched TV in ages. A friend called my dad to tell him to turn it on. The friend chuckled on the phone. “The station is useless. Why mosaic the butt? They should have mosaicked his face!” My dad was too embarrassed to speak. Even with the blur, anyone who knew Brandon recognized his “robust” figure. 6’2″, 250 pounds. Sitting on the floor, struggling to get up but failing. My mom said “Ew” and changed the channel. My dad hung up. “How could this happen to Brandon? Will it affect his score?” My mom scoffed. “If his score is affected, Grandma will blame Roxy. Even if he does well, she’ll laugh at us first, then blame Roxy. I’d rather worry about Roxy.” My dad sighed. “Everyone knows Brandon is my nephew. Don’t be so harsh…” My mom cut him off. “He’s a giant baby! Your parents spoiled him rotten. Treating the exam hall like a kindergarten potty. People are calling our house; think about how you’ll face your boss tomorrow!” While they argued, I was glued to my phone. From the moment the exam ended, Brandon’s “incident” went viral. It was trending top three on Weibo, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu. Many students in the same hall were affected. One girl vomited on the spot and cried hysterically afterward. Some students were threatening online not to let Brandon off easy. 4 The next day after work, my dad went to visit Brandon in the hospital out of kindness. In the ward, Brandon was playing video games like nothing happened. Grandma was hovering with chicken soup. “Good grandson, come, drink some soup.” Brandon looked at the greasy soup with disgust. “It smells gross! Take it away!” Grandma looked even more loving the more he rejected her. It was like she couldn’t express her love unless she spoon-fed him. “Just one sip, good boy!” Grandma held the spoon with one hand and the bowl with the other. Her long, yellow fingernails were dipping into the soup. Seeing her get closer, Brandon flailed his arm in annoyance. The hot soup splashed all over Grandma’s chest. “Ah!” “Mom!” Brandon was fed up. “I told you to stay away! Look, there’s a feather in the soup! How can I drink that?” My dad walked in and supported Grandma. “Brandon, is that any way to behave?” Brandon wasn’t afraid of my dad at all. He sneered. “Uncle Dave, why aren’t you being a corporate slave at your company? What are you doing here?” My dad was furious. “Is this how you talk to elders? Where are your parents? I need to ask them how they raised you!” Brandon pouted. “Go find them! My parents do big business. They aren’t idle like you, watching over someone else’s son.” Grandma stopped my dad from scolding him. “Brandon just recovered, don’t bully him!” A weird smell wafted from Grandma’s wet, greasy clothes, making my dad step back. Brandon sat on the bed and said, “Uncle Dave, sucking up to me now is useless!” My dad looked like he heard a joke. “Me? Suck up to you?” Brandon was arrogant. “Yeah! There’s no free lunch. My mock exam scores are Ivy League level. Even if I messed up the last subject, I can still pick any top university I want! Uncle, I understand you. You don’t have a son, and Roxy is a loser destined for community college. You’re here being nice because you want to rely on me later! The family’s future depends on me!” My dad was stunned for a second, then exploded. “You little idiot! Mom, this is the kid you spoiled! Spraying shit in the exam hall wasn’t enough, now he’s spewing shit from his mouth!” Hearing “spraying shit,” Brandon’s face turned green. Grandma was even more anxious. “Shut up! Who said you could mention that! Brandon has… Irritable Bowel Syndrome! You’re just jealous because he’s not your son!” 5 My dad got kicked out of the ward. He came home and told my mom. My mom had long lost hope for that family. “So what? Your mom has treated Roxy like this for eighteen years. Your brother and sister-in-law made money in stocks and got cocky. Now that Brandon is going to a top college, your mom doesn’t need you anymore.” My dad let out a bitter laugh. “No son, sucking up to a nephew, family glory… young people don’t talk like that. He must have heard it from my parents and brother. I thought my brother still cared about me. We lived in the same complex, kids went to the same school… I thought he was checking on me out of concern. Now I see it was just comparison and showing off!” My mom was unhappy too. “Years ago, your sister-in-law’s shop was across from my office. My colleagues went in, and she’d ask about my salary and benefits. When they didn’t want to say, she’d give them attitude and call them poor behind their backs. Who cares about relatives like that? It’s obvious: they’re afraid you’ll suffer, but they’re terrified you’ll drive a Range Rover.” I didn’t listen to the rest. Now that I think about it, my uncle’s family did pay a weird amount of attention to us. Normally, they’d ask about our income. If it was high, they looked jealous or competitive. If it was low, they looked smug. That was normal toxic relative behavior. Until Brandon and I started elementary school. I have zero talent for studying. No matter how hard I tried, I was average at best. Brandon played all day but always scored at the top. At first, my parents sent me to cram schools. But after years of effort, we accepted the truth. I am a mediocrity. Brandon is a natural genius. I was mocked for this constantly. Feeling suffocated, I started organizing my old test papers. Most students tear them up to celebrate freedom, but I wanted to sell them for scrap. My grades were worthless anyway. My phone pinged. A notification from the school’s confession wall. A hot post titled: [Don’t idealize geniuses, especially the ones who shit themselves!] Apparently, a junior girl had bid high for Brandon’s notes, hoping for wisdom. Instead, she got blank pages, doodles, and crude ratings of girls’ appearances in each class. Things like “bangable,” “needs to be trained,” “huge tits.” It was disgusting. The girl demanded a refund. Brandon refused and insulted her. “Even if I bombed the last subject, I’m scoring over 700! Worship me and shut up! Just wait for my score to slap your face, bitch!” The girl was furious and posted everything. 700? Brandon had hit that in mocks. But my grades were so bad my parents never compared us. I quickly looked up his past scores. Me: 360. Brandon: 720. Me: 356. Brandon: 712. Me: 345. Brandon: 690. My scores hovered around 350. His were always double mine. Double. Exactly double. That was too coincidental!

