Category: English

I was dating a guy, but I didn’t know he was actually twins. The two of them took turns going on dates with me, playing me for a fool. Until today, the younger brother ordered a dish as a joke and asked me: “Sister, did you forget that I’m allergic to this?” My expression didn’t change: “Isn’t your brother the one who is allergic to this?” 01 After I said that, there was a long silence across the table. I realized belatedly: “Did you two not agree on who was coming today?” Leo’s smile froze on his face, and his beautiful peach-blossom eyes already carried a hint of displeasure: “Sister, you knew there were two of us?” Although Leo and Lucas looked exactly the same and were good at disguising themselves, it was normal for ordinary people not to be able to tell them apart. But I wasn’t normal. I could see labels. Invisible ones. The one with ‘Leo’ floating above his head was the younger brother. The one with ‘Lucas’ floating above his head was the older brother. Today, it was Leo who showed up. Leo was a bit more clingy. I understood. He was younger, it was perfectly normal. 02 Leo seemed a bit mentally unstable. I considerately cut the date short. Looking at the devastated handsome boy, I affectionately patted his cheek and dropped a kiss on his lips: “Alright, why do you look like the sky is falling? “Go back and have a good talk with your brother about who’s coming tomorrow.” Just two of them… Sister can handle it. 03 What are you thinking? I was talking about hot dogs. 04 The guy selling hot dogs was kind of handsome. Every time I passed by, I’d stare for a bit: “Hey kid, got a girlfriend?” The kid smiled, not knowing what he was thinking of. His eyes curved, his smile bright with pearly white teeth: “Sister, aren’t two boyfriends enough for you?” Oh, he actually knew? I brushed my long hair back, looking at my fingers glowing under the light: “One more wouldn’t hurt.” His response was to place two hot dogs in my hand. I originally thought Lucas and Leo would need a couple of days to figure things out. But when I got back to my apartment building, someone was already waiting downstairs. The fluorescent label glowed in the dark. Lucas. As soon as I walked up to him, he grabbed my hand. Lucas kissed me fiercely. Only when I couldn’t take it anymore and pushed him slightly did he let go. The older brother was a bit more domineering. I licked my lips and smiled: “Have you two figured out how to explain this to me? “Lucas, for so long, did you two think I was an idiot? “If I hadn’t accidentally found out, were you planning to keep playing me?” The wind downstairs wasn’t strong, but the night air was still a bit chilly. I was wearing a black slip mermaid dress, and my exposed shoulders felt the chill. Lucas silently draped his jacket over me: “It’s windy here. Let’s go upstairs to talk, okay?” 05 When I was looking at apartments, Lucas was the one who came with me. He was quite familiar with the layout of the room. As soon as we entered, he turned on the dim lights. Only then did I see clearly what Lucas was wearing. I rarely saw Lucas in formal wear, and Leo had never worn it either. But today, Lucas was wearing a black shirt, and I was wearing his suit jacket. Lucas’s eyes darkened, recalling my question downstairs. He admitted his mistake with a good attitude, saying it was both of their faults. “But Evelyn.” Lucas wrapped his arm around my waist, picked me up, and kissed my ear: “I still love you. “Sister, let’s go buy a house tomorrow. We’ll put it in your name. Don’t be mad, okay?” Playing the obsessive pure-love card. I like it very much, older brother. My newly changed bedsheets smelled of lavender. Lucas stood by the bed, giving me a deep look, then went to the bathroom to take a shower. “Sister, wait for me a moment.” Taking advantage of his shower, I relaxed my whole body on the bed. Being the object of affection for so many younger men at the same time was quite tiring. The hot dog guy I just added on my phone sent a message: [Sister, what are your requirements for a boyfriend?] [Young, and good in bed.] I teased him: [Want to come find me?] I heard noises from Lucas’s side. I put my phone face down and looked up at him. His and Leo’s clothes were over there, but Lucas only had a towel wrapped around him. The undried water droplets slid down his distinct six-pack abs into the depths. I swallowed hard, remembering how Lucas used to be so timid in bed when he didn’t know his place. “Evelyn, when did you realize we weren’t the same person?” The one I was dating was Lucas. I also knew he had a twin brother, Leo. But who would have thought they’d switch places midway through the relationship? It felt great. I didn’t speak, because Lucas didn’t give me a chance to. I felt the bed sink slightly, and Lucas had already pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “No matter when you recognized me, if you only sleep with me, does that mean you like me a little more?” 06 When I learned that I was going to date someone from the Sterling family, the one I initially chose wasn’t Lucas. The older brother was domineering and liked to be forceful. The younger brother was gentle and clingy, loved to act spoiled, and was all about pure love. The brother I originally preferred should have been Leo, that kid. At a banquet, the first one I interacted with was also the younger brother. It was a wealthy socialite’s birthday party. I wasn’t on good terms with her, so I sat on the second-floor observation deck. The deck was entwined with rose vines. When I went up, there should have been only me. But I saw someone wearing a silver silk pajama shirt, revealing exquisite and beautiful collarbones. A glass of red wine was on the tray, and he was looking down, tinkering with an old, battered radio. At a formal banquet, dressing so casually, as if he had just walked out of his bedroom and would go to sleep the next second. I suddenly remembered my cousin mentioning that her brother had been staying at this villa recently. A brother this good-looking, why didn’t she ever mention him? I absentmindedly complained about my cousin and sat down next to him. Leo looked up at me, then lowered his head to continue fumbling with his radio. After a long while, not knowing whether he succeeded or failed, he set the radio aside and took a sip of red wine. The sound from the radio faltered for a moment, then began playing a smooth melody. Leo proactively leaned closer to me. As he bent over, his loose neckline slipped down, revealing a generous amount of skin. “Sister, you look familiar. Want a kiss?” 07 Up close, Leo’s face was completely exposed to my sight. No matter how similar twins are, there will always be differences. With identical faces, Leo’s face was just a bit more obedient. He had cool, pale skin, and his beautiful peach-blossom eyes held no lust, yet he clearly said such a seductive thing. I leaned back slightly, my gaze deliberately falling on his exposed chest, and smiled shyly: “Where should I kiss?” The young man suddenly fell silent. I saw his ears turn red under the light. Leo unconsciously touched his nose and mumbled. “Anywhere is fine.” When Leo said his first sentence, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t met him for the first time today. When Leo was at State University, I ran into him when I accompanied my cousin there to familiarize herself with the campus beforehand. In a philosophy class, in a large lecture hall, after my cousin and I sat in the very back row, I kept my head down replying to messages. When I looked up again, there was suddenly an extra person in the empty seat in front of me. Just from his back, I could tell he was very handsome from the front. My heart fluttered for a moment, thinking about the good things netizens said about men. After class, my cousin yelled and ran out. I didn’t have anything to pack up, but I still lagged half a beat behind this classmate. After getting a clear look at his face in the corridor, I followed him in my high heels. Cornering him, I looked at his fluttering eyelashes and spoke in a breathy, sweet voice: “Classmate, is it convenient to add you on WeChat?” “It’s not convenient.” Leo rejected me, blushing. “I don’t have WeChat.” “Then let’s kiss, I see you have a mouth.” “…” Long after Leo added me on WeChat, I accidentally saw the nickname this kid gave me. “Kissing Sister.” 08 Lucas seemed to notice my mind wandering, and he bit my collarbone in dissatisfaction. “Evelyn, focus.” The young man’s back was broad and powerful. I ran my long fingers over it, only feeling a thin layer of sweat. Probably knowing that I was easiest to talk to in bed, Lucas rambled on and on in my ear. I spaced out, only catching intermittent declarations of love. And: “A thousand mistakes, ten thousand mistakes, it’s all my and Leo’s fault, mostly Leo’s fault. Sister, please don’t be mad at me.” After you’re done being mad at him, you can’t be mad at me either. I eventually lost consciousness and didn’t wake up until the next morning. Lucas probably had class. He left me a message on my phone: [There’s soup you like in the kitchen. Remember to heat it up before you drink it when you wake up.] Not bad, making time to sleep with me even with classes. I rubbed my aching waist and collapsed back onto the bed. Besides Lucas’s message, there were others. Leo sent the most. He started by apologizing on WeChat, saying he shouldn’t have done that, he just liked me too much. Later, realizing he couldn’t reach Lucas either, he guessed Lucas’s whereabouts almost without thinking. After cursing Lucas thirteen times, he pitifully asked me: [Sister, even so, can you really not date two people? [Sister… I really like you. [Everything Lucas can do, I can do too. Sister, just look at me, okay…] … Amidst Leo’s message bombardment, there was another message. It was still from the kid selling hot dogs. He replied to my joking message: [That won’t work, I’m not good at anything else, only roasting hot dogs.] I could almost imagine, in the night, under the streetlights. That kid wearing a mask standing by the machine, eyes half-closed, casually replying to my message. He might even be calling me frivolous and loose. 09 My cousin asked me out for drinks. She probably heard that I caught her two brothers taking turns dating me. Excitedly ordering a strong drink for me, she comforted me: “A man’s mistake, we shouldn’t blame ourselves oh~” I danced even harder than her, laughing flamboyantly. A long time ago, when I first returned to the city, no one had heard that the Vance family had such a glamorous and cold eldest daughter. Later, after getting familiar with the wealthy circles, almost everyone knew I wasn’t easy to date. It was only my cousin and her dad, arrogant and thinking that Lucas and Leo could tame me, who willingly let the Vance family and the Sterling Group reach a long-term partnership. But they didn’t expect that both sons would fall for me. After just one drink, I went to the restroom. Although I look like I can drink, I’m actually a lightweight. Going to the restroom to clear the smell of alcohol, I was preparing to go back. The hallway leading outside from the restroom had all its lights on. The person coming towards me looked very familiar. I collected my thoughts and met those half-smiling eyes: “Roasted hot dogs?” The other person: “…” Caleb looked down at his clothes: “I’m supposed to be an escort today, miss.” He was wearing a standard suit uniform that outlined a drool-worthy physique. I grabbed his tie, only then realizing that the person in front of me seemed terrifyingly tall. “Aren’t you saying you only know how to roast hot dogs?” Caleb: “No choice, don’t want to get slept with, can only sell my labor.” I heard what he was getting at, let go with a laugh, and without a second glance, walked away in my high heels. I told my cousin someone was coming to pick me up. She was in the middle of having fun and asked: “The older one or the younger one?” After getting my answer, she waved me off relievedly. Is Leo really more trustworthy than Lucas? I walked out and saw Leo’s car parked there. He stood in front of the car, holding a large bouquet of roses. Cappuccino roses, Lucas had also given them to me not long ago. This kid, really, copies his brother in everything. Seeing me come out, Leo walked over quickly. “Sister, you look beautiful today too.” He no longer had to disguise himself with Lucas’s personality, so he openly turned into a sunny golden retriever in front of me. I couldn’t help but smile too, and got into the passenger seat: “Leo, where are you taking me today?” After the sports car sped away, Caleb, who chased after me, looked self-deprecatingly at the lemon juice for hangovers in his hand. His eyes darkened instantly, and he tilted his head back, drinking it all in one gulp. No change in expression. “Evelyn, I shouldn’t have been soft on you.” 10 Leo took me to the East Mountain in the suburbs, an area that had been developing very well recently, with hot spring hotels and outdoor picnics. He considerately only booked one room. Halfway there, the alcohol from the one drink I had hit me, and I suddenly felt lazy. Leo carried me back on his back. I lay on his back, smelling the perfume he specifically sprayed for meeting me, my favorite one. In a flash, I remembered the moon from a night many years ago. “Leo.” I mumbled: “I actually like you quite a bit.” But who says a sister can only have one? Leo mumbled an acknowledgment: “Yeah, I know.” The room he booked had a starry sky ceiling. Lying on the bed, I buried myself entirely in Leo’s arms. Actually, I had been quite tired these past few days. If it were Lucas holding me, he probably would have gotten aroused in no time. But Leo just let out a muffled groan, hugged me tighter, and didn’t make any further moves. I had a rare, good night’s sleep. I dreamed of the time before I returned to the city. 11 I didn’t grow up in the city, but in a smaller town. And when I was in that smaller town, I was far from what I look like now. Caleb was someone I met in that smaller town. When I saw him, he was in the pool hall downstairs, wearing a black hoodie, holding a cue stick, biting a cigarette, and looking at me with his head tilted. His messy hair slightly covered his eyes. Caleb grabbed his hair with one hand, his starry eyes holding a smile: “Sis, wanna play a game?” I said no, and Caleb grabbed my hand. His hands were cold, but also hot. When he held my hand, the joints were distinct, and even the surrounding skin felt burning hot. “Sister, lift your waist.” . When I woke up in Leo’s arms, it was almost noon. He ordered breakfast over the phone, then buried his whole body in my arms. “Sister, why didn’t you choose me from the beginning? “Am I really that much worse than Lucas?” Obviously born on the same day, basically exactly the same, even identical looks. When standing together, everyone would choose Lucas. Leo was truly a bit depressed, resting near my neck, the heat surging up bit by bit. I closed my eyes comfortably. Only kids make choices. I said: “I still like you better, Leo.” I want both. 12 The private hot spring Leo booked. He excitedly wanted to take me in. I couldn’t find the words: “Say it a bit more elegantly.” Leo: “Then I want to share a private bath with sister.” Lucas appeared more often in the company, developing a decisive CEO persona. Even in bed, Lucas’s movements were fast and hard. Leo was different. He was very gentle, usually clingy and sweet. Now in the spring, he still rubbed gently and slowly, bit by bit. I gasped, glaring at him: “Hurry up.” The only response was a soft chuckle. Leo was clingy and sweet: “Does sister not like it this way?” I like it. I lowered my eyes and kissed Leo’s face: “I knew you guys only liked this.” “Leo, do you really like me?” The movements finally sped up, and Leo kissed me fiercely. “Evelyn. “Evelyn. “Sister, I like you so much.”

