Category: English

In the middle of a 104°F heatwave, the new dorm manager cut off the AC for our room—and only our room. Turns out, she was the future mother-in-law of our pregnant roommate. “Only weak girls need AC in weather like this,” she declared. “My precious grandson is going to be a man. He needs to build his masculinity in the heat.” In our past life, my two other roommates and I tried to reason with her. We told her it was superstition, that prolonged exposure to extreme heat could cause heatstroke and endanger both the mother and the baby. Scared by our warnings, the dorm manager grudgingly turned the AC back on. But when our roommate eventually gave birth to a girl, the manager blamed us. She claimed the AC “cooled off” her grandson’s masculinity and turned him into a girl. To get revenge, she had her thug of a son sneak into our dorm at night and torture the three of us to death. When I opened my eyes again, we were back to that moment. The manager was ranting about her grandson’s “masculinity.” I exchanged a look with my other two roommates. None of us argued. Instead, we immediately went to the RA and requested a room transfer. Let him build his masculinity. I want to see what kind of monster she cooks up this time. 1 “Don’t say I never treat you well.” “You three better take good care of my precious grandson. Soak up some of that masculine energy.” “Maybe it’ll help you find a man as good as my son someday.” In the dorm, the new manager, Mrs. Liu, had her nose in the air, acting like she was bestowing a great honor upon us. Hearing these familiar words, I snapped back to reality. I had been reborn. Back to the day Mrs. Liu cut our AC. In my last life, my roommates and I took turns persuading her. We finally got her to turn the AC on. But our reward was her calculated revenge. The most chilling part was that we did it for her pregnant future daughter-in-law, our roommate, Sarah. Yet when we were being tortured to death by her thug son, Sarah just watched coldly. “Serves you right,” she sneered. “Who told you to meddle?” “If it weren’t for you, my precious son wouldn’t have turned into a useless girl.” “You made Liam and his mom blame me. You deserve to die.” Remembering the agony of my past life, a chill ran down my spine. Then I noticed Sarah staring at me. Just now, hearing Mrs. Liu refuse the AC, Sarah was unhappy too. A small, stuffy dorm in 104-degree heat is basically an oven. But she didn’t dare openly defy her shrew of a future mother-in-law. So she looked at me with pitiful eyes. “Chloe…” I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to be her mouthpiece. In my last life, I stood up for her. And the result? She threw me under the bus, and I ended up dead. This time, I scratched my head, stared at my phone, and pretended I was deaf. Seeing I wasn’t biting, Sarah turned to my other roommates, Lily and Jess. But they also kept their heads down, glued to their phones, ignoring her. Seeing a scene so different from my past life, a thought flashed through my mind. I quickly made a group chat with Lily and Jess. Me: [Did you guys come back too?] Lily: [You too?] Jess: [You too?] We exchanged glances. We had all been reborn. Back to before everything went to hell. 2 Mrs. Liu was still rambling. “Lily, you’re in charge of bringing food for my grandson. Get nutritious stuff—sea cucumber, abalone. How else will he grow strong?” “And you, Jess. Take my grandson out for sunbathing every afternoon. Bring fruit, too. Cherries are acceptable.” The three of us rolled our eyes in unison. Mrs. Liu spoke as if these were facts. She demanded the best. But she never mentioned money. She was clearly trying to mooch off us. And she acted like we should be grateful. She wasn’t done. She turned her imperious gaze to me. “As for Chloe, you’re responsible for…” I started coughing violently, cutting her off. Mrs. Liu looked at me with disgust. “What do you have? Don’t pass it to my grandson.” “So unlucky,” she muttered. I shook my head weakly, coughing harder. “I… cough… I don’t know…” “Cough… but don’t worry… cough… I will definitely… help take care of… your grandson… cough cough…” I made a move to lunge towards Sarah. Mrs. Liu, terrified for her “grandson,” blocked me immediately. “Stop! Stop! How can a sick person get near my grandson?” “If you infect him, can you afford the consequences?” I looked at her innocently. “But… but didn’t you just say I should serve your grandson?” Meaning: You asked for this. Why are you blaming me now? Mrs. Liu didn’t care about logic. She only cared about the baby. She practically threw herself on the ground, throwing a tantrum. “I don’t care! Move out of this dorm right now!” “If my grandson catches anything from you, I won’t let you off!” Since she insisted… I “reluctantly” agreed. “Okay… okay… cough…” “I’ll… move out as soon as possible…” Seeing this, my roommates followed suit. One claimed a headache and fever. The other said she had chickenpox recently and was still contagious. Seeing all three of us “useless,” Mrs. Liu cursed up a storm. As she shooed us out, she couldn’t help but make snide remarks. “You girls have no luck.” “My grandson is enduring this heat so he’ll be born with masculine energy.” “I wanted you to serve him so you could catch some luck and find a husband.” “Guess you don’t deserve that blessing.” Her tone was smug, as if serving her unborn grandson was the highest honor. We had just spoken to the Resident Director about switching rooms. Since he approved, we were already packing. Hearing Mrs. Liu, we rolled our eyes again. Whatever. Whoever wants that “blessing” can have it. We sure as hell don’t. 3 Before we left, Sarah grabbed our hands, squeezing out a few fake tears. “Chloe, you guys are leaving…” “I’ll be scared all alone in the dorm…” My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head. Scared? Scared no one will wait on her hand and foot. In our last life, Sarah used her pregnancy to boss us around like servants. If we didn’t do exactly as she pleased, she’d clutch her belly and cry pain. We endured it because we were roommates. And look where that got us. Now? Whoever wants to serve her can go ahead. We quit. But we had to put on a show before leaving, just in case she tried to stop us. I pinched my thigh hard, forcing out some tears. “Sarah… cough… we don’t want to leave either…” “But… cough… we’re afraid of infecting… cough… infecting you…” The moment I coughed, Sarah snatched her hand back like she’d touched fire. Her eyes were full of undisguised disgust. When I looked up, she quickly masked it with a fake sad face. “Chloe… since you’re leaving…” “Can you leave me something to remember you by?” “I’ll miss you guys so much…” She stared greedily at the designer bags in my closet. She was basically trying to rob me in broad daylight. I sneered internally. She wasn’t even hiding it anymore? My family is well-off. As an only child, my parents spoil me. Many of those bags were birthday gifts. In our last life, Sarah constantly “borrowed” my bags. She needed one for a date. She needed one to show her parents she was doing well so they wouldn’t worry. I believed her lies and lent them to her. She never returned them. Whenever I asked, she’d make excuses. If I pressed, she’d clutch her stomach and wail. She just wanted to steal them. And now she wants more? Keep dreaming. 4 I pretended not to understand her hint. I blinked innocently. “Sarah, I really want to leave you something.” “…Cough… but I don’t know if this sickness spreads through contact…” “If… cough… the germs get on the stuff and infect the baby… that would be bad…” Hearing that her precious grandson might get sick, Mrs. Liu stepped in immediately. She glared at Sarah. “What do you want their stuff for?” “Can those trashy things compare to my grandson?” “If anything happens to him, I’ll skin you alive.” Sarah was terrified. She smiled ingratiatingly. “Mom, I know.” “I was just saying it. I didn’t think Chloe would take it seriously.” I was speechless. So if I gave it to her, it would be my fault? And calling her “Mom” before the wedding? Sarah really has no shame. But none of this mattered anymore. That night, Lily, Jess, and I moved into a new dorm room. It was empty, so it was just the three of us. Perfect. We didn’t want another Sarah. 5 That night, the building group chat exploded. “I can’t take it anymore… can someone handle this dorm manager? @ManagerLiu” “She forced me and my roommates to move to Room 103.” “And she expects us to wait on her pregnant daughter-in-law? Is she insane?” Another girl chimed in: “I thought moving was no big deal to avoid trouble.” “But this lady demands we buy expensive food and drinks for the pregnant girl? With what money? She didn’t give us a dime!” Before the gossip could settle, a third girl spoke up: “The craziest part…” “This psycho cut our AC in 104-degree heat.” “She said her grandson can’t have AC or he won’t have ‘masculine energy.’” “If you want masculine energy, why don’t you send your daughter-in-law to live on the sun?” “Did you get dropped on your head as a baby?” The chat was filled with onlookers eating popcorn. The three girls kept tagging @ManagerLiu, demanding an explanation. Finally, Mrs. Liu replied. Her words made everyone want to vomit blood. “Serving my grandson is a blessing you earned in a past life.” “What do you know? He’s a man born with masculine energy.” “Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a man like my son later.” “You’ll be thanking me then.” Her tone wasn’t apologetic at all. She was proud. Like we were the unreasonable ones. The chat went nuclear. “What is this? Did a fossil from the Qing Dynasty come to life?” “Someone call an ambulance, she’s having a stroke.” The three girls didn’t take it lying down. They went to the Resident Director the next morning. After hearing the story, the RD moved them back to their original room and summoned Mrs. Liu. Surprisingly… Mrs. Liu wasn’t fired. Rumor had it she fell to her knees, crying about how hard her life was and how she was just worried about her grandson. She begged for another chance. The RD, soft-hearted, gave in. But she was on thin ice.

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My childhood friend’s favorite “innocent” flower was being accused of having her skirt peeped on by the scholarship student. To vent his anger, my friend slapped the poor guy across the face five times in the middle of the cafeteria. The student, who suffered from Hyperventilation Syndrome, collapsed on the spot, gasping for air. I was just about to call 911 when suddenly, floating text comments—like a live stream chat—scrolled across my vision. 【Is this side character even human? Just because the male lead is the only guy in class not worshipping her, she frames him for peeping? He was just crouching down to pick up a pen… That was the only black pen he owned!】 【The second male lead is a total rage-monster too. Go ahead, hit him. When the male lead falls down the stairs during his hyperventilation struggle and damages his frontal lobe, his personality will completely flip. He’ll turn dark. Forget about you and that pick-me girl—even your childhood friend’s entire family won’t escape his revenge. It’s going to be a total massacre!】 I froze. The comments were still scrolling. 【Actually, the childhood friend was planning to call an ambulance, but it was too late. For hyperventilation, they need to inhale carbon dioxide. Someone needs to find a paper bag…】 I didn’t wait for the comment to finish. I rushed forward, grabbed the scholarship student by the collar, and smashed my lips against his. You need carbon dioxide? Then suck it out of me, you little brat! 1. Jax’s lip had split from the slap; I could taste a faint metallic tang of blood. When he realized what I was doing, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he started struggling frantically. I licked my lips, grabbed his chin, and deepened the kiss. Gasps erupted from the surrounding students. I didn’t say a word. I just kept exhaling air into him. I was just trying a Hail Mary pass, but surprisingly, it actually worked. A moment later, Jax—who had been struggling for every breath, chest spasming, nearly suffocating—visibly relaxed. Seeing this, I slowly released him. 【…Bro, what just happened? Who is this girl forcing a kiss on the male lead?】 【She’s not forcing a kiss; she’s performing first aid! Hyperventilation Syndrome, or respiratory alkalosis, happens when you exhale too much carbon dioxide, messing up the body’s pH balance. That leads to trouble breathing, chest pain, and numbness.】 【Usually, you help the patient relax and re-inhale CO2, like using a paper bag. But in an emergency without tools… mouth-to-mouth works too.】 【Wait, that’s the second male lead’s childhood friend and fiancée, Chloe Sterling. What the hell? Why is she saving the male lead right now?】 【Is this really first aid? Because the chemistry between them is off the charts…】 I coughed awkwardly and subconsciously wiped the corner of my mouth. Jax was panting. His hair was a mess, and he was wearing a thrifted, oversized uniform. He was tall and thin, his skin deathly pale, with a flush on his cheeks from the violent coughing earlier. His eyes were wet, but his gaze was dark. His pitch-black pupils were fixed on me. In the dead silence of the cafeteria, under his creepy, unblinking stare, I silently reached out and wiped a bit of saliva from his lip. 【LMAO… This girl is bold.】 【The male lead’s eyes are 30% confusion, 50% despair… and is that 20% murderous intent?】 【Chloe: Chat, on a scale of 1 to 10, how dead am I?】 “Chloe! What the hell are you doing?!” Someone grabbed my arm from behind and yanked me back. I clicked my tongue and turned around. Austin looked furious. Sophie was cowering behind him, looking like a frightened deer. “Do you know he’s a pervert who looks up girls’ skirts? And you kissed him? Are you insane?” Sophie’s clear, innocent eyes darted between Jax and me. She hesitated before asking, “Chloe… are you two close? Then… tell us the truth. Does him peeping on me have anything to do with you?” “Is this because Austin didn’t celebrate your birthday last time? I was sick, and I’m really sorry. Please don’t be jealous. But even so, you can’t do this. You’re a girl, how could you… how could you…” Sophie choked up, as if she couldn’t bear to continue. Veins bulged on Austin’s forehead. He looked at me with unprecedented coldness. “Chloe, is what Sophie said true?” 2. Facing Austin’s gaze, my heart sank. The surrounding students started whispering. “Did Chloe really put him up to it?” “It’s not the first time she’s targeted Sophie. Just because she grew up with Austin and calls herself his fiancée, she bullies her every day…” “That’s disgusting. Using a guy to harass another girl?” Behind me, Jax’s breathing started to hitch again. He was on the verge of another attack. I ripped my arm out of Austin’s grip, turned around, and hugged Jax, patting his back soothingly. “He didn’t peek at her.” Austin sneered. ” defending him even now? You’re hopeless.” “You say he didn’t look. Do you have proof?” “Oh, so Sophie said he looked. Does she have proof?” Austin paused, then frowned deeply. “Can you stop being so unreasonable? What girl would joke about something like that? Sophie and Jax have no grudges. Why would she lie?” I laughed coldly. “That’s exactly why her behavior is so despicable. False accusations like this lower public sympathy and trust for actual victims. The only ones who suffer are the innocent women who really get hurt. Her heart is rotton.” “And no grudges? If I remember correctly, last semester she accused Jax of stealing her spot for the financial aid grant, didn’t she?” Sophie had transferred here last semester. Her mom was the housekeeper for Austin’s family. Sophie had bad grades, but got into our honors class through Austin’s connections. Immediately, she applied for the poverty subsidy. But our class only had one slot, and it had always gone to Jax. When Sophie found out, she went to Jax with red, teary eyes and showed him her “old” backpack. “Jax, I’m from a single-parent home. My mom works so hard as a maid. I really need that money. Please, can’t you let me have it this once?” Jax didn’t say anything. He just showed her his desk. He didn’t even have money for a backpack. Inside his desk, there was a single black pen. Sophie stomped her foot. “How can you be like this? You’ve gotten it so many times, you won’t share even once?” “Jax, I heard you have great grades and get the top scholarship. Why can’t you give this slot to a student in need? You’re hoarding survival resources. You know that’s selfish, right?” Jax ignored her and went back to studying stone-faced. Sophie bit her lip and walked away silently. In the end, the teacher gave the slot to Jax. However, the day Jax received the money, Sophie came to class early. She was carrying a luxury bag Austin had bought her—worth about twenty times the poverty subsidy. Sophie blocked Jax, her pale, delicate face full of stubbornness. “Jax, I just wanted to tell you. Things that belong to others… no matter what tricks you use, you can’t steal them.” Remembering this, Austin’s expression shifted slightly. But soon, he doubled down. “Even if that’s true…” I cut him off, enunciating every word. “No matter what, Jax would not look up her skirt. He wouldn’t look at any other girl.” Austin instinctively asked, “How do you know?” I looked him dead in the eye. “Because I trust his character.” Jax lifted his head, looking at me with a mix of confusion and curiosity. I paused. “And… and because Jax is my boyfriend. He’s obsessed with me. He would absolutely never look at another girl.” 3. Jax suddenly started coughing violently. 