Category: English

After my sister was bullied to death, I claimed the souls of her tormentors and meticulously crafted a terrifying game for them. I set the rules: only the victor could escape. So, they eagerly snatched up blades, plunging them mercilessly into their companions’ chests. A mist of blood coated the room, and the winner strutted out, head held high. Behind him, the mangled remains slowly reassembled, re-forming. The one who’d already drawn their last breath crawled out of the blood-soaked floor, chasing after the victor. The door closed. The door opened. The tormentors met again, their bodies fresh, ready to begin a new round of slaughter. They would feel pain, they would feel death, they would be reborn, but they would never escape this horrific game. I am an Envoy of the Ghost King, traversing the realms of the living and the dead, specializing in escorting souls. Because of this authority, I could occasionally roam the mortal world. I often lingered near my sister, the one I worried about most. She hadn’t been doing well for the past two years. She spent three years of her life and countless hours studying day and night, just to step into the halls of university. But what awaited her wasn’t a bright, warm future, but cold, bloody bullying. My sister was beautiful, but sometimes, beauty alone is a death sentence. Because of her looks, a privileged jerk, Damian Thorne, set his sights on her, demanding she be his girlfriend. My sister refused. She thought such things required mutual consent. But Damian wasn’t willing to let go of an easy target. After several failed attempts to corner her, he became enraged. From then on, he launched a two-year campaign of vengeful bullying against her. They used compromising photos of her to threaten her against calling the police. My sister could only secretly confide in her university advisor, but even the advisor didn’t dare cross someone with money and power. So, clutching a final shred of hope, my sister called our parents. All she got was a chilling scolding: “Why are they *only* picking on you and not anyone else? You must be the problem!” Isolated and helpless, my sister despaired. She could only swallow her bitterness and pain, silently praying for graduation day to arrive quickly. But she would never make it.

My sister died. Her killers were her university classmates. I watched as they tied her up with ropes, strangling her until she was on the verge of suffocating, then releasing her, only to tighten the ropes again, tormenting her repeatedly. After several rounds, my sister collapsed to the ground, too weak even to beg for mercy. I saw Damian Thorne press his foot onto her face, his eyes full of contempt, as if looking at a piece of garbage. He sneered, “Dare to refuse me? You little bitch, you love to act all pure, don’t you? Go on, act! Why aren’t you saying anything now?” His accomplices, Ryan Miller and Chloe Hayes, chimed in with sneering laughter. They paid no attention to my sister, who was coughing up large mouthfuls of blood. By the time they finished their insults and laughter, she had already stopped breathing. My heart ached beyond measure, yet these animals showed not an ounce of fear or regret. Damian even spat in disgust. “Damn it! What a jinx!” They stuffed my sister into a sack, shoved it into the trunk, and drove towards the forest. As their footsteps drew closer, a deep pit, already dug, appeared in the hidden depths of the woods. It was then that I realized: everything today wasn’t an accident, but a premeditated murder! They brutally raised their shovels, smashing my sister’s face beyond recognition. They took all her belongings that could identify her, then raised their weapons to chop and cut. They threw her shattered body into the deep pit and buried it. Finally, they drove away, laughing loudly. In the distance, thunder rumbled, and rain poured down. It washed away the traces of their evil deeds but could not cleanse their filthy souls.

Countless times, when they were beating my sister and spewing venomous words, I had questioned the Ghost King. “Why can’t I just claim the souls of these demons and cast them directly into the deepest pits of hell?” The Ghost King merely replied that they hadn’t yet committed unforgivable atrocities. But now, I looked at the token that materialized in my hand and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The abominations these animals had committed were so heinous, even the Ghost King couldn’t stand it anymore. I floated beside their car, hearing them still bragging. The two accomplices, Ryan and Chloe, were recalling the details of the crime, terrified of being brought to justice. But Damian Thorne casually dismissed their fears: “You two cowards, don’t forget my dad is the richest magnate in this state. Even if we get caught, he can get us off. What’s there to worry about?” So, that was the source of his arrogance. Did money truly mean you could disregard human life? I scoffed, lightly shaking my soul-binding bell. Under the cover of the pouring rain, a black mist gradually enveloped the speeding car. The surrounding temperature plummeted. The people inside finally realized something was terribly wrong. The car stopped. The smiles on their faces froze, and their widened eyes filled with terror. They saw ghostly hands emerge from the black mist, moving with eerie speed straight towards them. They screamed in agony, but it was just a dying struggle. The ghostly hands tore their souls from their bodies, then dragged them into the black mist, vanishing without a trace. Everything returned to calm. The car started moving again, but the three occupants stared blankly, like puppets on strings, manipulated as they drove into the distance. The tormentors thought money could fix everything, but in the world of souls, only right and wrong truly matter. All the evil deeds they had committed would be weighed on the scales. The sword of justice had long been suspended above their heads.

【Attention players, you have entered a horror game.】 【Current Dungeon: ‘Kill the Killer’】 【Number of Players: 3】 【Game Objective: ?】 As the robotic voice faded, the pitch-black room instantly lit up. On the polished floor, three people, tightly bound, writhed violently. Like three maggots. Their eyes were covered with black cloth, and their tongues were pressed tight by gags, allowing only muffled whimpers to escape. I stripped them of all their senses, leaving them there to truly feel the bone-chilling terror. Once they tired of thrashing, their tears and drool mixing to soak the floor, I casually tapped an invisible point in the air. Immediately, their restraints were released. The blinding lights made them squint for a while before they could finally force their eyes open to survey the empty, enclosed room. Damian Thorne was the first to lash out: “Who’s playing games with me! I’m telling you, my dad is the… Argh!” I didn’t want to hear him yap, so a blade materialized out of thin air, mercilessly slicing through his shouting tongue. The severed piece fell to the ground, and blood instantly gushed out. The intense pain made him writhe and howl on the floor. The other two, Ryan and Chloe, were so terrified by the sudden gore that they collapsed. A faint smell of urine wafted from beneath them, spreading throughout the room. I scoffed. Not long ago, they were laughing as they dismembered a body. Why weren’t they scared then? Indeed, a blade only hurts when it cuts *you*. Damian twitched uncontrollably from the pain, but the blade didn’t vanish. It hovered around the other two, as if examining its next prey. Ryan and Chloe trembled with fear at the eerie sight, struggling to prop themselves up and frantically banging their heads against the floor in all directions. “Who are you, great being, please, please spare us! We’ll do anything you ask!” Words of pleading spilled from their mouths. My eyes burned a little. Once, my sister had also knelt on the ground, desperately begging them to spare her. And what was the result? A cold smile played on my lips, and my mocking voice echoed through the room: “Is that so? You’ll do anything?” As I spoke, the blade seemed to come alive, flying to hover near Ryan and Chloe before dropping to the floor. “Then kill him. Let me see your sincerity.” I watched them stare disbelievingly at the weapon. One of them, Ryan, asked tremblingly, “But, murder is against the law…” I laughed out loud. “Is it? Hmm, I suppose it is. Well then, since you’re so law-abiding, you can just die with him!” A sharp voice rang out, directing the weapon. It instantly pointed its tip at the two of them, as if it would plunge down any second. Ryan and Chloe were paralyzed with fear. They scrambled backward, hands and feet flailing, quickly begging for mercy: “No, no, no! We’ll do it! We’ll listen to you!” The blade dropped to the floor again, emitting a sharp clang. “Alright. But opportunities are rare. Only one of you two can leave alive. How about a little competition?” Dominated by the fear of death, the “close allies” from moments ago instantly turned on each other, scrambling to grab the blade. In nature, it’s not uncommon for creatures of the same species to kill each other over territory, mates, and so on. Humans, naturally, can’t escape this instinct, only we’re bound by various restraints. But now, under the shadow of death, they bared their true fangs. Unfortunately, these two were a man and a woman, and the man’s strength was clearly superior to the woman’s. After he brutally kicked Chloe in the head several times, she lay on the ground, bleeding profusely, unable to get up. She could only stare with bloodshot eyes as Ryan picked up the blade and slowly walked towards Damian. At this point, the fear of death had overcome the pain. Damian propped himself up with his hands, inching backward. Without his tongue, he couldn’t speak, only shook his head frantically, his eyes full of pleading. But Ryan clearly had no intention of letting him go. He cornered Damian against the wall, leaving him nowhere to retreat. Then, he raised the blade and plunged it forcefully into Damian’s throat. Blood gushed out, soaking Ryan’s clothes. Damian clutched his neck, collapsing to the floor, making indistinct gurgling sounds. But soon, he fell silent. Only his eyes remained fixed on Ryan, filled with resentment and defiance. Ryan couldn’t bear to look at him, muttering, “Damian, don’t blame me, I just wanted to survive!” As if that could soothe his conscience. “Great one, almighty one, I… I killed him. Please let me go!” He threw away the weapon, loudly begging me to fulfill my promise. But this was my domain. All rules were set by me. “Oh? I seem to recall saying that only one person could leave alive today, didn’t I?”

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For five years of our secret marriage, Victoria always believed I was just some down-on-his-luck guy, a gold-digger from a family that had lost everything. But she had no idea. I was Julian Hayes, the sole heir to the Hayes Group, the largest venture capital firm in the world. When she tricked me into attending a gala for her male best friend, then forced me to kneel and toast my sworn enemy, that was the breaking point. I was so furious, I shattered the champagne flute in my hand: “Victoria Caldwell, you dare make me kneel? Believe me, with one word, I could make your company vanish from the stock market tomorrow!” A flicker of panic crossed her eyes before she instantly turned, burying her face in my chest. “Oh, darling,” she cooed, “I just needed your help. I’m so sorry you had to deal with this.” Then she personally fed me a detox drink and gently escorted me to a private lounge. But when I woke up, I found myself strapped upside down on a drop tower ride. Her male best friend pressed a button, and the ride flung me dozens of feet into the air before plunging me straight into the water below. The impact left me dizzy and disoriented. I fought through the haze, forcing my hand to dial an emergency number. “Alfred, contact every major news outlet worldwide. I want to see them begging on the streets by sundown!”

The phone clicked off, and the icy pool water swallowed me whole once more. Brandon Miller covered his mouth, doubling over with laughter. Victoria, standing beside him, watched with a tolerant smile. “Victoria, did you hear that? Julian said he’s going to make you beg on the streets! Who does he think he is?” Genevieve Stone, Victoria’s rival, joined in the mocking. She pointed at me with disdain. “Is your husband completely out of his mind, Victoria?” “Contact every global media outlet? Does he think he’s the UN Secretary-General?” The surrounding guests erupted in a chorus of piercing laughter. They stared at me with eyes full of scorn, as if I were nothing more than a pathetic joke. Victoria’s face stiffened, clearly embarrassed that I was making a scene and humiliating her in front of everyone. She spoke coldly to Brandon. “Brandon, make him sober up. He needs to stop talking nonsense.” “You got it, Victoria!” Brandon excitedly pressed a red button on the control panel. The ride’s seat jerked violently, hurling me back into the sky at high speed. The zero-G sensation made my stomach churn, the mix of champagne and that detox drink from earlier making me gag. “Aah—!” My scream was swallowed by the wind. Then, the seat plummeted down even faster, slamming into the pool water with a bone-jarring impact. Massive splashes erupted, and the chlorine-scented water instantly enveloped me, making me cough violently. I was tightly strapped to the chair, unable to move, subjected to being repeatedly tossed up and down. Every plunge and ascent was a suffocating torment. I stared intently at Victoria on the shore, the woman I had loved for five years. Five years ago, my family’s company faced a crisis. My father, to protect me, publicly announced our family’s decline and sent me abroad. Overseas, I met Victoria, who was still a struggling student. I hid my identity, ate cheap takeout with her, lived in the shabbiest apartments, and backed her entrepreneurial dreams. I genuinely believed we shared a true love, enduring hardships together. When she returned home to start her company, I followed, willing to be the man behind her success. To avoid burdening her, I never mentioned my family background, not even calling my parents often. She used to hold me, crying like a child, “Julian, I swear, I’ll never let you suffer, not ever.” Her promises still echoed in my ears, yet now, she was the one personally sending me straight to hell. On the shore, Brandon pulled out his phone, frantically filming my pathetic state. “Everyone look! A drowned rat! Ha ha ha, he looks absolutely pathetic from this angle!” “Victoria, look at Julian’s face, it’s hilarious!” Victoria didn’t stop him. Instead, she handed Genevieve a bottle of champagne, a fawning smile on her face. “Genny, are you enjoying the show? My husband will do anything you want, as long as you’re pleased.” Genevieve swirled her glass with satisfaction, her eyes raking my drenched body with a light, teasing gaze. “Not bad, this is quite entertaining.” “Victoria, if you can make your husband kneel and beg me today, I’ll have my father consider investing in your project.” Victoria’s eyes instantly lit up. “No problem! Just watch, Genny!” She turned, yelling at me as I struggled in the water, her voice cold and commanding: “Julian Hayes! Do you hear me?! Hurry up and beg Genny! Kneel before her!” The icy pool water and the biting wind were nothing compared to the chill her words sent through me. I looked at her and suddenly laughed. “Victoria Caldwell, you will regret this.” “I promise you, you will pay a price worse than death for everything you’ve done today!”