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Seven years ago, when I was nothing but a street punk, I forcibly kissed the youngest son of the wealthy Sterling family—the one confined to a wheelchair. After the kiss, I ran. I stood at the top of a long flight of stairs, jutting my chin out provocatively. “Come find me when you can stand up and handle me yourself!” Seven years later, the new head of the Sterling Group—the man known as the “Cold-Blooded King,” Tyron Sterling—used his silk tie to bind my hands together and tossed me onto the bed. “I’m a man who holds a grudge, Dustin. Tell me, did you finally get the ‘handling’ you were asking for?” 01 Slap! A crisp sound echoed through the room. “You absolute moron! Who did I tell you to grab?” “The… the Sterling kid… he’s a Sterling…” “He’s the useless one! The cripple! He doesn’t count! I told you to kidnap Tyler Sterling—the old man’s golden boy! And you bring me this piece of trash? You idiot… you worthless dog…” As the Boss continued his tirade, the sound of Blondie’s muffled screams followed each blow. A moment later, the door creaked open. Blondie walked out, his face smeared with blood and his gait uneven. He shot me a venomous look. “You! Throw the cripple in the warehouse!” I was nineteen. I’d grown up on the streets, but since I was new to the crew, I had to play the “yes-man” to every senior member. Hearing the order, I pulled on my mask and went inside. I hoisted the unconscious teenager off the floor and carried him toward the abandoned storage unit next door. The boy was light. Surprisingly thin. As I carried him, I scoffed inwardly. Rich kids. Thin arms, thin legs. Fragile as a doll. He must have regained consciousness because he struggled against my shoulder. I expected a scream. I reached into my pocket to grab the gag I had ready, but there was no sound from him. Not even a whimper. Did he pass out again? I didn’t care. I opened the warehouse door and dumped him onto the concrete floor. When I looked down, I found myself staring into a pair of beautiful, yet hauntingly dark eyes. The boy was awake. He looked at me for a split second, then simply closed his eyes. I watched his Adam’s apple move slightly. I caught a glimpse of his pale, cracked lips. He was parched. He’d probably been out for hours. But he wouldn’t say a word. Suddenly, I felt a flicker of curiosity. “Hey.” I nudged his leg with my boot. “You want water?” No response. One second. Two. Ten. “Forget it!” I lost my patience. I figured he was just too high-and-mighty to talk to a street rat like me. Die of thirst for all I care, I thought. I turned on my heel, walked out, and locked the door. For the rest of the day, the gang seemed to forget the hostage existed. The Boss and Blondie didn’t ask about him once. No lunch. No dinner. I sat there slurping on a bowl of instant ramen. I’d put too much seasoning in; it was salty and spicy. As I reached for my water, those pale, cracked lips flashed through my mind. If he dies of dehydration, they’re going to blame it on me. Cursing under my breath, I grabbed a bottle of water and headed to the warehouse. “Hey. Still kicking?” I frowned, looking at the figure on the floor. He was exactly where I’d left him. Motionless. For a heartbeat, I felt a surge of genuine fear. I thought he was dead. If he died… he would be my first kill. Thankfully, his eyes fluttered open. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Ignoring his lack of cooperation, I propped him up against my shoulder. I unscrewed the cap and poured water into his mouth. I was a bit too aggressive; he choked. He started coughing violently, the water soaking into his white dress shirt. That’s when I noticed the crest on his pocket. It was the insignia of St. Jude’s Academy—the kind of elite international school I could only dream of seeing from the outside. I stared at it, dazed. “What are you looking at?” he asked. It was the first time he’d spoken. His eyes were still hollow. Deadly calm. An inexplicable surge of irritation rose in my chest. I let go of him abruptly and walked out. 02 The next day, when I went to give him water, he refused to open his mouth. “Hey! Sit up! Drink!” I pulled him up, but he turned his head away, his jaw clamped shut. “It’s not poison!” I snapped, letting out a frustrated laugh as I patted his cheek. That seemed to snap something in him. He’d been submissive the day before, but now he was fighting back. His hands and feet were bound, so he used his head, lunging forward to headbutt me. I was crouching, caught off guard. He sent me sprawling backward onto the floor. The water bottle rolled away, spilling half its contents. The bag of bread I’d brought fell out of my pocket, tumbling onto the dirt. “You little—!” I cursed. I was actually trying to be nice, and this was the thanks I got? He gave me a cold, dismissive glance and turned back to lie on the floor. But looking at the way he was curled up, my eyes drifted down toward his lower abdomen. I smirked. “You’ve got a strong bladder. Twenty-four hours and you haven’t ruined your pants yet.” He didn’t speak, but he curled tighter, clearly embarrassed. I stood up, dusting off my jeans, feeling a sudden urge to mess with him. “Call me ‘Sir,’ and I’ll help you take care of business in the corner.” “Go to hell.” His voice was a low growl. My temper flared again. I didn’t play nice. I hauled him up from the ground and carried him to the corner of the room. His legs weren’t completely useless; one of them seemed to have some function. As I carried him, he used that leg to kick me as hard as he could. Once I set him down, I didn’t waste time. I reached for his belt and undid his trousers. His whole body started shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or pure rage. “Get away! Don’t touch me!” I gripped his waist to keep him steady, standing behind him. I said one word: “Pee.” “You… you have to let go…” He held out as long as he could before finally surrendering to biology. “Hurry up.” I figured he could hold himself up against the wall for a second, so I let go and turned my back to him. When the sound stopped, I turned around. He was leaning against the wall, looking like he was about to collapse. Under the dim light of the warehouse, his pale skin was almost blinding. I pretended not to notice. I leaned down to help him back into his clothes. “Can you untie the ropes? I can… I can do it myself…” His eyes were closed, his head tilted back. His voice was hoarse, and he was still trembling. I don’t know what came over me. I felt a pang of pity. I untied the ropes around his wrists. Over the next two days, we fell into a rhythm. When I visited, I’d untie him. He’d use the wall to hobble over to the corner and take care of himself. Before I left, I’d tie him back up. 03 He barely ate. He barely drank. Most of the time, I had to force the food into his mouth. I noticed the scars on his wrists—old and new. He’d tried to end it before. Many times. But I’ve always been stubborn. I can’t stand it when people try to throw their lives away. “Why don’t you want to live?” “…” “Is it because of the legs?” “…” “Silence means I’m right.” “…It’s not.” I tried to keep him talking. Usually, it took three or four questions for him to give me a single sentence. “Then what is it?” “…” “Heartbreak? Girlfriend ran off with someone else?” “…No.” “Got it,” I sighed. “My boyfriend ran off too.” “…” I kept teasing him. He was tied up and couldn’t move, so he just glared at me with “eye-daggers.” But at least there was a spark of life in his face when he was angry. 04 I wanted him to live, but someone else wanted him dead. The Boss took a call that evening. When he hung up, he was grinning. He beckoned Blondie inside. I was just the errand boy, so I stood by the door. Through the thin wood, I heard laughter and snippets of the conversation. “You’re in luck. This deal isn’t a bust after all… we’re making a profit…” “Tonight, bring the body…” My heart skipped a beat. Bring the body? Were they talking about the kid? It didn’t sound like a ransom exchange. It sounded like a hit. The Boss was in a great mood. He took the crew out for drinks and food until late. I didn’t dare drink. I leaned over the table, pretending to be asleep. After midnight, Blondie woke me up. He called two other guys, but they were too drunk to walk, so he left them behind. It was just the three of us heading to the warehouse. Blondie didn’t wear his mask this time. He didn’t tell me to wear mine, either. That’s when I knew for sure. Blondie checked the ropes on the “cripple.” He told me to tape the kid’s mouth shut and shove him into a burlap sack. As I did it, my heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My fingers were shaking. The boy didn’t struggle. His eyes were pitch black, staring at me without blinking. Blondie stood by the door smoking, telling me to move faster. “Don’t be afraid,” I mouthed to the boy, my back turned to Blondie. 05 Blondie drove us to a deserted stretch of the coastline. “Get him out.” Blondie tossed his cigarette and pulled a handgun from his waistband. I pulled the boy out of the sack. His face was deathly pale in the moonlight. “Sorry, Mr. Sterling,” Blondie said, his voice casual. “Business is business. Someone paid a high price for your life.” Blondie knelt down and pressed the barrel of the gun to the boy’s forehead. He looked for fear. He looked for panic. He found nothing but silence. “You’re about to die. Don’t you want to know who paid for it?” Blondie asked. The boy just closed his eyes. “Fine. You’ve got guts.” Blondie stood up and cocked the hammer. In that split second, I slammed a brick into the back of Blondie’s head. I was gasping for air. I dropped the brick and scrambled to untie the boy. “Why?” I heard him whisper. “Why what?” “Letting me go does nothing for you.” I was panicking. I didn’t have time for a philosophical debate. I had one thought: Run. If we didn’t get out now, we were both dead. “I don’t give a damn about a reward!” I hissed. “But I’m not going to watch you die!” I’d heard his parents were gone and that he wasn’t exactly loved by the rest of the Sterling clan. I knew I wouldn’t get a cent for returning him, and I knew there was a price on his head. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let him be murdered. The boy looked at me, stunned by my outburst. He leaned on my shoulder, struggling to stand. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I won’t die today.” I followed his gaze toward the highway. At the end of the road, the rhythmic flash of blue and red lights appeared, accompanied by the distant wail of sirens… 06 The whole gang was taken down that night, including the Boss. Even though we were a mid-sized crew with connections, being wiped out in a single night was unheard of. It was a surgical strike. Later, while I was sitting in a holding cell, I heard the Boss had offended someone he shouldn’t have. The image of the boy’s calm, dark eyes flashed in my mind. I shook my head. No way. It couldn’t be him. It had to be a lucky coincidence. The boy was returned to the Sterling family that night. I expected to be sent to prison along with the others, but I was bailed out almost immediately. The man who came for me was a middle-aged professional in a suit. He introduced himself as Mr. Henderson. And he introduced the name of the boy: Tyron Sterling. When I walked out of the precinct, a black Maybach was waiting. “From today on, you will stay by the young master’s side,” Mr. Henderson said in a monotone voice. “You will be responsible for his care. That includes attending classes with him.” I gritted my teeth. “And if I don’t want to?” I’d saved his life. He’d bailed me out. We should be even. Why was I being forced to be his man-servant? Tyron, who had been staring out the window, spoke up coldly: “Suit yourself. You can go back to your cell. You were part of the kidnapping, after all.” Damn it… I caught his eye in the rearview mirror and gave him the middle finger. “Mr. Miller,” Mr. Henderson coughed. “Your monthly salary will be ten thousand dollars.” “How much?” I snapped my head around. “Ten thousand,” the lawyer repeated. “Room and board included?” I couldn’t believe my ears. Henderson nodded. “You will live and eat with the young master.” “Fine… deal!” I leaned back into the leather seat, trying to look dignified. I’d been a low-level thug for a year and hadn’t made even a fraction of that. Money is money. I closed my eyes to stop myself from grinning like an idiot. I didn’t see the tiny, subtle curve of Tyron’s lips. 07 A few days later, the paperwork for my “transfer” was complete. I pushed Tyron’s wheelchair through the gates of the university. In the massive lecture hall, we were the targets of every gaze. Curiosity. Contempt. Avoidance. Not a single look of kindness. A basketball suddenly flew toward Tyron’s head. I caught it mid-air. A guy sauntered over, looking like he owned the place. “I heard Henderson was called back to the main estate by Grandpa?” Henderson. The lawyer. He’d bailed me out, given me a list of rules for taking care of Tyron, and then vanished. Grandpa called him back? I felt like there was more to the story. “Tsk, tsk. Poor Tyron. You’re lower than a dog now, aren’t you?” “Watch your mouth,” I said. I threw the