【Whoa, whoa! Is this canon? When did you two start dating? In your dreams?】 【Chloe, you’re confused! That’s the male lead! The mad dog who returns in five years to bankrupt your family, drive your parents to jump off a building, saddle you with massive debt, and sell you to a organ farm in Myanmar!】 【To be fair, he wasn’t targeting her specifically. It’s just that the Sterling and Song families are business partners with an arranged marriage. To take down Austin, he couldn’t spare Chloe’s family.】 Jax looked at me blankly, breathing fast, seemingly wanting to speak. “You…” In for a penny, in for a pound. I grabbed his collar and aggressively blocked his mouth again. Jax, the gloomy mushroom who lived in the corner, finally broke down during round two. His face turned beet red. “Mmph… mmph…” “Baby, are you having trouble breathing again? It’s okay, I’m here. Don’t worry, I’m your medicine!” I treated him like a balloon and blew air into him with all my might. Jax went from struggling to losing all strength. Meanwhile, Austin, face twisted, tried to pull me away, but I kicked him back. When I finally released Jax, he was completely silent. I panted, looked around the cafeteria, and shouted. “As you can see, we are a couple. So it’s impossible for Jax to be peeping at girls’ skirts. Please don’t spread rumors. If I hear any more slander, I will take legal action.” After that, I grabbed Jax and marched out. Once we were far away from the cafeteria, Jax, who had been obediently letting me drag him, suddenly stopped. He looked at me quietly, his voice very soft. “…Why did you help me?” I stared at his handsome but gaunt face. My brain was looping the words: Bankruptcy. Parents jumping. Organ farm. After a long silence, I said firmly. “Because I like you. I want to date you. Jax, please like me back, just like I said earlier!” Jax was silent for a moment. “I think we…” “$15,000 a month.” “?” My eyes were resolute, my words powerful. “$30,000. I’ll open a bank account for you. Tax-free.” “No handling fees.” Jax looked bewildered and opened his mouth. “Wait a second…” “$70,000.” “……” He stopped talking. I pressed the attack. “Not only that, I’ll take care of you. I won’t disturb your studies. And if you hyperventilate again, I’ll give you artificial…” Jax’s face flushed. He interrupted me. “Stop, stop! I get it!” He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Chloe. But before that, I want to ask you… what exactly do you want? Aren’t you engaged to Austin? I heard you arguing once; he said your parents arranged it.” “If you’re using me to make him jealous or win him back, I…” He paused, looking grim, but continued. “You helped me, so I…” I said frankly, “It’s not like that. It’s just a verbal agreement between elders, a joke really. It doesn’t count. I don’t like him. As for my purpose…” I looked him in the eye. “I like you. I’m serious.” “Jax, please be my boyfriend, and then marry me.” “……” Jax lowered his eyes, his bangs covering the emotion in them. He was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded. …… As I walked away, his gaze followed my back tightly. After a long while, he whispered something. His voice was barely audible. “…You said it, Chloe.” I didn’t hear that last sentence. 4. Once I was alone, I finally started analyzing the bullet comments. The chat was already boiling over. 【The childhood friend is quick-witted. I didn’t know you could treat respiratory alkalosis like that.】 【The key is that the plot has changed. The crucial turning point for the male lead’s villain arc just got erased?】 【It’s useless. Avoiding the first time won’t stop the countless times that follow. The second male lead is the heir to the city’s richest family. It’s too easy for him to target the male lead. Even with the childhood friend…】 【Don’t mention it. Chloe can barely save herself. She and Austin really are childhood friends, engaged by their parents. But ever since the female lead moved into Austin’s house with her mom, Austin’s heart strayed. He makes Chloe yield to her in everything, and accuses Chloe of bullying her out of jealousy. No matter how much she likes him, her heart has been broken. She just can’t fall out with him because of family pressure.】 【Sob… both babies are so pitiful…】 I scratched my head awkwardly. Even though the comments said that, I still had to help Jax. First, I don’t want to go bankrupt. Nobody can separate me from my money. I have a balance with that many zeros, and a huge, beautiful villa. Second, speaking of huge… Jax seems… …Getting off track. Anyway, I already have a rough plan for my future with Jax. The next day, I asked the teacher to switch my seat so I could sit next to Jax. Jax was brilliant but silent and socially isolated. The guys thought he was arrogant, so he was unpopular. Combined with his refusal to talk to girls, his presence in class was like a mushroom growing in a dark corner. After class, I sat next to him, spinning my pen into a blur while staring at his pale lips. Then again, even if he is a mushroom, he’s a beautiful, poisonous mushroom. Thinking this, I asked, “Baby, are you thirsty? Want some water?” I pulled out my Crayon Shin-chan “kissy face” tumbler (500ml). Jax, whose gaze had been drawn to me, suddenly froze. “……” A question mark slowly floated up from the dark mushroom’s head. I shoved the cup toward him. “Come on, baby, your lips are dry. Take a sip. Ahhh—” As the Crayon Shin-chan on the lid slowly approached, Jax went stiff, staring deathly at the giant, puckered “O” shaped lips. “……” “Hahahahahaha!” I couldn’t help slamming the desk and laughing. The comments were having a field day. 【I can’t breathe. The male lead’s face!】 【Anti-social Mad Dog ✗ Poor Puppy Defeated by Abstract Art ✔】 【Am I the only one wondering? Chloe, do you usually bring your pretty face close to that cursed cup…】 After teasing him enough, I finally poked the straw into the cup. “Just kidding. It has a straw. Drink up.” Jax still hesitated. I poked him with my finger. “I washed it right before coming to school. No cooties.” “I wasn’t…” “Besides, we’ve kissed like eight hundred times. Do you still care about this? Drink, your lips are cracking.” Jax’s pupils trembled. “Eight hundred times???” LMAO. This little thing is so fun to play with.

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1 To pay for my boyfriend’s heart condition, I scrimped and saved, refusing to even buy medicine when I was sick. I worked eight different jobs a day, pushing myself to the point of collapse. To get the money for his treatments, I signed up for a “Gold Rush” event at the local mall. I crawled on my hands and knees like a feral dog, desperate to find the tiny gold-painted rice grains that could be exchanged for cash—cash that could save his life. It wasn’t until I went with a staff member to cash in my findings that everything fell apart. Through a thin partition wall, I heard a reporter interviewing my boyfriend. “Mr. Hatton, you spent three million dollars on this event just to see Miss Vance smile. Your love for her is truly something to be envied.” “That amount of money is nothing,” a familiar voice replied. “If it makes Sierra laugh, then these peasants have served their purpose.” I clutched the three thousand dollars I had just received for my golden rice, the irony a bitter pill in my throat. … My boyfriend, Thomas Hatton, was a broke kid with a congenital heart condition who couldn’t even scrounge up three hundred dollars. So when I heard that voice, my first thought was that it couldn’t be him. He couldn’t afford three hundred, let alone three million for some publicity stunt. Besides, he was in the hospital, recovering from a heart episode. It had to be a coincidence. Someone who sounded like him, who also had the last name Hatton. But the next sound I heard shattered my last sliver of hope—a woman’s flirtatious giggle from the other side of the wall. “Thomas, they look like little dogs crawling on the floor! It’s hysterical! Especially that one who looks like your girlfriend, Kate. She’s really going for it. Is she that desperate for money?” I heard Thomas’s breath catch. He was staring intently at a monitor. Then, his fingers tapped on his phone. A second later, my own phone buzzed. [Baby, where are you? If you’re tired, take a break. Don’t push yourself too hard.] A bitter laugh escaped me. My hand trembled so badly I could barely hold the phone. [Don’t worry, I’m resting now. I found a really generous employer today. Made a full three thousand.] He sent back a kissing emoji. [That’s my girl. Three thousand will cover my hospital room for another few days.] Hilarious. My lips stretched into a grotesque smile as tears streamed down my face like broken pearls. Once he was sure the woman on the monitor wasn’t me, Thomas relaxed. He scoffed. “Crawling on the ground like that… she looks like a dog begging its master for a bone.” The room erupted in laughter. “Look at the way her ass is sticking up! Isn’t it just like a dog wagging its tail?” “People like that would do anything for money. If you told her to lick your shoes, she’d do it without a second thought.” “Mr. Hatton’s shoes are custom-made! They’re worth millions! Letting a peasant like her lick them would be an honor!” On my side of the wall, I stared in shame at my big toe, peeking through a hole in my worn-out shoe. In that moment, my pride shattered into a million pieces. I took the money and turned to leave. But I ran straight into Thomas. He saw me, and for a split second, panic flashed in his eyes. His gaze dropped to my tattered work uniform, and a flicker of disgust crossed his face. Then, he barked at the security guard. “How did a participant get in here? What are you people paid for?!” The staff member with me quickly explained, “This participant needed to cash in her winnings for a medical bill. I’m sorry, Mr. Hatton. We’ll leave immediately.” I stared at Thomas, my mind reeling. He was dressed in a bespoke suit, looking every bit the arrogant, wealthy heir. There was no sign of sickness. The fabric of his suit was exquisite, some parts even threaded with gold. I could probably never pan that much gold in my entire lifetime. My throat was raw. I couldn’t tell if I was trembling or just unable to speak. “Thomas, are you going to pretend you don’t know me?” Before Thomas could answer, the people who had been mocking me just moments before went pale. “Is this the girlfriend? But… her clothes…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but everyone in the room knew what he meant. I was sallow, my skin loose from exhaustion, dressed in rags. I had just been crawling on the ground like an animal. I looked like I was on the brink of starvation. How could I possibly be Thomas Hatton’s girlfriend? Thomas’s face darkened, a vein throbbing in his arm. His eyes were cold as he looked at me, as if my very presence was a source of deep embarrassment. The woman next to him, Sierra, let out a dramatic yawn. “Trying to get Thomas’s attention again? Honestly, I’m so tired of these desperate tactics…” Thomas seemed to finally find his voice, a way out. He stepped around me without a second glance. “That’s a really pathetic way to get a guy’s attention.” The bitterness in my mouth was overwhelming. My mind flashed back to college. My freshman year, I was hazed by the student council and forced to run five miles. I refused and stood up to them. They retaliated by dumping a bucket of toilet water on me. They made me stand in the blazing sun for two hours until I finally collapsed. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Thomas, scooping me up and rushing me to the infirmary. He told me the defiance in my eyes shone like a star. From that day on, he always stood in front of me, protecting me. He didn’t care if he offended the rich kids, if he got punished or bullied for it. He didn’t care if I was covered in filth. His love for me had felt so real, so genuine. It’s why I stayed with him, even after I learned about his heart condition. The man from my memories and the man standing before me now were two different people. I don’t know where the courage came from, but I lunged forward and grabbed his arm. White fingerprints appeared on the expensive fabric of his suit. His brow furrowed with annoyance. “You probably couldn’t afford to replace this even if you sold yourself…” “If you’re not sick, and you’re not poor,” I interrupted, “can you… can you give me my money back?” Because I am sick… With a single look from Thomas, the others in the room discreetly filed out. “I pretended to be poor and sick to test you,” he said, his voice cold. “To see if you were like all the other gold-digging women, only after my money.” “And it looks like you’re all the same.” I didn’t argue. I just looked at him and repeated, “Can you… give me my money back?” Thomas yanked his arm away with such force that I stumbled and fell to the ground. “You stained my suit, and you have the audacity to ask me for money?” He saw the tears welling in my eyes, and his tone softened slightly. “Don’t work for the next few days. Just rest. I’ve scheduled some appointments with a few stylists to give you a makeover.” “Until the makeover is done, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other, okay?” It was as if I hadn’t heard him. I enunciated each word, my voice flat. “Give. Me. My. Money. Back.” His patience wore thin. Thomas’s eyes darkened, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “If you just behave, I’ll give you as much money as you want.” He looked as if he was making a great sacrifice. “Even if you were only with me for my money, fine! I’ll accept it!” I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall. “Thomas, let’s break up.” He smirked, a look of “I knew it” on his face. “Afraid I’ll think you’re a gold digger, so you’re preemptively breaking up with me?” “You found out who I am and deliberately joined this event.” “Even the way you were sticking your ass in the air… you did that for us to see, didn’t you?” I stared at him in disbelief. I had never known he could be so irrational. “Thomas, how did I never realize how disgusting you are?” “If you hadn’t pretended to be sick, would I have had to work myself to death?” “My life would be better without you.” He scoffed. “Still acting?” “Without me, do you think you would have graduated from college?” “Without me, do you think you would have landed a job at a Fortune 500 company right after graduation?” “You’re nothing without me!” I turned away, done with him. His confident voice followed me. “You’ll be back. I give you a week.” The next few days were a nightmare. First, all my part-time jobs suddenly “no longer needed” me. Then, my full-time job at the corporation fired me, offering a generous severance package just to get rid of me. The moment the money hit my account, long-lost relatives appeared out of nowhere, claiming my parents had owed them money. After everything, all I had left was the three thousand dollars from the Gold Rush. My chest ached. It was hard to breathe. Three years of sleeping only five hours a night had taken its toll. My body was shutting down. After buying the medicine I desperately needed, I didn’t even have enough left for rent. Every company I applied to rejected me the moment they heard my name, Kate. Just when I thought all hope was lost, I got a call for a one-day gig. When I arrived, I found that my employer was Sierra Vance. She poured a bucket of water on the floor and ordered me to clean it up on my hands and knees. One of her servants used a thin rod to poke at me while I was bent over. “Ugh, you stink,” Sierra said with a theatrical grimace. Then she kicked me into the swimming pool and watched me struggle to stay afloat. She threw banknotes at me, which stuck to my now see-through clothes. When I didn’t react, she seemed to get bored. “Have you no dignity?” I gathered the money, carefully tucking it away. “Dignity is a luxury for the rich,” I said. “You wouldn’t understand.” She smiled slyly. “And this? Does this mean nothing to you?” I stared in shock at the necklace in