My words seemed to sting Victoria’s pride. “Regret? Julian, I think you’re the one who’ll regret this!” She pointed at me, her voice dripping with disdain. “Do you think you’re still the same young master Hayes from five years ago? Your family went bankrupt long ago!” “Now, you’re just a gold-digger who relies on me to survive!” “I give you food and clothes; making you kneel is me showing you respect!” Brandon immediately chimed in, “Exactly! Julian, don’t be ungrateful!” “Victoria is the CEO of Caldwell Tech now; countless men are lining up to marry her!” “If it weren’t for her sentimental attachment, you wouldn’t even be fit to tie her shoes!” The surrounding guests also began to whisper. “Oh, so his family went broke. No wonder he’s so pathetic.” “I thought Victoria married some rich husband. Turns out he’s just dead weight.” “Serves him right, no ability and still so arrogant. He’s just asking for humiliation!” Every harsh word pierced me like a knife. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and forced myself to calm down. There was no point in arguing with people who were already dead. Memories flooded my mind. That winter, Victoria’s company suffered a cash flow crisis, hitting dead ends everywhere. She got drunk and collapsed in the snow. It was I who carried her home from the snow, used the living expenses I secretly earned from part-time jobs to pay her rent, and bought her warm food. She used to hold me, crying like a child, “Julian, I swear, I’ll never let you suffer, not ever.” How laughable those vows seemed now. Today, for a mere investment, she treated me like a toy, humiliating me at will. The drop tower ride continued, and my strength gradually faded. My consciousness began to blur. Each impact with the water made my head ache as if it would split open. My phone had slipped out of my pocket during my struggles and sank to the bottom of the pool. It didn’t matter. Alfred had already received the message. “Victoria, he looks like he’s about to pass out.” Brandon, seeing my unresponsive state, started to get scared. “What are you afraid of?” Victoria scoffed. “Men like him are stubborn. If we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll never know his place!” She turned to Genevieve with a sycophantic smile. “Genny, how about we try something more exciting?” Genevieve’s interest was piqued. “Oh? Do tell.” Victoria pointed to a water slide not far away. “Let him slide down that tallest slide without a life vest.” “How’s that? Exciting enough?” My gaze instinctively darted to the slide she indicated, and a sudden shock gripped my heart. That slide was a thousand feet high, a newly installed attraction that hadn’t officially opened because it hadn’t passed safety tests. Genevieve clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, that’s brilliant! Brilliant! I love watching handsome men get wet!” Brandon shrieked, “Victoria, you’re a genius!” With that, I was unstrapped from the drop tower and carried to the top of the highest slide. Looking at the nearly 90-degree slope, fear constantly gnawed at me. Victoria didn’t know I had a fear of heights. Sliding down from here would almost certainly kill me. She walked up and personally held the rope that bound me. I looked at her with pleading eyes. “Victoria, please, don’t let go of me.” But she simply gave me a look of disgust, then released her grip without hesitation. I slid down the chute. Since I had no protective gear, I was thrown off the slide halfway down, flying through the air. I tumbled through the air, my screams echoing, and plunged straight into the pool, creating a massive splash. This time, I felt like my internal organs had been shattered into pieces.

From the shore, Brandon’s triumphant laughter echoed. He held up his phone, recording the entire process. “Victoria, look! Julian’s expression is priceless!” Genevieve smirked playfully. “Your husband is quite entertaining, Victoria. All talk and bravado, but his body is so honest, performing acrobatics for us. I wonder if he’s as much fun in bed?” The vulgar remarks drew a round of knowing laughter from the surrounding guests. Victoria’s face showed no trace of anger. “Genny, don’t mind him.” “He’s just an immature man. I apologize on his behalf.” “As long as you’re happy today, the project…” “The project is negotiable.” Genevieve cut her off. “But this isn’t fun enough. To make me happy, it’s simple…” “Just make him drink all the water in this pool, as an apology to me.” Victoria froze for a moment. Genevieve pointed at the pool, a malicious smile on her face. “Drink one cup, and I’ll have my father invest ten thousand dollars in your company!” At these words, the entire crowd gasped, then burst into even louder laughter. Victoria’s eyes widened with wild joy. “Genny, are you serious?” “Of course. My word is my bond.” “Great!” Victoria immediately agreed, as if afraid she might change her mind. She turned to me, still struggling in the water, and yelled with an undeniable command: “Julian Hayes! Do you hear me?! Quick! Drink all the water in this pool to apologize to Genny!” Hearing her words, I felt as if I were suffocating, forgetting even to struggle. “Victoria, he doesn’t seem to be cooperating,” Brandon instigated from the side. “This won’t do; it’ll delay Genny’s show.” Victoria instantly erupted in fury, jumping into the pool and pulling me out. She gestured to two of her henchmen to hold me up, completely disregarding my weakened state. “Julian Hayes! Are you deaf?! I told you to drink!” She roared, grabbing a highball glass, scooping up some pool water, and forcing it toward my mouth. “It’s just a few cups of water, it won’t hurt you. One cup is worth ten grand, such a good deal, why are you refusing?!” “Today, you *will* drink all the water in this pool!” I looked at her exasperated face and let out a cold laugh. That only made her angrier. “What are you laughing at? You eat my food, live in my house; what’s wrong with you sacrificing a little?!” “Still dreaming of your days as a young master? Let me tell you, I’m not supporting you for free. You *will* pay for this today!” She scooped another cup, ready to force it down my throat. Just then, the amusement park manager, accompanied by several security guards, rushed over, drenched in sweat. “Mr. Hayes! Ms. Stone! What are you doing?! Stop it! Someone’s going to get killed!” The manager’s face was ashen. Victoria impatiently waved her hand. “What’s the panic? I’m just playing a game with my husband! I’ll take responsibility if anything happens!” The manager looked like he was about to cry. “Mr. Hayes, this is not a game!” “We received a notification from above, saying… saying that a distinguished guest from the Hayes Group is here with you.” “They told us to ensure his safety at all costs!” “Hayes Group?” Victoria froze for a moment, then scoffed. “You’re mistaken! There’s no distinguished guest from the Hayes Group here!” Genevieve also looked disdainful. “Hayes Group? The number one venture capital firm in the world?” “Their distinguished guest would come to a place like this? Don’t be ridiculous!” The manager, sweating profusely, pointed at me, half-conscious and half-asleep, his voice trembling: “No mistake! The person from above, he is… he is your husband!” In an instant, everyone’s smiles froze. “No, that’s impossible!” Victoria muttered to herself. “His… his family didn’t go bankrupt, did they?!”

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The night before Derek left for his business trip, he changed the password to our apartment’s smart lock. “Sweetheart,” he gently explained, “the building’s been having some security issues lately. It’s for your safety.” I smiled and nodded, then discreetly opened the lock’s app on my phone. It starkly displayed a newly added fingerprint entry: **[Sweetheart]**. That evening, the app pinged: **[“Sweetheart” entered the home at 10:05 PM.]** Calmly, I packed my bags, then deleted all my fingerprints and my access to the app. Later, Derek would be on his knees outside our door, hammering on that lock that would never open for him again, yelling like a madman. “Please, just give me access again! Let me see you…” But my new home assistant was now a much more loyal partner. As Derek left, the wheels of his suitcase echoed with a dull thud on the hardwood floor. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his eyes overflowing with a tenderness that felt utterly fake. “Be a good girl at home. I’ll be back in a week, tops.” “I’ve changed the password, by the way. Made it our anniversary. You’re so forgetful, darling, this way you won’t mess it up.” I stood on my tiptoes, straightening his shirt collar, my smile saccharine and docile. “Got it. Drive safe.” The moment the door closed, the smile on my face shattered, cooling inch by agonizing inch. I was never forgetful. Our wedding anniversary? I remembered it far better than he did. Opening the smart lock management app, two stark entries lay silently in the backend history. **[Admin “Derek” changed password at 3:30 PM.]** **[Admin “Derek” registered new fingerprint at 3:31 PM, named: Sweetheart.]** Sweetheart. Those three words burned like white-hot needles, piercing into my eyes. Derek had never called *me* that. He liked to call me ‘baby’ or, sometimes, just Aurora. He’d always say it made us feel connected, yet strong as individuals. I sat on the sofa, waiting from dusk until deep into the night. The smart panel on the wall, which I had personally configured, shifted its soft lighting with the passing hours, bathing our home in a warm, peaceful glow. This sanctuary, this haven, I’d poured my heart and soul into building for us. At 10:05 PM, my phone screen lit up. The app’s notification was chillingly clear. **[“Sweetheart” entered the home using fingerprint at 10:05 PM.]** My heart constricted as if an unseen hand had gripped it, squeezing the air from my lungs. I could barely breathe. I didn’t cry. I didn’t break anything. I simply stood up, walked into the walk-in closet, and pulled out the suitcase we’d bought for our honeymoon. My clothes, my art supplies, my specialized tools for delicate ancient artwork, each one a precious investment. One by one, I carefully packed them into the suitcase. Finally, I stood in the center of the apartment I’d called home for five years, looking around. On the wall hung our wedding photo. Derek smiled brightly, holding me tightly in his arms. By the entryway, the subtle white tea diffuser he’d bought me, my absolute favorite scent. Everything was exactly as it had been when I walked out this morning, yet something profound had shattered into a million pieces. I opened the phone app and went into the admin settings. My fingertip hovered over **[Aurora’s Fingerprint]** for three agonizing seconds. Then, I tapped delete. Goodbye, Derek. Goodbye, my naïve and foolish five years.

Dragging my suitcase, I checked into a hotel two blocks from our building. I opened my laptop, effortlessly connected to the hotel Wi-Fi, and a complex programming interface spread across my screen. This was the highest-level admin backend I’d built into our smart home system for security. I could see real-time footage from every camera, hear every sound picked up by every smart speaker. I felt like a ghost, haunting the edges of my own life, invisible as I watched it unfold without me. On the living room screen, an unfamiliar girl was excitedly rolling around on *my* sofa. She wore *my* silk robe, the one Derek gave me for my birthday. “Wow, Derek! Your place is amazing! The lighting is so cozy!” The girl’s voice was syrupy sweet, with an almost childish, affected innocence. Derek’s voice drifted from the bathroom, muffled by steam. “You like it? From now on, this is your home.” *My* home. My fingers gripping the mouse turned bone-white from the force. Barefoot, the girl scampered around the floor, like a queen surveying her new territory. She picked up a rare, handcrafted ceramic mug I’d spent weeks searching for, which I kept on the coffee table. She held it up to the light, then scrunched her nose, casually setting it aside. From her own bag, she pulled out a cartoon-printed mug. “Better to use my own, you know, for comfort,” she muttered to herself. Then, she noticed our wedding photo on the wall. She walked up to it, tilting her head back, staring for a long time. I couldn’t see her expression clearly, but I distinctly heard her call out to the bathroom. “Derek, this picture isn’t flattering. It totally ages you!” “When you get back, let’s take new ones, okay?” Derek didn’t reply. A moment later, he walked out wrapped in a towel, his hair still dripping wet. He embraced the girl from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Okay, anything you want.” He didn’t even glance at that wedding photo. The one he had once held, beaming like a child when we first got the prints. At 11 PM, my phone rang. It was Derek. I watched on the laptop screen as he kissed the girl’s neck, then pressed the speakerphone button on his phone. “Hey, baby,” his voice was as gentle as ever. “Did you make it to the hotel? Everything alright?” I dug my nails into my palm, forcing my voice into a calm, even tone. “Yeah, just settled in. You?” “I’m at the hotel too, just showered, about to sleep.” He lied without a flicker of remorse. On the screen, the girl, Cassie, mouthed silently to him: “I love you.” Derek’s throat worked, a tell-tale sign of his unease, and he said into the phone, “The project here is a bit complicated, might be a few days late getting back.” “Make sure you lock the door when you’re alone, okay? Stay safe.” “I love you, baby.” The call ended, and I heard him let out a long sigh of relief. He turned to the girl and said, “Done.” Then, laughing, they tumbled onto *my* bed. I closed my laptop, my stomach churning violently. So that’s it. The word ‘love,’ coming from his mouth, could be so utterly cheap.