basketball back. I didn’t hold back on the force. The guy barely caught it, his head snapping back from the impact. “You little—who do you think you are?!” The bell rang. The guy pointed a finger at me. “Wait until after class.” “Who’s that?” I asked Tyron. “Tyler Sterling,” he said expressionlessly. So that was the “golden boy” my old boss had intended to kidnap. “Your grandfather has terrible taste,” I noted. “What?” Tyron looked at me, confused by the non-sequitur. “I mean, that guy is a total tool. Why would anyone prize him?” Tyron let out a short laugh. It was the first time I’d seen him smile since we met. He actually looked pretty good when he smiled. If only he were normal… The professor was lecturing in rapid-fire English. I couldn’t understand a single word. Bored, I started studying Tyron. He wasn’t listening either. He was just propping his head up, looking out the window. Suddenly, he turned his head. “Why are you staring?” He frowned, looking annoyed. “Because you’re good-looking.” I grinned. I wasn’t about to admit I was staring because I was lost in class. “Psychopath,” Tyron muttered. He turned away again. But I saw his ears turning red. 08 Tyler Sterling found us again that evening. I’d been called to the registrar’s office to pick up some textbooks. When I got back, Tyler and a group of guys were surrounding Tyron. Tyler had his arm around a girl. “Hey, Tyron. This is Sarah. She’s my girlfriend now. You don’t mind calling her ‘Sister-in-law,’ do you?” “Do it! Say it!” the other guys jeered. Tyron didn’t say a word. He tried to move his wheelchair, but Tyler grabbed the handles. The girl leaned down with a mocking smile. “Tyron, our engagement is over. I only have eyes for Tyler now. You’re a cripple. Did you really think you had a chance?” “Wake up, loser!” Tyler sneered, unscrewed a bottle of water, and poured it over Tyron’s head. The guys laughed. Tyron sat there, motionless. “Hey, Tyler, can we hit him?” “He’s like a mute statue. This is boring!” One guy raised his fist. Before it could land, I grabbed his wrist. I twisted it and sent him crashing to the floor. The group froze. Tyler’s face turned the color of a bruised plum. “You again!” I shoved Tyler aside and grabbed the wheelchair handles. “Get lost,” I said lazily. “When I fight, I play for keeps.” I wasn’t lying. I grew up an orphan. I’d been in hundreds of street fights. Every time, I fought like it was my last day on earth. It wasn’t that I didn’t value my life. It was because fighting was the only way I could keep it. 09 Tyler signaled two of his friends. They grabbed chairs and swung them at me. I kicked one guy in the chest, sending him flying. I dropped the other with a flurry of punches. No one else stepped forward. “Nice moves!” Tyler started clapping. He pulled a gold card from his pocket and waved it. “How much is the cripple paying you? I’ll double it. Leave him. Come work for me.” I narrowed my eyes and took two steps forward, smiling. Tyler thought I was reaching for the card. He smirked. The next second, I buried my fist in his gut. The gold card hit the floor. I ground it into the dirt with my heel. “I told you. Watch your mouth.” As the girl screamed, Tyler doubled over, gasping for air. I grabbed him by the collar. “If you ever call him that again, I’ll break both your legs.” I called Tyron “Little Cripple” in my head all the time, but I couldn’t stand hearing anyone else say it.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “416982”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I specialized in selling photos online to help people catfish. For extra cash, I’d even do voice messages and video calls. Until one day, a regular client messaged me: [Will you do an in-person meet-up for $100,000? You can keep whatever he buys for you, too.] Just as I was about to decline, my sworn enemy’s photo popped up on my screen. I stared blankly: [Are you telling me you’ve been using my photos and videos to date him?] 01 [Then you’ve been scammed, sister,] I replied earnestly. [Impossible,] she insisted. [He transferred a lot of money to me. Isn’t he the heir to the Sterling family?] Me: “…” I took the photo of Oliver Sterling she sent and ran it through a Google image search. It had been used to death by gossip blogs. I sent her a screenshot of the results. She remained utterly convinced, [We’ve been working together for so long, would I lie to you? The guy I’m dating online is definitely the Sterling heir.] I let out a helpless sigh. From what I knew of Oliver, the wealthy young master, his real-life romantic entanglements were already enough of a headache for him. Why would he bother with online dating? Especially using my photos and videos… if he saw them, he wouldn’t fall in love; he’d probably throw up. I replied to the client, [He looks at my photos and doesn’t say anything?] [He says they’re pretty, because you are pretty.] She paused, then added, [I even used your voice packs! Every time I use one, he sends me $5,200!] Mother of God. If Oliver actually heard my pinched, overly sweet voice, he’d probably lose his appetite for three days. It was absolutely confirmed: that guy was definitely not Oliver Sterling! Thinking about it, I went through all the photos and videos I’d sold to this client again. The photos were mostly normal selfies. But the videos… Various tight mini-skirts paired with cat ear filters. …It’s fine, as long as the guy isn’t Oliver. The client kept begging: [Babe, please help me out. Absolutely strictly platonic! I told him I’m not ready for physical contact yet. The meeting place is a busy mall downtown, lots of foot traffic.] Seeing I hadn’t replied, she anxiously added: [If you really can’t handle it, just see him for a minute and leave? Otherwise, he’ll think I’m a catfish, and how will I keep getting money out of him?] A few seconds after she sent that, my bank account received a $300,000 transfer from her. My fingers, poised to type a refusal, paused. Let’s rethink this. If that guy dared to use Oliver’s photo for online dating, how brave must he be to agree to meet in person? Wasn’t he afraid of looking nothing like the picture? This client wanted me to go in her place, but no one could possibly order Oliver Sterling around. Perfect timing. I’ll go see what kind of weirdo this guy is! I deleted my refusal. [Alright.] Looking at it this way, this client was a very big spender. Tsk, I felt like even Oliver himself wasn’t as generous as this impersonator. Afraid I’d change my mind, she quickly sent me several screenshots of her chat history with the fake Oliver. Left and right, it was “hubby,” “kisses,” and “I only love hubby.” The emojis were all cats spinning in circles, happy cats, and cats acting spoiled. Me: “…” The fake Oliver’s replies were consistently: [Baby looks so pretty.] Transfer. [Baby is so cute.] Transfer. … Transfer. Transfer. Transfer. God bless the God of Wealth. The client quickly sent me the location, [It’s this mall.] I took a look. Well, well. The Sterling heir really did like shopping at this mall; it was very close to one of his villas. Maybe I should… I dialed Oliver’s number. Would I get a chance to have the fake impersonator see the real Oliver appear right in front of him and scare him to death?! Uh. I forgot, I was blocked. I silently put my phone away. 02 Under the client’s countless reminders and instructions. I dressed up carefully as promised, arriving at the mall half an hour early to familiarize myself with the layout. I didn’t expect to bump into Oliver right here in the mall. He looked relaxed, one hand stuffed in his pocket. Beside him was a girl, chattering away continuously. Oliver wasn’t really listening, a careless smile hanging on his face. But he hadn’t shown any signs of impatience from start to finish, which was basically a miracle. I was stunned. Until Oliver noticed me, and his smile vanished. He muttered a low curse: “What rotten luck.” I heard him clearly, but kept my face blank. The girl instinctively grabbed Oliver’s arm and shot me an unfriendly look: “Who are you?” When I didn’t answer, she looked up at Oliver piteously. Oliver scoffed: “A broke loser.” Well, wasn’t that the truth? If I wasn’t broke, why would I be here meeting a fake Oliver? I let out a dry laugh, my tone lifting slightly, “To be hated by the great Young Master Sterling, I guess it’s an honor.” Hearing this, Oliver’s face instantly darkened. He crossed his arms, speaking without an ounce of mercy: “Evelyn, which item in here can you afford?” “As long as you can afford it, that’s all that matters.” I smiled and pointed to a nearby store, “Didn’t you buy me a bag from there before?” The girl’s eyes widened, “What is your relationship?” What relationship? First love. But dating this young master was the biggest mistake I’d ever made in my life. Oliver didn’t speak, and I couldn’t be bothered to make a fool of myself. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and prepared to leave. “Evelyn.” His tone was light, but carried the same condescension and arrogance as before. “Which guy did you trick into paying for you this time?” I turned back, “Don’t worry, Young Master Sterling, I haven’t managed to trick anyone more generous than you yet.” Of course, not counting the guy the client scammed. Oliver had been pampered by countless people since childhood; he never hid his emotions. For instance, right now, I knew he was in a very bad mood. Afraid he would delay my upcoming meet-and-greet, I paused and then tried to placate him: “You were right before, people like me won’t find happiness. But as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.” Actually, regarding this whole “sworn enemy” thing, I felt it was entirely Oliver unilaterally hating me. I had never liked making enemies, especially not with a first love who had been so generous. The young master, who had always been hard to please, was even less receptive to this now. He sneered, incredibly harsh, “Don’t leave. I want to see what kind of trash you’ve hooked this time.” I froze. I didn’t even know what kind of persona the client had established with this fake Oliver. If it was some pure, innocent “white lotus” type, wouldn’t this whole thing blow up in my face? With Oliver’s personality, a few words would likely expose me. I swallowed my pride: “He’s not as good-looking as you, and he doesn’t have as much money as you. Young Master Sterling, why are you trying to embarrass me?” The girl nodded along, “Yeah, Ollie, let’s just go.” Oliver didn’t even spare the girl a glance. His long fingers pulled a card from his pocket. The girl took it, her demeanor instantly changing, and she left efficiently, “Then I’ll go shopping. Ollie, just text me if you need anything.” I smiled, “She’s quite cute.” Oliver didn’t take the bait, but he also showed no intention of leaving, just glaring at me. But he was always like this, willful and unrestrained. Once, when he had a high fever, I was pacing around with worry. He just lazily held my hand, “Do you want to try 104 degrees?” My eyes widened, and my face instantly turned bright red. Not from shyness, but from anger. “Are you sick in the head?” His lips curved, trying to suppress a muffled laugh. We ended up trying it, and he ended up in the ER. … They were all childish memories. I lowered my eyes. Oliver quickly grew impatient. He lifted his eyelids, “You didn’t just make someone up, did you?” I stayed silent. His patience exhausted, he answered a call from a friend, “Fine, I’ll be right there.” Then he glanced at me, mockery floating in the depths of his eyes, “Instead of carrying that cheap canvas bag, you shouldn’t have been so stubborn about your pride back then.” With that, he took long strides outward, getting further and further away from me. I watched his tall silhouette. Even the way he walked had a careless swagger to it. Back when I broke up with Oliver, I packed up all the luxury goods he had given me and shipped them back to him. He only sent me a few words: [I don’t accept trash here.] And then he blocked me. As for those luxury goods, a friend told me he threw them all in the trash can outside his villa. My phone notification chimed non-stop. Ning: [Babe, are you there yet? [How about we meet at the cafe? I just told him I’d wait for him at the cafe? [Babe, text me back quickly!] I composed my emotions and replied: [Okay, I’m heading to the cafe now.] When I got to the cafe, I looked around. I texted the client: [Babe, bad news, Oliver isn’t here. Even worse news, there’s only one handsome guy here.] [Impossible! He said he’s already arrived!] she replied anxiously. I let out a sigh. Until I saw the only handsome guy walking towards me. The corners of his eyes tilted up slightly, a small red mole under his eye, smiling warmly. But he inexplicably had a kind of cunning, fox-like aura. I warily took a step back. He spoke, his voice magnetic: “Evelyn.” Me: “…” I looked down and texted the client: [Is your name Ning? Did you use my name?] She replied instantly: [Uh… yes. I didn’t dare use my real name, and since we were negotiating the price for the photos and videos, I just gave him your name.] Me: [Wow.] I put my phone away, took a deep breath, looked up, and greeted the man: “Hello there.” Up close, the man was even more handsome. He had delicate features, but didn’t