her hand. It was the only thing I had left from my mother. I had given it to Thomas on his birthday. Something inside me snapped. I lunged at her, but a strong arm caught me. Thomas held me back easily, looking at me like I was a misbehaving pet. “Sierra has a heart condition. Go easy on her.” “How much is the necklace? I’ll buy it from her for you.” How much was my cheap, pathetic love worth? The thought was so ridiculous, I started to laugh. “Thomas, you promised me forever. That’s why I gave you the necklace.” “To me, it’s not just a memento from my mother. It was her blessing.” “It’s priceless. Do you understand?” Thomas looked at me, confused. “If you don’t want money, that’s fine. I’ll take you to a jewelry store. You can pick out whatever you want.” A wave of helplessness washed over me. How had I never realized he was completely incapable of understanding anything? As he watched in shock, I slowly sank to my knees. “Miss Vance, please. Give me back my necklace.” A cruel smile played on Sierra’s lips. “Thomas gave it to me. I can do whatever I want with it.” She tossed the necklace to her pet dog. The dog’s sharp teeth snapped down on the delicate chain, breaking it in two. Shattered. Just like my heart. I flew into a rage, scrambling on the ground with the dog, fighting for the broken pieces of the necklace. Thomas was startled, but his body instinctively moved to shield Sierra. My hands were bleeding, but I clutched the pieces of the necklace to my chest. I was crying with joy. A flicker of pity crossed Thomas’s eyes, but he didn’t help me up. He just frowned. “I didn’t expect that to happen. I’ll have someone transfer you some money.” In his world, there was nothing money couldn’t fix. I was done being a rich man’s toy. I looked at him, my eyes clear. “Thomas, as long as you use money to measure a person’s worth, you will never find real love.” I turned and walked away. The moment his money transfer came through, I bought the first bus ticket out of the state. I was never coming back to this city. After Kate left, Thomas stood frozen. Her words echoed in his mind, unsettling him. Her hands were still bleeding, her face was deathly pale. Yet, she had walked away with such finality, her back so straight. It reminded him of how she had stood under the blazing sun in college for two hours, refusing to bow her head. He had thought back then, if she wasn’t after his money, he would find a way to be with her forever. How could he be sure if a person was truly a gold digger? He had asked his assistant. Pretend to be poor, pretend to be sick, the assistant had advised. So he pretended to be poor. Kate hadn’t been disgusted at all. In fact, she had spent her scholarship money to buy him fruit. Then he pretended to be sick. Kate had worked eight jobs a day and had never once considered leaving him. But Sierra had told him that women like that were cunning. She probably knew his identity all along and was just putting on a show for him. He decided to continue testing her. His family’s empire was vast; he had to choose its future mistress carefully. But Kate was too stupid. She didn’t understand his intentions. He pretended not to know her to protect her from being looked down upon. All his tests were to build a foundation of trust for their future. Why couldn’t she understand? It didn’t matter. When she ran out of money, she would come back. He refused to believe that someone who would trade her dignity for money could resist the temptation he offered. But for some reason, a heavy feeling settled in his chest, and it annoyed him. Thomas called his assistant. “Notify all the Gold Rush participants. We’re holding a follow-up interview. Everyone who attends gets another fifty thousand.” He didn’t believe Kate could resist that. I used the money Thomas gave me to create a fake death certificate. To make it more believable, I even bought a burial plot. I changed my identity, my phone number, everything. After leaving the city, I returned to my hometown. It was a small, underdeveloped town with poor transportation. But there was no Hatton Industries here, and no one would pretend to be poor to test me. I found a job and rented a small house with a garden. I wasn’t making a lot of money, but life was peaceful. I spent my days gardening and cooking. It was a quiet, contented existence. One day, while scrolling through my phone, I saw Thomas on the news. He was known for his extravagance, and he was offering fifty thousand dollars to each Gold Rush participant who came for an interview. People flocked to the event. But Thomas seemed distracted, his eyes scanning the crowd as if searching for someone. When he couldn’t find who he was looking for, his expression soured. He waved his hand and increased the offer to one hundred thousand. But no matter how long he waited, the person he was looking for never showed up. On the live broadcast, Thomas’s face was cold as he asked, “Where is the participant who collected the most golden rice?” A staff member, avoiding his gaze, stammered, “Her phone has been disconnected. We can’t reach her…” Thomas finally lost his composure. He opened his contacts, his finger hovering over a certain number. After a long moment, he pressed it. The call connected to a cold, automated voice. “The number you have dialed is no longer in service…” The impatience in his eyes intensified. Thomas’s grip on his phone tightened, the veins in his hand bulging. “Disconnected her number? Fine.” “Find her. I don’t care how much it costs. Turn this entire city upside down, but find her!” Thomas’s men searched for seven days before they found a lead at a hospital. Kate had been there two weeks ago. She had been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer and didn’t have long to live. Two weeks ago. The day I broke up with him. Thomas clutched the report, a cold smile on his face. To make him regret it, Kate would go this far. She worked eight jobs a day without any problems. How could she have stomach cancer? But then, his men found a gravestone with Kate’s name on it in a cemetery. Thomas’s composure finally shattered. He rushed to the hospital, demanding to speak to the doctor. The doctor explained that Kate’s cancer was caused by prolonged malnutrition, an irregular diet, excessive fatigue, and a compromised immune system. He suddenly remembered a day when Kate had told him her stomach hurt. He had dismissed it, telling her to hurry up and get back to work. He had killed her. Thomas finally broke. They say that day, he went to the cemetery and started digging at her grave with his bare hands. He was going to unearth her body and rebury her in the Hatton family plot. Even in death, he said, she would be with him. His men tried to reason with him, to tell him to let her rest in peace.

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I was pregnant with the devoted second male lead’s child. But when I was hemorrhaging during a difficult labor… He was by the female lead’s side, showering her with care and concern. I was in agony, my body slowly turning cold. The moment my soul left my body, I murmured a self-deprecating vow: “If I could do it all over again, I would never feel sorry for a man.” 1 I opened my eyes. I had been reborn, back to the beginning of the story. At that time, the male and female leads were at each other’s throats, looking like a classic bickering couple. And Liam Vance, the gentle second male lead, was the female lead, Chloe’s, childhood friend, always silently protecting her. In the book, he was the typical “beautiful, strong, and miserable” character. Raised by a single mother who was critically ill, he studied while working to support the family and pay for his mother’s medical bills. His life was a series of tragedies: his mother’s death, failing the college entrance exams, a failed startup… As the devoted second male lead, he was Chloe’s eternal safe harbor, her strongest shield. After the main couple got married, he went abroad, achieving the “forever alone” ending. He earned plenty of tears from the readers. I’ve always been a sucker for the gentle, devoted type. After finishing the novel, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly sorry for him. In my past life, after I died, I inexplicably transmigrated into the book as a beautiful background character. Reason told me not to get involved in their story, to just be a quiet extra. But feelings won over reason. Maybe out of pity, I couldn’t help but get close to Liam. I willingly protected him. I did everything I could to redeem him. I wanted to give him my whole heart. But everything I did couldn’t compare to Chloe’s tearful plea: “Liam, I miss you so much.” So Liam abandoned me in the hospital while I was waiting to give birth, rushing to comfort Chloe, who had run away after a fight with the male lead. Under the extreme emotional stress, my water broke prematurely. And then, I died on the cold operating table. 2 I actively distanced myself from the main cast. Liam quickly noticed something was wrong. After all, I had been the one thick-skinned enough to cling to him and force myself into their group. My sudden distance was obvious even to outsiders. My nerdy deskmate whispered to ask if I had fought with Liam and the others. I patted my workbook and smiled generously: “Of course not. I need to focus on my studies. Finals are coming up, and I don’t want to be at the bottom of the class again.” As soon as I said that, a piercing gaze shot at me from the front row. I didn’t need to guess to know it was Liam. He had been secretly watching me a lot these past few days, always looking like he wanted to say something but stopping himself. But he was clearly afraid Chloe would misunderstand something, so he didn’t dare approach me. In my past life, I was stupid and pathetic, thinking I could save him. I never expected to end up as such a joke. Now, I couldn’t even muster the energy for revenge. First, I didn’t want to have anything to do with the main characters anymore. Second, I really didn’t have the ambition or courage to be a villain. Current me just wanted to enjoy my wonderful life. After dying twice, I cherished being alive even more. Life is hard to come by. Whether in the real world or the book world, I had never truly lived freely. Before I transmigrated, I was my mom’s precious treasure. But back then, I had congenital leukemia. My dad ran away, and my mom had to work very, very hard to raise me alone. But later… I was only fifteen when I fell to my death. My mom must have been heartbroken. Thinking about it, my nose tingled, and I almost cried. Suddenly, Chloe’s sickly sweet voice sounded behind me: “Gwen, why haven’t you been hanging out with us lately? Did you fight with Liam?” I looked up and met Liam’s probing gaze not far away. The next second, I gave him the middle finger and mouthed: “Idiot.” His smile froze, staring at me in disbelief. 3 Looking at the female lead’s innocent expression, I smiled slightly. “Yeah, we fought. It was a huge fight.” “Huh? How did that happen?” She looked surprised, but there was a hint of secret joy in her eyes. She was young, after all; she hadn’t learned to hide her thoughts yet. “Because—” I acted very sad and angry, “I found out he likes you, so I don’t want to like him anymore.” Hearing this, Chloe’s face turned pale, and she nervously glanced around. After a while, she stammered a defense: “Ah, Gwen, w-what are you talking about!” “I’ve always seen Liam as a brother, and he definitely sees me as a sister too.” “We’re just very good friends, don’t talk nonsense…” As she spoke, she lost confidence, clearly guilty. It was kind of funny. Everyone could see Liam liked her. Did she really not notice at all? In the end, it was just using the “sibling” label to act like lovers. Not refusing, not initiating, not committing. As long as she didn’t break the window paper, she could unscrupulously enjoy Liam’s kindness. Too lazy to watch her face change colors, I grabbed my vocabulary book and went out to memorize words. I brushed past Liam, who was walking over. He tried to grab me. I spat out a pleasantry: “F*ck off!” The gentle smile on his face completely vanished, replaced by confusion in his slightly angry eyes. The male lead, Noah, came over to join the fun, wanting to mock Liam. Me: “You f*ck off too!” Useless idiot who can’t watch his own girl. I hated everyone in the main cast equally! Noah jumped, then resentfully turned back to Chloe. “Tigress! Did she eat dynamite?” I shoved past Liam, who was blocking my way, and quickly left the classroom. 4 For a few days, everyone stayed in their lanes. We were strangers. After school that day, I went to the alley as usual to feed Fatty. Fatty was a stray orange cat, very wary of humans. I planned to kidnap him home once he warmed up to me. In my past life, Chloe and I both wanted to adopt him. Fatty was about to go with me, but Liam intervened. After his repeated persuasion, I gave Fatty to Chloe. But because Noah didn’t like cats, she casually dumped the cat on Liam. So I took the chance to ask for him back. This time, I was definitely going to strike first. Just as I reached the alley entrance, I heard Chloe’s giggle. “Wow, Liam, this cat is so cute! I want to take it home…” I ran over and blocked her hand reaching for the cat. “Don’t touch! Fatty bites.” She withdrew her hand reluctantly and questioned me unhappily: “Oh, Gwen, is this your cat?” Funny, she changed her tune fast! Finally stopped calling me “Gwen-Gwen.” Sounded like a pigeon spirit. “Yes, my cat,” I answered expressionlessly, squatting down to put out cat food. Chloe bit her lip and said timidly, “But it looks like a stray. Why don’t you let me give it a home?” “No!” I refused flatly. “This is my cat. I’m taking him home.” I wouldn’t yield. And Chloe was dead set on having him. Liam looked at her with helplessness and affection. He said to me very politely: “Gwen, could you give this cat…” I couldn’t be bothered to waste words with them. I picked up Fatty and started walking. Strangely, Fatty didn’t struggle this time. He was unusually well-behaved. Seeing I was taking the cat, Chloe panicked. She whined, refusing to give up: “Liam, help me—” Liam sighed with a smile: “Tsk, I really can’t say no to you.” So he chased after me and blocked my way, putting on his usual gentle offensive. Looking at the boy with the warm smile in front of me, I hated him so much. It was this gentle and broken expression that made me fall for him again and again in my past life. I helped him through his mother’s death. I helped him through his failed exams. I gave him my heart and soul. It was clearly he who confessed to me first, making me have delusions I shouldn’t have had! It was clearly he who proposed to me, promising me forever. But why did he still have to be entangled with Chloe!? At this moment, the pain and sorrow of my past life surged into my heart. I couldn’t suppress the resentment anymore. Slap! I couldn’t control my hand and slapped him hard. “You spineless man!” “Ah! Gwen, how can you hit people!” Chloe screamed in anger. Liam’s head was knocked to the side. My nails scratched his chin, and beads of blood seeped out. I withdrew my hand, still unsatisfied. This slap was for your cold heart, for your fickleness. Chloe was heartbroken, righteously accusing me of being vicious, destroying what I couldn’t have. “Then call the police—” I retorted with a smile. “Also, what do you mean ‘destroy what I can’t have’? I don’t understand.” “Why don’t you explain the context to me, Chloe?” Ha, as if she could explain! If she explained, wouldn’t she be piercing the paper window right in front of him? How could she be “siblings” with Liam then! Sure enough, Chloe lost her momentum instantly, looking at me in panic, afraid I would say something I shouldn’t. Tsk tsk, she had a “guilty conscience.” But how could I possibly “remind” Liam? This was the fate he deserved! Remembering Nanny Wang was still waiting for me in the car, I took out a few hundred-dollar bills from my backpack. Because I didn’t want to get close to these two, the bills fluttered to the ground. “Liam, this is for medical expenses. Enough? If not, I’ll add more.” “Gwen, you’re going too far!” Chloe became angry out of shame again. “So what if you have money! Apologize to Liam right now!” I ignored her and sized up Liam. Even a clay figurine has some temper. The gentler and more amiable a person is, the more earth-shattering their anger. I knew him too well after being with him for so many years in my past life. What he hated most was having his dignity trampled on the ground. And now, I was doing exactly that. He was indeed angry, his face terrifyingly dark. Even though the anger in his eyes was about to burst out, he still smiled and comforted Chloe, saying it was okay. As expected of the devoted second male lead! I rolled my eyes and left with Fatty without looking back.