The next day, I woke up with my eyes aching. Opening the laptop, Derek had already “left for his business trip.” Only Cassie remained in the apartment. She seemed to genuinely believe this was her home now. She rifled through my closet, trying on my clothes one by one, posing provocatively in front of the mirror. She picked up my priciest designer bag, a classic Birkin, taking selfies and captioning them: “Hardworking girls always get lucky.” Then, she sent the photo to Derek. Soon, Derek replied with a voice message. I clicked it to play aloud. “Baby, you look good in anything, but you look best in nothing at all.” His slimy, suggestive joke made me physically recoil. Cassie giggled, tossing my clothes all over the bed, then changed into her own cheap T-shirt and jeans. It was as if she was claiming her territory, marking her victory. That afternoon, she ordered takeout: spicy curry. The pungent aroma, sickeningly familiar, wafted through the speakers and assaulted my ears. I never ate those kinds of dishes. Derek knew that. He always said I had a “delicate” stomach. But now, Cassie sat at *my* dining table, using *my* favorite delicate bone china dinnerware, devouring her pungent curry. Sauce splattered, landing on the expensive solid wood table, leaving a greasy red mark. She casually wiped it with her sleeve, uncaring. Watching that blurry oil stain on the monitor, it felt like I was seeing an indelible, greasy stain on the very fabric of my marriage. That evening, Derek returned. He was carrying a large cake. “Happy birthday, baby.” Cassie shrieked in delight, throwing herself into his arms. “Derek, you remembered!” So, yesterday was her birthday. That’s why he was so eager to bring her into *my* home, right at the start of her birthday. He had turned *my* home into a birthday gift for his mistress. They lit candles and sang “Happy Birthday.” Cassie closed her eyes and made a wish. “I hope that by this time next year, I’ll be the true lady of this house.” Derek laughed, gently flicking her nose. “You will be,” he said dotingly. He didn’t deny it. He silently consented. I stared at that unfamiliar face on the screen, and a sudden realization hit me: Derek, I don’t think I ever truly knew you. He cut the cake, offering the first slice to Cassie. Cassie scooped a large dollop of frosting and smeared it on his face. They laughed and played, getting frosting everywhere. On the sofa, on the carpet, and even on *my* easel. On my easel was a Ming Dynasty ancient painting I was almost finished restoring, a cherished piece belonging to an important client. My breath hitched. I stared, rigid, at the screen. Derek noticed the frosting on the painting, and his playfulness stopped. He frowned. Cassie saw it too, and she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice, “Derek, I didn’t mean to…” Derek picked up a tissue, trying to carefully wipe away the frosting. But the cream had already seeped into the fragile paper. His attempt to clean it only spread the stain further. Frustrated, he tossed the tissue to the floor. “Forget it, just leave it.” Cassie nervously tugged on his sleeve. “But… will Aurora be mad when she comes back?” “Her?” Derek scoffed, a cold sneer on his face. “A cold, unappreciative woman, always obsessed with her stupid paintings.” “If it’s ruined, it’s ruined. I’ll just pay for it.” “For you, it’s worth any price.” He took Cassie’s hand and led her away from my studio. As if that priceless ancient painting was truly just some “worthless old artwork.” I leaned against the hotel’s cold wall, trembling uncontrollably. Unappreciative? Derek, when your startup failed, and you were blackout drunk, I stayed by your side for three days and three nights. When your father fell ill and desperately needed money, I sold the only piece of jewelry my grandmother had ever given me to cover his surgery costs. You used to say you loved watching me quietly paint, that it was the most beautiful sight in the world.

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On my wedding day, my fiancé, Liam, and his groomsmen were frantically searching for my wedding shoes. Time was ticking, and the ceremony was about to start. Everyone looked really stressed. Just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly popped out. She lifted the hem of her long, floor-length dress and said, her voice dripping with pride: “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” “Summer, I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” I let out a mirthless laugh, trying to keep my anger in check. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, completely ruined by her. I just felt disgusted. But then Liam jumped in, defending her. “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? I can just have a new pair sent over!” Seeing the impatience on his face, my throat went dry. I spoke calmly. “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.” Liam looked at me, completely taken aback. “Just because of a pair of shoes? Are you seriously overreacting?” I nodded, my voice steady. “Yes, I am.”

“Come on, ladies, don’t make it so hard on us! Just tell us where the wedding shoes are!” “Yeah, come on! We’ll even give you cash, whatever you want!” They were practically begging on their knees, trying to get us to give up the shoes. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I turned to my bridesmaids. “Alright, time’s almost up. Let’s bring out the shoes.” Everyone’s eyes immediately landed on the three bridesmaids. But they just stood there, completely still, looking at each other. It took a moment for them to react, then they all said at once: “I didn’t hide them!” “I have no idea where the wedding shoes are.” The atmosphere suddenly turned really awkward. Liam’s face grew serious. “Search again, thoroughly.” But even after searching every nook and cranny of the room, the wedding shoes were nowhere to be found. Someone cautiously asked, “Could someone have played a prank and hidden them outside?” As soon as that was said, everyone instinctively rushed outside to continue the search, without Liam even needing to say a word. But the entire house was practically turned upside down, and there was still no sign of the wedding shoes. The ceremony was about to start, and one of Liam’s groomsmen suggested, “Liam, the guests are waiting. Why don’t we head to the venue first? I’ll arrange for a new pair to be delivered.” Liam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up at me. Clearly, he was asking for my opinion. I frowned, a knot of annoyance forming in my stomach. But I guess no one could have predicted something like this. So, after two seconds of hesitation, I nodded and conceded, “I guess that’s the only way.” But just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly jumped out from a corner. In front of everyone, she lifted her floor-length skirt. Her voice was proud and playful. “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” Chloe didn’t seem to notice the sudden, chilling silence that fell over the room after she spoke. Everyone stared at her feet, their faces etched with shock. One of my bridesmaids finally pieced it together, her voice belated. “Oh, I remember now! I was about to hide them in the closet, and Chloe said she had a better spot. Then someone knocked on the door, and I didn’t pay attention to where she put them.” “I’m so sorry, Summer. I never thought she’d mess with something so important.” Then, her voice turning accusatory, she demanded, “Chloe! How could you wear Summer’s wedding shoes?” Chloe gave her an innocent look, as if she hadn’t caught the accusation in her voice. She turned to me. “Summer, I just wanted to help you hide the wedding shoes. I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” Looking at her face, I had no doubt. I saw the pure, unadulterated malice in her eyes. No wonder Chloe, who was usually always stirring up drama, had been so unusually quiet today. So quiet, I hadn’t even noticed her presence. She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I couldn’t help but let out a furious laugh. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” That one sentence was enough to make Chloe’s eyes well up. She looked at Liam, all teary-eyed and wronged. “Liam, I was just trying to be helpful. I thought you and Summer would be happy if I hid the wedding shoes perfectly.” “Besides, I’ve never been married! How was I supposed to know you can’t wear wedding shoes?” Never been married or not, you don’t just wear someone else’s shoes, especially *my* wedding shoes. I silently cursed under my breath, feeling a wave of disgust, then retorted, “Just because you’ve never been married, does that mean you have no common decency?” Then again, if she had any decency, she wouldn’t always be getting in my face like this. But what truly shocked me was that, at a time like this, Liam actually sided with her. He defended her, saying, “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you have to be so mean?” I looked up and saw him frowning, an impatient look on his face. For a split second, all the fire in me just died. Not that I wasn’t angry anymore, but suddenly, it just felt… pointless. Liam didn’t notice my change in demeanor. He casually added, “I’ll have a new pair sent over right away. Happy now?” He said it as if *I* was the one being unreasonable. I forced a tight smile. My voice was calm as I said, “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.”

My words hung in the air, and the room fell into an immediate, stunned silence. Everyone looked at me in disbelief, probably not expecting me to be so drastic. Liam even chuckled. “Summer, are you kidding me?” “You’re calling off our wedding just because of a pair of wedding shoes? Are you seriously making such a big deal out of nothing?” It was Chloe who messed things up, who ruined our wedding. But in his eyes, I was the one being petty and irrational. Liam and I had been together for a year. But before that, he’d spent three painstaking years chasing me. He was clumsy but persistent in trying to win me over, always there whenever I needed him. Even if my heart was made of stone, it would have softened. The day we finally got together, Liam was as giddy as a teenager. He hugged me, crying and saying, “You’re a treasure I worked so hard to get, I promise I’ll never let you suffer any injustice!” He kept his word. After we started dating, he was completely devoted to me. All his actions revolved around my happiness. So, even though we hadn’t been together for long. When he proposed, I said yes. But then, during the wedding preparations, this so-called “childhood friend” of his appeared. From that moment on, Liam seemed to change. Whether we were on a date or having dinner, he’d drop everything and run off to Chloe whenever she called. When I got angry, he’d just give me a half-hearted excuse: “Chloe doesn’t know anyone else here, I just want to look out for her a bit.” “It’ll get better in a while.” Liam’s change in attitude was so drastic that I lost my emotional balance, constantly getting upset and fighting with him. During that time, I considered more than once whether we should actually go through with the wedding. But even the night before, I still hadn’t made up my mind. However, just now, the answer suddenly became clear. I wasn’t marrying Liam. When I didn’t respond, Liam assumed I was regretting my decision. He said, with a condescending tone, “Alright, stop messing around. If you delay any longer, we’ll actually miss the scheduled time.” “It’s just a pair of shoes, wait…” I didn’t even have the patience to hear him finish. I cut him off sharply. And answered his earlier question: “Yes, I am.” Liam didn’t expect me to be serious about this at such a crucial moment. He was stunned. But Chloe, standing next to him, started to cry again, her voice laced with false concern: “Summer, if you want to blame anyone, blame me. Don’t take your anger out on Liam. He didn’t do anything wrong.” As she spoke, she even knelt down in front of me, completely disregarding her image. She pleaded, “Summer, you can blame me however you want, but you can’t just cancel something as important as a wedding.” “Liam put so much effort into preparing for this wedding. How can you cancel last minute? Have you even considered his feelings?” “Besides, the guests are all waiting. It would be so bad if you two didn’t get married…” Chloe was pretending to be kind and persuasive, but every word she spoke was laced with accusation. But I’m stubborn. Once I make up my mind, it’s not easily changed. No one, not even the heavens themselves, could sway me. I opened my mouth, about to speak. But then Liam suddenly pulled Chloe to her feet. He looked at me with a cold expression. “Summer, I’m giving you one last chance.” “If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself right now, you’ll quietly go through with the wedding ceremony with me.” “Otherwise, you can figure out how to explain it to both our families and all the guests.” That was his way of threatening me. But Summer isn’t someone who’s easily threatened. I smiled, agreeing readily. “Fine by me!” Liam’s face turned ugly. He repeated “Fine” three times, his voice tight. Then he turned to the others. “Let’s go.” Seeing that we were serious, they hesitated, trying to say a few words to mediate. But before they could, Liam said coldly, “She’s the one who wants to cancel the wedding. If she regrets it, even if she begs me to come back, I’ll have to think about it!” He was speaking to his groomsmen, but his words were clearly meant for me. I scoffed, a mocking smile on my face, but said nothing. After they all completely disappeared from the room, my friends finally asked, “Summer, what do we do now?” “Liam’s right, the guests are still waiting. He’s just leaving you to clean up his mess!” I let out a cold laugh. If Liam thought this would make me regret it, then he was incredibly naive! “It’s just a wedding, isn’t it? No groom? I’ll just get a new one!” With that, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. The call connected quickly, but the voice on the other end was dripping with sarcasm: “Well, well! Calling me on your wedding day, Summer? Did the groom run off?” I often think Jace has a jinx.

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On my wedding day, my fiancé, Liam, and his groomsmen were frantically searching for my wedding shoes. Time was ticking, and the ceremony was about to start. Everyone looked really stressed. Just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly popped out. She lifted the hem of her long, floor-length dress and said, her voice dripping with pride: “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” “Summer, I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” I let out a mirthless laugh, trying to keep my anger in check. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, completely ruined by her. I just felt disgusted. But then Liam jumped in, defending her. “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? I can just have a new pair sent over!” Seeing the impatience on his face, my throat went dry. I spoke calmly. “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.” Liam looked at me, completely taken aback. “Just because of a pair of shoes? Are you seriously overreacting?” I nodded, my voice steady. “Yes, I am.”