look effeminate. A high nose bridge, thin lips curving slightly, a shiny stud in his left ear. He was much better looking than I had imagined, even somewhat breathtaking. Wait, he had absolutely no need to use Oliver’s photo! I offered an awkward smile, “You and the photo you sent me… look quite different.” He raised an eyebrow, “I don’t recall ever sending you a photo of myself.” Me: ? My expression lost control for a moment. This guy hadn’t even sent a photo, so how was the client so certain he was Oliver?! “Then I remembered wrong.” I fought the urge to grind my teeth, forcing a difficult smile, “Do you mind if I go to the restroom first?” “Sure.” He smiled brightly. Once in the restroom, I immediately called “Ning”. As soon as it connected, I unleashed a torrent of words: “I fucking told you, your online date is not Oliver, it’s not Oliver! Fine if you didn’t listen, I figured it was just a catfish. Turns out the guy never even sent you a photo, why did you think he was Oliver!” A long silence from the other end. After a while, a “Holy shit” popped out. It was actually a male voice! I was stunned. “He’s not Oliver? How is that possible? Then who is he?” he asked in a rapid-fire sequence. I was also losing my mind: “You’re asking me? Where did you fish this guy out from? This is so sketchy!” I thought she was just a sister scamming money online, who knew it was a guy? No wonder he had to buy voice packs from me. “What does he look like? Describe him quickly!” I didn’t expect this guy to be more anxious than me. Me: “He’s actually quite handsome, don’t worry about that.” Silence again from the other end. Long after, his voice sounded as if he had lost the will to live: “Does he have a red mole near his eye?” Me: “Yes.” “Ahhhhhhhhh! I’m doomed!” …Now you know you’re doomed, why weren’t you afraid of being doomed when you were scamming people for money. If he had actually scammed Oliver, he really would be doomed. With Young Master Sterling’s temper, he’d absolutely skin him alive; it’d be a miracle if he didn’t kill him. After a while, he asked painfully: “…Then what do I do?” I was curious, “I think this guy is way better than Oliver, what makes you think Oliver is such a prize?” “No, you don’t understand, this guy is way scarier than Oliver. If Oliver wants to teach me a lesson, my grandma can at least step in and stop him. If my brother wants to teach me a lesson, no one will dare say a word!” Saying that, he started crying bitterly again. My eyes widened: “…What did you say?” He was clearly desperate: “No wonder Oliver said I was stupid, am I really that stupid?” Me: “…What do we do now, do I make a run for it?” “Don’t!” He gritted his teeth, “If you run, he’ll definitely investigate. He’ll 100% trace it back to me!” I was speechless. He simply said: “Why don’t you just take over my WeChat account, let’s just pretend it was you talking to him the whole time. Anyway, my brother is not bad-looking, and he transfers a lot of money…” My pupils experienced an earthquake. Before I could answer, he mumbled to himself again: “I didn’t expect him to be so generous when dating. Fuck, why isn’t he like this when he gives me my allowance?” “Forget it.” I refused. Ever since I broke up with Oliver, I saw things clearly. What doesn’t belong to you, will never belong to you, no matter what you do. Especially with these wealthy young masters. Don’t harbor too many delusions about them. Not to mention, if I really got involved with this man and Oliver found out, who knows how the young master would freak out. Right, he might just mock the man: “You have terrible taste, getting involved with a woman like Evelyn.” I thought silently in my heart, and sighed again. The other end of the line was unhappy, “Aren’t you offering after-sales service?” Truly a family! This thought process is as sick as Oliver’s. I said flatly: “Hanging up.” “Fifty thousand! I’ll add another fifty thousand!” He panicked, “I’ll even take out my New Year’s red envelope money! You absolutely cannot let my brother find out.” Me: “…One million.” Him: “…Lion opening its mouth, you must be trying to drain me dry after milking my brother?” “Then forget it,” I said. “Deal!” He broke down. “What’s your brother’s name?” I asked. “Liam Sterling.” I jerked my eyes up, “Is that Oliver’s older cousin who’s always abroad?” “Yes.” 03 I adjusted my dress in the restroom, touched up my makeup, took a deep breath, and walked out. Liam was standing outside waiting for me. To be honest, Liam didn’t look as refined and orderly as his name suggested; he gave off a sense of ease that seemed detached from the rules. With a smiling face, he looked like a fox. A man with this much money and power, engaging in online dating? I proactively took Liam’s arm; he paused imperceptibly, his smile growing wider. “Want to buy anything? Or eat first?” he asked. “Anything’s fine,” I said. Then he took me shopping from store to store. Unlike Oliver, he would patiently comment on how every bag and piece of clothing felt on me, and then pay for everything. Oliver couldn’t be bothered to look; he’d just sit in the store, play on his phone, and wait for me to pick things out before paying and leaving. It was strange, feeling like a boyfriend had dropped from the sky. But Liam was definitely not as casual as he appeared on the surface. The more a person is like this, the more dangerous they are. But for now… He even called two bodyguards to follow behind carrying the shopping bags. “Evelyn, I’ve made a reservation at that restaurant you said you wanted to try before.” Liam curved his lips slightly. “Let’s go!” I responded briskly. “Do you still remember which one it was?” He lowered his eyes smoothly, his expression lazy. Just like looking at prey in the palm of his hand. …Which one. I don’t know! At a time like this, I couldn’t exactly pull out my phone and ask the “client.” The atmosphere fell silent. My heart trembled, and I pursed my lips. I also felt a chill. I finally understood what the guy meant when he said Liam was scarier than Oliver. Oliver’s emotions were written all over his face. If you provoked him, you’d know immediately. But Liam was different. I couldn’t read him. For example, right now, I didn’t know what he meant by suddenly asking this question. I moved my lips, but before I could speak, he gave a half-smile, his voice warm and deep: “It’s fine. Evelyn is busy, it’s normal to be forgetful. I’ll take you there, you’ll see.” I nodded hastily. Liam was still a good guy! If it were Oliver who found out I forgot something about him, he would have coldly mocked me for five hours straight without repeating a word. 04 After arriving at the restaurant, the waiter saw Liam and greeted him respectfully: “Mr. Sterling.” Then they led us to the innermost private room. The room had a great ambiance, even a pond with koi fish. I sat face-to-face with Liam. His cuffs were loosely rolled up, revealing hands with distinct knuckles. The pale skin made the slightly raised blue veins even more obvious. I didn’t pick up the menu. “You can just order; I’m not a picky eater.” Liam chuckled lightly, “Alright.” Taking this opportunity, I messaged the “client”: [Did you tell Liam you wanted western food? I almost got exposed. Are there any other details? Confess quickly.] Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open. A familiar voice rang out: “…Liam? You’re back?” I froze instantly. Oliver clicked his tongue, saying listlessly: “I thought this room was empty, so I didn’t make a reservation. The other rooms are full; let’s share a table.” I shrank like a quail, keeping my head down as low as possible. But I forgot that Oliver once told me that even if I turned to ash, he would recognize me and scatter me himself. … “Evelyn?” The voice that had just been casual instantly turned ice-cold. I didn’t dare to look up even more. But unexpectedly, my phone received a message right then, and the screen lit up: [Huh? How is that possible? I didn’t tell my brother where I wanted to eat. I don’t like western food; I like iron pot stewed goose.] My pupils dilated. “Raise your head, Evelyn,” Oliver gritted his teeth. Liam tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, “Is that how you talk to your sister-in-law?” “What did you say?” Oliver’s volume rose. At this point, I slowly lifted my head and offered a sheepish smile, “What a coincidence.” Then, following Liam’s cue, I added, “Little brother.” “Who the fuck is your little brother!” Oliver bristled immediately, pointing at me and questioning Liam, “She dated me, didn’t you know?” “Not anymore, not anymore. We broke up a long time ago,” I quickly interjected. “You shut up,” Oliver’s voice carried suppressed anger, every word seemingly squeezed from between his teeth. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. “Liam, didn’t you check when I was dating? And now you’re talking bullshit saying you don’t know Evelyn?” Liam sat with his legs crossed, his posture relaxed. Even in this suffocating situation, he could still chuckle leisurely, “Yeah. So what?” The corners of Oliver’s eyes turned red with anger. I sighed inwardly and spoke up: “Don’t be mad. Maybe we just weren’t meant to be. How about you drink some water and calm down?” Saying that, I prepared to stand up and pour water. “Evelyn,” Liam shot me a light glance. My heart tightened, and I immediately sat back down securely. Oliver couldn’t believe it: “You used to argue with me every day, and now you listen to him like this? Have you been bewitched?” Me: “…” It’s mainly because Liam has a more intimidating presence. After a long while. Oliver’s tone was slightly hoarse, “When did you two get together?” I couldn’t answer that. Liam spoke calmly: “At the end of last year.” “Specifically?” Oliver seemed determined not to stop until he got a specific time. “The day after Christmas.” My expression stiffened. Oliver’s mouth carried a mocking chill, “Evelyn, you’re really something.” I and Oliver had broken up on Christmas Day. But the person chatting with Liam the day after Christmas wasn’t me! I stayed silent, bitterly swallowing the truth and wearing the hat of a seamless transition. Oliver, seeing I didn’t dare to speak, directly slammed the door and left. 05 Liam didn’t seem to mind; he thoughtfully said, “If the food doesn’t suit your taste, remember to let me know.” I nodded trembling. He looked at me unexpectedly, “Are you afraid of me?” As he smiled, the red mole at the corner of his eye was captivatingly bright. I moved my lips: “…Did you investigate me before?” He nodded, taking his time to say, “Previously, the family was curious about Oliver’s girlfriend, so they had me look into it.” “Then you…” I was shocked, “Still got involved with me…” Liam’s smile deepened, “I’ve thought my future sister-in-law was quite cute for a long time.” I awkwardly touched my nose. But I still felt something was wrong? A long time ago? Before investigating me? Right, and Liam’s probing just now! Didn’t he know that the person he was online dating with was someone else? I was just a stand-in for the meet-up. I trembled, not daring to speak rashly. “Evelyn,” Liam said, “Come back to the Sterling family with me next week.” I was shocked, “What?!” He smiled helplessly, “You said before that you wanted to meet my family, and mentioned it several times. Don’t you remember, Evelyn?” My heart was full of apprehension. With my previous experience, I didn’t dare answer casually: “…I see.” “But I’m not ready yet.” I unconsciously clutched the corner of my clothes. “You said before that your family wanted a thirty million dollar bride price. Evelyn, I can transfer it to your card anytime,” Liam looked at me seriously. I was terrified. What astronomical bride price?! Was that what Liam’s brother said? My voice shook: “No rush, no rush. Let’s let things develop a bit more…” By the end, my voice was trailing off. This family is too terrifying. The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Liam lowered his eyes, his smile fading. He said softly, “Sorry, I was too eager.” I froze for a moment. Has he really fallen so deeply in love? If he finds out that the person whispering sweet nothings to him the whole time… is a guy… And I can be considered an accomplice with his brother, deceiving people together… I held my forehead. Things seem to be developing out of control. Looking at Liam’s expression, he seems genuinely sad. Sigh, that makes sense. If it weren’t true love, who would spend so much money on an online date? I silently stood up, “I need to go to the restroom again.” 