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

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The day my med school application madness hit its peak, my wealthy biological parents showed up. Turns out, I was the real heiress, switched at birth. The moment I stepped into their mansion, the fake heiress, Isabelle, started sobbing about how the shock of not being their real daughter was making it hard for her to breathe. My eyes lit up. “Hold still. I’ve dissected a frog. Let me have a look.” My new father frowned, warning me in a stern voice not to bully her. I ignored him, spun around, and slid to my knees in front of my new brother, grabbing his hand with feverish excitement. “Bro, you have to have a rich pre-med friend, right? Oh my god, please, I will literally worship the ground he walks on!” 1 Isabelle stood there, clutching the handle of her suitcase, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “Mom and Dad said what happened in the past has nothing to do with me, but I’m so scared my sister won’t forgive me! I should just go!” She said she was leaving, but her feet were glued to the marble floor. My mother wrapped a comforting arm around her, stroking her silky hair. “Isabelle, what are you talking about? You’ve lived in this house your whole life. You’re our precious daughter! No one is kicking you out.” My father’s expression darkened as he turned his intimidating gaze on me. “That small town you came from is a complete backwater. Isabelle couldn’t possibly live like that. Just think of her as your new little sister and try to be more accommodating.” I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Wow, a classist and a bigot. Is there a tumor pressing on your frontal lobe? You should really get that checked out.” My father, realizing his gaffe, froze. His face went rigid, and he didn’t say another word. Just then, I spotted a young man in a sharp suit walking in from the entryway. He had the same eyes as me. My focus shifted instantly. I scrambled over, a huge grin plastered on my face, and grabbed his hand. “Hi! You must be my brother, Liam, right?” Liam’s face soured, and he tried to yank his hand away. But I clung to it like a lifeline, letting him pull me into his chest rather than let go. His expression grew even darker. “Yes,” he bit out through clenched teeth. My smile only widened. “Bro, you have to have a rich pre-med friend from an Ivy League school, right?” To get into a top medical program, I would do anything. I didn’t care if my brother was biased. I needed to get in. The entire hall fell silent. Liam’s face was a thundercloud. He squeezed my hand hard, pushed me to the ground, and loomed over me. “You just got here and you’re already causing trouble. I’m warning you, drop the sleazy social climbing act.” Isabelle quickly suppressed a smirk, tapping her designer leather shoes anxiously. “Liam, how could you push her? It’s all my fault. Seeing me obviously makes her uncomfortable. Blame me, don’t be angry with her!” I blew on my scraped palm, flicking away a small piece of gravel embedded in the skin, and looked up at him. “You know, after that little push, I could say I’m dizzy, nauseous, and my limbs feel weak. Then I could stand up, spin around a few times, and collapse. I could probably sue you for a condo, you know that?” My mother rushed over to help me up, but her eyes were fixed on Isabelle. “Isabelle, honey, don’t overthink it. It has nothing to do with you. You’re Mommy’s good girl. If anyone says otherwise, I’ll rip their tongue out!” Then she shot a glare at Liam. “Why would you push your sister? Honestly, you’re all brawn and no brain! Go to the backyard and pull weeds. No dinner until you’re finished!” Liam’s eyes flickered with a hint of regret as he saw the blood beading on my hand. But at the mention of weeding, his face hardened, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “What? I barely touched her! Who knows if she’s…” Isabelle immediately stepped in front of him and took my hand in a gesture of faux intimacy. “Sister, it’s okay, Liam didn’t mean it. Let me blow on it, it’ll feel better…” I calmly pulled my hand away. “No thanks. Your spit would be more effective. At least saliva has some antibacterial properties. Your breath isn’t exactly magical, and frankly, I find it a little gross.” As a med student, my precision was impeccable. I mentally gave myself an A+. The concern on Isabelle’s face froze, and she was left speechless. Then, a thought struck me. I frowned at her. “By the way, you don’t have tuberculosis, do you? Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be transmitted through respiratory droplets.” I took a deep breath and forced a warm, sunny smile at Liam. “But hey, we’re family, right? Of course I don’t blame you… bro.” The last word hit him like a physical blow. His face flushed a deep red. He let out a sharp scoff, turned on his heel, and stalked off toward the backyard. 2 The dinner spread was magnificent. But I was so hungry I was seeing stars, and I still hadn’t had a single bite. “Isabelle is so sweet. She won’t eat because she’s worried about her brother still weeding the garden,” my mother cooed. “Honey, just start without him,” my father added. “We can’t have our baby girl starving! That brother of yours made a mistake, he deserves to be punished.” Isabelle smiled shyly, her cheeks blushing. “It’s okay, Mom and Dad, I can wait. Let’s all eat together when Liam gets back. He’d be so sad if he came back to a table of leftovers.” She shot me a triumphant glance, then leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dripping with pity. “Sister, what happened this afternoon was Liam’s fault. I apologize on his behalf. Can you please forgive him and let him come eat?” My blood sugar was already dangerously low. It had started with tingling in my hands and feet, then blurry vision, and now a ringing in my ears. I was so deep in my own world I couldn’t process any external information. My breathing grew shallow. I started talking to myself. “The body burns carbohydrates first for energy, then fat, then protein. I think I’m about to hit stage two.” My mother, who was also worried about her son but too proud to admit it, seized the opportunity to lecture me. “Ava, I know your brother was also in the wrong this afternoon, but you’re siblings. You can’t be so petty. Look at your sister, she’s so much more mature. I know you’ve had a hard life, and I understand, but that’s not Isabelle’s fault…” Finally, my brain performed a forced shutdown. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I slumped sideways. As I fell, my hand conveniently knocked a bowl of lukewarm curry soup all over Isabelle. The unappetizing yellow liquid stained her limited-edition dress in ugly blotches. Her face turned green. “My new dress!” she shrieked. Liam had just walked in the door and saw me slide off the chair like a limp noodle. He sprinted over and caught me just before I hit the floor. He heard the shriek and instinctively looked up, only to see Isabelle recoiling from me in disgust, her brow furrowed as she stared down at her ruined dress. Sensing Liam’s gaze, she belatedly snapped back to reality, her face paling. “Liam… is Ava okay? The soup just burned me a little, but I’m fine, she’s more important!” Ignoring the mess on her clothes, she rushed over as if to help me. Liam’s flicker of suspicion vanished. He gave a distracted nod and lifted me into his arms, carrying me to my bedroom. My parents, startled by the sudden turn of events, followed anxiously upstairs. The dining room fell silent, leaving Isabelle alone, her fists clenched in rage, her beautiful, pitiful face twisted with resentment. When I woke up, I wasn’t staring at the moldy ceiling of the orphanage or the cramped walls of my dorm room. I was in a princess-style bedroom with a sparkling crystal chandelier. A teasing voice sounded from my side. “You’re awake?” “So, I hear you were asking for me.” 3 I turned my head. A man about my brother’s age was standing there, wearing a white lab coat. A jolt went through me. I shot up in bed. “Whoa, easy there! Don’t get too excited. I know I’m devastatingly handsome, but please, try to contain yourself.” “Did you graduate from King’s College of Medicine?” I asked, kneeling on the edge of the bed and staring at him with manic intensity. Miles Kent was silent for a moment, then looked up at the ceiling as if asking for divine intervention. “Can you please not call it that? It’s one of the top medical schools in the country.” The confirmation sent another jolt of excitement through me. “So, about my application…” Before I could finish, the door burst open. It was Isabelle, her voice edged with urgency. “Miles, you’re here!” She turned to me. “Ava, come down for dinner. Mom and Dad had the cook make a whole new meal. I wasn’t trying to be difficult earlier, I just wanted to wait for Liam…” Her eyes reddened as if she’d been deeply wronged. I tasted something sweet in my mouth—the glucose Miles must have given me—and gave a distracted nod. At the dinner table, a medium-rare steak was placed before each of us, flanked by a neat arrangement of knives and forks. Isabelle was exceptionally attentive, constantly refilling our parents’ glasses, earning their praise for being so filial. After sitting down, she gave a subtle smirk and looked at me with feigned concern. “Sister, why aren’t you eating? I had the chef make this steak especially for you. It’s perfect!” She gracefully cut a small piece with her knife and fork, but didn’t eat it. “Oh, sister, I’m so sorry. You probably don’t know how to use a knife and fork, do you? I can help you.” At her words, all eyes turned to me. One of the maids let out a small, derisive snort. My father’s face was stone, his eyes filled with disgust. I calmly pressed her hand down. “No need.” Was she kidding me? I aced my anatomy practical. I could isolate any nerve in the musculature of a cadaver on command. This little piece of beef was nothing. In seconds, it was cut into perfectly uniform cubes, neatly arranged on my plate. Isabelle’s nails dug into her palms, her smile strained. The rest of the meal was tasteless. My parents and Miles chatted amiably. I leaned closer to Isabelle. “Do you know what part of the cow this tenderloin comes from?” I whispered. “My guess is it’s equivalent to the psoas major in a human. Originating from the transverse processes and lateral aspects of the vertebral bodies from T12 to L5, extending down through the pelvis to insert on the lesser trochanter of the femur.” I continued, lightly tracing a line along her slender waist. “What do you think would happen if someone were to, say, stick a knife in right here?” Isabelle’s entire body went rigid. She started to tremble. When she didn’t respond, I kept going. “The books say this is a deep muscle group. If the person holding the knife had an unsteady hand, which nerve would they likely damage? Oh, right. The lumbar plexus.” The color drained from Isabelle’s face. She shot to her feet. Realizing her overreaction, she forced a stiff smile. “I’m… I’m full. I’m going to head up.” Everyone at the table stared. I spoke up, my voice light. “Where is she going? The guest hasn’t even finished eating. Don’t you think you spoil her a little too much, Mom and Dad?” My mother gave an awkward laugh, at a loss for words. My brother just kept his head down, lost in thought. After dinner, I went straight to my room. I’d heard the application review didn’t have a written test, but the professors would ask questions on the spot. I needed to review all the key concepts in internal medicine and surgery before the interview. 