“Come on, ladies, don’t make it so hard on us! Just tell us where the wedding shoes are!” “Yeah, come on! We’ll even give you cash, whatever you want!” They were practically begging on their knees, trying to get us to give up the shoes. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I turned to my bridesmaids. “Alright, time’s almost up. Let’s bring out the shoes.” Everyone’s eyes immediately landed on the three bridesmaids. But they just stood there, completely still, looking at each other. It took a moment for them to react, then they all said at once: “I didn’t hide them!” “I have no idea where the wedding shoes are.” The atmosphere suddenly turned really awkward. Liam’s face grew serious. “Search again, thoroughly.” But even after searching every nook and cranny of the room, the wedding shoes were nowhere to be found. Someone cautiously asked, “Could someone have played a prank and hidden them outside?” As soon as that was said, everyone instinctively rushed outside to continue the search, without Liam even needing to say a word. But the entire house was practically turned upside down, and there was still no sign of the wedding shoes. The ceremony was about to start, and one of Liam’s groomsmen suggested, “Liam, the guests are waiting. Why don’t we head to the venue first? I’ll arrange for a new pair to be delivered.” Liam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up at me. Clearly, he was asking for my opinion. I frowned, a knot of annoyance forming in my stomach. But I guess no one could have predicted something like this. So, after two seconds of hesitation, I nodded and conceded, “I guess that’s the only way.” But just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly jumped out from a corner. In front of everyone, she lifted her floor-length skirt. Her voice was proud and playful. “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” Chloe didn’t seem to notice the sudden, chilling silence that fell over the room after she spoke. Everyone stared at her feet, their faces etched with shock. One of my bridesmaids finally pieced it together, her voice belated. “Oh, I remember now! I was about to hide them in the closet, and Chloe said she had a better spot. Then someone knocked on the door, and I didn’t pay attention to where she put them.” “I’m so sorry, Summer. I never thought she’d mess with something so important.” Then, her voice turning accusatory, she demanded, “Chloe! How could you wear Summer’s wedding shoes?” Chloe gave her an innocent look, as if she hadn’t caught the accusation in her voice. She turned to me. “Summer, I just wanted to help you hide the wedding shoes. I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” Looking at her face, I had no doubt. I saw the pure, unadulterated malice in her eyes. No wonder Chloe, who was usually always stirring up drama, had been so unusually quiet today. So quiet, I hadn’t even noticed her presence. She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I couldn’t help but let out a furious laugh. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” That one sentence was enough to make Chloe’s eyes well up. She looked at Liam, all teary-eyed and wronged. “Liam, I was just trying to be helpful. I thought you and Summer would be happy if I hid the wedding shoes perfectly.” “Besides, I’ve never been married! How was I supposed to know you can’t wear wedding shoes?” Never been married or not, you don’t just wear someone else’s shoes, especially *my* wedding shoes. I silently cursed under my breath, feeling a wave of disgust, then retorted, “Just because you’ve never been married, does that mean you have no common decency?” Then again, if she had any decency, she wouldn’t always be getting in my face like this. But what truly shocked me was that, at a time like this, Liam actually sided with her. He defended her, saying, “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you have to be so mean?” I looked up and saw him frowning, an impatient look on his face. For a split second, all the fire in me just died. Not that I wasn’t angry anymore, but suddenly, it just felt… pointless. Liam didn’t notice my change in demeanor. He casually added, “I’ll have a new pair sent over right away. Happy now?” He said it as if *I* was the one being unreasonable. I forced a tight smile. My voice was calm as I said, “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.”

My words hung in the air, and the room fell into an immediate, stunned silence. Everyone looked at me in disbelief, probably not expecting me to be so drastic. Liam even chuckled. “Summer, are you kidding me?” “You’re calling off our wedding just because of a pair of wedding shoes? Are you seriously making such a big deal out of nothing?” It was Chloe who messed things up, who ruined our wedding. But in his eyes, I was the one being petty and irrational. Liam and I had been together for a year. But before that, he’d spent three painstaking years chasing me. He was clumsy but persistent in trying to win me over, always there whenever I needed him. Even if my heart was made of stone, it would have softened. The day we finally got together, Liam was as giddy as a teenager. He hugged me, crying and saying, “You’re a treasure I worked so hard to get, I promise I’ll never let you suffer any injustice!” He kept his word. After we started dating, he was completely devoted to me. All his actions revolved around my happiness. So, even though we hadn’t been together for long. When he proposed, I said yes. But then, during the wedding preparations, this so-called “childhood friend” of his appeared. From that moment on, Liam seemed to change. Whether we were on a date or having dinner, he’d drop everything and run off to Chloe whenever she called. When I got angry, he’d just give me a half-hearted excuse: “Chloe doesn’t know anyone else here, I just want to look out for her a bit.” “It’ll get better in a while.” Liam’s change in attitude was so drastic that I lost my emotional balance, constantly getting upset and fighting with him. During that time, I considered more than once whether we should actually go through with the wedding. But even the night before, I still hadn’t made up my mind. However, just now, the answer suddenly became clear. I wasn’t marrying Liam. When I didn’t respond, Liam assumed I was regretting my decision. He said, with a condescending tone, “Alright, stop messing around. If you delay any longer, we’ll actually miss the scheduled time.” “It’s just a pair of shoes, wait…” I didn’t even have the patience to hear him finish. I cut him off sharply. And answered his earlier question: “Yes, I am.” Liam didn’t expect me to be serious about this at such a crucial moment. He was stunned. But Chloe, standing next to him, started to cry again, her voice laced with false concern: “Summer, if you want to blame anyone, blame me. Don’t take your anger out on Liam. He didn’t do anything wrong.” As she spoke, she even knelt down in front of me, completely disregarding her image. She pleaded, “Summer, you can blame me however you want, but you can’t just cancel something as important as a wedding.” “Liam put so much effort into preparing for this wedding. How can you cancel last minute? Have you even considered his feelings?” “Besides, the guests are all waiting. It would be so bad if you two didn’t get married…” Chloe was pretending to be kind and persuasive, but every word she spoke was laced with accusation. But I’m stubborn. Once I make up my mind, it’s not easily changed. No one, not even the heavens themselves, could sway me. I opened my mouth, about to speak. But then Liam suddenly pulled Chloe to her feet. He looked at me with a cold expression. “Summer, I’m giving you one last chance.” “If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself right now, you’ll quietly go through with the wedding ceremony with me.” “Otherwise, you can figure out how to explain it to both our families and all the guests.” That was his way of threatening me. But Summer isn’t someone who’s easily threatened. I smiled, agreeing readily. “Fine by me!” Liam’s face turned ugly. He repeated “Fine” three times, his voice tight. Then he turned to the others. “Let’s go.” Seeing that we were serious, they hesitated, trying to say a few words to mediate. But before they could, Liam said coldly, “She’s the one who wants to cancel the wedding. If she regrets it, even if she begs me to come back, I’ll have to think about it!” He was speaking to his groomsmen, but his words were clearly meant for me. I scoffed, a mocking smile on my face, but said nothing. After they all completely disappeared from the room, my friends finally asked, “Summer, what do we do now?” “Liam’s right, the guests are still waiting. He’s just leaving you to clean up his mess!” I let out a cold laugh. If Liam thought this would make me regret it, then he was incredibly naive! “It’s just a wedding, isn’t it? No groom? I’ll just get a new one!” With that, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, but the voice on the other end was dripping with sarcasm: “Well, well! Calling me on your wedding day, Summer? Did the groom run off?” I often think Jace has a jinx. Otherwise, how could he always be right? I cleared my throat, speaking a little sheepishly. “Um, so, are you coming to my wedding?” He let out a mocking laugh, his voice full of disdain. “Summer, did you forget what I said?” Of course, I hadn’t forgotten. Jace had vowed that if I married Liam, he wouldn’t show up, even if I begged him. And he was true to his word; he wasn’t here today. I sighed helplessly. “Consider this me begging you, okay?” “I’m missing a groom. Will you play along with me to see this through?” Silence. Just when I was starting to wonder if the call had dropped, he finally spoke. “Wait there!” After the call ended, I found a new pair of heels, slipped them on, and told my bridesmaids, “Let’s go.” But as soon as we got downstairs, someone shouted, “Oh no, Summer, they’ve taken all the wedding cars!” Just as she said that, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Liam. **[If you want to cancel the wedding, then don’t even bother showing up!]** I let out a furious laugh. Trying to pull that trick on me, huh? This wedding? I was definitely going! Cars? My garage is practically a dealership. But I never expected Liam to be so petty. As soon as I got into a car, my phone started buzzing non-stop. Both sets of parents were constantly messaging me. **[Honey, Liam says you’re canceling the wedding, what’s going on?]** **[Summer, dear, I never interfere when you and Liam argue, but on such an important day, how can you be so unreasonable?]** **[Listen to me, go coax Liam back right now. Just get the wedding done, we can talk about everything else later.]** There were also curious and gossipy messages from friends, asking what was happening. I just quickly glanced at them, then replied to my mom. **[The wedding is happening as planned. If Liam doesn’t want to come, we’ll find someone else.]** I’ve always been strong-willed, and I never mess around with important matters like this. My mom didn’t know what was going on, but she still supported me. Not only that, but she publicly announced that since Liam wasn’t willing to show up for the wedding, our family would just replace him with someone else. As for the guests who came, they wouldn’t have wasted their trip. They were all welcome to stay for the wedding and dinner afterward. I heard that after my mom made her announcement, she immediately got into a huge argument with Liam’s mom. If this news reached my ears, it definitely reached Liam’s. A few minutes later, I received a call from Liam. But I hadn’t expected him to be making up scenarios in his head. The first thing he said was, “Summer, do you think this will force me to show up at the wedding? I’m telling you, no way!” “Just because you casually said you’d cancel the engagement, Chloe’s been crying, blaming herself. If you don’t apologize to her, don’t even think about me coming back to marry you.” Even at this point, all he cared about was Chloe. To say I wasn’t hurt at all would be a lie. But this time, I couldn’t swallow my pride! “Fine by me!” I sneered. “Don’t you dare come! I wouldn’t welcome you anyway!” “Summer! I’m warning you one last time, blowing things up like this, you’re the only one who will be embarrassed.” He didn’t need to worry about me. I hadn’t even finished that thought. When I heard him cooing to Chloe on the other end, my eyes hardened, and I immediately hung up. Not long after, we arrived at the hotel. As I was about to get out of the car, a hand reached out to me. “Your ride is here, Princess!” Though I was surprised Jace arrived so quickly, I felt a rush of warmth. He had his childhood sweetheart, and I had my own. The moment Jace and I appeared on stage together, everyone in the audience looked surprised. But I guess my mom had already prepped them, because everyone was pretty cooperative. Of course, someone also filmed the scene and sent it to one of Liam’s friends. That friend saw the message and was so shocked his phone dropped to the ground. Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, he stammered out, “Liam, Summer… she’s actually having a wedding with someone else!”

“What did you say!?” Liam immediately stood up, his voice filled with disbelief. The friend just picked up his phone and handed the video to Liam. As Liam’s face grew darker and darker, someone cautiously asked, “Liam, what do we do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch Summer marry someone else?” Hearing that, Liam couldn’t take it anymore. He furiously threw his phone to the ground. “No way!” With that, he grabbed his suit jacket. His voice was cold. “To the hotel, now!” “The only person Summer is marrying is me!” However, before he could leave, Chloe, her eyes red from crying, blocked his way. “Liam, if you go now, aren’t you just playing right into her hands?” Liam was in a fit of rage and wasn’t listening to anything she said. He just said, his face stormy, “Damn it, I chased her for three years, not to see her marrying someone else at *my* wedding!” “I just wanted to teach her a lesson, and now she’s trying to force my hand like this? Fine, I’ll give her what she wants!” After saying that, he forcefully pushed Chloe aside. She dramatically fell to the ground, letting out a pained cry, but Liam didn’t even look back. Seeing him about to walk out the door, Chloe quickly stood up and blocked him again. “No! Liam, you can’t go!” Liam’s expression shifted, and his gaze towards Chloe grew increasingly hostile. Luckily, she was quick-witted and immediately said: “Liam, I’m stopping you for your own good.” “She’s just found someone to marry so she doesn’t lose face, she’s not actually serious about marrying him. If you go, *you’re* the one who’ll look like a fool!” Liam looked at her with suspicion, as if weighing the credibility of her words. And Chloe, seeing a flicker of uncertainty in his expression, quickly continued: “Liam, as a woman, I know exactly what Summer’s thinking.” “She cares so much about a pair of wedding shoes, that means she definitely cares about you.” “Actually, I did this to stand up for you. You chased her for three years, and she’s getting mad at you over such a small thing. If you don’t let her learn her lesson, she’ll think you can’t live without her.” After Chloe finished, she saw Liam lost in thought. She subtly gestured to the people nearby. Seeing her signal, they immediately chimed in: “Liam, I agree, Summer’s totally overreacting. You spoil her so much, and just because of a pair of wedding shoes, she wants to cancel the wedding.” “Yeah, she’s just taking advantage of how much you dote on her. If you go to the wedding now, who knows how she’ll manipulate you!” “Liam, just listen to me. After the wedding, you just sweet-talk her a bit, and everything will be fine!” In the end, Liam was convinced by them. Of course, I knew nothing of any of this. Because right now, I was still reeling from what Jace had just said. I stared at him, feeling a bit dumbfounded. “What did you just say?” “I said, Ms. Summer, we just had a wedding, and you’re not even willing to give me an official status? Isn’t that a bit much?” “I’m a respectable single man, now suddenly married. If people ask to see our marriage certificate, I won’t have one! How embarrassing would that be!” “Wait!” I clamped my hand over his mouth. “It’s just acting! Just acting, got it?” The next second, I felt a sudden wetness on my palm. I instantly pulled my hand away. And met Jace’s triumphant grin. This man, still so hard to deal with! “Alright, enough messing around. If you don’t actually marry me, how will Liam believe it?” “I have a feeling he’ll still come bothering you. Do you seriously want to get back together with him?” I instinctively retorted, “How could I?” I admit, I did fall for Liam. But for me, Chloe’s presence was like a constant thorn in my side. I compromised once, and there would be a second time, a third. He was already siding with Chloe now, what about the future? Was I supposed to marry him just to constantly fight with Chloe? No matter what, the moment I said “cancel the engagement,” I never looked back. “Then let’s make him give up on you for good!” Coming out of the registry office, my mind was still dazed. Strange, how did Jace manage to talk me into this? “I’ll have the driver take you home first. I’ll be there in a bit.” With that, before I could even reply, he rushed off. I shook my head, not thinking much of it. After all this commotion and dealing with annoying things, I really just wanted to go home and rest. But what I didn’t expect was that, as I was entering the code to my door. Someone suddenly hugged me from behind. Without thinking, I kicked back and elbowed him away. I turned around defensively and saw Liam grimacing in pain. He said to me, “Summer, what the hell is wrong with you?” I rolled my eyes, retorted exasperatedly, “That’s what *I* should be asking you. Are you crazy?”