06 [Your brother wants to take me back to the Sterling family.] I messaged “Ning”. Him: [Uh… just go.] Me: [? Is this right.] I thought he would definitely be jumping up and down, but who knew he would seem quite calm? [What’s done is done. Just name a price, help me cover up the lie.] I looked at the message weirdly. I replied: [This isn’t a question of whether to cover it up or not. Have you ever thought about having to use countless lies to cover one lie? What if I can’t get out of it safely?] He sent me a voice message: “Sigh, who knew it would develop like this? But honestly, being with my brother isn’t a loss for you. He’s handsome and rich, and has never been in a relationship. Although he’s not experienced, his assets are impressive! As long as you guide him a little, he’ll definitely become a perfect boyfriend.” The corner of my mouth twitched violently, losing the will to live: “…Your family really doesn’t have a single normal person.” “I just have one request. When you become my sister-in-law in the future, can you suggest to my brother to increase my allowance?” Me: “…I don’t think I’ve agreed yet.” If I ran into Oliver at the Sterling family, I’d be dead meat. I didn’t dare take the risk. Ten seconds later, five million was deposited into my bank account. The other side said with a hint of a spoiled tone, “Sis, just help a brother out. Let’s just get through this period first. When you get bored, you can break up whenever! Just consider it as a brother using your photos to scam people, and to atone for his sins, he helped you find a boyfriend, okay?” I stared at my bank account balance. …Well, to bring it back to the point. Even if I did get together with Liam, so what? Could Oliver kill me? ? Thinking this, I returned to the private room. Meeting Liam’s eyes, I blinked: “Which day are we going to the Sterling family?” 07 I held Liam’s arm and stepped through the grand doors of the Sterling estate. The sprawling manor was complex and opulent. Taking step after step, there were more and more people. Truly a massive family. I followed Liam’s lead in greeting everyone. The people of the Sterling family were very nice; there wasn’t the oppressive atmosphere I had imagined from a wealthy family. No one gave me dirty looks, and no one put on airs. They all smiled and greeted me: “Liam’s girlfriend, oh my, so pretty and fresh! The old lady will be so happy.” I smiled shyly. Until a teenager appeared, he chuckled, “Brother, sister-in-law.” Liam laughed coldly twice. The teenager immediately hid behind my other arm. “Corey Sterling.” With a faint utterance, the teenager stiffened instantly, turning his head mechanically. I followed the teenager’s gaze to find the source of the voice. Oliver had one hand in his pocket. But I didn’t make eye contact with Oliver. He glared at the teenager, “Why are you running around? Do you think you’re the only one with legs?” Corey pouted, feeling wronged, “Oliver, I just came over to say hi to my brother and sister-in-law. If I didn’t, you’d say I was impolite.” Oliver sneered, “Heh, sister-in-law?” My blood seemed to freeze in my veins. But Oliver didn’t say anything in the end. He didn’t look at me or Liam the entire time, just dragged Corey away, “Go do your homework. You failed your math test, and you still have the nerve to wander around?” Corey was dragged away looking miserable. I withdrew my gaze thoughtfully. Corey’s voice and “Ning’s” voice were almost exactly the same; it must be him. I asked Liam, “Is that your biological brother? Why is his last name Han?” Liam smiled faintly, “He took our mother’s maiden name.” I nodded. Before long, Liam was called up to the study. I went to keep the old Mrs. Sterling company. She stroked my hand, sighing: “You and our Liam are a perfect match.” As she spoke, she wiped away a tear. I quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it for her. “Liam, this child, matured early. His parents… sigh, it’s rare for him to find a girl he likes. You two must be happy!” The old lady looked dazed for a moment, then a wave of relief washed over her, and she gripped my hand tightly. I stayed with the old lady for a while, and she offered: “Liam said you don’t like it when it’s too stuffy. Our garden here is quite beautiful; you can go for a stroll.” “Okay,” I agreed. I walked into the garden feeling relaxed, enveloped in a faint floral scent. Liam saw that I wasn’t good at socializing, so he instructed the others to let me get some fresh air in the garden if I felt bored, and not to bother me. But some people clearly didn’t listen. I heard footsteps and wasn’t surprised, nor did I turn around. “Evelyn, what are you really thinking? Do you want to enter the Sterling family’s door that badly?” Oliver’s voice was freezing cold. My fingertips brushed past the rose petals, and I said indifferently: “You can expose my true colors in front of everyone in your Sterling family.” After a long while, Oliver’s voice sounded muffled: “…What true colors do you have?” I answered casually: “Your ex-girlfriend, spent your money. After breaking up with you, seamlessly transitioned to Liam.” Oliver was silent for a very long time. His thin lips moved slightly, “I didn’t want to leave a bad impression of you in their eyes.” I didn’t understand, “You still care about that?” His voice was hoarse and dry, “What if, one day in the future, you still have the identity of Oliver’s wife…” He realized what he was saying, and his voice stopped abruptly. My eyes widened slightly in astonishment. After a long pause, I shook my head, “That won’t happen.” The wine glass in Oliver’s hand dropped to the ground. It made a sharp sound of breaking glass. “Why did you get together with Liam the day after breaking up with me? How did you get together?” Oliver grabbed my wrist, his grip strong. I didn’t want to get into a tug-of-war with him here, “It’s none of your business.” “Evelyn!” My struggling stopped. I looked up in surprise. That cry from Oliver just now clearly carried a tearful tone.

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By the fifth year of our sugar daddy/sugar baby arrangement, he had become a household name, a superstar who no longer needed me. He started staying out all night and stopped clinging to me, whispering sweet nothings. The torment of his hot-and-cold attitude was excruciating. On my fifty-third sleepless night, I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed my phone, ready to call him and have a massive blowout fight. Suddenly, rows of bullet comments flashed before my eyes: [LOL, why is this cannon fodder male side character pushing his luck? A mere Beta actually thinks he can keep the protagonist top, an S-rank Alpha?] [Let him call and throw a tantrum. Once he does, Best Actor Song will realize how wonderful his gentle, lovable Omega little assistant is, and kick him to the curb!] [The Best Actor is going to dump him sooner or later anyway. After all, who would love an aging, broken Beta? Our precious bottom, who has a 98% compatibility rate and can release soothing pheromones, is so much better…] 1 The transatlantic call had barely begun to ring. Song Qingyu answered almost instantly. “Is it time for your check-in again, brother?” His deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of exhaustion and resignation. It was so obvious. Why hadn’t I noticed it before? The hysterical questions I had prepared choked in my throat, leaving me momentarily stunned. Song Qingyu quickly continued his report: “I just finished hair and makeup, we’re shooting on location soon… Brother, look at this, it’s from that place we ate at three years ago. Zhou Zhou specifically woke up early and waited in line for two hours to buy it for me…” Zhou Zhou. The protagonist bottom mentioned in the bullet comments, the little assistant who had been with Song Qingyu for less than a year. I don’t know when it started, but it felt like he couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning Zhou Zhou. The signs had been there all along. I had just been too careless, too blind. A suffocating, surging pain gripped my heart. I suddenly felt incredibly tired. I interrupted Song Qingyu’s endless chatter: “Let’s just end it here. I’m going to sleep.” Dead silence fell over the line. “That’s all you have to say?” “Yeah.” Usually, my check-in calls lasted twenty minutes at a minimum. Today, it was under five. Song Qingyu must be breathing a sigh of relief. Sure enough, he lowered his overly excited voice, a barely detectable tremor leaking through: “Brother, th-then wait for me to go to the bathroom…” “There’s no need.” Being forced to say cheesy things like “I love you forever” and “I miss you so much” won’t be necessary from now on. I forced myself to speak: “Goodnight.” Then, I swiftly hung up the phone. And casually turned it off. 2 I didn’t sleep a wink that night. The bullet comments kept mocking me in front of my eyes: [Has this cannon fodder realized his place yet? The two protagonists have high morals and won’t cheat. Can he just voluntarily step aside for our precious bottom?] [A capitalist hypocrite who uses the Best Actor to make money and sleeps with him too. It’s been five years and he still won’t let him go…] [Taking advantage of someone’s misfortune and then demanding gratitude for saving them… he’s the worst…] I stared at the dizzyingly reflective ceiling, memories flashing through my mind like a zoetrope. They were right. Five years ago, Song Qingyu agreeing to be with me was indeed the result of me taking advantage of his misfortune and demanding payback. Back then, he had offended a powerful foreign mob boss. Despite having a face destined for stardom, no company or production crew in the industry dared to hire him. I was young and reckless. Risking the complete destruction of my career, I took him in. I threw resources at him, orchestrated his debut, assigned him a top-tier manager, and promoted him with a massive, unsparing campaign. Even someone as proud and aloof as him was genuinely grateful to me back then. He hugged me, tears shining in his eyes, and promised: “Brother, I will definitely make a lot of money to repay you in the future. I won’t let you down…” He didn’t know I had selfish motives. I had long anticipated the immense profits he could bring the company, but I wanted more. The physique and looks of an S-rank Alpha are top-tier. As a perfectly ordinary Beta, it was hard not to be attracted. So, after helping him deal with a malicious director for the third time… I crushed out my cigarette, dropping my bluff, and said bluntly: “Qingyu, be with me.” 3 It’s been so long, I can’t clearly remember Song Qingyu’s expression at that moment. Maybe it was shock, astonishment, or perhaps anger and disdain. There was only a long silence as he weighed the pros and cons. Finally, he took the sugar baby contract, nodded expressionlessly: “Sure. “Jiang Yu, you can’t regret this.” … That very night, I regretted it a bit. What bullshit rumors about S-rank Alphas being gentle as water? Liars. An Alpha in his susceptible period was such a beast in bed that I wanted to tear up the contract, preferring to pay the astronomical breach of contract fee. That entire night, staring at the blurred, swaying chandelier, I cursed myself internally for digging my own grave. But the next day, after passing out from a mix of exhaustion and profound regret… I opened my eyes to see Song Qingyu leaning in close with his outrageously handsome face, lowering his eyes submissively, calling me “brother” and apologizing. All the anger in my heart vanished without a trace instantly. I tried to accept him, spoiling him without a bottom line. He also strictly adhered to his professional ethics, caring for me meticulously. Later, I clearly realized I had fallen for him. Reason told me I shouldn’t catch feelings, but instinct overpowered reason. I was a willing victim. This sugar daddy arrangement felt like a clingy four-year relationship. Until Song Qingyu became a megastar. He started getting so busy he was rarely seen, no longer sticking to me. He established his own studio, replaced the assistant I had assigned him, and started staying out all night regularly. This is how he mentioned me to others: “Gratitude for discovering me? I paid that back a long time ago. “I don’t owe Jiang Yu anything. He’s not my benefactor.” … I once thought that over a long period of time, I could make him love me too, keeping him by my side forever. I was wrong. 4 An S-rank Alpha looks down on an ordinary Beta. That was the conclusion I reached after a sleepless night. I took an ice pack from the fridge to apply to my eyes, quickly adjusted my emotions, and got ready for work. But just as I put on my shoes… The front door was suddenly kicked open. I looked up sluggishly, meeting the travel-worn, deeply hostile eyes of Song Qingyu, and my whole body trembled. “Why are you…” “Brother, why was your phone turned off last night?” Seeing I couldn’t answer, Song Qingyu kissed me without allowing any explanation. The force was so strong, it felt like he wanted to devour me whole. Fortunately, I’m not affected by pheromones. I gripped his jaw, pulled back to catch my breath, and asked: “Are you in your susceptible period?” Song Qingyu shook his head, then nodded. “You can’t go to the company today, brother.” He dragged me to the second-floor bedroom. After scanning the room, his movements became much gentler. After all, we’ve shared a bed for five years. He knows exactly how to serve me to give me pleasure. In a moment of hazy consciousness, I softened my tone and asked: “Didn’t you say you were shooting on location today? Why did you suddenly come back?” Song Qingyu’s movements didn’t pause. He blurted out: “Because I missed you, brother.” He tilted my face, forcing me to look at him: “We haven’t seen each other in so long, didn’t you miss me?” “…” For a moment, I almost forgot the bullet comments’ warning. But they quickly popped up again, haunting me: [LOL, is the cannon fodder male side character touching himself again?] [Why don’t you ask what our Best Actor Song really wants?] [Karma is a bitch. You used him before, now he’s just using you. There’s not a shred of genuine feeling…] My throat tightened. Feigning nonchalance, I turned my face away and awkwardly probed: “Tell me, what do you want?” Song Qingyu froze at that. And my breathing was caught with him. After a long pause, he forced a stiff smile and said he wanted the second male lead role in a major director’s upcoming finale film. “Director Zhao has a weird temper. Most people can’t hire him. I heard you have a history with him, brother…” I couldn’t hear the rest of his words clearly, and I forgot to wonder why he didn’t ask for the lead role. My mind was filled with one thought—the bullet comments were all true. But I just couldn’t bring myself to sever all ties immediately. I can only slowly withdraw, detach. 