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I was born a devil. At three, I killed animals for fun. At seven, I killed a person. Terrified, my family locked me away in a psychiatric hospital. Twelve years later, my gentle, kind-hearted older brother committed suicide. My mother checked me out of the asylum. The moment we stepped outside, her eyes burning with hatred, she said: “If you really are a devil, kill everyone who tormented your brother.” My family has a legend: if twins are born, one is destined to be a devil. In the old days, twins were burned alive together. Luckily, times have changed, so my brother and I were allowed to live. Before we turned three, everything was peaceful. We were cute kids, loved by everyone. But the whispers never stopped. One must be a devil. It was written into the family genealogy, a curse hanging over our heads. Our clan hasn’t seen twins in over three hundred years. When I was three, a goose tried to peck me. I grabbed its neck with both hands and bit its throat out. Blood sprayed everywhere. I dragged the dead goose home, presenting it to my mom like a trophy, saying we should eat it for dinner. My parents were horrified. The story spread through the village like wildfire. Demon child. But since the goose attacked first, and other kids saw it, my parents just thought I was fierce. Not a devil. The village elders agreed. Killing a child over a goose was illegal, after all. They just told my parents to watch me closely. But from then on, any animal that attacked me died a brutal death. My parents paid a lot in damages. When I was five, a group of kids, led by the village bully, cornered me, calling me a monster. I nearly beat the bully to death. If adults hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have made it. After that, I was locked in my room. Only my brother, Jack, would come to play. When he started school, he’d tell me stories and teach me to read. He said once I could read, I could enjoy novels. He shared everything with me. He was my only friend. When I was seven, I heard Mom crying in the yard. I peeked out the window. Jack had been beaten badly by the bully. The bully’s family was powerful; the village chief only gave them a slap on the wrist. But Jack’s right arm was broken. The tendons were severed. The doctor said even if it healed, his hand would never be the same. He’d struggle to hold anything heavier than a bowl. That night, I pried open my window. When my parents found me, I was at the bully’s house. The bully was dead. It wasn’t pretty. I was beaten bloody by his parents, but I was alive. When I saw my parents, I smiled. “I avenged Jack.” But they didn’t smile. The bully’s family didn’t smile. Seeing a blood-soaked seven-year-old grinning sent chills down everyone’s spine. The police came. Because of my age and what I did, I was sent to a psychiatric hospital. 2 For twelve years, Jack visited me every weekend. He brought snacks, taught me more words, and brought me storybooks. But then, a month and a half passed. Jack didn’t come. Mom came instead. I barely recognized her. She looked like a ghost—haggard, hair messy, eyes burning with hate. She had already processed my release. Maybe my twelve years of good behavior helped. She didn’t say a word the whole way home. I just watched. When we entered the yard, the smell of herbal medicine hit me. “Your father is paralyzed,” Mom finally said. “Someone broke his spine. He’s been bedridden for two years.” “Dad? The man who wouldn’t hurt a fly?” I laughed. Mom clenched her fists and walked into Jack’s room without answering. Inside, a white sheet covered a body on the bed. My smile froze. I walked over and lifted the sheet. Jack’s face was blue, peaceful in death. I pulled the sheet back further. Bruises on his neck—strangulation marks. Claw marks. I unbuttoned his shirt. His body was a map of scars. Some old, some new, some festering. Mom stood beside me, dry-eyed. She had no tears left. “If you really are a devil,” she hissed, “kill everyone who hurt your father and brother. If you hate me for sending you away, kill me too.” “Who?” I asked calmly. Mom told me everything through gritted teeth. Because I killed the bully when I was seven, his family held a grudge. They bullied my family relentlessly, rallying the village against us. My dad and Jack were too gentle. They took it. It started with beatings. Tearing Jack’s clothes off, making him walk home naked. Then it got worse. Cigarette burns. Carving humiliating words into his skin with knives. When the wounds healed, they carved them again. The village chief and elders told us to keep the peace. Dad finally snapped and fought back. But the bully’s family was ruthless and outnumbered him. They broke his spine. The elders made the bully’s family pay a small fine. No police involved. They threatened to kick us out of the village if we went to the cops. Because we had twins. Because I was a devil. After Dad was paralyzed, the bullying got worse. Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He drank pesticide. I grinned. “So, I can do whatever I want?” “Yes. I want them dead. All of them.” Mom screamed the last words, eyes wild. I looked at Jack’s body and smiled. “Jack, from today on, I am you. This is going to be fun.” 3 Mom kept Jack’s body in the freezer. I put on his clothes and stepped into his life. Jack had eleven cigarette burns. I took Dad’s cigarettes and burned myself in the exact same spots. I replicated every scar, expressionless. Mom watched. For the first time, she smiled at me. Before, she would have called me a monster. But now, her eyes held relief. Even joy. After the wounds scabbed over, I cut my hair like Jack’s. In his clothes, even Mom couldn’t tell us apart. “Jack,” she whispered, hugging me. “Mom, I’m going to the workshop,” I said, mimicking Jack’s gentle tone. She nodded, staring at me in a daze. I arrived at the carpentry workshop. The scent of sawdust was comforting. The Master was over sixty, the best carpenter in the village. He was one of the few who treated us like normal people. He looked surprised. He took off his glasses and studied me. “Jack, are you okay? I heard Chen the First gave you trouble again. Sigh. It’s a sin.” “I can’t do much besides woodwork, Jack. If you’re hurting, rest. I won’t dock your pay.” I shook my head and smiled. “Master, I’m fine. I want to learn.” I took the plane he offered and started working the wood, moving just like Jack did. Soon, another apprentice, Yang, arrived. He looked shocked to see me. He patted my shoulder. “Jack, heard Chen the First came for you again? That guy is too much. Someone needs to teach him a lesson.” I smiled faintly. “It’s in the past. Let’s work.” Yang wanted to say more but stayed quiet. Thirty minutes later, he made an excuse and left. The village’s best land was a resort, the village’s cash cow. Chen the First and his cronies ran it. It was his family’s business. Yang snuck in like a thief. “Boss Chen, Jack is back. He looks fine.” “Hah, Jack’s tough. Good. Means we can keep playing,” Chen the First laughed. “How about branding? Let’s brand the resort logo on his face. A walking billboard!” someone suggested. “Great idea! Get the blacksmith on it!” Chen the First roared with laughter. He slapped Yang on the back. “Good job. Next time we go drinking, you’re coming. Now go watch Jack.” “Thanks, Boss Chen!” Yang walked back happily, dreaming of booze and women. “Yang, you look happy.” My voice made him jump. He saw me leaning against a tree, whittling a branch with a carving knife. Yang turned pale. “Jack… w-why are you here?” I smiled. “I smell blood. Your blood smells delicious.” Yang’s eyes bulged. He backed away. “W-what do you want?” 4 He turned to run. I threw the knife. It struck his calf, slicing through flesh. He face-planted into the dirt. “Ah! Jack, are you crazy?! Do you know who I work for? I’m Chen the First’s man! You dare—AH!” I interrupted him by driving a sharpened wooden stake through his hand, hammering it into the ground with a rock. “Waaah… Jack! Brother Jack, I’m wrong! I shouldn’t have snitched! I won’t do it again! Please let me go! AH!” Every struggle tore his hand. He had to relax to lessen the pain. But soon, his other hand was nailed down too. He screamed and begged as I crucified him on the ground, spread-eagled. Every strike of the rock made him convulse. When I was done, I picked up a final, foot-long wooden stake and walked to his head. Pain had kept him conscious. He shook his head in terror. “No, no… Grandpa, Ancestor, please! I won’t do it