4 After my little scare tactic, I thought Isabelle might back off for a few days. I had no idea she was about to go completely off the rails. I was oblivious to her careful plotting. The application system allowed for three choices. I only submitted one: King’s College. All or nothing. This was it. “Hi, Miles. It’s Ava. So, I’ve been having some recurrent tonsillitis. On examination: T 36.2, P 78, R 16… apical impulse is located in the fifth left intercostal space at the midclavicular line…” Miles sounded annoyed. “Just send me a picture of the case study.” “Okay, Miles!” My relentless academic questioning finally wore him down. He offered to take me out to dinner. As I was leaving, I ran into Isabelle. She was dressed to the nines, looking stunning, clearly on her way to meet someone. “Oh, are you going out too, sister? Be careful on the road. It would be a shame if something happened to you. Mom and Dad would be so sad, I think.” Her words struck me as odd. My gaze fell to her exposed back. “You know, you have an issue with your back.” “Your scapulae are protruding. The medical term is winged scapula.” Isabelle, furious, slammed her purse against her leg and stormed out to her car, her usually sweet voice stiff with anger. “Sorry, sister, I’m in a hurry. You’ll just have to let me go first. Didn’t Mom and Dad tell you to take care of me?” I rolled my eyes and headed for the subway station. As I passed through a narrow alley, a sudden sense of unease washed over me. Suddenly, a sharp blow struck the back of my neck. He missed his mark. But I didn’t want a second hit, so I let my eyes roll back and went limp, collapsing to the ground. Several pairs of hands stuffed me into a burlap sack and threw me into the trunk of a car. I opened my eyes, turned on my phone’s video recorder from inside the sack, and sent a quick text to Miles. “I’ve been kidnapped. You’ll have to eat dinner alone.” Miles: ? “The assailant was an amateur,” I typed. “He was probably aiming for my carotid sinus to induce syncope, but he hit my cervical spine instead. The carotid sinus, as you know, is located on both sides of the neck and contains a high concentration of baroreceptors. Impressive, right? Even under duress, my foundational knowledge is solid.” I heard the trunk open and quickly put my phone away. They pulled me out of the sack and threw me on the ground. A cloyingly sweet perfume filled the air. It was familiar. It was Isabelle’s. “Okay, untie her, then tie me up. And then you need to cut me,” Isabelle’s delicate voice instructed from above. As soon as the ropes were off, I discreetly angled my phone’s camera towards her. She was just as ruthless as her mother, the nanny who had switched us at birth. The bodyguard hesitated, unwilling to cut the now-bound Isabelle. “Useless!” she hissed. “If you don’t cut me, how am I supposed to frame that bitch Ava? The more pathetic I look, the more Mom, Dad, and Liam will pity me, and the more they’ll hate her!” When the bodyguard still didn’t move, she got up and stumbled into the knife herself. “…Ouch. Okay, Mom and Dad should be here soon. You can go now. I’ll wire you the money, every last cent.” Not long after the bodyguards left, my parents and Liam rushed in. “Isabelle! Oh, Isabelle, please be okay! If anything happens to you, what will I do?” my mother wailed. “Don’t be afraid, sweetie, Dad’s here to save you! Ava! Get out here!” I chose that moment to let out a faint groan, giving them a clue to my location. Isabelle was trembling, tied up, tears streaming down her face like a tragic heroine. “No… sister, please let me go. I’ll never try to compete with you for Mom and Dad’s love again. I’ll leave the family right now, I’ll get out of your sight, just please don’t kill me…” My mother saw her pitiful state and the blood, and all the color drained from her face. She lunged forward. “Isabelle! Mommy’s here! Are you okay? Oh my god, the blood…” My father aimed a kick at me. I dodged to the side. Missing me only made him angrier. “You monster! You psycho! How could you do this to your own sister? I should never have brought a venomous snake like you into this house!” I pulled out my phone, opened the video, and held it out for them to see. “Watch for yourselves. It’s not like you’d believe anything I say anyway.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386680”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was the Ashton family’s showpiece daughter. My father drove my mother to her death and never once gave me a kind look. The one saving grace was my two childhood knights. They were the ones who pulled me from the rooftop ledge, who stopped my numb acts of self-harm. They were my antidote. But when I returned home from my studies abroad, everything had changed. They had found a new princess, and I was cast as the wicked witch who tormented her. I watched them shield my father’s stepdaughter, their eyes filled with a wariness once reserved for strangers. The antidote had become a lethal poison. My illness worsened. Finally, I decided to grant them their wish and disappear. 1 Today was my birthday. It was also the first anniversary of my return to the city. I scrolled numbly through my social media feed, watching the endless stream of birthday wishes Sean and Ian were posting for Molly. They were the boys I had grown up with, my closest friends. Now, it was as if I’d never existed. A bitter smile touched my lips. I wasn’t sure if it was the medication kicking in or my psychosomatic symptoms flaring up again, but the exhaustion was bone-deep. On a day meant for celebration, all I could feel was a creeping desire for it all to end. I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer. My illness was winning. After a moment of hesitation, I dialed my grandfather’s number overseas. “Grandpa, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll come back for the treatment.” A heavy sigh came from the other end. “Leah, my dear,” he said, his voice laced with pain, “Why would you say this on your birthday? Did they hurt you again?” His words were enough to make my eyes well up, but I fought back the tears, not wanting to worry him. “No, nothing like that.” “It’s okay, my sweet girl,” his loving voice soothed me. “I’m an old man now. I can’t do much about that bastard Julian, but I can make sure you get well. I’ll make the arrangements. In two weeks, I’ll have you here with me.” “As for those two boys…, people change, Leah. Don’t let them break your heart.” I nodded, though he couldn’t see, and after saying our goodbyes, I ended the call. Staring out at the city lights, I was lost in thought. People change. I knew that. But when I came home and saw the two friends I cherished most in the world ignoring me, choosing my father’s illegitimate daughter over me, believing her lies and looking at me with disgust… the pain was so sharp it stole the air from my lungs. The depth of my love for them was matched only by the depth of the wounds they inflicted. As a child, my father, Julian Ashton, had despised my mother, and by extension, me. His years of cold neglect had sent me spiraling into a deep depression. At its worst, I almost stepped off the roof of our penthouse. It was Sean and Ian who pulled me back, time and time again. They dragged me out, made me play, and slowly, carefully, drew me out of the shadows. Back then, they were my cure. Now, the medicine had turned to poison. Their distance, their coldness, had made me sicker than ever. My body was a knot of tension as I lay in bed. I took two extra sleeping pills, hoping for oblivion. Just as sleep was about to take me, my phone buzzed. I squinted at the screen. It was Sean. A flicker of hope, pathetic as it was, sparked in my chest. Maybe this was it. Maybe they remembered. Then his first words snuffed it out. “We’re at Molly’s birthday party. She mentioned it was your birthday too and was worried you’d be lonely, so she asked us to call.” The raucous sound of their celebration was a stark contrast to the crushing silence of my room. My last shred of hope shattered. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I didn’t have the strength. Sean waited a moment, then his voice, usually warm, was clipped with impatience. “Leah? Are you there? What’s with the silent treatment? Molly was being nice, worried you were all alone. Can you stop being so hostile to her all the time?” I could hear a soft murmur in the background, probably Molly telling him not to be so harsh. Sean huffed but fell silent, passing the phone to his brother. Ian’s cool, detached voice came through the line. “Happy birthday. We got you a gift, we’ll give it to you at the party tomorrow… If there’s nothing else, we’re going to hang up. The fireworks Molly wanted to see are about to start.” His tone was all business, softening only when he said Molly’s name, a hint of affection coloring the word. I ended the call, my hand falling limply to my side. I didn’t understand. I had only been away for a few years. How could the devotion that was once mine be given away so easily, so completely? I had tried to win them back. I had fought and cried, but nothing worked. It never earned me so much as a second glance. All I could do was retreat, defeated and alone. I wiped the tears from my face. I knew it was going to be another long, sleepless night. 2 Every year, Julian Ashton threw me a birthday gala. He called it a celebration, but I knew the truth. It was a performance, a way to market his public image as a doting father while parading me around for business connections. I’d drunk myself into stomach ulcers at these parties, all for the sake of his damn projects. But attendance was never optional. A stir at the entrance drew my attention. Molly, dressed in a magnificent ball gown fit for a princess, glided in, flanked by Ian and Sean. She blushed and hid behind Sean, feigning shyness, as if overwhelmed by the scene. I watched her, a cold amusement rising in me. If she was truly uncomfortable, would she have worn something so ostentatious? Would she have made such a grand entrance? Molly spotted me and hurried over, grasping my hand. Her lower lip jutted out in a pout. “Leah, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice thick with false contrition. “I know Dad threw this party just for you, but…” She shot a look at the two towering men beside her, a mix of shy blame and affection. “They insisted I come. They said since it’s my birthday too, I’m a guest of honor…” She clung to my arm, her words overflowing with apology and helplessness, as if terrified I might be upset. But I saw it clearly—the triumphant glint in her eyes. I let out a quiet, mirthless laugh. I had no energy to play along with her charade. I pulled my hand away without a word. That simple gesture seemed to ignite their fury. In the eyes of Ian and Sean, it was a declaration of war. Sean immediately stepped in front of a teary-eyed Molly, shielding her as if from a physical blow. Ian’s brow furrowed, his gaze landing on me, heavy with disappointment. “Leah, how could a few years abroad make you so selfish?” I looked at the two brothers, their faces set in hostile lines, and a profound weariness washed over me. To be publicly reprimanded at my own birthday party, simply for not responding to Molly’s act. I had endured this, in one form or another, countless times over the past year. I had argued. I had cried. I had pleaded. Nothing could win back a single kind glance from Ian or Sean. Now, I was just tired. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I turned to leave. But Ian’s hand shot out, his fingers closing around my arm. I looked at him, my exhaustion plain on my face. For a split second, his grip faltered, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. “Where do you think you’re going? Apologize to Molly!” Sean, ever the hothead, snapped before Ian could speak. I tried to pull my arm free, but his grip was like iron. I understood then. Ian, the cool, calculating one, felt the same way. The eyes of the room were on me, a mixture of pity and amusement. They all knew. The girl who was once the center of the Grant brothers’ world had lost everything. They were all waiting for the next act of my humiliation. A smirk pulled at my lips. “Why should I apologize?” “Molly grew up an orphan,” Ian said, his tone one of patient reason, as if explaining a simple concept to a child. “She never had a real birthday until your father adopted her. She’s never been to a party this grand. You’ve had parties like this your entire life. Is it really so hard to share just one with her?” His words were like little shards of glass embedding themselves in my heart. An orphan? They actually believed Julian’s ridiculous cover story! Molly wasn’t adopted. She was my half-sister, born to my father’s mistress less than a year after I was. The tension in the room was suffocating. Just as the whispers and mocking glances reached their peak, Julian finally made his appearance, rushing over to play peacemaker. “Ah, Ian, Sean! No need for all this!” he said, clapping them on the shoulders with sickening familiarity. “Molly is such a sensible girl. I was already planning to celebrate her birthday tonight as well!” He then turned to me, his voice taking on a tone of gentle chiding. “Leah! You need to stop being so willful. Molly is your sister, after all!” His words were earnest, but his meaning was clear: I was the selfish, spoiled heiress, and Molly was the blameless victim. The hypocrisy made me nauseous. I scanned the faces around me—my duplicitous father, my treacherous friends, his innocent-looking mistress’s daughter—and felt a wave of pathetic irony wash over me. With a final surge of strength, I ripped my arm from Ian’s grasp. “Fine. If you all want it so badly, then this party is for her. Let the entire night be for Molly Ashton.” If it’s for her, I thought with a bitter twist in my gut, at least she won’t have to spend the night poisoning herself with alcohol to please potential business partners. I laughed at my own dark humor and walked towards the exit without a backward glance. 