5 Zhou Zhou quickly showed up at the villa. He wasn’t an employee of my company. He shot me a somewhat reproachful glare before turning to advise Song Qingyu. “Qingyu, Cameron is already getting angry on set. You should head back…” He tried to reach past the front door to grab Song Qingyu, but I frowned and blocked him. “Did I invite you in?” This villa is my house. Zhou Zhou’s face turned ugly for a moment as he looked at Song Qingyu. “Why are you looking at me? Apologize.” Song Qingyu wrapped his arm around my waist, his expression equally displeased: “Who taught you to speak to your boss’s boss like that?” I was stunned. The bullet comments quickly filled the screen with curses. [It’s totally normal for the young couple to have separation anxiety. Can the male side character stop trying so hard to make his presence known?] [Actually, our precious bottom could also help the top get that role, but the top can’t bear to let money taint this relationship. He’d rather run back and act with the male side character than let our precious bottom intervene…] [Yeah, let the top keep pretending to be mean to our precious bottom. It definitely won’t be hard or tiring when he has to grovel to win him back later…] “No need to apologize. You go with him.” I pried Song Qingyu’s hand off. Uncharacteristically, I wasn’t aggressive, stepping back: “I’ll get you the second male lead role in that movie. You can go.” 6 After seeing Song Qingyu off, I still went to work. My secretary quickly dug up Zhou Zhou’s background. He was the only son of the Zhou family, the leading construction enterprise in the country. To pursue love, he condescended to enter the entertainment industry as a manager. I closed the file. It said he had been openly in love with Song Qingyu for four years. Before, so many wealthy Omegas had flocked to Song Qingyu, and he had completely ignored them all. Except for Zhou Zhou. He allowed an Omega with a 98% compatibility rate to stay by his side. Allowed someone with such obvious intentions to orbit around him all day… “Mr. Jiang, should we keep this newcomer?” Seeing me spaced out, Secretary Wu pushed another file in front of me, mechanically repeating the situation. I was annoyed and wanted to push it away, but when I saw the photo clearly, I froze. “Did you find him on purpose?” “He came to us on his own.” The boy in the photo looked 70% like Song Qingyu when he first debuted. Raw and green, but undeniable charismatic. But offering himself up at this specific time… Does he really think I’m just a lovestruck fool? I suddenly found it quite amusing and told Secretary Wu to keep him. Working late into the night, the bullet comments were still floating before my eyes. They talked about Song Qingyu and his little assistant acting ambiguously on set, then said he felt disgusted by last night and took several showers after returning to the crew… I tried desperately to ignore them. But every word stung my eyes. Disgusting enough to make me nauseous. After throwing up in the bathroom for a while, I forced myself to open my laptop at home to handle some business. Unexpectedly, a piece of paper fluttered out. Written in crooked handwriting: [Don’t turn off your phone, I need to check in, I’m begging you, brother QAQ] How funny. Who said Song Qingyu had bad acting skills because he was a nepotism hire? He’s acting pretty well right now. 7 I hadn’t made up my mind to let Song Qingyu go yet, so naturally, I didn’t plan on exposing him. While he was abroad shooting the movie, I didn’t show a hint of displeasure. I took his check-in calls on time and listened to his reports. Except, I wouldn’t ask a single extra question. Whether it was gossip about a certain actor on the trending list, or rumors of a showmance on set. Even when a foreign beauty suddenly crashed the video call, jokingly kissing him on the cheek. I remained unfazed. “Brother, don’t misunderstand, she’s my…” Song Qingyu frantically shooed the person out of the room, turned back to my completely impassive face, and instantly choked on his words. Even separated by thousands of miles. The air seemed to share the same dead silence. Seeing he had no desire to continue explaining, I yawned and casually ended the conversation: “Let’s stop here for today. You get back to work, I should sleep too.” For the next few days, Song Qingyu didn’t initiate contact. He was very busy. So I also worked my ass off to find things to do. I finished a month’s worth of work in one week, and used business dinners as an excuse to drink heavily. Secretary Wu couldn’t stop me. Halfway through getting drunk, while taking a break to vomit in the restroom, someone suddenly grabbed my arm. “Mr. Jiang, if your stomach is bad, stop drinking. I’ll drink for you.” I struggled to lift my eyes. It was the boy who looked 70% like Song Qingyu in the photo, Xu Heyin. 8 Xu Heyin finished the second half of the business dinner for me. I was indeed feeling too sick to touch another drop of alcohol, and I also wanted to see what kind of stand-in they had sent to mess with my head. “Mr. Jiang, am I good-looking?” On the way home, Xu Heyin, who had volunteered to be my “bodyguard,” turned his head and blinked at me mischievously. As an Alpha, he lacked Song Qingyu’s sharp, brooding edge, possessing more of a bright, sunny disposition. “Very good-looking.” I shifted my blatant gaze, looking out the window at the passing traffic. “Then do you think I can be famous?” he pressed. I nodded again. “Yes.” The industry had always lacked a beautiful, strikingly handsome male actor with a mixed-race vibe who still retained a masculine edge, like Song Qingyu. In all the years since his debut, there still hadn’t been a substitute for him. It must have been hard for them to find someone so similar for me. Hearing the satisfactory answer, Xu Heyin, like a child who just got candy, was in a great mood, humming a little tune all the way. The driver parked the car steadily in the courtyard, and he sensibly unbuckled my seatbelt and helped me out of the car. Despite drinking so much, it was as if he hadn’t drunk at all, tightly supporting my unsteady steps. He was attentive and polite throughout. Only when we reached the front door did he suddenly stop and turn his head. He leaned in slightly, whispering in my ear, his voice as quiet as a mosquito: “So, compared to Senior Song?” I was feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous, and his provocation made me shudder. It took me a moment to react: “What?” Xu Heyin smiled, straightened up, and raised his voice to repeat: “I said, compared to Senior Song Qingyu, who do you like more?” …What a boring question. Tired of dealing with him, I pushed him away, turned around, and started walking back. But before I could even raise my hand to scan my fingerprint… The front door suddenly opened from the inside. An Alpha radiating bone-chilling coldness gritted his teeth, pointed behind me, and demanded sinisterly: “Brother, who is he?” 9 I never expected Song Qingyu to return a month early. Even less did I expect him to coincidentally witness this scene. My stomach suddenly cramped. Too late to explain, I ran to the bathroom and dry heaved. But I couldn’t throw anything up. “Brother, take some medicine.” Song Qingyu handed me a glass of warm water, along with the stomach medicine we always kept at home. For some reason, my intuition told me it wasn’t a stomach issue. I just took the water to rinse my mouth. In an instant, the back of my neck was pinched and lifted, meeting the gloomy, terrifying gaze in the mirror: “You are covered in his scent.” Alpha pheromones—naturally, I couldn’t smell them. If I could, I’d probably be choking right now. Because according to the bullet comments, an Alpha of Song Qingyu’s caliber absolutely despises anyone else touching what belongs to him. This isn’t about love or affection; it’s purely an instinctive possessiveness. “Did brother not come visit me on set abroad because of him?” “Is he brother’s new favorite?” “I’m so sorry. I worked myself to death to finish filming a month early and rushed back, only to interrupt your date…” Song Qingyu casually glanced at the dining table downstairs, covered in dishes, as if watching a joke, his tone suddenly dropping: “Jiang Yu, is my timing really that bad? Did I interrupt your next step?!” “What right do you have to question me?” A flash of pain crossed Song Qingyu’s eyes, yet it pierced my heart precisely like a poisoned needle. I looked at the bullet comments detailing how much he loved Zhou Zhou. For a moment, emotions surged, and I exploded, almost hysterically: “Song Qingyu, we only have a sugar daddy arrangement. What right do you have to question me, to restrict my freedom, huh?!” 10 Everything was a complete mess. I never thought I’d say such sarcastic, hypocritical words to Song Qingyu, like a dancing clown. But words once spoken cannot be taken back. He was stunned for a long time before he recovered, his eyes red, panting heavily. The bullet comments, however, found it hilarious: [LOL, is the protagonist top’s acting too good? I almost thought he really loved this cannon fodder.] [It could also be because this cannon fodder deliberately said the opposite. The protagonist top always thought he liked him, but it turns out he doesn’t… basically, his unrequited feelings are a bit embarrassing hahaha.] [Stop talking. After the top finishes this scene, he’ll quickly go find our precious bottom to compensate for his mental distress…] Song Qingyu snapped back to reality, released my neck, and stormed out the door. I didn’t stop him. A bird forcibly kept in a cage will never truly belong to you. I went downstairs and sat at the dining table. The table full of delicacies was still steaming slightly. They were all my favorites. I buried my head and took a few bites, mixing my tears with the rice. It tasted awful. 11 Song Qingyu didn’t come back that night. Instead, it was Xu Heyin who, the next day, covered in bruises and with a slight bruise on his right cheek, cried uncontrollably in my office. [Gotta play the part. The top even pretended to be jealous and beat up his rival. What a brilliant move!] [As expected of a Grand Slam Best Actor…] So it’s acting again. Is it really all just acting?! Xu Heyin was giving me a headache. I just threw a big-budget movie his way to shut him up. At night, I wrote, deleted, and rewrote a text message on my phone, ultimately pressing delete. As for news about Best Actor Song, it gets pushed to me even without deliberately searching for it. He was shooting a commercial in the neighboring city today. In the video, Song Qingyu didn’t look well, so his manager Xiao Zhou was constantly fussing over him, fanning him, handing him water, and massaging him intimately… sparking suspicions among the melon-eating masses about their relationship. I didn’t make a furious phone call to question him like I used to. I just looked at it for a few extra seconds. Then, I deleted all draft messages and locked the screen. The next day, I traveled to various places for business trips. In foreign lands, I worked non-stop for three weeks. I successfully landed myself in the hospital. … When I opened my eyes again, the pungent smell of disinfectant flooded my lungs, making me nauseous. “Mr. Jiang. Mr. Jiang Yu.” My doctor friend pushed up his glasses, smiling at me, gritting his teeth as he asked: “Did you know that your ‘good’ male pet managed to get you, an infertile Beta, PREGNANT?” 12 How the f*ck was I supposed to know? A Beta, built like a robot, can actually get pregnant? If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone bareback just for the thrill… “Jiang Yu, are you listening to me?” Gu Chen flipped through the test results, snapping me back to reality: “This baby is only a month old, you should get rid of it. There are barely any cases of Betas giving birth domestically…” “What about abroad?” I actually kind of wanted a child. Or rather, as an orphan abandoned at the orphanage door right after birth, I wanted family, someone tied to me by blood, someone who wouldn’t easily leave me. “I have money, I can minimize the risks.” Gu Chen was momentarily speechless, frowning in silence. He knew I’ve always been stubborn. So he stopped trying to persuade me. “Do you really like him that much?” he just asked. I couldn’t be bothered to explain the real reason, so I just replied: “Help me keep this a secret, especially from him.”