again! Don’t kill me!” I squatted by his head. “Jack had to die for me to come out.” “His kindness was the only thing suppressing my evil. Thank you for releasing me.” Yang stared at me, trembling. “You… you’re… the devil!” I smiled. I positioned the stake over his mouth. A half-scream, then the dull thud of rock on wood. Thirty seconds later, silence. A few crows gathered, eyeing the meal pinned to the ground. I returned to the workshop and kept working. The Master asked nothing. It was my first time doing woodwork, but the Master taught me patiently. Around noon, the village erupted in noise. Cries and shouts. A man ran in. “Master Chen! Your apprentice is dead! On the west mountain path! Come look!” The Master glanced at me, put down his tools, and waved. “Let’s go.” A crowd had gathered on the mountain path. The stakes had been pulled out. Yang’s body was covered with a straw mat. His mother was wailing beside it. Only men were allowed; women were kept away to avoid the shock. Even the men looked green. Everyone speculated, but no one suspected me. Jack was the village punching bag. He never fought back. The elders ordered an investigation and told the Master to make a coffin. We worked through the night. We delivered the coffin to Yang’s house on a cart. As soon as we unloaded it, Yang’s mother slapped the Master. “You old useless thing! I sent my son to learn from you! Why didn’t you watch him?! Why didn’t you die instead?!” Then Yang’s sister kicked me. She pointed a finger in my face. “You devil spawn! When your mom birthed twins, we should have burned you both!” “And your mom… probably slept with a demon! Your whole family deserves to die! Why did my brother have to die?!” I looked at the footprint on my stomach and smiled at her. “How do you want to die?” 5 Her face twisted in fear. She raised her hand to hit me again but hesitated. She stomped back and screamed, “Dad! Jack molested me!” Yang’s father stormed over, eyes blazing. “You little shit! Touching my daughter?!” He slapped me hard across the face. I didn’t dodge. The sound echoed in the quiet night. The Master tried to speak, but Yang’s mother shoved him. “What? You old fool! Siding with the devil spawn? You killed my son, now you want to ruin us all?!” The Master lowered his head. Yang’s family vented all their grief and rage on me. Now I knew how they treated Jack. I took it all silently. Finally, they got tired. “Leave the kid here to work,” Yang’s father barked. “Damn kid is creepy. Doesn’t make a sound.” The Master looked at me with a complicated expression. “Thank you,” he whispered, then left with the empty cart. “Demon spawn! Get over here! Put my son in the coffin!” Yang’s father yelled. I got up and silently lifted Yang’s body into the coffin. They made me stand guard outside alone while they went to sleep. Late at night, I heard rustling from the sister’s room. I crept over. Through the gap in the curtains, I saw Chen the First climbing in through the second-floor window. “Missed me, baby?” He grabbed her immediately, hands roaming. “First… be gentle. My brother just died. You have to find the killer,” she moaned. “Stupid woman. He’s dead, good riddance. No one to fight you for the inheritance now,” Chen the First chuckled, stripping off her clothes. “Idiot. Find the killer, get compensation money, then send him to jail.” She giggled. They didn’t even fully undress before going at it by the window. “Jack was weird today. Didn’t make a sound when we beat him. And the way he looked at me… that smile gave me the creeps,” she said. Chen the First sneered. “My brother was killed by his twin when he was seven. Don’t clean up later. Go seduce Jack. I’ll come through the front door to ‘mourn’ Yang, catch you two, and bury him with your brother.” Her eyes flashed with malice. “Deal.”

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1 Lucas Frost and I were famous in our circle as “The Toxic Exes.” We tortured each other for ten years until we reached a truce. But on the first day he returned from abroad, just to make his new beauty smile, he trashed my bar. I tore into him verbally. “Tsk, breaking your place felt good,” he sneered. “Name your price. I’ll pay whatever you want for damages.” What demands could a dying woman have? After my last checkup, I knew I was out of time. A mother and daughter in the waiting room, both recovered, looked at me with pity. “That poor girl. So young, and in the end, she won’t even have anyone to collect her body.” Sitting in the cold hospital hallway, I dialed that number I’d had saved for ten years. “If you really want to compensate me… collect my body when I’m gone.” … It was a rainy night, and the bar was empty. The TV was playing the news about Lucas Frost’s return. Just as I was about to close up, a young girl walked in. She folded her umbrella and pointed excitedly at the bottles behind the counter. “I’ll take all of these.” Behind her walked Lucas’s best friend, Ethan Cole. When he saw me, he froze. “Uh, maybe we should go somewhere else?” “But I brought this wine to Lucas before, and he loved it! He said it was his favorite.” The girl turned to me, beaming. “Bartender, I’m booking the whole place tonight. Bring out those bottles.” I nodded, my hands trembling slightly as I scooped ice. Not from nerves, or excitement. But because my illness was terminal, and the tremors were getting worse. “Ethan, can you light the candles? Lucas will be so happy when he gets here, right?” Ethan didn’t answer. He knew that seeing me was the last thing that would make Lucas happy. On the TV, Lucas smirked at the cameras. “She’s definitely watching. I’m looking forward to our reunion.” From this angle, the scar on his eyebrow was glaringly obvious. I gave him that scar with a kitchen knife. No reason. I was just in a bad mood, so I cut him. The jagged scar on the webbing of my hand was from when he ripped my skin open with his bare hands. It got infected repeatedly, leaving this mark. “Mr. Frost, where are you headed now? With those roses, are you meeting your girlfriend?” He paused for a beat. “My fiancée.” The girl in my bar was busy setting the mood. Hearing the news report, she turned to look at the TV. “Ethan, have you ever met his first love? The one he dated for ten years?” I kept my head down, shaking the mixer, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan glance at me. “Lucas!” The girl ran out excitedly, forgetting her umbrella. “Zoey.” Lucas tilted his umbrella to cover her. She stood on her tiptoes, planting an excited kiss on the corner of his mouth. Lucas flinched back slightly. Our eyes met through the rain-streaked glass. Zoey tried to turn around to follow his gaze, but he grabbed her chin, tilting her head up for a deep kiss. I looked away and dropped a mint leaf into the glass. Ethan walked up to the counter. He hesitated before speaking. “Please, don’t make trouble for him again.” He thought for a moment, then added. “She’s pretty, right? She looks a bit like you did when you were younger. She’s only nineteen.” I nodded, feeling a bit dazed. “She is pretty.” Two figures walked into the bar. Lucas closed his black umbrella. “Are you guys… praising my fiancée?” With that, his gaze fell heavily on me. It had been a long time. 2 Ethan held his breath, watching me. He wasn’t sure if I’d do something crazy again. But I just slid the glasses toward them. “Drinks are ready. Enjoy.” Zoey rested her chin in her hands, eyes full of joy as she looked at the man across from her. “Lucas, try it. It’s the one you said was your favorite.” Lucas took a sip, his fingers tracing the rim of the glass. “Bitter and astringent. Indeed, my favorite.” Zoey took a suspicious sip. “But this isn’t sweet! You lied to me again!” She didn’t notice his eyes were fixed intensely on me. The bar door was kicked open. “Bro! Welcome back!” A group of guys swaggered in. Their joyous expressions froze the moment they saw me. Their eyes darted between me and Ethan, cautious and probing. I brought over their drinks. As I handed them out, they all flinched, raising their arms to block their faces. During my war with Lucas, they had been caught in the crossfire a few times. Just minor skirmishes, but apparently, they held a grudge. “Ethan, what’s the situation?” one whispered. Ethan shrugged. “Enjoy.” I turned to leave, but Zoey grabbed my hand. “Miss, can you take a picture for us?” “No.” I dusted off my apron and started to walk away. Lucas’s voice stopped me. “You’re running a business. Everything has a price. Name yours.” I didn’t speak. He threw a stack of cash