3 “Leah! What about your present?” Sean caught up to me at the door, hesitating for a moment before holding out a gift box. I opened it. Inside lay a diamond necklace, clearly expensive. I was surprised. I’d assumed they’d just grabbed some token gift, not something so… thoughtful. I bit my lip, about to say something, when Molly appeared beside us. “You should take it, Leah,” she chirped, lifting the necklace from its velvet cushion and moving to fasten it around my neck. “They were so busy making my gift by hand that I had to pick this out for them.” She giggled. “It cost a fortune! But I figured you’re the type who likes expensive things. Not like me, I’m happy with childish little crafts. They spent so much time on my gift, you know.” The warmth that had begun to seep back into my chest instantly turned to ice. I stopped her hand before the clasp could close. “No, thank you,” I said, my voice flat. I mocked myself for my foolishness. Of course. It was just a thoughtless, outsourced gift. And I’d actually believed for a second that they had chosen it for me. They were too busy doting on their precious Molly to spare a moment for me. “I don’t wear necklaces. If you like it so much, you can have it.” I walked out into the night, not seeing the two men staring holes into my retreating back. Julian had never assigned me a driver, so I walked home alone under the cloak of darkness. As I passed the central plaza, I saw three children setting off sparklers. A little girl stood in the middle, her face lit up with pure joy, her eyes sparkling brighter than the fireworks. On either side of her, two boys held the sparklers aloft, their gazes fixed on her, their faces soft with adoration. I stopped, a small smile finding its way to my lips. But as I watched, the smile dissolved, and tears began to stream down my face. I remembered when my grades slipped, and the Ashton family staff whispered behind my back about how I was a disappointment. It was Ian who had patiently tutored me for hours until I understood. I remembered being bullied at school, hiding in a bathroom stall to cry because I had no one to stand up for me. It was Sean who found me, who hunted down the bullies and taught them a lesson, coming back bruised and bleeding but grinning and telling me it was nothing. Back then, everyone said that Ian and Sean Grant were my exclusive knights. And now? For Molly, they stood with Julian Ashton. They stood on the opposite side of a battlefield I never wanted to be on. I wiped my tears, the pain in my chest a physical, crushing weight. I didn’t understand how they, knowing everything I had been through, could so easily align themselves with the man who had caused it all. Or maybe… maybe it was all a lie? Maybe the salvation I thought I’d found was just a game for two bored, wealthy boys. And as soon as I was gone, Julian brought his real daughter home, and they finally found their true princess. “How nice…” I murmured, watching the children’s laughing silhouettes. With a bitter chuckle, I turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. 4 The day I was set to leave, I went to the Grant’s home. The moment I stepped inside, Eleanor Grant pulled me into a warm embrace, her beautiful face etched with concern. “My dear child,” she sighed, leading me to the sofa. “I heard about what happened at the party. Those two idiots! I swear, when they get home, I’ll give them a piece of my mind for you!” I took her hand, managing a faint smile. “It’s alright, Eleanor… I don’t want to be a bother anymore. I’m leaving the country today.” “A bother? You could never be… What? You’re leaving?” “Yes… This time, I’m doing it for me.” I lowered my eyes, hiding the turmoil within. “And if all goes well, I won’t be coming back.” Eleanor was speechless for a long moment, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Is it the illness? Is it worse? Because of them?” I didn’t answer, only squeezed her hand. “I’ll miss you.” “Do they know?” I shook my head. Eleanor let out a long, pained sigh. “Of course not. Are you sure you don’t want to tell them? When you left for your studies, they were both miserable for months. Maybe this time…” Before I could respond, the front door swung open. Ian and Sean walked in, their arms laden with shopping bags. Trailing behind them, dressed to the nines, was Molly. “Mom, look who’s here!” Sean called out, his cheerful expression vanishing the moment he saw me. “What are you doing here?” Eleanor’s brow knitted in a sharp line. “I invited her. Is that a problem for you?” Sean pouted and shot me a dark look, but said nothing more. “Mom, Molly is here. You haven’t met her properly yet,” Ian said, stepping in to smooth things over. He guided Molly forward. “She’s been preparing for this visit all week. Look, all these are gifts she brought for you.” Molly offered a shy smile and was about to speak, but Eleanor cut her off. “That won’t be necessary. She is not welcome in my home.” “Mom!” Ian’s voice was sharp. “Don’t you ‘Mom’ me!” Eleanor stood, pulling me closer to her side. “Have I or have I not told you two that you are not to hurt Leah?” Molly took a step forward, her eyes welling up as if she’d been dealt a mortal blow. “Mrs. Grant, you’ve misunderstood! They were just trying to protect me…” she choked out, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have made Leah upset… If you’re going to blame someone, please, blame me…” Tears streamed down her face, the perfect picture of a brave, tragic heroine. It worked. Ian’s expression softened instantly. He wrapped an arm around her, turning to his mother with a hard edge to his voice. “Mom! Can you please stop defending her unconditionally for once?” Eleanor stared at him, stunned, clearly unable to believe her composed, responsible eldest son would ever speak to her that way. “Ian, you disappoint me more than I can say!” “For a stepdaughter, you’ve hurt the girl who grew up with you, and now you raise your voice to your own mother!” “So what if she’s a stepdaughter?” Sean retorted. Looking at their stubborn, unyielding faces, Eleanor looked like she was about to faint from sheer rage. I quickly rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. “Leah is leaving today!” Eleanor finally burst out, pointing a trembling finger at her sons. She had said it. I knew she was still clinging to the hope that our bond meant something to them. And wasn’t a part of me, a stupid, foolish part, hoping for the same thing? I looked at them, a secret prayer in my heart. Their response was a cold sneer. “Mom, you don’t have to resort to threats like that,” Ian said calmly. “Leah is waiting to inherit the Ashton fortune. She’s not going anywhere.” “Besides,” Sean added, “even if she leaves, what does that have to do with us?” My heart, which I thought couldn’t break any further, splintered into dust. I looked at the two of them, the boys I once loved, as if they were complete strangers. My voice was a raw whisper. “It was me… I lied to Mrs. Grant. I’m sorry… I’m begging you, please, just go. Don’t upset your mother anymore…” Ian’s gaze on me was deep and unreadable. He didn’t say another word, simply turned and led Molly out of the house. Sean glanced back over his shoulder, a flicker of conflict on his face, as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he followed them, leaving without a word. Eleanor watched them go, a single, heavy sigh escaping her lips. “Leah,” she said, her voice heavy with sorrow. “You’re doing the right thing. I won’t stop you anymore.” “Go. Be free.” 5 It’s been a month since I left. Today is Christmas, and the streets are thronged with people. Across the crowded square, I saw them. The two people I thought I would never have to see again. The smile fell from my face. Without a second’s hesitation, I turned and ran. I didn’t get two steps before a hand closed around my wrist. I whipped around to find Ian’s cool, sculpted face just inches from mine. His clothes were disheveled, his usual perfect composure completely gone. Before I could react, Sean was there too, blocking my path. He looked just as haggard. His hair, which he was usually so meticulous about, was a mess. I was confused, but my overriding instinct was to flee. I had no idea why they were here, but I knew one thing for certain: nothing good could come of this. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice dripping with ice. “I’m on the other side of the world. I’m no threat to your precious Molly.” Their faces tightened at my words, but for the first time, they didn’t argue back. “Leah, come home with us.” I laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. “Come home? To what? To be your personal punching bag?” Sean’s head drooped. The explosive temper was gone, replaced by a pleading tone I’d never heard from him before. “Leah… we messed up. We neglected you… we didn’t mean for any of it to happen. You can’t just disappear.” I found the notion so absurd I wanted to scream. They didn’t mean it? So I was just collateral damage? I deserved to be targeted, to be ostracized, to become a villain in their eyes for simply existing? I didn’t want to talk to them anymore. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan Vance waving at me from a short distance away. He reached my side in a few strides and gently but firmly pried my hand from Ian’s grasp. Ethan was the psychologist my grandfather had found for me. He knew my story. He knew these two men were the source of my illness. Without a word, he took my hand and started to lead me away. Sean blocked his path, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Dr. Vance? How do you know Leah?” I froze. They knew Ethan? Ian must have seen the confusion on my face. “The Vance and Grant families have business dealings,” he explained, his deep eyes boring into mine. “He’s a renowned psychologist… Leah, how do you know him?” The implication dawned on Sean, and his gaze snapped to me, sharp and intense. “But you’re better now, aren’t you?” “Better?” I scoffed. “Did I ever say that? You two never gave a damn about my health. Why are you asking now?” “But… your father and Molly both said you were fine… They said that’s why you went abroad, to get away from us.” A wave of exhaustion crashed over me. Because Molly said it, they believed it. Just like that. “Then you can go on believing I’m fine.” Ignoring their pleas, I turned my back on them, my face a cold mask, and let Ethan lead me away. I had no idea that walking away this time would be the biggest turning point of my life. 6 I was in a car accident. I woke up to the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room and the anxious face of my grandfather. The doctor said I’d sustained a head injury and might have some memory loss. But as I searched my mind, everything seemed more or less intact. Except for two people. Their shadows haunted every corner of my memory, but for the life of me, I couldn’t picture their faces. My grandfather sighed, patting my hand. “If you can’t remember, then don’t try,” he said gently. “It’s for the best, my dear.” I didn’t understand, but I did as he said. One day, while walking in the hospital garden, a man suddenly appeared in front of me. He looked frantic, his eyes wide as he stared at me. Unsettled, I turned to walk away. But my path was blocked by another man who looked almost identical to the first. They stood on either side of me, their eyes mirroring the same profound, heart-wrenching pain. “Leah…” I frowned. “Who are you? How do you know my name?” They started to explain, but my grandfather rushed down, pulling me behind him and shielding me from their approach. I could only watch as they pleaded with him, their voices desperate. They said “I’m sorry” over and over, their eyes growing red. But my grandfather was resolute. He sent them away. When I asked him who they were, his expression grew grim. He took my hand and said, “My dear child, it’s better not to know. They aren’t important.” After that, I started seeing them everywhere. They would find ways to see me when my grandfather wasn’t around. Every morning, a new bouquet of fresh flowers would be at my bedside. They tried everything to win my favor, but whenever I saw them, an inexplicable sadness would wash over me. I finally told them about it, asking them to please stop coming. But the calmer one, the one called Ian, his eyes immediately turned red. The other one, Sean, just broke down, grabbing my hand and apologizing relentlessly. “Leah… we were wrong. We’ve already made those people pay for what they did. Please, don’t… don’t do this to yourself because of us…” I didn’t know what they were sorry for. I didn’t know who they’d made “pay.” But my heart began to throb with a familiar, agonizing pain, and tears I couldn’t control began to fall. 7 There was someone else who visited me often during my recovery. His name was Ethan Vance. I remembered he was my psychologist. But I’d forgotten why I was so sick in the first place. I only had a vague feeling that it had something to do with those two men… Whenever I tried to remember them, a sharp pain would shoot through my head. Ethan would gently tell me not to force it. He was endlessly patient, guiding me through my physical therapy and filling the quiet hours with fascinating stories. He pulled me back from the brink of despair again and again. The feeling was so familiar, as if I’d experienced it a thousand times before in my childhood… I couldn’t place it, and simply attributed it to his kind nature. Over that month in the hospital, we grew closer. That feeling of familiar comfort, combined with his gentle care, made me realize I was falling in love with him. I told him so, directly. His face flushed a deep red, but he met my gaze without flinching. I knew. He felt the same way. On my last day in the hospital, in the privacy of my room, we shared our first kiss. I buried my face in his chest, shy and giddy. When I glanced up, my happiness froze. Two men were standing in the doorway. They were holding bouquets of flowers, their eyes crimson. And they were staring right at us. It was Ian and Sean. I will never forget the raw, devastating anguish in their eyes. It washed over me like a tidal wave. And there it was again. That crushing pain, flooding my heart. Ethan held me close, murmuring comforting words as he slipped a pill into my mouth. I don’t know what he said to them. Their expressions were tortured, almost savage, but after a long look at my pale, trembling form, they turned and left. I was discharged from the hospital. My physical recovery was going well. Except for the missing pieces of my memory, everything was slowly returning to normal. But for some reason, I constantly had the feeling that I was being watched. I tried to ignore it, telling myself I was just being paranoid. Until one evening, after a date with Ethan, the world went black. I collapsed, and when I woke up, I was in a strange house.