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I never imagined the “switched at birth” trope from those trashy novels would actually happen to my family. The good news: I am my parents’ biological daughter. The bad news: My older brother is not my parents’ biological son. The worse news: Everyone in my family, except my brother, is a complete airhead. If he wasn’t holding the fort, we would have gone bankrupt years ago. When I was being tortured half to death by company affairs, my executive assistant gently reminded me. “Miss Evelyn, if Mr. Smith is no longer a member of the Davis family, couldn’t he just work for the Davis family as an employee?” I thought he made a lot of sense. That very night, I put on a sexy slip dress and ran straight to Ethan Smith’s apartment. 1 When Ethan Smith brought the real son, verified by a DNA test, back home, my mind went completely blank. No, I was just joking before! How could this actually be real? It wasn’t until the real son shouted, “Since you don’t welcome me, I’ll just leave!” that I panicked. I was so confused. What role was I supposed to play in this “switched at birth” drama? Should I play the oblivious sister who inexplicably defends the fake brother? Or should I play the edgy, rebellious sibling, pointing at the fake brother and declaring he doesn’t share our noble bloodline? It was so hard to choose. Before anyone could say another word, Liam—the real son—snatched the keys from the gardener, hopped onto the riding lawnmower, and drove it straight into an oak tree. Okay, we believe him. He’s the real son. As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I always had a feeling my older brother, Ethan, wasn’t biologically related to my parents. The reason was simple. Our entire family consisted of absolute sweet, naive airheads. My mom was a beautiful, empty-headed trophy wife. My dad was a wealthy heir who knew nothing about business. I was a third-generation heir who inherited both the beauty and the complete lack of business acumen. But Ethan was different. He wasn’t just smart; he was incredibly capable. From my earliest memories, he comfortably sat on the throne of being ranked number one in his grade. He didn’t even have to take the SATs; he was offered a full ride to a top-tier Ivy League university. But I was a certified academic disaster. In other words, if he wasn’t my brother, I wouldn’t have even known you could get scholarships through academic decathlons. I had shared my suspicions with my parents before, but they just said I’d read too many novels and fried my brain. Only Ethan, standing nearby, had a dark, unreadable expression as he looked at me thoughtfully. But I was seriously just joking! We dragged Liam out of the tree in the front yard. Ethan Davis—oh, I should call him Ethan Smith now. He suddenly took a step back. “Mom, Dad, thank you for raising me all these years. I will return all the shares in the group to you, and I will step down from the CEO position for Evelyn. Goodbye.” Before anyone could process it, he grabbed a simple duffel bag and left the Davis estate. I was furious. We had lived together for over twenty years, and he didn’t show a single ounce of attachment. I quickly chased after him. Thinking about his usual attitude towards me, I couldn’t bear it anymore and demanded: “Did you never see me as your sister?” Ethan didn’t turn around; he only left me with the sight of his tall back. The setting sun cast a long, somewhat lonely shadow behind him. “Yes.” That single, light word slammed into my heart. Before I could even react to that “yes,” Ethan spoke again. “Evelyn Davis, I never wanted to be your brother at all.” With that, Ethan got into his car and vanished from my sight. I burst into loud sobs, crying even louder than Liam had. “Mom! He’s a bad person! He doesn’t want me anymore! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” Liam froze, suddenly unsure if he should be crying too. At dinner, our family of four sat around the table, biting our nails. Because we were faced with an urgent problem that needed an immediate solution. “Who’s going to the company tomorrow?” The four of us looked at each other in dismay. Back when my dad took over the company, he almost drove it straight into bankruptcy. It wasn’t until Ethan went to college and started managing the company on the side that things started to improve. At the same time, he also founded his own tech company, Zenith Tech, and its momentum and revenue were on track to surpass the Davis Group. So, before he even graduated, my dad announced his retirement. He took my mom on a fabulous trip around the world, and then settled into a happy life of fishing and playing chess every day. I am a freelance photographer. Although I have some fame in the industry, I really don’t know how to manage a company. The three of us simultaneously turned our gaze to Liam, the real son. Liam scratched his head awkwardly and pulled out his Advanced Electrician Certification and a “Worker of the Month” medal. “Ethan’s—I mean, Ethan Smith’s—parents… one was a college professor, and the other was an award-winning high school teacher. How did you…?” I asked, genuinely confused. Liam just scratched his head. The three of us silently shut our mouths in unspoken agreement. It wasn’t that we looked down on his education or profession, but we felt incredibly sorry for the Smith parents. They must have doubted their own parenting methods more than once. After all, looking at Ethan, it was clear there was nothing wrong with their genetics. 2 In the end, choosing the best of a bad bunch, I was pushed into the CEO’s seat. After all, I was the only one who got into college based on my own (admittedly mediocre) abilities. “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. I definitely won’t fail this mission. I won’t do worse than that heartless jerk.” My dad squeezed my hand. “My expectations aren’t high. Just tell me right before we go bankrupt.” My mom wiped away a tear. “It’s so late, I wonder if Ethan has eaten dinner yet?” Liam scratched his head. “Am I really going to experience bankruptcy right after coming home?” I glared at him, and he went quiet. Lying in bed that night, my heart still felt empty. My parents didn’t let Liam move into Ethan’s room; they prepared a separate room for him. Even without blood ties, they still treated Ethan like their own child. Especially since the Smith parents had passed away, they were even more worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle this sudden upheaval. Actually, I never hated him; I was just a bit rebellious. Ethan, being the only normal person in the family, was very strict with me. In high school, he watched over my studies, tirelessly explaining math problems to me over and over again. He managed to drag my bottom-of-the-barrel grades up enough to pass the college entrance exams by a wide margin. When I was in college and he discovered my talent for photography, without a word, he found me the most professional equipment and the best mentors. He even personally modeled for me. Now, I’m a top-tier freelance photographer and influencer in the country. But my initial dream was really just to be a useless, idle rich kid. So, I constantly opposed him. When he was having a meeting in the home office, I would hide under his desk and pull his leg hair. When he went on blind dates with women, I would expose embarrassing stories from his childhood. I also frequently took ugly candid photos of him. Unfortunately, either my photography skills were too good, or he was just too incredibly handsome. No matter how I shot it, he looked breathtakingly good. I hated him, but I also relied on him. I never thought there would come a day when he would disappear from my world. But thinking about how decisively he left, a nameless anger flared up inside me. “Heartless jerk. Left without a second thought, not a single bit of attachment.” I took out my phone and sent an angry dog emoji to Ethan. Ethan: ? The next day, I sat anxiously in the CEO’s chair, listening to the department heads arguing back and forth. This is not a job for a human being. I slumped over the massive mahogany desk, wanting to cry but having no tears left. After a whole morning of meetings, I had absolutely no idea what they were arguing about. The documents on my desk were piled up like a small mountain. How did Ethan manage to process all this in a day and still get home in time for dinner? No wonder he ran away like he was fleeing a famine. Now, I wanted to flee too. I couldn’t help but ask my executive assistant. “Did Ethan do this much work every day too?” The assistant adjusted his glasses. “Miss Evelyn, Mr. Davis—I mean, Mr. Smith—had to handle much more than this. Today is your first day; it will only get busier from here.” I let out a helpless wail. What a disaster. “Why was Ethan able to do so much work?” “Mr. Smith has managed the company for many years, after all. He has a bit more experience than you do.” I shot up from the desk. “Right, it’s not that I can’t do it, it’s just that he has more experience.” “How about this: you can go ask Mr. Smith to tutor you. You’re so smart, you’ll definitely catch on quickly. You can also ask him to help you do some of it.” I was tempted. Shamefully tempted. I didn’t want to work this job for another minute. But I was stubborn. “I don’t need him. I can do it myself.” Saying that, I buried my head in the mountain of documents. 3 That night, I still shamefully brought the endless pile of work to Ethan’s apartment door. My heart was a bit resistant. After all, he had said he didn’t want to be my brother. “If my fingerprint doesn’t unlock the door, I’m leaving.” I muttered to myself while pressing my finger against the scanner. Click. The heavy door opened smoothly. “At least he has some conscience,” I scoffed coldly. The living room lights were on, but no one was there. The sound of running water came from the master bathroom. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat on the large bed in the master bedroom. Growing up, I never needed his permission to barge into his private space. Ethan’s voice suddenly came from the bathroom. “Evelyn, Evelyn.” His voice was muffled by the sound of the water, so I couldn’t hear it clearly. Was he calling me? The bathroom door suddenly opened from the inside. A cloud of steam billowed out first, followed by Ethan, wearing only a pair of shorts. His hair was still dripping wet, the slightly long strands falling by his cheeks, giving him a sort of decadent beauty. His lips and cheeks were flushed, contrasting with his pale skin, making him look like a vampire who had just fed—lazy and dangerous. A drop of water slid down his broad chest. His tight abs had no trace of extra fat, and his waist was narrow but powerfully defined. One look, and you knew he was explosive. So this is the legendary “V-taper.” The bottle of sparkling water slipped from my hand in shock, rolling across the floor to stop right at Ethan’s feet. “Are you crazy? Why are you walking around half-naked?” I grabbed a throw pillow to shield my face, hiding my violently blushing cheeks. He’s the crazy one! It’s the middle of summer, people can wear whatever they want in their own homes! Seeing me, Ethan froze for a moment, then grabbed a T-shirt from the edge of the bed and pulled it on. “When did you get here?” “J-Just now.” Ethan looked strange today; his eyes were fixed intently on me. It was the look of a hungry wolf spotting meat. Could he be planning to take revenge on me for all the times I annoyed him over the years? Seeing his arms, which were almost as thick as my thighs, I couldn’t help but shrink back a little. But I didn’t want to admit I was scared, so I puffed out my chest. “What are you looking at?” “First time seeing you in a blazer… very… pretty.” I felt pretty good hearing that compliment. I had spent ages picking out this suit. It perfectly accentuated my waist-to-hip ratio, making me look tall and slim. Paired with the face I inherited from my mother and a pair of rimless glasses, I looked the epitome of an elite socialite. “Of course. Look who you’re talking to—the most beautiful girl in the city’s high society.” Ethan smiled, took my hand, led me to the living room, and sat me on the sofa. He brought out fruit and snacks. “Eat something first, I’m going to cook.” Munching on an apple while watching a handsome man cook. A feast for the eyes. Suddenly, I remembered I hadn’t done what I came here for. “Ethan, teach me, please.” I piled the stack of documents in front of him. Ethan glanced at me sideways, saying nothing. “Bro, big bro, brother, please.” I fell back into my habit of acting cute. In the past, as long as I called him “brother,” he would immediately surrender and grant my every request. Ethan took the stack of documents and placed them on the corner of the kitchen island. “Eat first.” Ethan made my favorite: minced pork with eggplant, tomato and egg stir-fry, and a large pot of corn and pork rib soup. I ate two huge bowls of rice, my stomach bulging comfortably. Ethan slowly put on his blue-light glasses. He picked up a document with one hand and patted the seat next to him with the other. “Starting today, you come here every night, and I’ll tutor you.” I shot up from my seat. “Why should I?” Ethan didn’t even look at me, his voice flat. “I’ll handle these for you today, but you have to follow along and learn.” I pouted, pathetically but obediently sitting back down. “Okay, brother. Whatever you say.” The tutoring session lasted until past ten o’clock. I slumped weakly on the table, waving my hand at Ethan. “I can’t do this anymore. My brain is fried.” Ethan checked his watch. “It’s too late. Mom and Dad are already asleep. Just sleep here tonight.” I thought about it, realized it made sense, and agreed. 