at me. “Enough?” I turned around. The wad of bills hit me square in the face. “Lucas… don’t…” “Sorry, miss, my fiancée is a bit drunk.” I bent down to pick up the money. “With his tolerance, two drinks won’t get him drunk.” A scoff came from above. “Bro, she still loves money this much. Three years later, still a cheap piece of trash.” Maybe I’d been too quiet, giving them the confidence to speak like that. I picked up ten bills, crumpled and dirty with alcohol and mud, and balled them up. I walked calmly up to Lucas. He held out his phone confidently, seeming to enjoy my current temperament. I grabbed his jaw, forcing his mouth open, and shoved the ball of cash inside. Just to make sure it went down, I poured two drinks down his throat along with it. Turning around, I slapped the guy who called me trash. “Run your mouth again, and I’ll sew it shut.” It happened so fast, the only sound left was the rain outside. Only Ethan sighed, leaning back and downing a drink. “Boss, this isn’t how you do business! We were wrong first, hitting you was wrong, but he…” I turned and slapped him too. Lucas wiped his mouth, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Hitting me is fine. But slapping my fiancée’s face? Too far. Zoey, how do you want to vent?” Zoey covered her face, tears welling in her eyes. Lucas scanned the room. “Nice place. Smash it to make Zoey feel better?” As she nodded, bodyguards filed in with bats. Windows, the island, the lights—everything was smashed to pieces. Through the broken window, rain lashed against my face. Lucas pinched my cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, but I need to make Zoey happy. Think about what compensation you want. I’ll agree to anything.” His greedy gaze lingered on my face. I shook him off, coughing uncontrollably, frantically searching through the rubble for my medicine bottle. He glanced at the label with disdain. “Taking six sedatives at once? Trying to kill yourself?” He threw the bottle into a puddle and walked away with his arm around Zoey. I crouched by the puddle, fished out two more pills, and swallowed them. These weren’t just sedatives; they were painkillers. It started with half a pill. Now, eight pills barely took the edge off. The medicine was running out, and so was my life. 3 In the last three years, my mom died. She left me this bar. It was all I had. Suddenly, I didn’t know where to go. Or maybe the pain racking my body made me too lazy to move. I sat in the ruins, soaked by rain all night. By morning, the scandal of Lucas Frost’s revenge on his ex was all over the news in Seacity. As the sun rose, I decided to leave. Before I did, I kowtowed three times to the wreckage. Lucas appeared out of nowhere. He stepped over the debris and lifted me up with one hand. “It’s just a broken bar. Why do this to yourself?” I dusted off my hands, stood steady, and slapped him three times. Hard. “My mom’s memorial tablet was in there. I couldn’t find it, so I kowtowed.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Three slaps for your mom’s tablet. Fair trade.” I ignored him and walked out. He followed, chattering, trying to provoke me. “Jane, I’m talking to you.” I walked like I was deaf. He hurried to catch up. “Stop pretending you don’t care. Do you know how terrible you look right now? Still acting tough.” “Got a little sick, look a little haggard. Do you really think you’re important enough to affect me?” But I was certain of one thing. He came back specifically to torment me. If I were healthy, I wouldn’t mind skinning him alive again. But now, I didn’t have the energy. At the hospital. Several doctors looked at my scans with complicated expressions. “How much medicine do you have left?” “None.” “None?! That was a three-month supply! You finished it in a week?” Dr. Zhang had been managing my case. The moment he faltered, I knew. My time was up. “Where are… your parents?” “Dr. Zhang, you really have a bad memory. After all this time, don’t you know me? Just a few years of torture, then a handful of dirt. I can handle it.” He adjusted his glasses. “Your mood has been stable for three years. Why the sudden change this week?” I looked at the news notification on my phone. Sometimes, the people you care about least become the invisible executioners. “Your condition is very bad. Without medication, it could be seven days, a month, maybe three. Hard to say.” “Take this. Take three pills when it hurts. Remember, maximum three…” Before he finished, I opened the bottle and swallowed a mouthful. Didn’t matter how many. As long as it stopped hurting. Seven days or three months, it was all the same to me. After taking the pills, I squatted in the most inconspicuous corner of the hospital. Leaning against the cold wall, sweat soaked my back over and over again. In ten minutes, I heard every prayer and plea imaginable outside the operating room. “Mommy, is that the big sister from before? Should we say goodbye when we get better?” “She won’t get better. Let’s not upset her. Sigh, poor kid. No parents, serious illness. Probably won’t even have anyone to collect her body when she dies.” The little girl looked up innocently. “Her mom and dad… there must be someone in the world who loves her, right?” I looked at the blurry text on my phone, rubbing my eyes for a long time. It was a text from Lucas. He’d been messaging since last night, asking about compensation. I thought, maybe no one loves me, but I might have found someone to collect my body. I dialed the number I had saved for ten years. He picked up quickly. “Decided?” “If you insist on compensation, Lucas… collect my body when I die.” 4 Silence on the other end for three seconds, followed by a scoff. “People as vicious as you usually live a long time. But if you really do die before me, don’t worry. I’ll give you a grand funeral. I’ll light up the whole city for you!” With that promise, I hung up satisfied. Walking out of the hospital, I saw the mother and daughter from earlier. The little girl patted her chest. “Who says no one loves her? I love her.” “Alright, let’s go. The bus… oh, the bus!” The mother chased after it. I walked to the parking garage. When I drove out, they were still there, so I offered them a ride. “Get in. I’ll drop you off.” I took them to the city center. They thanked me profusely. “Well, look who’s doing charity work? Trying to buy some good karma?” Lucas and his crew stumbled out of a bar nearby. Zoey stared at me intently. I didn’t want to deal with them. I tried to drive away, but Zoey pressed her hand against my window. She smiled, but her eyes were cold. “Sister, I just found out about you and Lucas. Yesterday… I didn’t offend you, did I?” I tried to roll up the window, but she held it down. “Sister, I have something for you. I mean no harm.” “I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Scram.” Zoey suddenly let go. As I started to drive, she pulled a jar from her bag. “I heard your mom’s urn was in the shop. I was afraid you’d have nothing to remember her by, so I went this morning and scooped up some ashes from the site.” She reached into the window and, right in front of my face, poured the ash onto the ground. “Oops! Sister, why didn’t you catch it? You won’t blame me, right?” I watched her performance. Great. She asked for it. The guys behind her didn’t know what was happening; they were praising Zoey’s magnanimity. “Zoey is so thoughtful, talking to her despite the disgust, and even giving a gift.” Zoey turned back confidently, walking toward the car in front of me. She waved the keys, celebrating her victory. I looked at the guy next to my window. “I have a gift for her too.” He smirked. “What could you possibly give her?” I buckled my seatbelt. “A ride to hell.” Before the sentence ended, I slammed the gas pedal. I smashed into the Porsche in front of me. The impact was violent. My car drifted out of control, but I gripped the wheel and didn’t let up on the gas. In the rearview mirror, the drunk guys sobered up instantly. “She’s crazy!” “I told you she was a ticking time bomb! You had to provoke her!” “Relax, she’s a paper tiger. If she wanted to fight, she would have already. Just scaring us to vent.” True, I just needed to vent. But I wasn’t done yet. Zoey stumbled out of the smoking car, playing the victim again. “Lucas… did I do something wrong?” Lucas was bleeding from his head, rushing to the other side of the car to grab Zoey. He seemed to realize my intent. “Jane! Don’t you dare!” Joke’s on him. I dare do anything. I stared at Zoey and floored it. The car roared toward her.