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After I became the foremost Bladesmith in the spiritual world, I barely had a few days to enjoy the adoration. Then, a cataclysm struck. Most cultivators were wiped out, and the world became a desolate wasteland. The Age of Decay arrived. Even the air here turned foul, slowly devouring what little spiritual energy remained in this ravaged world. The surviving practitioners couldn’t endure such an environment and faded away, yet I still lived. Because I was a long-lived one. One by one, I bid farewell to my friends. I slung my ancient blade-box onto my back and walked the earth, gathering “resonance energy.” I sought to mend my soul blight and discover a way for spiritual energy to return. This time, I arrived at a desolate outpost. It was another rainy day, the ceaseless drizzle chilling me to the bone. With the blade-box on my back, I trudged through the mud, each step sinking deep. Suddenly, a searing, piercing pain exploded in my chest, rushing straight to my throat. I doubled over, an uncontrollable cough tearing at my throat and lungs, as if trying to rip my rattling frame apart. The icy rain seized the chance to pour down my collar, making me shiver violently. Several equally soaked, hunger-ccrazed drifters closed in, like a pack of hyenas scenting blood. They shoved me, their skeletal fingers clawing at the blade-box on my back and the threadbare, patched cloak at my waist. Guttural, meaningless sounds escaped their lips, their clouded eyes filled with nothing but primal greed. I let them push me, like a piece of decaying wood battered by wind and rain. My steps even faltered, almost sending me sprawling into the mud. The blade-box shifted gently on my back, emitting a dull “clack.” That sound made the drifters pause. A flicker of instinctive fear crossed their murky eyes. In this cursed place, anyone carrying even a bit of iron and daring to show it was either a hardened killer or a dead man. They scrutinized me – a face so pale it lacked a trace of blood, a few strands of dark hair plastered to my forehead by the rain, and that faded, patched-up old cloak. By all appearances, I looked like a destitute scholar with one foot in the grave. I merely gave them a cold glance. Just one look, and their budding greed was instantly crushed by fear. They sullenly withdrew their hands, muttering crude curses, and retreated to the shelter of a dilapidated awning by the roadside that offered meager protection from the rain. From there, they continued to stare outwards with empty, hungry eyes. I straightened up, wiping the rain and spittle from my face, my gaze sweeping forward. A broken wooden plank leaned crookedly by the road. On it, two words were scrawled in charcoal: “Tavern.” To call it a tavern was an overstatement; it was more like a makeshift shack that barely kept out the wind and rain. Pushing aside the greasy, torn thick cloth curtain, a heavier stench of stale air assaulted me. The interior was dim, a few oil lamps flickering weakly in the turbid air, casting light on equally grim faces. Several rough-looking men, their shirts unbuttoned, sat by crude wooden tables, reeking of stale earth and fresh blood. Clearly, they’d just finished their “business,” their weapons carelessly tossed at their feet. Behind the counter, a greasy-faced, corpulent man looked up, the rolls of fat on his face jiggling with the movement. He puffed on a short pipe, his beady, murky eyes scanning me from my worn blade-box to my mud-stained trousers. The disdain in his gaze was almost palpable. “Get out! You stinking beggar, you’re bad for business!” He spat out a puff of cheap smoke, his voice like a rusty gate. **Chapter 2** I stopped in the doorway, rain dripping from my hair and clothes, pooling in a small, murky puddle at my feet. A brief silence fell over the pub; even those hardened men, used to violence, cast sidelong glances my way. “A bowl of hot soup,” my voice was low, hoarse from coughing, yet strikingly clear in the quiet tavern. “I’ll pay for it.” I pulled a few copper coins from my pocket, tarnished and worn smooth at the edges, but undeniably money. I gently placed them on an empty, broken wooden table a few steps from the counter. The fat barkeeper squinted, eyeing the coins, then my expressionless, unnaturally pale face. Finally, he merely scoffed. “Wait your turn!” he grumbled, waddling his bulky frame slowly towards the greasy curtain at the back. Low murmurs resumed in the pub. The scar-faced men continued to boast about their day’s “haul,” but their eyes periodically darted my way, filled with scrutiny and a hint of almost imperceptible wariness. One of the scar-faced men, bowl in hand, sat down opposite me, slamming the earthenware bowl onto the table, splashing some cheap liquor. His gaze swept over my pale face and the blade-box on my back. “Hey, kid, you’re not from around here, are you?” I didn’t reply, simply leaned back slightly, reaching for the Jade-Blade at my waist. Only after caressing its unique material did I feel a measure of calm. I lightly patted my chest, exhaling a breath. This world’s stagnant, decaying air felt like swallowing razors with every inhale. “If you were just a common traveler passing through, that’d be one thing. But with a big box like that on your back, you’ve got plenty of ‘goods’ in there, eh?” The man reached out, intending to touch my box. I subtly shifted, avoiding his grasp, my eyes growing colder. The man seemed to grow irritated. “Don’t you know the rules, boy? Don’t you know you gotta pay passage through here?” “If you don’t have money, we can take a person instead. Silas’s crew seems to love ‘new recruits’ like you, might even earn us a nice bonus,” another man at a nearby table chimed in. The big brute, emboldened by the support, became even more arrogant, reaching out again to snatch my box. I spun around, hooked a chair with my foot, and kicked it out. “Get lost. Don’t make me say it twice.” The brute seemed not to realize that a sickly-looking person like me could suddenly unleash such strength. Unprepared, he was struck squarely by the chair. He touched his nose, and a stream of blood flowed out. “You bastard…!” The brute seemed ready to pull out a weapon to deal with me, but his movements instantly froze when his gaze met my cold eyes. He felt fear. An invisible pressure seemed to bear down on him, and the blade he’d just gripped clattered to the floor with a dull thud. After a long moment, he cursed, “Damn bad luck.” I averted my gaze. As I was picking up the chair I’d kicked, I bumped into someone. **Chapter 3** I swayed slightly from the collision, my chest churning again. The kid looked up, his hollow eyes staring at me blankly for a moment, then were seized by profound terror. A rasping, wheezing sound, like a broken bellows, escaped his throat, but not a single word. A mute? He gestured wildly, then violently whipped his head towards the doorway, as if a vengeful spirit was hot on his heels. Then, like a startled rabbit, he ignored everyone else in the pub and bolted towards the side, where a dilapidated shrine stood. He huddled amidst the accumulated junk and dust of the shrine, curling into a small ball, trembling uncontrollably. Only his hollow eyes, peering through the gaps in the debris, remained fixed on the doorway. A few men in the pub exchanged glances. One of them, a bearded man, grinned, revealing yellowed, smoke-stained teeth. “Heh, is that Finn, the mute kid? What, did Knuckles and his crew chase him again?” “What else? Couldn’t pay off his debts! His parents owed Boss Knuckles a fortune for medicine before they died. With compound interest, the kid couldn’t work it off even if he sold himself a dozen times over!” Another lanky brute interjected, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. “Tsk, tsk, I heard Boss Knuckles is really going to sell him to the northern ‘flesh pits’ this time. They specialize in young lads like him there, easy to break, easy to control…” “Shh! Keep it down! Silas’s people are in town these days, don’t stir up trouble!” The name “Silas” had a chilling effect, instantly silencing the lanky brute, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his face. The bearded man sullenly took a gulp from his earthenware bowl of cheap liquor and said no more. The atmosphere in the pub grew heavier, more oppressive, broken only by the crackle of the oil lamps and the persistent patter of rain outside. The fat barkeeper finally emerged from behind the back curtain, carrying a murky bowl of “hot soup” with a few questionable vegetable scraps and grease slick floating on top. He slammed the earthenware bowl down onto the broken table where I’d placed the copper coins, splashing a few drops of broth onto the grimy surface. “Here! Drink up and get out!” he gruffly urged, his beady eyes darting nervously to the trembling shadow in the dilapidated shrine, then quickly away. Clearly, he wanted no part of any trouble. “Finn, hiding here won’t do any good. Just come out.” Finn didn’t answer, nor did he move. The barkeeper cursed a few times, then bothered with him no longer, retreating to the back as if to avoid association. I didn’t rush to drink the soup. My gaze passed over the barkeeper’s greasy head and landed on the shrine behind him. The mute boy, Finn, was curled there like a small, battered animal driven to desperation. Every word spoken by those men earlier had been like a poisoned needle, piercing his hollow, despairing eyes. But now, in those dark eyes, besides fear, something deeper, darker, was slowly gathering, settling. It was hatred. A blood-soaked hatred, brewed by despair for too long, now congealed and crystallized. This hatred… so pure, like raw iron forged in the fires of an abyss for eons, just waiting for a spark to unleash a furious blaze that would burn everything to ashes. A minute, almost imperceptible tremor emanated from the depths of the blade-box on my back, carrying an indescribable sense of “hunger.” It was as if a beast, slumbering for millennia, had been slightly stirred by this intense hatred, turning over in its sleep. I watched him in silence. Through the dim light, the turbid air, and the shadows of the altar, he seemed to feel my gaze. His hollow, despairing eyes, with a last trace of deadened bewilderment, met mine through the gaps in the debris. There was no plea in those eyes, no hope, only a chilling, bone-deep ash of “defiance.” I took the bowl and advanced a few steps towards the dilapidated shrine. **Chapter 4** Actually, calling it a dilapidated shrine wasn’t quite right; it was merely a circle of crumbling ruins, barely forming a shelter from the wind. A few rotten timbers leaned precariously, barely supporting some leaky roof tiles. If not for its ability to block the wind and rain, the tavern probably wouldn’t have bothered to include it in its property. The idols were long gone, leaving only half a muddy, crumbling stone pedestal, remnants of an ancient altar, covered in bird droppings and thick dust. Someone had scrawled crooked, meaningless symbols with charcoal, giving off an unsettling, almost sinister vibe. I sat against the cold, broken wall. My soaked, old cloak clung to my body. I unslung my blade-box and placed it by my feet. Slowly, I drank the not-very-tasty hot soup, but at least the warmth it provided offered some relief from the chilling pain. A faint, suppressed sob, mingled with the chattering of teeth, drifted from a deeper corner of the shrine. It was Finn, the mute boy. He had buried himself deeper behind a pile of tattered straw mats and rotting wood, revealing only half of his wet head and a pair of eyes that glowed eerily in the darkness. The hollowness and despair were gone from those eyes, replaced by a frantic vigilance and terror, like a young wolf cornered by hunters on a cliff’s edge. He stared fixedly at the shrine’s only entrance – the crooked, cracked doorframe – as if a ravenous beast would burst in at any moment. He was waiting, waiting for those who were destined to come for him. In the darkness, the subtle “hunger” in the blade-box on my back resurfaced, like a deep-sea current, slowly but persistently stirring. It seemed drawn by the boy’s imminent, explosive aura, a mix of fear and hatred. Finally, heavy, shuffling footsteps, accompanied by crude curses, pierced through the wind and rain, growing louder as they approached. “Damn this cursed weather! That mute brat’s definitely hiding in here!” “Run? You owe Knuckles and you think you can run? We’ll break his damn legs!” “Boss said, ‘bring him back alive!’ The overseer from the northern flesh pits is due tonight, waiting for his ‘shipment’!” The footsteps stopped outside the tavern. Everyone inside seemed to shy away, and the fat barkeeper chose to hide in the back kitchen, clearly wanting no part of the trouble. Three hulking figures blocked the doorway. Leading them was a burly brute with a scarred face, a missing front tooth, and a necklace of animal bones – Knuckles, the local enforcer. Behind him were two equally menacing thugs, each carrying a short club and a rope. “Heh! Mute kid, playing hide-and-seek with me?” Knuckles sneered, the gap in his teeth showing like a dark hole. His eyes, like a vulture’s, scanned the pub’s interior, instantly locking onto the trembling shadow behind the dilapidated shrine. “Get out here! Save me the trouble!” Finn recoiled violently like a startled rabbit, a rasping, meaningless sound escaping his throat. His eyes were filled with desperate terror. He clutched tightly at a tattered bundle in his arms, as if it were his last pitiful support. “Damn it, you want to do this the hard way!” Knuckles spat, waving a hand to his followers. “Drag him out! Be careful, don’t damage him too much, we’re still counting on this brat for cash!” The two thugs grinned menacingly, grabbing their clubs and ropes, and strode towards Finn’s hiding spot. Their heavy footsteps echoed through the empty, decaying shrine, carrying a brutal sense of oppression. Finn cowered, with nowhere left to retreat. His scrawny body trembled violently from extreme fear, his teeth chattering so hard they almost shattered. In his eyes, fear was rapidly swallowed by deeper despair and a dying madness. He violently bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the cold, damp ground, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, as if silently wailing. Just as the two thugs grinned and reached out, their rough fingers about to touch his worn tunic— I moved. **Chapter 5** It wasn’t deliberate. It was as if I’d simply lost my footing, buffeted by the bone-chilling draft that swept through the shrine, or maybe I’d slipped on a patch of water leaking from the roof.