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Uncle Rick had racked up a massive gambling debt. My mom put three crumpled balls of paper on the table and told us, her three children, to draw lots. “To be fair, whoever draws the paper with ink on it takes on all of Uncle Rick’s debt.” “Big sister goes first, little brother goes last. Don’t blame anyone if you pick it. It’s just fate.” At that exact moment, I saw a stream of text scrolling across the sky, like comments on a livestream: [Girl, don’t do it! Every single paper in that box has ink on it! Whoever draws first is doomed!] [Your mom is secretly livestreaming this from the corner to make sure you can’t back out later! There are already hundreds of thousands of people watching!] [She knows you can’t pay it back. She’s already called the black market organ harvesters. They’re waiting outside. Whoever draws is dead meat!] Whoever draws, dies? I smiled. I stopped my little sister, Penny, who was reaching out out of curiosity, and shoved the box directly in front of my brother, Tyler. “Tyler’s the boy. He should go first.” Then, I grabbed my mom’s arm and pulled her closer. “Mom, why don’t you draw one, too?” 1 The loan sharks had just left, and Mom immediately whipped out the paper balls for the draw. My brother Tyler’s chubby hand reached out first. “I wanna go first!” Mom, who usually spoiled him rotten, actually slapped his hand away. Hard. “No rules! We go by age. Oldest to youngest. It’s all about luck, stop grabbing!” I sneered internally. Then, more text floated across my vision. [She never thinks of her daughter when there are good things, but the second there’s debt, she pushes her to the front!] [She’s dying to sell her daughter for cash. She probably plans to use the leftovers to buy a house for her precious son.] [This isn’t just about money. It’s murder.] “Nora, you’re the oldest. You draw,” Mom commanded. Uncle Rick and Aunt Pam, who had been wailing moments ago, stopped crying. They stared at me with hungry eyes. “Hurry up! Or those thugs will come back! Niece, do you want to see your uncle beaten to death?” “Stop stalling. You’re a pretty girl; money comes faster for you than for a boy.” Penny reached her hand out, curious. I blocked her, hiding the cold look in my eyes, and forcibly shoved Tyler’s hand into the box. “Tyler is the man of the house one day. He should go first!” Before Mom could react, I shoved the box into her arms. “Mom, you grab one too. Uncle Rick is your brother. You have more life experience; surely you have more ways to make money than us.” The box seemed to burn her skin. She threw it away without thinking. Then, she snatched the paper Tyler had grabbed, tore it to shreds, and screamed at me. “You little ungrateful wretch! Playing games with me? Don’t want to draw? Fine! If you won’t draw, then it’s you! You’re paying your uncle’s debt!” [It’s over. Is she really going to sell her daughter just like that?] [Those organ harvesters are brutal. They’ll strip her for parts until there’s nothing left.] Sell me? I subtly scanned the room, looking for the hidden phone. Once I spotted the camera lens peeking out from a pile of clutter, I stood up, threw open the window, and started wailing at the top of my lungs. If hundreds of thousands of people were watching, surely they wouldn’t beat me to death on camera. “Mom! What do I do?! I want to help Uncle Rick, but I’m a fresh college grad! I barely make $2,500 a month! Uncle gambled away $200,000! How am I supposed to pay that?!” “Uncle Rick, it’s not that I don’t want to help, I literally can’t!” Mom sneered from the side. “Crying is useless. This is your fate.” But Uncle Rick rushed over to cover my mouth. “Shut up! Are you trying to call the debt collectors back?!” I glanced at the yard. The thugs were already turning back. I smiled. Too late, Uncle. Here they come. 2 The lead thug kicked the door open. Our flimsy front door, already hanging by a thread, crashed to the floor. “Are you playing games with us? Trying to fool us?” “You want a little girl to pay the debt? On $2,500 a month? I’d be waiting until the next century!” “Figure it out now, or I break your legs! Let’s see if you can gamble in a wheelchair! You don’t have money? Then stop acting like a big shot!” Uncle Rick’s knees buckled. Most people have a backbone. My uncle was a jellyfish. He dropped to his knees. “Big bro, please! Just give me a little more time. I’ll find the money, I swear!” The thug kicked him square in the shoulder. Aunt Pam screamed. Rick rolled over, scrambling back up with a face full of snot and tears. “Bro, listen, I’m working on it! I don’t have cash, but I have people! Look, my sister has three kids!” [Wow. Shameless.] I pinched my thigh hard, forcing tears to stream down my face. I wailed, “I’ll work hard to pay it back! If I don’t eat or drink for the next 27 years, I can pay off the principal! Please, just wait!” “What?!” The thug was furious. “27 years? Are you mocking me? I’m not waiting that long. Pay up now!” Uncle Rick started cursing at me. Aunt Pam joined in, sobbing, “Sister, control your kid! Is she trying to get my husband killed?” Mom was frantic. She took off her slipper and raised it to hit me. Penny threw herself over me. “Mommy, don’t hit Nora! Please!” I looked at my little sister, my heart aching. Other kids get love. We were born to be blood bags. I pushed Penny aside and threw myself at Mom’s legs, hugging them tight. “Mom! It’s my fault I’m useless! But we can’t let Uncle Rick die!” “He’s your baby brother! You have to help him!” Uncle Rick and Aunt Pam’s heads snapped toward us. They saw a new lifeline. “Sis! Nora is right. She’s too young to make real money, but you can!” “You guys own this house, you must have savings! Please, help us first!” Now, it was Mom’s turn to panic. 3 Uncle and Auntie played the family card hard, and I piled on the moral blackmail. “Mom, you always told us that we have to support our family no matter what. You said siblings are our backbone.” “Isn’t Uncle Rick your backbone? Are you just going to watch him die?” “If something happens to him, how will you face Grandma and Grandpa in the afterlife?” Mom’s face turned from green to purple. “Shut your mouth!” With a massive debt looming over her head, she forgot about the livestream. She raised her arm and smacked my back twice, hard. Years of farm work gave her a heavy hand; my back burned with pain. Penny cried and tried to stop her, but Mom shoved her to the ground. I clenched my fists and endured it. Born into this hellhole, I had no choice. I had to save myself. And I was going to take Penny with me. “I’m sorry, Mom! I won’t say anything else!” I sobbed. Then I looked at Uncle Rick. “I’m sorry, Uncle. We really can’t help. Mom has her own family to feed. She can’t save you.” Rick exploded. “Wang Xiuhua! I am your brother!” Mom’s face was red, but she stayed silent. The thugs saw that Rick wasn’t going to pay up anytime soon. The leader walked into the kitchen and came back with a meat cleaver. “No money today? I take a hand. Next week? I take a leg!!” I grabbed Penny, burying her face in my chest. “Penny, close your eyes. Don’t look.” Mom didn’t want the debt, but seeing the knife, she panicked and rushed forward to stop them. Aunt Pam grew a spine and joined the fray. The room erupted into chaos. Our furniture was smashed to pieces. In the scuffle, Mom got shoved hard and hit the back of her head on the floor. The floating comments rejoiced: [So satisfying! Karma comes fast!] [But the girl isn’t safe yet. The organ traffickers are still waiting outside!] I looked at Tyler, the family’s “Golden Child.” The person who loved him most was groaning on the floor in pain, but he was standing on a chair, cheering, “Yeah! Get him! Fight!” I silently pitied my mother for raising such a monster. But I grabbed his arm. [Go outside and find Dad! Now!] He curled his lip. “No way. Let them fight. If one dies, the rest go to jail. Cool.” [Wow. Just wow.] [Open your eyes, Mom! This is your precious son!] I suppressed the chill in my eyes. “This house is your inheritance, Tyler. If someone dies in here, the property value drops to zero! Go get Dad, now!” Only when his future assets were threatened did his expression change. Mom was still in the middle of the brawl, totally unaware. I watched the door intently. A few minutes later, the comments updated. [Oh snap.] [The Golden Child just got snatched.] [Mom dug her own grave. Her precious baby boy got taken by the traffickers she hired. Good luck explaining that to her husband!] I took a deep breath and called my dad. 4 By the time Dad got back, the thugs had trashed the place. Uncle and Auntie tried to beg for money again, but Dad chased them out with the meat cleaver. When I picked up the phone that was still livestreaming, the comments were going wild. [That man looks terrifying. Is he going to hit the kids? Someone call the cops!] [This woman is awful, but she doesn’t deserve to die. This family is a horror show. We don’t even know the address to send help!] I ended the stream. Mom and Dad? They fight, they break things, they make up. It wasn’t worth the police yet. Dad’s cursing filled the room. “Wang Xiuhua! You lost my son for that piece of trash brother of yours?!” “What? My son? Where is he?” Mom’s wailing and Dad’s screaming echoed. Penny shrank into my arms, looking at me with terrified eyes. “Sister, is Daddy going to hit us?” Seeing the bruises on her arm, I hugged her tighter. In this house, beatings were as common as dinner. “No. I’ll protect you.” The noise next door died down. Then, Dad kicked our door open. Bam! “You two useless girls! Why are you just sitting there? Go find your brother!” We scrambled out like we’d been granted amnesty. I took Penny to the river in the next village and we sat there all afternoon. We didn’t head back until it was pitch black. “Sister, if we don’t find him, will Mom and Dad be mad?” They would be furious. But right now, Dad had someone he hated more than us. He wouldn’t have time for us.

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

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I spent seven years chasing Joey Williams. He spent seven years rejecting me. Everyone said Tessa Hart loved Joey to the bone. They also said Joey had a visceral, almost biological, aversion to Tessa. What they didn’t know was that for those seven years, in the privacy of my bed, Joey Williams loved me like his life depended on it. But the second his pants were back on, I was just his pathetic little puppy again. Five years after we split, Joey and I ended up at the same table at our high school reunion. The class president, a face I hadn’t seen in years, leaned in and whispered, “Tessa, are you still after Joey?” “I saw in the news he’s still single,” she nudged me. “This is your chance. Go for it!” I was about to shut her down when a new wave of excitement swept through the room. A man in a tailored suit, radiating an air of cool prestige, moved through the chorus of greetings and compliments and sat down in the empty chair beside me. “Tessa. It’s been a long time.” “Have you been well these last five years?” I offered a small, empty smile, my eyes downcast. “I’ve been great. Anything’s great, without you.” 1. The spoon in Joey’s hand clattered to the floor. The sharp sound cut through the chatter, and for a split second, his perpetually stoic mask shattered. As a waiter hurried over to replace the silverware, he leaned in close, his voice a low whisper. “Tessa…” I physically shifted my chair, creating a full arm’s length of distance between us. The light in his handsome, almond-shaped eyes dimmed. “I’ll give you a ride home after,” he said, his voice tight. “Not necessary.” I refused without a second thought. “It’s raining. You can’t ride your bike-share home in this.” The downpour outside was getting heavier. He was right, I couldn’t. I’d have to call for a car. “If you had just taken the money back then, your life wouldn’t be like this.” I wasn’t sure if he meant the severance package or the abortion money. He owed me for so much more than just one or the other. Five abortions, to be exact. A knot of irritation tightened in my stomach. I followed his gaze down to a dark smudge on the cuff of my pants. I’d forgotten. On my way here, a black Maybach had sped through a puddle, splashing dirty water all over me. So that was Joey’s car. He’d upgraded again. He must have had too much cash on the books and needed a new tax write-off. “I brought a raincoat. Don’t trouble yourself.” His eyes swept over me, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “Tessa, why do you always have to be so stubborn?” “Joey.” A syrupy sweet voice cut him off. Every head in the room turned toward the door. A woman stood there in a chic, pale grey power suit, her makeup accentuating her sharp, model-esque features. People exchanged curious glances, wondering who she was. Only I didn’t look up. I just kept eating. I’d slept in and woken up starving, and our class president’s frantic calls had dragged me here before I’d even had a chance to grab a bite. “Tessa?” The woman, Lily, gasped with theatrical surprise, grabbing my hand. Her grip was limp. “What are you doing here? Joey told me it was his high school reunion, but I never thought you’d actually show up!” I forced a tight smile and gently pulled my hand away. “And you are?” our class president finally asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind. All eyes shifted to Joey. “My fiancée, Lily,” he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. So, a man like Joey was capable of publicly claiming someone. My seven-year underground romance and three-year secret marriage—ten years of my life, completely unacknowledged—suddenly felt like a colossal joke. A beat of stunned silence, then someone broke it with a “Congratulations!” and the room erupted in a fresh wave of chatter. Lily slid into the seat next to Joey, and they received the room’s good wishes like a newly married couple. “I’m late, so I really should do three shots to make up for it,” she announced brightly. “But Joey won’t let me drink right now, so I’ll toast you all with this instead.” Lily knew how to work a room. Even with Joey sitting there like a statue, she single-handedly charmed everyone, her glass held high. The atmosphere crackled back to life. In minutes, she had them all eating out of the palm of her hand. “By the way,” she said, her eyes scanning the table with a playful glint. “I heard someone in this class chased Joey for seven years straight. Who was it? I’m just so curious who could possibly have that much patience.” I kept my head down, the smile gone from my face. The room went silent. No one dared to look at me, probably afraid I’d flip the table. I’d always had a notoriously short fuse, and I held a grudge like it was my job. The only person who had ever been able to handle me was Joey. It was why no other girl had dared to even talk to him during the years I was chasing him. “She didn’t come today,” the class president said, kindly covering for me. “Oh? What a shame,” Lily sighed with mock disappointment. “I was hoping to give her a wedding invitation…” She finished with a giggle, collapsing dramatically into Joey’s arms. The class president stared daggers at her. “That woman is a real piece of work, isn’t she?” she muttered to me. I watched her channel her rage into devouring a chicken wing and had to stifle a laugh, pushing a glass of water toward her so she wouldn’t choke. She grabbed my arm, her voice a fierce whisper. “Tessa, my ship has officially sunk! Is there really no chance for you and Joey?!” She glared at Lily, and I couldn’t help but smirk. “It’s not like we were never together.” The class president’s jaw unhinged. I think her pupils actually dilated. I turned my head and looked directly at Joey, seeking confirmation. “Isn’t that right, Joey?” His brow twitched. He gave a curt nod. “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” The class president shot to her feet, practically vibrating with the scandalous gossip. The whole room exploded. For seven years, everyone had assumed Joey despised me, that he found my very presence repulsive. Lily’s practiced smile froze on her face. She never expected me to reveal our secret history, and she certainly never expected Joey to confirm it. “Oh, so Tessa was your ex-girlfriend, Joey!” she recovered, her voice sharp. “Well, then I should thank you, Tessa. Thank you for stepping aside and giving me a chance with him.” She picked up two glasses—one with orange juice, one with hard liquor—and walked over. I pushed the liquor away, my expression