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Chapter 1 At our high school reunion, our former class beauty was basking in the limelight when someone popped the question: “Sophie, we’re all pushing thirty, and most of us are hitched. Why are you still single?” Sophie smiled faintly. “People get stuck on the ones they couldn’t have in their youth and waste their lives. I’m just… not willing to settle.” Her gaze drifted toward Julian, who was sitting right next to me. Her eyes were heavy with meaning. The table instantly erupted in teasing: “You’re talking about Julian, aren’t you?” “You two were my favorite couple back then! I was so bummed when Chloe snatched him up.” “Chloe just took advantage of the situation. You met Julian first.” Amidst the noise, I nudged the man beside me and whispered: “Hubby, they’re saying I stole you. What’s your take?” “Chloe, you and Julian are married?!” Gasps echoed around the table. Sophie jerked her head up, her eyes locking onto Julian with disbelief. A few classmates laughed awkwardly. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? We’re old friends, that’s cold!” “Yeah… unless Julian didn’t want to?” “When Sophie went abroad, he was heartbroken for ages. Heard he almost spiraled into depression.” “So it makes sense he settled for Chloe.” “Why are you defending Chloe? Everyone knows Sophie was just too poor back then, and Chloe took advantage…” I ignored the gossip and put some of Julian’s favorite dishes onto his plate. After all, we dated for three years and have been married for two. Not every high school sweetheart story gets a sequel just because the ex comes back. Besides, Julian and I grew up together. I made him come tonight; otherwise, Sophie wouldn’t even have had the chance to see him. But Julian, sitting beside me, remained silent. I glanced at him. He was staring intensely at Sophie, not touching the food I gave him. The atmosphere cooled. I put down my chopsticks. He couldn’t… still be hung up on her, right? I almost forgot. In high school, Julian’s love for Sophie was legendary. Back then, Sophie was so poor she sometimes couldn’t afford lunch. Julian tried to help, but she pushed him away coldly, pointing at his nose and shouting: “You’re just like them, looking down on people from your high horse!” Eventually, she was moved by his persistence, and they got together. But in our sophomore year of college, Sophie left a breakup letter and went abroad. The letter said: “I don’t deserve you. I don’t want to hold you back.” Julian chased her to the airport, only to see her plane taking off. He cried his heart out and fell into a deep depression. It’s true. I took advantage of his lowest point. I opened the door he had locked and pulled him back from the edge. “She doesn’t want you, but I do. What do you like about her? Being poor? I can change that.” From that day on, I lived as a shadow of Sophie. My family’s business survived only because of the Jiang family’s support. When the Jiang family arranged our marriage, I was ready to step aside. But he hugged me tight. That night, he cried and begged me to love him, not to abandon him too. “If you leave too, I’ll die.” I sighed and touched his face. “Julian, no one dies from a breakup.” “But I love you.” “What about Sophie?” He tightened his grip on my waist and kissed me. “I hate her. From now on, I only want Chloe.” The next morning, the Jiang family accepted me as their daughter-in-law. People whispered behind my back. They called me shameless, a schemer. They said the Wen family was bankrupt and I seduced Julian to save it. They were all waiting for me to get divorced, waiting to laugh at me. But for five years, Julian and I only got better. More in love. Until now—seeing the way he looked at Sophie. My heart clenched. “Hilarious. I don’t dumpster dive.” Julian’s words froze the smile on Sophie’s face. “I married Chloe because I love her. Who hasn’t met a few trashy people in their youth? Don’t throw dirt on my wife.” His tone shifted to mockery: “And Miss Xia, you went abroad and this is it? You opened a company? Do you even have a million in assets? Do you have ten employees?” Sophie’s smile vanished completely. Julian grabbed my hand, his voice softening: “Babe, I told you I didn’t want to come. Why bother with these people?” “You’re right,” I whispered back. “Whoever you scold deserves it.” The room was dead silent. The reunion ended shortly after. The classmates who were gossiping came over to apologize, wishing us a long life together. Sophie sat there, head down, unmoving. But as Julian walked out the door, he looked back. Regret and sadness made that woman look years older in just a few hours. I felt Julian’s hand on my waist tighten. Then he looked forward, smiling as if nothing happened, and got into the car with me. But back home, the incident gnawed at me. I put down my bag, my voice dry. “Julian, if you want to get back with Sophie, we can divorce…” Before I could finish, he pushed me onto the sofa, his hand on my neck. He silenced me with a finger, tracing down my collarbone. His cold, handsome face made my breath hitch. “Stop talking nonsense…” He leaned in, his breath warm. “Let me carry you to the bedroom, okay? I want you.” Chapter 2 He kissed me. We tangled all the way to the bedroom. For a moment, I almost forgot the unhappiness. Just as I smiled, Julian’s phone rang. I answered instinctively. Soft breathing came from the other end. Sophie’s voice was drunk and broken: “Julian… couldn’t you have waited a little longer? It’s only been five years…” “You call me trash, but you don’t know… I’ve always loved only you.” I was silent for a moment. “Sophie, it’s 3 AM.” “My husband just fell asleep from exhaustion. Do you need me to wake him up?” Silence on the other end, then the call cut off. I looked at Julian, sleeping beside me, frowning. His lashes trembled, lips pressed into a thin line, like he was having a nightmare. I lay down in his arms, closed my eyes, and tried not to think. I woke up less than two hours later. The bed beside me was empty. Where did Julian go in the middle of the night? Hearing voices outside, I worried about intruders. I ran to the door barefoot and cracked it open. Seeing the living room, I felt cold, like I was standing on ice. Sophie was sitting on the sofa, looking pitiful, pulling at Julian’s sleeve. “I’m sorry, Julian. I regret it. Can’t you give me another chance?” Julian pulled his sleeve back coldly, calling someone on Sophie’s phone. “Come get your girlfriend. Don’t let her drunkenly harass people at their homes in the middle of the night!” Soon, footsteps approached. I opened the crack wider and recognized the man. It was Ethan Fu—he lived in the same villa district. The only son of Shanghai’s biggest tourism developer. His family was even wealthier than the Jiangs. Seeing his red-rimmed eyes, I sighed. Sophie must have saved a country in her past life. Poor as a teenager, but a rich heir paved her way in high school. Now, a little gilding abroad, and the “Prince of Shanghai” is frantic over her. People really are different. I didn’t go out to witness the drama. I closed the door. My phone buzzed with a message from my best friend: [That bitch Sophie got drunk at a bar and cried about loving Julian to the camera! The video is online!] [Disgusting woman. She’s pushing thirty, her career is failing, and seeing you and Julian happy made her regret it!] I interrupted her rage and sent a photo of my living room: [Sophie seems to have a boyfriend. It’s Ethan Fu.] [WTF! Does that woman have a stupid-ray or something? Is Ethan blind?!] Hearing the noise outside fade, I snuck back into bed. But the next morning, arguing woke me up. I opened the door to find Julian’s parents sitting on the sofa, faces grim. They