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When I transmigrated into this cannon fodder side character, I was pressing my cream-covered foot against the male lead’s chest, humiliating him. “Lick it clean. Swallow.” The male lead, Ryder, gripped my ankle with stubborn, hidden resentment. “Yes, Young Master.” Later, I faked my death to escape the plot, surrounded by handsome men, when Ryder suddenly appeared and locked me in a pitch-black basement. He tugged on a silver chain, grinning like a mad dog. “Young Master, lick it clean. Swallow.” I transmigrated into a novel, becoming the expendable Young Master in a dark romance revenge saga set within a powerful, wealthy family. My only purpose was to humiliate the male lead, provoke him endlessly, pile on the hatred, and eventually, end up in an urn. This moment right now? It’s one of the story’s peak scenes. I was stomping on Ryder’s rock-solid chest, forcing him to lick the cream that Julian had splattered on my foot. Ryder, the powerful and dominant one, and Julian, the delicate, clumsy submissive, were childhood friends who grew up together in the same orphanage. Years ago, my villainous father, Mr. Albright, orchestrated a scheme to frame Ryder’s father, Mr. Kincaid, and their entire family, leading to their ruin. Ryder and Julian supported each other, enduring for years. Ryder got a job as my family’s chef, while Julian became our bodyguard. Their goal? To infiltrate and take revenge on my father. But Julian wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed; he constantly cooked up petty schemes, claiming they were to ‘get even’ for Ryder. He was never subtle enough, though, always dragging Ryder into cleaning up his messes. Undoubtedly the clueless one. Just moments ago, he’d feigned a stumble, intending to smear cake on my face. But his distance judgment was off, and it ended up on my foot instead. Ryder interceded for him. Fine, I’d make *him* lick it clean. From my perspective, this was pretty much a thrill ride. Ryder’s body was tense, his grip firm on my pale ankle. His eyes, fixed on me, were chilling. I wanted to yank my foot back, but with a slight pull, he tugged it forward again. The System’s voice buzzed in my ear: [This is it! Quick, shove your toes in his mouth!] Ugh. Talk about gross, Young Master. Even as I mentally gagged, Ryder lowered his head. A warm, tingling sensation instantly sent shivers through me. His crimson tongue slowly, meticulously lapped up the white cream from my instep, his Adam’s apple subtly bobbing. Holy cow! Why did that feel… kinda good? Just as he was about to reach my toes, I kicked him hard, sending him sprawling. “Stupid dog! You hurt me!” My soft, weak voice had a slight crack, completely devoid of any real menace. He looked up at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, practically screaming, “That’s it?” My own cowardice made my face flush. I blurted out, “You’re grounded from dinner tonight!” and scurried upstairs. I buried my head under the covers, clutching my face, gasping for air. The System’s voice was dripping with sarcasm: [Pathetic. This is just the beginning.] A lump formed in my throat. I rasped, [What’s the hatred value?] The System fell silent. I said ominously, [Don’t tell me it’s already high enough to get me killed.] The System let out a piercing shriek! [AAAH! WHY IS IT -10?!]

The System had gone mad. The screen filled with static and its furious shouts, making my head spin. [It has to be because you didn’t follow the plot!] [I told you to put your toes in his mouth! In his mouth! Why didn’t you?] I blinked innocently. [He might get athlete’s foot.] The System was speechless. [He’s going to tear you limb from limb soon, and you’re worried about *his* athlete’s foot?] I lazily rolled over, muttering, [Well, he hasn’t torn me limb from limb *yet*, has he?] That’s right, the Young Master’s attitude was always this chill. It’s not like I haven’t died before. In my original world, I was deader than dead. The System’s screen went black. After a long silence, it lectured me: [I have to go back to Headquarters to check if the program is glitching. Three days, tops. While I’m gone, you remember to humiliate him properly, stomp him under your foot like a dog, *destroy him*!] [Did you hear me?] I mumbled a half-hearted reply. [Yeah, yeah, got it.] [Repeat it back.] [Humiliate him! Destroy him! Demolish him… *completely*!] [Repeat it a hundred times!] The System left, seemingly satisfied. Waking up the next day, I fell into deep thought. Did the System tell me to *demolish him* last night? Did I get assigned a dominant role? In just three seconds, I convinced myself to accept this new task. Ryder hated the Albright family so much. If I *also* dominated him, wouldn’t his hatred value skyrocket? The System was a genius! But I didn’t expect Julian to start his antics again as I swaggered downstairs, feeling proud. He smiled brightly, respectfully handing me a cup of coffee. “Young Master, this is your favorite civet coffee. Please enjoy.” I stared at the unknown liquid, covered in white foam and emitting a faint, pine-like aroma, and fell silent. Seriously, dude, whose coffee smells like laundry detergent? I waved my hand, declining. “No, we struggling folks only drink the dirt-cheap brew from a discount coffee shop.” Julian looked bewildered. Ryder seemed to let out a soft chuckle. I instantly flared up. “What’s so funny? Laugh again, and I, the Young Master, will *destroy* you!” With that, I suddenly raised my foot and aimed a kick at his stomach. But I put too much force into it, and my foot slipped down an inch. Ryder let out a soft groan, then swiftly grabbed my ankle and pulled it forward. I tumbled right into his rock-solid chest, my foot wedged between his legs. He gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze. “I’m yours, Young Master. You can do anything you want with me.” My defenses completely shattered. Seriously, dude, are you a masochist?

In the bedroom, Ryder was stripped down to just his boxers, kneeling perfectly straight on the floor. His defined muscles looked even more *delicious*… I mean, *healthy*, in the warm glow of the lamp. I gripped the thin whip tightly, circling him, trying to figure out what to do. Even though I was gay in my original world, I had no idea how to do *this*. Seeing me hesitate for a while, he suddenly reached out, took the other end of the whip, and pressed it against his chest. “Young Master, hit me here.” Huh??? He was so proactive, it completely caught me off guard. But I couldn’t break character. I glared at him fiercely. “Who asked you to teach me, Young Master?” The moment the words left my mouth, I snapped the whip down hard, the force rattling my hand. Red welts instantly appeared on his tanned skin, and I could even smell a faint coppery scent of blood, but Ryder didn’t even blink. After the first time, the second was much easier. *Snap! Snap!* The sounds echoed relentlessly in the quiet bedroom. By the end, I was exhausted, sprawled on the carpet, but Ryder still maintained his original pose. His dark eyes glittered with an unusual intensity, fixed on my face. You could just tell his hatred was through the roof. Today’s task of humiliating him was complete. All that was left was to *demolish him*. But looking at his body covered in blood welts, I felt a pang of pity. I closed my eyes, waving him away. “Go back. That’s enough for today.” Better to know when to stop. I didn’t want to die before the System even returned. In my drowsy state, a warm touch suddenly brushed the back of my neck. Annoyed, I swatted at it, but my hand was abruptly caught. I twisted my head and saw Ryder looking at me with eager eyes. “Young Master, you haven’t finished with me yet.” I: “…”

Ryder was a pervert. Confirmed. Ever since I said, “Believe me, I, the Young Master, will *demolish you*!” he’d gone insane. Every day, he chased me like a dog, asking, “When?” But did he even look at his own muscular physique? Could *I* really “demolish” *him*? Demolishing Julian would be easier. But that thought only lasted a second before I dismissed it. Because in the lotus seed soup he prepared for me, I saw undissolved pills. Yet he smiled innocently, cheerfully asking me to taste if it was good. People like that are beyond help. Looking at it that way, Ryder was pretty pitiful too. I couldn’t help but glance at Ryder, who stood like a wall beside me, giving him a look of sympathy for a poor wretch. But he seemed to misunderstand, thinking I wanted him to eat my leftovers. He gulped down the lotus seed soup in my hand in three quick swigs. I shot up in surprise, trying to shove my fingers down his throat. “Are you crazy?! Spit it out!” Seeing my panic, he finally realized something. He grabbed Julian by the neck, his eyes darkening. “You drugged him?” Julian’s face turned red as he choked, shaking his head like a bobblehead, unable to utter a word. I stared at the two of them, utterly bewildered. Wait, why are they fighting each other now? Is the protagonists’ love really *that* fragile? Seeing Julian about to be strangled, I pushed my questions aside and hurriedly pulled Ryder away. Unexpectedly, the drug’s effects kicked in right then. His body was burning hot, his eyes gradually hazy. Only then did I remember the original plot: the Young Master, rushing to a friend’s appointment, took a sip and was later molested by a vagrant hired by Julian. After that, the Young Master grew even more deranged, becoming even more vicious in his torment. This fueled Ryder’s hatred, accelerating his path to death. I had to admit, Julian had the potential to be a truly malicious Young Master. Suddenly, a sharp pain in my neck broke my thoughts. Ryder was practically hanging off me, rubbing and biting, his hand already reaching under the hem of my shirt. I was furious and embarrassed, fending him off while yelling at Julian, who was sprawled on the floor. “Quick, get the antidote!” Julian’s eyes welled up with tears, and he shook his head pitifully. “There’s no, no antidote!” Seriously, was *he* the one who was wronged? Just as I was trying to figure out what to do, Ryder suddenly scooped me up and rushed towards the bedroom upstairs. By the time I regained my senses, I was already pinned to the bed, unable to move. His eyes were bloodshot. He pinned my hands above my head with one hand, while the other unbuttoned his shirt. His gaze, heavy with desire, was locked on my face. I abruptly widened my eyes and screamed at him. “You dog! What do you think you’re doing?!” He licked his crimson lips. “What do you think, Young Master? Don’t you know?”

The searing touch made my body tremble. This sudden turn of events made me instinctively call out to the System for help. But no matter how much I called, the System, which promised to return in three days max, didn’t make a peep. I finally panicked, my voice trembling as I begged him. “Ryder, I was wrong.” “I’ll never bully you again, just let me go.” But he seemed not to hear me, leisurely taking off his clothes, one by one. He took my hand and guided it over his eight-pack abs, letting it slowly explore every inch. “Hard enough?” I bit my lip, nodding ingratiatingly. His heavy breaths fell on my face, sending shivers through me. The next second, a deluge of kisses rained down. He was like a mad dog, biting and gnawing, fierce and relentless. As my consciousness faded, I thought I saw the System’s stunned physical form. The next day, when I opened my eyes, I found myself still tightly held in Ryder’s arms. The perpetual frown on his face, which had been there for twenty-four hours, finally smoothed out, his features looking much softer. But thinking about his mad dog behavior last night, I bristled, lifting my foot and kicking him off the bed. I didn’t know how bad it was until I kicked him. My face contorted, tears streaming down. Damn! My ass felt like I’d been eating ghost peppers. Ryder’s usually icy face showed a rare expression of apology and embarrassment. Before I could get angry again, he suddenly knelt on the floor, picked up the whip from beside him, and offered it to me with both hands. “Young Master, please punish me!” He looked utterly at my mercy, but was he blind? Did he think I couldn’t see the ridiculous grin splitting his face?! Suddenly, my gaze shifted to the claw marks on his chest. Raw and bleeding, they looked painful. The vivid scenes from last night flooded my mind again, and my face immediately flushed. I hastily blurted out “Get out!” and buried my face under the covers. A moment later, a dejected voice came from above me. “Young Master, aren’t you going to hit me?” My defenses completely shattered! “You utter freak! If you don’t get out now, I’ll kill that idiot Julian!” He paused, then quickly scurried away. Watching his eager retreating figure, I couldn’t help but burst into tears. You scumbag! Sleeping with me when you have a sweetheart? May that idiot Julian cuckold you for the rest of your life! I pounded the wall in anger, only to suddenly notice someone hanging on it. He smiled without warmth. “Bro, enjoying yourself again, huh?” “Who are you, handsome?” Jax really knows how to make an entrance, doesn’t he? The question is, how did he get a physical body? And he’s so handsome, only slightly less than Ryder.