turning cold. “Sorry, I can’t drink.” “What do you mean, you can’t drink?” she insisted, pushing the glass back toward me. “I remember when you were the sales director at the company. You could drink anyone under the table. You’re the one who taught me how to hold my liquor, remember?” Senior year of college, Joey had founded his own tech startup. I’d turned down a cushy job my family had arranged for me and went to work for him instead. In those early days, we were barely surviving. Joey was too proud to beg, too arrogant to schmooze for a deal. So I did it for him. Every contract, every partnership, every round of funding—I secured them all at the bottom of a bottle. And back then, Joey was grateful. So grateful that he asked me to marry him. Our seven-year underground romance gave way to a three-year secret marriage. In those days, Joey would make me hangover soup, hold me when I was drunk and rambling, and soothe me to sleep. Even when we had no money, he never forgot an anniversary, always scraping together enough for some extravagant gift. He gave me everything except a name. He never called me his wife in public. But it was enough. I convinced myself that, in his own way, he loved me. The company took off. Joey’s talent was undeniable, and he quickly made a name for himself. We started hiring. Lily was one of my first recruits. “I don’t like you being out there, in the spotlight,” Joey had said. “Find someone to do the drinking for you.” So I stepped back. Lily was fearless, a natural. She dove headfirst into the boozy world of business deals. I taught her everything I knew: how to pour the drinks, how to build a tolerance, how to close a deal over a dinner that reeked of alcohol. She was a fast learner. She was also beautiful, bubbly, and charming, and she started landing major contracts, one after another. Joey adored her. It was an open, undisguised affection. He showered her with bonuses, but also with personal gifts—expensive clothes, designer bags, jewelry. They became inseparable at the office, their closeness bordering on inappropriate. I fought with him about it, again and again. Every argument ended the same way: with him storming out. “Tessa, don’t project your own filthy thoughts onto others.” “Tessa, if you keep this up, there’s no reason for us to be together.” That relationship, built on my sacrifice, nearly destroyed me. Staring at the crystal-clear liquor in front of me, I looked up at Lily. “Then didn’t I also teach you never to push a drink on a woman?” I put down my chopsticks, took the glass, and poured its contents into Joey’s empty one. “Joey,” I said, my voice dripping with ice, “if you can’t control your woman, don’t bring her out in public to embarrass herself.” The color drained from his face. He grabbed Lily’s arm, pulling her back. “That’s enough.” “Sit down and eat,” he said, his voice low and sharp. “If you won’t eat, the baby needs to.” His words fell like stones into the sudden silence. The food on the table suddenly tasted like ash. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach. “Excuse me,” I mumbled, pushing my chair back. “I need to use the restroom.” The moment I stepped outside, a gust of cold, damp wind cut through my coat. I shivered, the nausea subsiding slightly. A baby. They were having a baby. Joey, the man who claimed to hate children, was having a baby with another woman. In our ten years together, I had been pregnant with his child five times. Every single time, he made me get an abortion. The excuse was always the same: his career was just taking off, and besides, he just didn’t like kids. Each time, he would shower me with gifts to “make me feel better.” He’d say we were still young, that we should enjoy our time together. And because I loved him so desperately, I always let him convince me. The drinking and the constant morning-after pills had wrecked my body. The fifth time I got pregnant, the doctor gave me a stark warning: if I terminated this one, I might never be able to have children again. On our third wedding anniversary, I cooked an elaborate meal. I was going to tell him. I wanted to keep this baby. But he never came home. Instead, I found him. In his office. On the couch. Entangled with Lily. “Tessa! Who said you could come in without knocking?!” he yelled, scrambling for clothes to cover her. “Get out!” Lily just stared at me, her eyes wide and innocent like a startled deer. That day, I fled. I even remembered to close the door behind me. When Joey finally came home, the apartment was destroyed. Food and cake were smeared on the floor. I had torn up every photo of us, smashed everything I could get my hands on. He calmly navigated the wreckage and sat down in front of me. I was the first to speak. I asked him when it started. “You don’t want to know.” “Tessa, can’t you just be happy being Mrs. Williams at home?” His voice was cold, each word a shard of ice in my heart. I went crazy. I started to call Lily, right in front of him. He snatched my phone and smashed it against the wall. “Are you insane? She doesn’t know anything!” The air froze. I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. “Doesn’t she, Joey? Really?” We had a secret marriage, yes. But anyone with eyes could see how close we were. Lily had asked me about him dozens of times. She would have to be an idiot not to know. “I never told her,” he said, the words falling from his lips with chilling indifference. In that moment, I swear I could hear my heart cracking. “Tessa, I’m warning you. If you go after her, we’re getting a divorce.” For three years, every time I’d gotten upset about Lily, he had threatened me with divorce. And every single time, I had backed down. But not that time. “Fine, Joey,” I said. “Let’s get a divorce.” He made the terms impossible, demanding I leave with nothing, trying to force me to stay. I didn’t even argue. I just signed the papers. Back then, there was no mandatory cooling-off period. We had our divorce decree in hand that same day. Standing outside the city hall, he warned me through gritted teeth not to regret it. He was so sure I’d come crawling back. But I never did. In five years, I had barely even thought of him. If the class president hadn’t begged me to come to this reunion, I never would have seen him again. A weight settled on my shoulders. A black suit jacket, carrying a familiar, cold scent. Joey. “Tessa, it’s been five years,” he said, his voice thick with something I couldn’t name. “I never thought you’d actually be able to stay away.” Without a word, I shrugged the jacket off and handed it back to him. “Stay away? Or come back as your mistress?” I sneered. “Have you no shame, Joey? Is cheating an addiction for you?” His face hardened. He grabbed my wrist, his other hand yanking up the hem of my shirt. The pale skin of my stomach was covered in a fine web of silvery lines. “Tessa,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “Five years ago… did you have my baby?” The wind was howling, and his words were almost lost in it. My vision blurred, and suddenly I was back in those awful days after our divorce, homeless and alone. I’d left with nothing. I was pregnant, and so ashamed I couldn’t even face my family. Three years as a housewife had left my resume empty. I had no money for an abortion, so I tried desperate, old-fashioned methods to induce a miscarriage. Jump rope, herbal remedies, starving myself for days. But the baby clung to life with a stubbornness that mirrored my own. And in the end, I couldn’t do it. I became the ultimate fool: a woman determined to give birth to her cheating ex-husband’s child. I lived in a tiny basement apartment, worked part-time at a diner, and did everything I could to nourish the small life growing inside me. I talked to him every day, telling him about my life. I bought him tiny clothes and even found a second-hand crib. I gave him the best of everything I had. I thought everything would be okay. But one night, I woke up in a pool of blood. “Your placenta has dropped, it’s almost completely covering the cervix,” the doctor said, her voice clinical and detached. “You need to be admitted for observation, or you will lose this baby.” Her words were like hammer blows to my heart. The cost of hospitalization was astronomical. I couldn’t afford it. The pain, the bleeding, the sheer terror of it all, made me think of him. Lying in that hospital bed, I finally broke. I called Joey. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity. When he finally picked up, his voice was rough and breathless. “Hello? Who is this?” And then I heard it. A soft, feminine moan in the background. My hand started to tremble. I fumbled with the phone, hanging up before he could say another word. The memory clawed at me, tearing at my nerves. I blinked, and Joey’s face swam back into focus. He was gripping my arm, his knuckles white. “Tessa, the baby! Where is my child?” I yanked my arm free. “Joey, if you’re sick, go see a doctor. And stop watching so many trashy soap operas. I’m not stupid enough to give birth to my cheating husband’s child!” He didn’t believe me. He pointed at my stomach. “Then where did these stretch marks come from? You never had them before.” I scowled, my patience gone. “You’re insane.” I turned to leave, but Lily’s voice stopped me. “Tessa, let us give you a ride,” she called out, hurrying over with my purse in her hand. “It’s so late, you’ll never get a cab in this rain.” My neck stiff, I nodded. The moment we were in the car, Lily started chattering about her latest OB-GYN appointment. Joey gave one-word answers, his eyes fixed on me in the rearview mirror. “This is our first, you know,” Lily said, smiling at me. “Joey is so protective. He found the best maternity hospital in the city for me. If you ever need a recommendation, I can give you their number.” Her smile was sickly sweet. “Oh, I just realized, I don’t even know where you live now, Tessa!” “The Westgate.” Lily’s mouth fell open. “The Westgate on Westview Drive? That’s the most expensive real estate in the city! How are you living there?” Joey’s eyebrows shot up, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Tessa, you’re not just saying that to save face, are you?” she pressed. I cut her off. “You’re right. I’m a nanny there.” Lily let out a little snort of laughter. Joey’s expression relaxed into one of understanding. Of course. The air in the car felt thick, poisoned. I couldn’t breathe. “Excuse me,” Lily said suddenly, “the morning sickness has been terrible lately. I’m just going to open a window.” There was a screech of tires. The car swerved violently, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach to brace for impact. Lily wasn’t so lucky; she hit her head on the window, letting out a yelp. She turned to Joey, her face crumpled, ready to whine for sympathy, but his attention was elsewhere. He was staring at me. His eyes were cloudy, unreadable. “You’re married?” he asked, his voice low. I shifted in my seat and nodded. “Yep. Got married right after the divorce.” He was speechless. The silence in the car was heavy, suffocating. Even Lily’s whimpering faded away. She was smarter than I had been. She knew when to be quiet. I used to keep pushing, even when Joey’s face was a thundercloud of rage. “To whom?” he finally gritted out, his eyes burning with a cold fire. I just looked at him, saying nothing. A car horn blared behind us. Defeated, Joey slammed his foot on the gas. The car shot forward, and we were at the gates of The Westgate in minutes. “Stay here,” he ordered Lily. He unbuckled his seatbelt and dragged me out of the car. “Tessa, go inside and quit your job. Right now.” “I will raise my child. You don’t need to demean yourself with a job as a nanny.” Demean myself. The word stung. “A nanny is nothing,” I said, my voice flat. “I’ve done worse. I’ve sold shots in clubs, washed dishes in restaurant kitchens. I even got paid to be a professional mourner at a stranger’s wake once. Do you want to hear more, Joey?” A vein throbbed in his temple. “That’s enough!” he roared. “What’s the matter, Joey? Putting on a show?” My sarcastic tone finally broke him. He dropped his head, his voice low and ragged. “Tessa… I just want to make it up to you.” He told me that after I’d left the reunion, people had started talking about me. “Class president, how did you even get in touch with Tessa?” someone had asked. “She changed her number, all her social media is dead.” “Ran into her at the farmer’s market,” she’d said, wiping her greasy fingers on a napkin. “She was there in her pajamas. I just invited her on the spot.” The table had buzzed with speculation. Maybe her family had lost their fortune. Maybe she’d fallen in with a bad crowd. Then someone had lowered their voice. “You don’t think she got dumped by some guy and left with nothing, do you?” And then another voice, even quieter. “I think I saw her, actually. At the hospital where I work. She was coming in for prenatal checkups.” “She was always alone. Looked like she hadn’t eaten in a week, just completely malnourished. And every time I saw her, she was wearing the same clothes, stained and… dirty…” Joey’s head had snapped up. He’d walked over to the speaker, his presence silencing the entire table. “When?” The man had stammered, confused. “When… when did you see Tessa getting these checkups?” “Five years ago,” he’d finally managed. “In the winter, I think… I don’t really remember the details…” Joey said it felt like the world had tilted on its axis. He’d followed me out without a second thought, not even hearing Lily when she called his name. Now, standing in the rain, his hand trembled at his side. “Tessa.” He hadn’t called me that since Lily came into the picture. “I saw the ultrasound report. Before our anniversary. I saw it.” I stared at him, speechless. He had known. He had known I was pregnant when he slept with Lily. He had known when he threatened me with divorce. He had known when he forced me to leave with nothing. “I just… I never thought you’d actually go through with it…” he stammered, his eyes pleading, searching for an excuse, for absolution. “Joey,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m telling you for the last time. I did not have your child.” He didn’t believe me. He reached for me again, his mouth opening to argue. “Mommy!” A tiny figure burst through the lobby doors, running toward me with a happy shriek. “Mommy, why didn’t you answer my phone?” “Poppy missed you so much today…” My daughter’s soft cheek rubbed against mine as I swept her up into my arms. “Tessa, the child is right here! Are you still going to lie to me?” Joey’s voice was triumphant. “She’s not your daughter, Joey. She’s only four.” “You’re lying!” he insisted, reaching for the child in my arms. I sidestepped him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure walking slowly out of the building. My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t have time for this, Joey. I’m telling you for the last time: this child has nothing to do with you.” I turned and walked quickly toward the lobby. The security guard stepped forward, blocking Joey from following. “Mommy, who was that scary man?” my daughter whispered. “Am I not Daddy’s girl?” “Of course you’re Daddy’s girl!” I said, pulling her close. Distracted, I walked straight into a solid chest. “Running while you’re holding Poppy?” a deep voice chided gently. “Have you forgotten you’re pregnant?” Ethan took my daughter from my arms and flicked my forehead playfully. I looped my arm through his, leaning against him with a happy sigh. “Zhang Ma told me you went to your reunion today,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Why didn’t you have Charles drive you?” His gaze flickered toward the tall figure still arguing with the guard at the gate, and his expression sharpened. “It was close, so I just went myself,” I said, quickly changing the subject with a pout. “Honey, I’m so tired…” Ethan just smiled and quickened his pace, letting the subject drop. The day had been exhausting. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. Later, after putting our daughter to bed, Ethan came into our room to find me sprawled across the bed. He chuckled softly and pulled the covers over me. He stood by the window for a long time, bathed in moonlight, and made a call. “I want a list of everyone who attended my wife’s reunion today. Full background checks. Male and female.” He looked back at my sleeping form, a rare, soft smile on his lips. “Tessa,” he whispered to the quiet room. “You know you can trust me.” The only answer was the sound of my soft, even breathing.

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