must have seen the trending topic. “Get Sophie out of Shanghai!” Julian’s father demanded. “That video of her crying in the bar is a disgrace! Shareholders are asking questions!” “She abandoned you to go abroad! Julian, don’t be stupid. She’s using these dirty tricks to ruin your marriage!” “If you don’t handle this cleanly, don’t blame the Jiang Group for blacklisting her officially!” His father stormed out. Julian stood there, fists clenched, eyes red. He turned and saw me. “Wifey?” Panic flashed in his eyes. “The trending topic has nothing to do with me. And Sophie is engaged to Ethan. I don’t know why she’s doing this.” “I’ll handle it.” Julian had gradually taken over the Jiang Group. This incident seemed to spark a rivalry with the Fu family. He dragged me into couple endorsements to boost the company’s image and quietly stole business from the Fu family to force Ethan to send Sophie away. Until a month later. We were leaving a club after a gathering. Julian and I opened the door, and Sophie stumbled out from the end of the hallway. She wore a white dress, disheveled, scratches on her face. “Julian, save me! Help me…” It was déjà vu. It took me back five years. Sophie in high school was like a wild begonia in barren soil, stubborn and proud. That’s why Julian fell for her. She grabbed Julian’s sleeve with all her strength. Seeing me, she stiffened, lowered her head, and backed away. “Ms… Ms. Wen, I didn’t mean to. I’ll leave Shanghai immediately. I’ll never…” A tear fell from her eye. She clenched her fist. “I’ll never appear in front of Julian again.” Then she turned and limped toward the exit. Watching her lonely figure, I was confused. I didn’t expect Sophie to be manipulative enough to stage this scene to frame me. Her acting was so real, as if I really had sent people to teach her a lesson. She seemed to be asking Julian for help, but she was painting me as a vicious villain. But she was Ethan’s fiancée. The Wen family couldn’t afford to offend the Fu family. I forced a sarcastic smile and looked at Julian. He was expressionless. I couldn’t read him. “I heard the Jiang Group blacklisted her. Her company is going bankrupt. She’s been begging everywhere.” Julian held my hand, smiling coldly. “None of my business.” Chapter 3 In the car, I probed again. “Julian, about what just happened… do you think I did it?” He pulled me into his arms. “I believe you. It wasn’t you.” I nodded. The Fu family was too powerful. I wasn’t that stupid. And Julian witnessed how hard I worked to save the Wen family from bankruptcy. He should know how much I cherish our life now. But the next day, 500 million was transferred out of my account! Wen Corp was about to go public. That 500 million was life or death! I called Julian. No answer. Frantic, I drove to his office. Pushing open the door, I saw Sophie sitting there crying, her wounds freshly bandaged. Julian sat next to her, looking up at me. “500 million was taken from my account. Was it…” Even though I guessed, I wanted him to admit it. “It was me.” “Why?” Julian’s eyes were cold. “Sophie’s company owed 500 million. I paid it for her.” Sophie looked up in shock, checking her phone for the repayment notification. The assistants looked at each other. I stared at Julian, confused. He tightened his grip on Sophie’s hand, protecting her. “Chloe, you owe her this!” He threw a stack of documents on the table. Photos scattered. First photo: Sophie being stepped on in the club, her white dress dirty, eyes unfocused. Second photo: Someone pulling her hair, forcing her mouth open, seemingly feeding her something. Third photo: Pure terror on her face, collar torn, revealing her collarbone and bra. There were also two signed confessions. Two thugs admitted I hired them to “teach Sophie a lesson.” And a check with my signature. “Chloe, didn’t I tell you?! I said I’d listen to Mom and Dad and negotiate with the Fu family to send her away! Why did you use such dirty methods to humiliate her?!” Julian’s voice roared with anger. “Luckily she escaped! She suffered such humiliation and only asked for 500 million in compensation. It’s cheap for an ungrateful, vicious woman like you!” I looked up at Julian, my blood freezing. “So last night you hugged me and said you believed me, then turned around and collected evidence to convict me?” Julian stood up. “Chloe, this time, you went too far!” I almost lost it. I laughed sarcastically, stepping back and pointing at Sophie. “Her fiancée is Ethan Fu! Touch her? Who in Shanghai dares to touch her? Julian, do you really think I’m that stupid? She obviously set me up!” “Julian…” Sophie tugged his sleeve, eyes red. “Ethan… never planned to marry me. I was just a pawn for him to rebel against his family…” Julian swayed. Then he grabbed her hand and looked at me with disgust. “Chloe, you probably knew Ethan wouldn’t stand up for her, right? So you dared to use such vicious means! You make me sick!” The absurdity made me laugh in anger. “Julian! We’ve known each other twenty years, married for five! Someone frames me, and you don’t even give me a chance to explain? You just sentence me to death?!” “The evidence is solid! How can you deny it!” Julian raised his hand to slap me. Slap! My head turned from the force. The commotion drew employees. The door was crowded. Whispers became audible. [Omg, Ms. Wen hired thugs… playing dirty?] [Couldn’t tell. Ruthless social climber!] [But they’re married. Mr. Jiang is entangled with his ex. Any woman would be jealous. Just had her beaten up a bit.] The comments got nastier. Someone reminded them: Julian and I were the married couple! Suddenly, Sophie struggled to stand up. She grabbed Julian and shouted at the door: “My business with Julian has nothing to do with anyone else! I was wrong! It’s all my fault! Blame me!” Julian froze. Slowly, he held her hand, eyes reddening. That look… like he had recovered a lost treasure. In that moment, I understood. His insults at the reunion, his defense of me—it was all to spite Sophie. He wanted to make her regret, make her jealous, make her chase him. He was always smart. He got what he wanted. I laughed at myself. “Julian, you could have just told me.” “I said long ago, if you choose her, we can divor—” “Divorce?!” A man’s surprised, excited voice interrupted from the doorway. We all turned. Chapter 4 Ethan stood in the doorway. He glanced at me, then quickly looked away. His fiancée was holding hands with my husband, yet he was suppressing a smile. “You’re really divorcing?” He realized his reaction was too eager and awkwardly clenched his lighter. “Cough… sorry. Just surprised.” I looked away and addressed Julian. “Since Mr. Fu is here, let’s clear the air. Julian, return the 500 million, and I’ll sign the divorce papers immediately.” “As for Mr. Fu, even though Sophie says she’s just a pawn, given the situation, do you have any objections?” Ethan walked to my side. He hesitated, then said: “Chloe, if I give you 500 million, can I watch you sign the divorce papers?” Silence. “Ethan, are you sick?” Julian frowned. Employees whispered: [What’s with Mr. Fu? Likes watching divorces? Rich people are weird.] [No way. Fiancée stolen by a rival. This must be revenge. You steal my girl, I steal your wife…] [That works?] It made sense. I turned around. Ethan was sneaking glances at Sophie. He wanted to use Julian’s tactic. Since I helped Julian, I didn’t mind helping him. “Thank you, Mr. Fu. I can go to your office to sign the contract later. Once Wen Corp survives this, I will repay this favor.” Ethan nodded and walked away. I: “…” “Congratulations, Mr. Jiang, Miss Xia. The unreachable love of your youth is finally fulfilled. You both won.” For years, Julian hid this deep love. He almost fooled me. But now, it was time to end it completely.