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As a star pirate, I got caught by the Federal military. Good news: My identity is special, so they can’t just do whatever they want. Bad news: The one who caught me is my ex-boyfriend, the one I abandoned after staging my own dramatic death. Back then, I wore a disguise, seduced the Federal Academy’s untouchable ice prince, so pure and easy to trick. Before I left, I even gave him a “heart-stopping” farewell, complete with my own staged demise. Now, the cold, handsome man puts on leather gloves and taps my face. A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, cold and sharp. “Well, well, darling. Still alive, I see?” “All these years you’ve been gone, I’ve truly… missed you to death.” As the second-in-command of the notorious GS pirate organization, I’ve always strutted through deep space, doing whatever I pleased. But today, my luck finally ran out. While taking over a resource planet that had been forcefully occupied, the usual small-time crews, always buzzing and eager for a fight, were nowhere to be found. Instead, a colossal dark presence, hidden until now, suddenly emerged: a pure black military vessel. Its insignia blazed, clearly marking it as belonging to the Federal First Legion. The moment my unreliable uncle, Asher Reid, who was supposed to be guarding the rear, saw the warship, he let out a loud curse and bolted with the rest of our fleet. But not before shouting— “Skylar, I’ll go get the Boss to rescue you!!!” Now, in the boundless depths of space, I was utterly alone, with no one to rely on. Not all Federal Legions are out to annihilate pirates; some even have covert collaborations. Unfortunately for me, I’d stumbled right into the First Legion. Before we could even communicate, we were bundled up and shipped off to the Legion’s prison. Everyone knew that Julian Vance, the First Legion’s commander, harbored an intense hatred for pirates, especially the GS organization. Rumor had it they were responsible for the death of his beloved. Even worse news… I was that “dead” beloved. The door to the dark interrogation room hissed open, letting in a sliver of light. Footsteps approached. I raised my eyes to the man in the black military uniform. Julian Vance’s face was even colder and more handsome than before. Having not had a drop of water in ages, I licked my lips. I awkwardly raised a hand, trying to look innocent. “Hey, long time no see… Julian.”

Julian and I met at the Federal First Academy. As the only son of the GS Boss, my dad, Marcus Reid, had high hopes for me. GS had this ridiculous tradition: its heir *had* to receive a proper military education. In my dad’s words, the only reason GS maintained its top pirate status was because we all read books; we weren’t illiterate savages. I don’t know what tricks my dad pulled. He cooked up a fake identity for me and shipped me off to the First Academy. By sheer coincidence, Julian and I ended up as roommates. Initially, I planned on just coasting through a few years. But then my dad laid down the law: no graduation certificate, no ride home. If my cover got blown after too long, I was on my own. No choice then. A pampered slacker like me had to actually start studying. Turns out, some things just aren’t possible no matter how hard you try. I’d grown up among pirates. Flying a mech to raid a convoy? No problem. But making me pass a theoretical exam? That was the absolute death of me. I’m a *pirate*! Why do I need to learn math and physics? Is that even logical? Desperate, I started eyeing Julian. And found out he was surprisingly pure and easy to trick. There were two kinds of people at the First Academy. One type was me: the slacker who somehow managed to sneak in. The other type was like Julian: excelling in every assessment, a golden boy destined for greatness. Julian was obsessed with training. He’d come back to the dorm, shower, and immediately crash, focused solely on his duties. Like a robot. I knew that ever since enrollment, countless junior cadets had been secretly gossiping about him on the forums. They even rated him as the First Academy’s #1 heartthrob. But he was completely oblivious, totally wasting that drop-dead gorgeous face of his. With such a dense, goodie-two-shoes student, playing hard-to-get would be like winking at a blind man. A direct approach was the only way. One day, after he’d finished showering, I tugged on his sleeve and handed him the keys to the newest mech model. Julian looked down at me, confused, and spoke in a cool tone, “Is there something you need?” I shamelessly edged closer. Taking advantage of my deceptively innocent face, I buttered him up: “Julian, could you help me with mechanical theory? My basics are so bad, I just can’t grasp it.” He thought for a moment, then agreed. I only found out later that Julian was naturally reserved; he was never a good Samaritan eager to help. And given his status, he certainly didn’t care about the mech I’d given him. One time, I was lying with my head in his lap, reading comics, and I deliberately scratched his chin. “Julian, were you already plotting something with me back then?” Julian gave a faint smile, his earlobes turning a faint red. He gently stroked my messy hair. He didn’t deny it.

Learning from a genius made everything click. Julian’s disciplined life gained a new, unexpected element: every evening, he’d dedicate time to tutor me. Because I was so utterly clueless, Julian sometimes got incredibly frustrated. He’d frown slightly, pointing to a historical fact everyone in the Federation knew. “Skylar, didn’t you learn this in elementary school?” I’d nudge him endearingly, a lie instantly on my lips: “I grew up in a remote, war-torn slum planet. I never went to school.” He’d affectionately ruffle my hair, then tutor me even more meticulously. I thought my academy life would continue this way, peacefully. Then, one night at an academy party, we both had too much to drink. I’m not sure who initiated it, but somehow, we ended up sleeping together. Oh no, it should be: I was *slept with*. In the morning, we both sat there, clutching our blankets, staring at each other. Recalling the chaotic love lives of my pirate crew, I tentatively spoke: “Julian, how about we just pretend nothing happened and continue being friends?” “Friends?” He might have been annoyed. Julian gripped my chin, his hot breath ghosting behind my ear, his voice dangerous: “How many ‘friends’ like that do you have?” It wasn’t until he’d kissed me breathless, leaving me practically melting into the bed, that I finally surrendered: “…None. Only you!” “Then what is this?” Seeing him lean in again, I hurriedly replied: “My… boyfriend!” Best friends turned boyfriends, everything just fell into place naturally. I was so happy back then, I actually considered bringing Julian back to the GS after graduation, making him my future partner in galactic domination. I even bragged to my dad that I’d snagged an academy boyfriend. But I never expected… Julian Vance, so simple and self-reliant, was actually the sole son of a Federal High Commander.

Before graduation, Julian asked me which Legion I planned to serve in. He clearly intended to follow me. My smile almost froze on my face. Are you kidding? I’m a pirate boss’s son, I just snuck in to learn a few things. Did he really expect me to become their personal workhorse for the Federation? I told him I hadn’t decided yet, but secretly, I started planning. Julian was from a perfectly respectable lineage. Take him back to GS? Was I trying to blow up our own stronghold? How could I disappear without a trace? My dad and I brainstormed. We set our sights on the final military exercise. That simulated exercise was held in the HC173 asteroid belt near the academy. Julian and I were teamed up, each piloting our mechs, facing off against other students in pairs. The exercise was proceeding normally until my dad, Marcus Reid, leading a fleet of starships, made a spectacular entrance. I was taken hostage. Julian desperately piloted his mech, chasing after us. As we left, I stretched out my hand towards Julian, feigning “deep sorrow”— “Julian…” The next second, the silent void erupted into a spectacular, devastating explosion. No trace of me was left. My dad brazenly abducted me. From then on, the First Academy lost an unremarkable student, and GS gained a leisurely star pirate. Years passed. I became the second-in-command of GS. And he became the First Legion’s ruthless, iron-fisted Commander Vance.

The interrogation room lights were dim. Julian Vance put on leather gloves and lightly patted my face, pulling his lips into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, cold and sharp. “Well, well, darling. Still alive, I see?” “All these years you’ve been gone, I’ve truly… missed you to death.” The cold touch on my face, those inky black eyes were bottomless. I immediately sensed danger. Julian had become so… unsettling. “The GS has offered to negotiate.” “They’re even willing to trade resource planets for you.” “Looks like you’re quite important to them now.” “Darling, if I recall correctly, four years ago, you were supposedly blown to bits by the GS right in front of me, with no body ever found, right?” “The GS is known for its brutality. How did you survive?” Telling the truth now would be suicide; I wasn’t about to get myself into more trouble. “Hmm?” His long fingers gripped my chin, immensely pressing. Under his intense gaze, my brain worked furiously. “Julian, I had no choice.” Tears instantly welled in my eyes, making me look utterly pathetic and fragile as I gazed at Julian Vance. “Alright, tell me.” His face was calm, as if he’d believe whatever I said. I opened my mouth and let the lies flow: “I didn’t die then; they took me away. They were going to kill me. But they saw I had good physical stats and was a First Academy student, so they forced me to do their dirty work.” “My family was in their hands, so I had no choice but to comply.” The grip on my chin loosened slightly. Julian seemed half-convinced. “Family? What family?” “My father from the war-torn planet, Marcus Reid, he’s with the GS right now. You can check.” He certainly was in the GS, as the Boss. “Julian…” “I love you, but I can’t go back now.” I wiped away non-existent tears, shamelessly kissing the hand near my cheek. Julian’s eyes flickered, and he pulled his hand away. Undeterred, I pressed my face against the smooth fabric of his uniform near his stomach. “Julian, I’m so happy to see you again.” The surroundings fell silent for a moment. For a long time, Julian didn’t react, which made me vaguely uneasy. I looked up, trying to secretly gauge his expression. Looking up, the pale light spilled over his face, and he seemed oblivious to my closeness. “Skylar Reid, you’d better not be lying to me.” Julian’s expression was calm, but his words carried an implicit threat. “Otherwise, once I find out, you’re done for.” The immediate crisis was averted. I wasn’t sure if Julian believed me. But that very night, he disregarded everyone else’s objections and took me out of prison.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298488”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

I was cleaning the house on the second day after my husband left for a business trip when I casually said to our smart speaker, “Alexa, play some music.” Instead, an unfamiliar sultry female voice came through the speaker. “Sure thing, my little moonbeam. Also, a reminder for James – don’t forget Aria’s birthday surprise tonight~” I froze, the music suddenly grating to my ears. My husband’s name is James. Who was Aria? I immediately called James: “Did you mess with our smart speaker at home?” There was a pause on the other end before he laughed it off, “Oh, a friend came over to visit the other day. Maybe they connected their account. Why?” I laughed and said it was nothing. After hanging up, I pulled up the speaker’s login history and took a cab straight to the company address associated with that unfamiliar account. The taxi stopped in front of the “Starlight Design” building. I looked up. The glass curtain wall glared dazzlingly in the sunlight, much like the company’s aggressive momentum in the industry over the past two years. Our main competitor at “Dreamscape Design”. The receptionist was very professional, not giving me the cold shoulder despite me being from a rival company. She simply made an internal call in a businesslike manner. A few minutes later, a girl in a white dress walked out quickly. She had waist-length hair and a bare face, looking clean and innocent. Aria. When she saw me, there was a clear moment of panic in her eyes, like a startled deer, but she quickly composed herself and squeezed out a shy smile. “Hello, may I ask who you are?” “About the smart speaker,” I got straight to the point, looking at her calmly, “The login records show it was your account.” “Oh, that speaker!” She had a sudden realization, then scratched her head embarrassedly, “That belongs to my roommate. She used my phone to log in a few days ago, said her membership had expired and wanted to use mine for a bit. Did it cause you any trouble? I’m so sorry!” Her words were watertight, both distancing herself and appearing innocent and naive. If I didn’t know James’s personality, I might have believed her. That man, arrogant and sensitive, how could he let an unrelated intern use a personal account to log into a device at home? My gaze slowly moved from her face full of innocence to her slender wrist. There was a silver bracelet. Two irregular circular links interlocked, with a small letter “J” engraved on one of the links. That was the gift I had personally designed and had a craftsman friend make for James on our wedding anniversary last year. J for James. The only one of its kind in the world. Aria noticed my gaze and instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back. But I smiled, stepping forward with an almost gentle tone: “That’s a unique bracelet. Did your boyfriend give it to you? He has great taste.” Her face went white in an instant, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word. That was enough. I didn’t look at her again and turned to leave. Getting into the return taxi, I immediately called my best friend Emma, the best divorce lawyer in the industry. As soon as the call connected, her loud voice came through: “Well, well, if it isn’t the great designer Olivia! Did the sun rise from the west today? You actually remembered me?” “I need a favor,” I said, watching the streetscape rapidly receding outside the window, my voice unnaturally calm. “Look into someone for me. An intern at Starlight Design named Aria. Also, dig up all of James’s financial transactions and hotel records for the past six months. Don’t miss a single one.” Emma went quiet for two seconds, dropping her joking tone: “…Are we raiding the house?” “Worse than that.” After hanging up, the car fell into dead silence. It wasn’t long before James’s call came through. I looked at the word “Husband” on the screen, finding it incredibly ironic. I took a deep breath before answering. “Olivia, what’s wrong?” His customarily gentle and refined voice came through the receiver, with just the right amount of concern, “I heard from Emma that you asked her to look into something. Are you having trouble at work?” Look, he even planted a spy so quickly. I pushed down the surging emotions and said in the most normal tone: “No, I just suddenly miss you very much.” On the other end of the phone, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then chuckled softly. “Silly girl, I miss you too. Once I finish this project, I’ll fly back to be with you right away, my little moonbeam.” The words “little moonbeam” clearly pierced my ears. My grip on the phone suddenly tightened. So, I wasn’t the only moonbeam. Or perhaps, I never was.