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I discovered I was the villainess in a BL novel only after my boyfriend cheated on me with my childhood friend. Right now, my boyfriend and my childhood friend are locking lips with unmistakable passion. With tears in my eyes, I offered my blessings, willingly stepped aside as the “discarded woman,” and immediately booked a one-way flight out of the country. No one knew that my boyfriend was a possessive psychopath. Three months later, someone blocked my doorway. My childhood friend licked my earlobe and asked, his voice dripping with grievance: “Yao Yao, you seduced me into stealing your boyfriend. How could you abandon me like this?” 1 I was comforting my best friend after her breakup. She got wasted. I half-dragged, half-carried her home. “Why is that douchebag here? Didn’t you say he was on a business trip?” The “douchebag” in Chloe’s vocabulary referred to only one person: my boyfriend, Shen Yan. A billionaire heir with a control freak streak a mile wide. No unauthorized friends. Three daily check-in calls. Phone inspections every night. Tonight, I had snuck out behind his back to drink with Chloe. I denied it instantly. “Impossible.” But I instinctively looked where she was pointing. My heart nearly stopped. I clamped a hand over Chloe’s mouth and dragged her into the bushes. Through the leaves, I saw it. My boyfriend was hugging someone. I almost laughed out loud. Yes! He’s cheating! Finally, a reason to break up! I raised my phone to snap a picture, eager to secure the evidence. I squinted closer. Wait. The person he was hugging… looked like my childhood friend, Lu Yue. My brain short-circuited. Holy crap. My boyfriend is gay! Chloe let out a violent hiccup and threw up all over the ground. I missed my chance. The couple had already walked away. I was so mad I ripped a handful of leaves off the bush. Chloe, finally processing what she saw, squinted and slurred: “That person the douchebag was hugging… looked like a dude…” 2 That night, I had a nightmare. In the dream, I was a supporting character—the villainess—in a BL novel. The “Top” was the billionaire heir, my current boyfriend, Shen Yan. The “Bottom” was my childhood friend, Lu Yue. And me? I was the vicious female antagonist Shen Yan settled for after failing to get Lu Yue. In the story, after discovering Shen Yan was in love with Lu Yue, I went crazy and tried to stab him. I ended up in prison, miserable and disgraced. Shen Yan lovingly nursed the injured Lu Yue back to health, and they lived happily ever after. On the day of their wedding, the day I was released from prison, I got hit by a car and died. I woke up speechless for a second, then screamed: “Bullshit!” What an insult. If I actually liked that dog of a man Shen Yan, I’d walk into traffic or choke on water right now. Who in their right mind would like a psychopath like Shen Yan? It was slander! Pure slander! I was so angry I started crying. A raspy voice whispered in my ear. Someone wrapped an arm around my waist and asked: “Baby, who are you cursing? Why are you crying?” 3 I looked up and met Shen Yan’s smiling eyes. My legs went weak. Last night, after dropping Chloe off, I tried to sneak home. The moment I opened the door, the house was pitch black. Before I could hit the lights, someone lifted my shirt, covered my mouth, pinned me against the wall, and kissed me forcefully. “Baby, you smell like alcohol. Where did you go?” He “stir-fried” me all night long. No matter how I tried to explain, he wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t understand. Did Lu Yue not satisfy him? Useless. I retorted immediately, full of righteous indignation: “I dreamed you cheated on me.” Shen Yan’s smile didn’t falter. His hand under the covers was tearing at my nightgown. This was the twenty-third nightgown this month! I held it down desperately. I continued: “I also dreamed that not only did you cheat, you came out of the closet!” The wandering hand finally stopped. Shen Yan stopped smiling. His eyes hinted at danger. Seizing his moment of guilt, I went for the kill. I said with absolute calm: “I want to break up.” Shen Yan laughed again. An angry laugh. “Breaking up over a ridiculous dream? Are you playing with me?” He pinched the back of my neck, gritting his teeth: “Don’t forget, you’re the ‘treasure’ your father pawned to me. “We only break up when I say so.” 4 Breakup attempt failed. I was locked in the “dark room” for a month. Shen Yan called it his “rut period” and claimed he needed my comfort. Honestly, among all the “beasts,” mermen are the prettiest. All sparkly and shiny. But eating the same dish every day gets old. Especially when that dish is a blackened, yandere, neurotic mess. I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t chew it. I needed someone to share the burden. We’re all sisters here; I shouldn’t hoard the goods. So I sought out Lu Yue. Lu Yue elegantly cut my steak and handed it to me. “Yao Yao, you haven’t come to see me in so long. I thought you hated me.” That “Yao Yao”—so soft, so dripping with tenderness. No wonder he’s a fox spirit. In the past, that tone would have given me goosebumps. Lu Yue loved calling me that back then. Before he was reclaimed by the Lu family, he was even more twisted than he is now. Whenever he called my name, I knew I was in for it. A swarm of girls who liked him would get jealous and bully me. They’d splash water on me, scare me with bugs, pour boiling water on me, force me to run laps in the summer heat. Only by sticking to his side 24/7 could I avoid the torment. Which, of course, made me a thorn in the girls’ eyes. I knew it was all his sick game. When he was unhappy, he’d sic those girls on me. Then, when I was at my lowest, he’d pretend to be the kind, gentle savior, expecting me to be grateful. Lu Yue wanted me to fall madly in love with him, just like those girls. Because he said he liked me. But I didn’t like him, so he wanted me to suffer. I said coldly, “You’re overthinking it.” Lu Yue smiled and stole a piece of meat from my plate. A piece I had already bitten. “I still prefer Yao Yao’s things.” Lu Yue licked his lips, radiating seduction. Psycho. I cursed internally and gave him a dirty look. I asked: “Why did you go see Shen Yan?” Lu Yue looked at me, eyes full of doting affection. Like he was indulging a tantrum-throwing girlfriend. “Because you wouldn’t come out to see me, Yao Yao. So I had to go find Shen Yan.” He smiled again. “Shen Yan seemed much happier to see me than you did.” I jumped up in rage. My heels were too high; I almost twisted my ankle. My voice was shrill, bordering on hysterical: “You know how much I love Shen Yan, yet you go and seduce him! You just can’t stand to see me happy, can you?”

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My younger brother used my gaming account to boost a girl’s rank, then dumped her cold. Her older brother tracked me down. As soon as I logged in, I got pulled into a private lobby. After getting yelled at for a solid thirty minutes… I was confused and terrified, so I said in a small voice: “I’m sorry, big brother. I was wrong. “If you’re still mad, you can yell at me for another half hour. It’s all my fault.” Silence on the other end. Then, a crisp slap sound echoed through my headset. His voice suddenly changed, turning soft and husky: “No, I’m the one who should apologize. “Let me carry you to a higher rank to make it up to you.” Fast forward to the end-of-summer Parent-Teacher Conference. My brother finally met my “boyfriend” and broke down completely: “Sis, I got dumped, and you’re happily dating her brother?!” 1 I let my brother use my gaming account for a month over the summer. He claimed he earned me the title of “Number One Jungler in the State.” Excited, I logged in to take a screenshot. But the moment I got online, I was dragged into a private lobby. The other player had a cute anime girl avatar. But when the mic turned on, it was a clear, pleasant male voice: “We’re all adults here. You should know right from wrong. “Seducing a high schooler, dating for two weeks, then dumping them? What is that? “Zero responsibility. Zero integrity. “People like you just drift through life making stupid mistakes. You’re consistent, I’ll give you that. “A certified idiot.” He sounded angry. But he also didn’t seem very good at insults. Still, nobody likes getting trash-talked non-stop. After a full thirty minutes of this lecture, he paused to catch his breath, then said indignantly: “Why aren’t you saying anything? “Do you think you have no defense?” I was completely lost. Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about or what I did wrong. Dating? Seducing? Me? I’ve been single since birth. But I’m a known pushover. A classic people-pleaser. If someone confronts me, I usually just fold. I turned on my mic and whispered timidly: “I’m sorry, big brother. I was wrong. “Are you less angry now? “If not, you can yell at me for another thirty minutes. It’s all my fault.” Dead silence on the other end. Suddenly, a loud SLAP echoed in my headset. It was so loud I jumped. Then came a low, regretful murmur: “Oh god, I deserve to die…” I let out a confused “Huh?” He cleared his throat. His voice suddenly dropped an octave, becoming magnetic and deep: “No, I’m the one who should apologize. “I’ll carry you in ranked matches to make it up to you.” Yay! No more yelling. I blinked. “Thank you, big brother.” He coughed again. The game started. I was immediately distracted by the “Level 99 Couple” badge on the loading screen. Then I noticed our usernames were matching: Mine: [Help Grandma Across the Street] His: [Help Grandma Run the Red Light] I was so confused. I tilted my head and asked politely: “Excuse me, when did we start dating? “Why didn’t I know about this?” 2 I heard a crash on his end, like something heavy falling over. He seemed flustered. His character even wasted a Flash spell by accident. “It wasn’t us. “Was someone else using your account recently?” I nodded. Realizing he couldn’t see me, I quickly explained: “Yes. “My brother was playing on my account all summer.” He sighed deeply. “That explains it. “It was your brother and my sister dating.” After his explanation, I finally understood. My brother used my account to flirt with a girl, carry her in games, and date her online. Then, he ghosted her after two weeks. What a jerk. I said indignantly: “Big brother, you were right to yell earlier. Guys like my brother deserve it. “Fickle and irresponsible. What kind of man is he?” He paused, his voice getting even softer: “You don’t have to keep calling me ‘big brother.’ I’m… not used to it. “My name is Julian. You can just call me that.” I froze. I got yelled at a lot in games for being bad, so I looked up tutorials online. The videos said calling people “big brother” or “big sister” and admitting mistakes usually calmed them down. It always worked before. Why not this time? My people-pleasing tendencies kicked in again. I whispered: “Why can’t I call you that? “Are you still mad at me? “I’m sorry.” Julian responded immediately: “I’m not mad at you.” His voice got quieter, almost stammering: “Has anyone told you… your voice is really sweet? “It’s just… when you call me that, I get shy.” Friends had complimented my voice before. But hearing him say it so directly made my face burn. My fingers fumbled on the controls. I missed a skill shot. I was about to die to the enemy team. Julian burst out of the bushes, shielding me. With a smooth combo, he secured a triple kill. I gasped: “Big brother, you’re amazing!” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I didn’t listen to him. Why did I call him that again?! Julian sent a cute in-game emote. His character ran circles around mine and flashed a heart. “Just follow me. “Come here, I’ll give you the Blue Buff.” I ran circles around him too. This time, I remembered the right name. “Thank you, Julian.” A soft chuckle came through the headset. It scratched at my heart like a feather. “You’re welcome. “It’s what I should do.” 3 Julian was incredibly good and had the patience of a saint. Even when I went 0-7, he carried us to victory. And he never blamed me. Instead, he kept comforting me, saying I was doing fine. We played until the early hours of the morning. Julian promised to play with me again next time. We swapped contact info. Coincidentally, his profile picture was a cute cat, just like mine. (¯︶¯) Found a kindred spirit. I went to sleep feeling happy. The next morning at breakfast, seeing my brother, Kyle, sitting across from me, I remembered the serious business. I asked in a spooky tone: “Have you been dating anyone lately?” Kyle jerked his head up, then looked down in panic. His eyes darted around. “No, who told you that?” I pulled up the game history. Pages of duo-queue records with a girl. Kyle deflated like a popped balloon, slumping onto the table. Under my interrogation, he finally confessed with tears in his eyes: “Sis, I didn’t want to break up! “I thought it was just online dating. But she sent me a photo. “I recognized her immediately! She’s my classmate! “My best bro has had a crush on her forever. I can’t steal his girl! “Plus, she’s so pretty and the top student in our school. I… I don’t deserve her… “She kept asking why I wanted to break up. I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I just ghosted her.” I was stunned. I almost passed out from anger. I flicked Kyle hard on the forehead. No matter how twisted the truth was, it didn’t change the fact that he was a scumbag! 4 After lecturing Kyle, I wanted to tell Julian the whole story. But then I saw his new WeChat Moment: [My sister hasn’t stopped crying about the breakup. What do I do? (T.T)] It was that serious! And Kyle was the one who hurt her. We definitely owed them a proper apology. I anxiously messaged Julian: [Can we meet up?] [I want to discuss how to solve the issue between my brother and your sister.] Julian replied instantly: [!] [Of course!] We agreed to meet at a cafe downtown. When I arrived, I scanned the shop. Only one person was sitting inside. A bald, muscular man in a black tank top with full sleeve tattoos. I got nervous. Is that Julian? He looks huge. Like a mob boss… I shuffled over slowly, too scared to say hi. I was afraid if the conversation went south, I’d get beaten up. Then the bell on the door chimed. I turned around. A guy rushed in, black hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, making his skin look porcelain white. He was panting slightly. His lips were parted, red and glossy. He was devastatingly handsome. I couldn’t believe it. I tentatively asked: “Julian?” He nodded, pressing his lips together shyly: “Sorry, I’m late.” His eyes sparkled as he handed me a beautiful box with both hands. “I bought a little cake for you.”

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