Emma’s efficiency was astonishing. In just half an hour, my phone vibrated. A link, with a comment: “The year’s best white lotus actress in her prime, the evidence chain is so complete I almost feel bad charging you full price. Enjoy.” I clicked on it. It was Aria’s social media account, set to public. The latest post was a close-up of her wrist, wearing that all-too-familiar J bracelet, with the caption: “The moon races towards you, Mr. C.” My “little moonbeam” nickname, my J bracelet, had now become another woman’s trophies. I scrolled down expressionlessly. One photo’s background was our study at home. Aria was smiling innocently with her face cupped in her hands, behind her was my rare architectural atlas I had bought from Italy. “Absorbing knowledge in Mr. C’s study, I feel like I’m becoming smarter too!” In another photo, she was holding a pen, writing and drawing on a blueprint. That was the 30th birthday gift I gave James, a limited edition collaboration. “The pen Mr. C gave me works so well, he said my hands deserve the best pen.” There was another one at our favorite private kitchen, with dishes I loved to order. “Secret base with Mr. C, he says I’m the only harbor where he can completely relax.” Every photo, every word, was like a precise scalpel, cutting into my softest memories one by one. Until I scrolled to a post from three days ago. In the photo, Aria was holding a printed design draft, smiling triumphantly. The caption read: “Mr. C stayed up all night helping me revise this. He said I’m the most talented designer he’s ever seen, and I’ll definitely win the ‘Skyline Center’ project. Fighting!” “Skyline Center”. That was the project our “Dreamscape” had poured all our hearts into, preparing for a full six months. It was the most important milestone in my career. I suddenly stood up from the sofa, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door. The company was empty late at night. I unlocked it with my fingerprint and went straight to James’s office. His computer was still on the screensaver, our wedding photo where he was smiling tenderly and affectionately. I felt a wave of nausea. I hit the keyboard, the screen lit up, and a password input box popped up. I tried my birthday, error. Tried our wedding anniversary, still error. I laughed coldly and entered Aria’s birthday. “Welcome.” The desktop was clean and tidy. I immediately spotted that encrypted folder. I clicked on it, inside was the final proposal for “Skyline Center”, every detail crystallizing months of hard work from me and the team. And next to it, there lay another folder, named with just one letter – A. I opened it. The proposal inside was almost identical to ours, with only minor adjustments to a few key load-bearing structures and design highlights, avoiding core patents while retaining the essence of the plan. The name signed on the proposal: Aria. He not only cheated but was about to steal my life’s work, our company’s future, to pave a golden path for his mistress. A violent churning in my stomach, I gripped the cold desk tightly to keep from collapsing. So, jealousy and betrayal could truly distort a man to this extent.

At the “Skyline Center” project bidding conference, the venue was buzzing with noise. I sat in an inconspicuous corner, watching Starlight Design’s representative walk onto the stage. It was Aria. Today she wore a well-tailored business suit, her long hair tied up, face delicately made up, shedding her previous innocent look for a more professional elite aura. She took a deep breath and began to explain the design concept. “My design inspiration comes from the ‘Eye of the City’. We hope it’s not just a cold building, but a living entity that breathes with this city, witnessing its development…” These words, every single one, were what I had said to James countless times during late nights, drinking coffee with bloodshot eyes. I once thought it was the most tacit soul resonance between husband and wife. Now I know it was just my one-person show, and he was the most patient thief. More ironically, James was sitting in the VIP guest seat of the judges’ panel. Suit and tie, hair neatly combed, exactly the elite image I was most familiar with. He listened with extreme attention, nodding from time to time, his eyes looking at Aria with a light I had never seen before – a kind of regarding the other as a treasure, eager to show off to the whole world. He completely ignored me sitting in the corner of the audience, as if I were just an insignificant background. My phone vibrated in my palm. It was a message from Emma. “Need me to bring a brick and crash the scene?” Looking at the screen, the corners of my tightly pressed lips actually curved slightly. I replied with two words: “Stand by.” On stage, Aria’s speech reached its climax, the PPT showing the final effect drawing, exactly the one stolen from my computer. A low murmur of amazement rippled through the audience. The speech ended to thunderous applause. The host walked on stage: “Thank you for Ms. Aria’s brilliant presentation. Now let’s invite our special guest judge, a very senior figure in our industry, Mr. James from Dreamscape Design, to give a few comments on this proposal.” The microphone was passed to James. He cleared his throat, his gaze falling tenderly on Aria, and began to speak. “To be honest, I’m very impressed.” “Ms. Aria’s design perfectly balances artistic aesthetics and practical functionality, especially the minor adjustments to several key load-bearing structures, very bold, very inspired.” He used the word “inspired”. The word he used to describe Aria, to hurt me. He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience. “I believe this work is undoubtedly today’s best.” Applause erupted again, even more enthusiastic than before. At that moment, my world went silent except for the dull thudding of my heart in my chest. The host smiled and took over: “Thank you for Mr. Chen’s high praise! It seems our ‘Starlight Design’ is determined to win this time! So, does anyone in the audience or any of the judges have questions for Ms. Aria?” The venue fell silent. After this “authority” James had stamped his approval, there seemed to be nothing left to ask. Aria bowed on stage, her face unable to hide her pride and joy. I put away my phone and stood up during the pause before people were about to applaud again. The movement wasn’t big, but it instantly attracted everyone’s attention. The host was stunned for a moment: “This lady, may I ask who you are?” James’s smile froze.

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I’d just wrapped up the biggest tech summit globally when the mentor I saw as a mother called. She’d arranged a marriage for me, to Seraphina Hayes, the daughter of her close friend. Seraphina was a true business titan in Veridia City. I’d licensed several of my patents to her company, and they were currently the core technology for their new products. I worked late, clearing my lab tasks, then changed into a carefully chosen suit and headed to the engagement ceremony. But Seraphina Hayes’ male assistant, Brandon Lee, blocked me right at the auditorium entrance. He was dressed in a impeccably tailored designer suit, every hair in place, looking more like the groom than I did. “If you know what’s good for you, scram. An orphan with no background, honestly, do you even think you’re worthy of our CEO Hayes?” I shot back, “Does Seraphina know you’re taking such liberties?” Brandon Lee sneered, a dismissive chuckle escaping him. “A kept man, only clinging to success through his mentor’s name. How could you possibly understand my place in CEO Hayes’ heart?” As he spoke, a trace of obsession and smugness flickered in his eyes. I gave him a quick once-over, then called Seraphina. “If your hospitality means blocking your fiancé at the door, then perhaps my patents should only be a contract for you to glimpse, before I sell them to your rival company?”

I was an orphan. My education, my entry into the country’s top research lab—it was all thanks to my mentor’s cultivation. She’d shown me so much love, like a real mother. That’s why, when she picked my fiancée, I was willing to be patient. If Seraphina Hayes could handle this properly, give me a decent explanation, I was ready to give her another chance. “Julian Sterling? What is it?” The other end of the line was noisy, sounds of guests talking around her. She first responded to someone beside her, then coolly brought the phone to her ear, as if she hadn’t heard me at all. “Come get me into the venue, your assistant…” Before I could finish, she let out an irritated “Tsk,” cutting me off impatiently. “Do you have some kind of prince complex? Can’t walk on your own two feet?” “I’m busy greeting guests. Where would I find the time to come get you? Get in here yourself.” A dial tone buzzed in my ear. Brandon Lee covered his mouth, a muffled snicker escaping him, his eyes openly mocking. “I’m just following CEO Hayes’ orders. If you want to go in, just go in. I definitely won’t stop you then.” I could calmly handle the most complex experiments. But dealing with such an unreasonable person, I felt a sharp pain in my temples. “Mr. Lee, do you think your assistant position is really that secure? Troubling the CEO’s fiancé at the entrance of the ballroom—is that part of your career plan?” “What a pity. Compared to a professional elite like me, the CEO despises useless freeloaders like you even more.” I raised my eyes and stared coldly. “Professional elite? One who harbors inappropriate intentions toward his female boss?” “Does Seraphina Hayes know her assistant is like a lapdog, wagging his tail and begging for scraps every day?” Brandon Lee’s face contorted with rage. He raised his hand, lashing out at me. I stepped back quickly, dodging his blow. “You got triggered, so you resort to violence? Is that how you handle failed business negotiations, too, by slapping people? Truly an elite, indeed.” “You! Hold him down!” His mind laid bare, Brandon Lee’s sharp voice cracked. He gasped, glaring at me, his finger trembling as he pointed. The few security guards watching the drama nearby heard him and started walking towards me. “Mr. Lee is being an idiot, but are you all too? Do you realize you’re about to assault Seraphina Hayes’ fiancé?” I tried to appeal to their reason. The guards exchanged glances. The lead guard spoke with a seemingly apologetic tone, but his eyes held clear mockery. “Mr. Sterling, we’re just following orders. Please bear with us.” “Mr. Lee is the CEO’s golden boy. You’re just a tool for an alliance with no background. If your dead parents suddenly came back to life with some immense power, then we’d definitely apologize to you.” I was wearing a perfectly fitted suit and expensive dress shoes for the engagement ceremony. After dodging a couple of times, two guards quickly grabbed my arms, half-forcing me forward, pressing me in front of Brandon Lee. He glowered at my face, then suddenly pulled his lips back into a smile. He raised his hand, his designer watch glinting coldly, ready to slap me. I shut my eyes tight. “Stop!” A cool voice, laced with fury, cut through the air. Brandon Lee’s hand froze mid-air. **[CUT-OFF POINT]**

Seraphina Hayes walked towards me. Tall and striking, her beauty was even more captivating in person than in pictures. She scanned me with disdain, her gaze sweeping over my face, pausing for a moment. “It’s our engagement party today. What disgraceful scene are you making here?” I wrenched free from the guards, straightened up, and adjusted my suit collar, letting out a cold laugh. “Can’t you see what’s happening?” “Seraphina, I’d like to ask you, is allowing your security to assault me at the auditorium entrance your idea of hospitality?” “Do you know your assistant just—” Before I could finish, Seraphina cut me off with a frown. “Enough! You’re late for the engagement ceremony and instead of coming in, you’re causing trouble at the entrance? My security is supposed to restrain you, or should they just let you run inside and disturb the guests?” “My time is precious, and you’ve just wasted it. You, an orphan, are worthless and foolish. I honestly don’t know why my mother insisted I get engaged to you.” Guests who’d followed out to watch the drama vaguely looked my way, whispering among themselves. Their condescending stares made me feel like a clown. I, too, felt my time had been wasted. I’d spent so much time preparing, even specifically taking a day off. With that time, I could have updated the data for my new experiment. “Funny you say that. I feel my time has been wasted too.” “Since neither of us can stand the other, why don’t we just call off the engagement?” Seraphina Hayes froze, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you threatening me?” “Causing trouble in front of me isn’t enough, now you’re trying to use canceling the engagement to blackmail me? Do you really think that will make me bend to your will?” I looked at Seraphina’s expression, suddenly at a loss for words. It felt like I was talking to a brick wall. Beside her, Brandon Lee stood respectfully, yet his tone was laced with a hint of intimacy and grievance. “CEO Hayes, he’s causing such a scene at the engagement ceremony. What will happen after you get married? He’ll turn everything upside down!” “And he saw I was your capable assistant, thought I was stealing his thunder, and got so mad he tried to hit me. If those guards hadn’t protected me, he surely would have succeeded.” Seraphina Hayes looked at me in disbelief. “Brandon has been my assistant for two years. Do you know how much he’s handled for me? Do you think he’s some useless freeloader who got his position through connections, like you? What do you have to be jealous of?” I curved my lips, but there was no hint of a smile in my eyes. “While I’m curious why you think I’m useless, do you really believe your assistant’s words?” “It was your assistant—” Seraphina Hayes cut me off again. “If I don’t believe my assistant, should I believe a lunatic like you?” Brandon Lee raised his hand to cover his rising smirk. He blinked, and tears welled up in his eyes. “CEO Hayes, my heart aches for you.” “You’re practically royalty in Veridia City, your word is law, yet you’re still bound by your mother and forced into an alliance with a lunatic.” Seraphina Hayes had only taken over Hayes Corporation two years ago, and Madam Hayes still heavily interfered in the company’s affairs. She had accumulated a lot of anger from her mother’s meddling. Brandon Lee’s words made the atmosphere around her instantly heavy. “Julian Sterling, you’d better apologize to me properly and offer compensation. Otherwise, even my mother can’t save you.”

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