4 “Ethan, you have a 2,000-square-foot luxury apartment, and only one bed?” Is this a joke? “I usually live alone and rarely come here. There are no other occupants, so I didn’t set up the other rooms.” My driver had already gone home, I’d had a little wine with dinner, and it was raining outside. Looking at the massive king-size bed, I figured two people could easily fit. I quickly jumped onto the side near the window, sat under the covers, and shook my fist at him. “If you dare cross the line, you’re dead meat.” Ethan lay down silently. With his back to me, he only took up a tiny sliver of space on the edge of the bed. Ethan was entirely too quiet tonight, which made me feel a bit weird. “What’s wrong with you?” After a long silence, just when I thought he had fallen asleep, his voice suddenly came from the darkness. “Did he ever say what his adoptive parents were like?” Was he talking about his biological parents? “No.” The bedroom fell silent again. Waking up one day to find out you’re the fake son, and your biological parents have already passed away without you even meeting them. Suddenly realizing you’re completely alone in the world. He must feel incredibly insecure. No wonder he seemed so quiet this time, becoming increasingly gloomy and taciturn. I hugged him from behind. His shoulders were so broad that even with my arms wide open, I couldn’t fully wrap around them. “Brother, you still have me. I’ll stay with you.” “Then is Evelyn willing to stay with her brother forever?” This guy always kept his thoughts hidden since we were kids, never sharing anything with the family. It seems he was just pretending to be strong before; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me stay to keep him company. How could a kind, passionate, generous, and beautiful girl like me refuse the request of a broken, handsome man? “Of course I am.” Ethan suddenly turned around and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. “Evelyn, let brother hold you for a bit.” His embrace was warm and very comfortable. Drowsiness quickly overtook me. Half-asleep, I mumbled groggily. “Brother, your phone is poking me.” Ethan suddenly sat up. “You sleep first. I’m going to take a shower.” Then he bolted into the bathroom. ? Didn’t he already shower? And so began my bizarre cohabitation with Ethan. During the day, we went to our respective offices. At night, he tutored me and handled the things I couldn’t manage. Then we slept in the same bed. Wait, doesn’t he have an assistant? We always started the night with a clear boundary between us on the bed. But by the next morning, I would inevitably roll into Ethan’s arms. He would helplessly massage his temples. “You’re a terrible sleeper.” Wait, who am I supposed to complain to? Through Ethan’s tutoring, my progress was at a snail’s pace. Some things really do require natural talent. 5 Finally, there was something I was good at. My executive assistant told me there was a business gala tonight. Finally, my time to shine. I picked out a stunning evening gown and got my hair and makeup done perfectly. Tonight, I swore to be the most dazzling woman in the room. The confidence drained by work these past few days had returned. That evening, I made a glamorous entrance into the banquet hall and was quickly surrounded. People trying to network, make friends, ask for my number, seek partnerships. I gracefully handled wave after wave of people, then quietly hid behind the dessert table. To squeeze myself into this mermaid dress, I hadn’t eaten lunch, and I was dizzy with hunger. The macarons at this hotel are the best. I hid in a corner, stuffing my face, when I suddenly saw a few wealthy heirs chatting nearby. “I saw the fake son from the Davis family is here too.” The fake son of the Davis family… isn’t that Ethan? I perked up my ears to eavesdrop. “I can’t believe that ‘switched at birth’ nonsense actually happened.” “I’ve seen the real son of the Davis family. He looks exactly like Mrs. Davis when she was young.” “No wonder old Mr. Davis was raising someone else’s kid all these years.” “You can’t really say that. Ethan’s—I mean, Ethan Smith’s—abilities are undeniable.” At that moment, a disdainful voice cut in, dripping with schadenfreude. “He’s just a sparrow that fell into a phoenix’s nest. A sparrow is a sparrow; flying onto a high branch doesn’t make it a phoenix. He used to walk around with a straight face, acting so arrogant and high-and-mighty. Well, look at him now. Let’s see how arrogant he can be.” “Mark, don’t forget, Ethan helped your family out before. And Ethan single-handedly carried the Davis Group, while you haven’t even been allowed to join your own family’s company yet.” The man named Mark sounded even more contemptuous. “He just got lucky being taken in by the Davis family. He’s not even fit to shine my shoes. If my dad had given me the chance, if I were the heir to the Davis family, I definitely would have done better than him.” I picked up the ice bucket next to me and dumped it straight onto Mark’s head. “Evelyn Davis, are you crazy?!” “Did you eat laxatives for dinner? You’re spewing crap the moment you open your mouth. It’s just because the goddess you chased for years liked Ethan, and Ethan rejected her, so you’re holding a grudge. So what? She got rejected, but she still doesn’t want you! You want to be the heir to the Davis family? Don’t you own a mirror, or at least a puddle to look at your reflection? You’re not even as tall as a green onion, and your face is as wide as a pancake. Even if my parents took home the wrong child, they wouldn’t have picked an ugly thing like you. You’ve lived too many ugly days, now you’re just having delusions of grandeur.” Mark was red in the face from my scolding and raised his hand to hit me. Unable to dodge in time, I fell into a dry, warm embrace. A familiar, cool scent made me inexplicably feel safe. A wail of pain came from behind me. Ethan held me with one arm and gripped Mark’s wrist with the other. With a slight application of pressure, Mark howled in pain. “Looks like Zenith Tech needs to re-evaluate its partnership with the Taylor family.” Ethan let go of Mark and took off his suit jacket, draping it over my shoulders. When I dumped the water on Mark, some of it splashed onto me as well. “Are you okay?” Ethan looked at me nervously. I shook my head. “My dress is wet.” “Brother will take you to change.” His tone was gentle, like coaxing a child. We went to the Davis family’s permanent suite in the hotel, and I changed into a different gown. “You were too impulsive today. The other guy is a grown man. If he got really angry, you wouldn’t have been a match for him.” I pouted. “He was talking badly about you.” Ethan paused, then sighed. “Even if you were defending me, you can’t do that next time.” “I’ll do it again next time.” Ethan choked, raising his hand to pat the top of my head. I swatted his hand away and shook my fist at him. “I worked so hard to get this volume in my hair. If you flatten it, I’ll fight you.” Remembering how he faced off against Mark just now, exuding a fierce aura. I felt like a little wildcat baring its teeth. Ethan smiled. He looked incredibly handsome when he smiled, like the spring breeze cracking the ice on a frozen lake. 6 Back at the gala, Mark’s younger sister, Chloe Taylor, toasted me with a glass of wine. Chloe and I were on reasonably good terms. Thinking that she and Mark had different mothers, and that the Davis and Taylor families shouldn’t let things get too tense, I drank it. Not long after, I began to feel restless and my body grew hot. Having spent years in high-society circles, I immediately guessed what had happened to me. I stumbled toward the stairs. As soon as I got back to my room, I’d be safe. But I ran into the Taylor siblings in the hallway. Chloe stood in a corner, speaking cautiously. “Big brother, I did everything you asked. Next month, can you please stop cutting my and my mom’s allowance?” Mark looked at me with a sleazy grin. “Fine, since you were so obedient.” I looked at the two siblings in disbelief. “Chloe, you’re an illegitimate daughter. When you were bullied in the Taylor family, I helped you. And this is how you repay me?” Chloe gritted her teeth, her eyes red. “Who needed your help? It was just your condescending charity, to satisfy your own vanity. You think everyone wants to look at your seductive, slutty face. If I had your background and looks, I wouldn’t need your help at all.” I leaned against the wall to keep my balance. Mark approached me with an evil smirk, reaching out to touch my face. “Gotta say, with a face and body like this, who knows who would have gotten lucky in the future. You humiliated me in public today, so pay me back tonight.” “Aren’t you afraid the Davis family will come after the Taylors?” “Once everyone knows we slept together, the Davis family will have no choice but to marry you to me to save face. It’s a very profitable deal.” He grabbed me and started dragging me. I felt weak all over and couldn’t break free. In my daze, I saw the window in the hallway. I desperately wrenched my hand free, rushed over, and used my high heel to smash the glass. Someone would come up soon. I took the opportunity to run back to my room and locked the door. Mark banged on the door a couple of times and then fled. When Ethan arrived, he found me soaking in a bathtub full of cold water, still wearing my gown. “Evelyn, what happened?” The cool scent on Ethan brought me a brief moment of clarity. “Brother, it was Mark and Chloe. They drugged me.” I managed to squeeze out the sentence before my consciousness descended into chaos again. There felt like a fire in my lower abdomen, burning my internal organs. I desperately grabbed onto anything I could reach. The person in front of me felt cool and smelled nice. “Brother, you smell so good.” I pressed myself against him desperately, trying to absorb a trace of coolness. “Evelyn, don’t do this.” “Brother, please help me, I feel so awful.” I clung to his neck, my lips clumsily biting and kissing his collarbone. The room was filled with the erratic breathing of two people, the air feeling thin and sticky. I heard a sigh by my ear, as if accepting fate. Then the room spun, and I was tossed onto the soft, massive bed. “Evelyn, Evelyn.” Ethan murmured my name. Husky, pained, yearning. Ethan was usually so aloof, like the wind through a bamboo forest, or the moon in the high clouds. He rarely showed strong emotions. It was also the first time I had felt him so consumed by desire. I remembered that day outside the bathroom, hearing him call my name. It was the same—reverent, focused, restrained. I wanted to ask him why he was calling my name that day. But I soon couldn’t form a complete sentence. 7 When I woke up the next day, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains. I squinted at the unfamiliar ceiling, my mind a complete blank. Then, the memories of last night rushed back like a tidal wave. Mark, the drugs, the bathtub, Ethan— And that line, “I never wanted to be your brother at all.” I sat up abruptly, the blanket slipping off me. The chill made me look down. The marks on my collarbone and shoulders were as clear as a silent declaration. “Fuck.” I grabbed a pillow and threw it at the air, but the temperature on my face rose uncontrollably. The bathroom door opened, and Ethan walked out wearing a bathrobe. His hair was still wet, holding a towel. He saw I was awake and paused. “How do you feel?” His voice was very calm, as if nothing had happened last night. I glared at him, opening my mouth, but not a single word came out. What could I say? Thank you, brother, for helping me detox? Or ask him why he took advantage of my vulnerability? But I knew clearly in my heart that I was the one who threw myself at him last night. I was the one holding onto him, refusing to let go. I was the one who said, “Brother, help me.” I was the one— “Evelyn Davis, stop biting your lip.” Ethan walked over, his long fingers pinching my chin, forcing me to unclench my teeth. “The skin is already broken.” His thumb gently brushed across my lower lip, the movement overly tender. My brain exploded with a buzz. “D-Don’t touch me!” I slapped his hand away, wrapped the blanket around myself, and retreated, shrinking against the headboard. Ethan withdrew his hand, looking down at me, his deep eyes churning with emotions I couldn’t read. “About last night—” “Nothing happened last night!” I shouted before he could finish, my voice so shrill even I found it grating. “I was just drunk, and I don’t remember anything! You’re not allowed to remember either, you hear me!” Ethan looked at me in silence. That kind of silence caused more panic than any interrogation. “Evelyn Davis.” He finally spoke, his voice very soft. “Are you blaming me, or are you afraid of me?” Afraid of you? What I’m afraid of is myself. I’m afraid that even though I should have pushed you away, I didn’t want to at all. I’m afraid that for all these years, I kept telling myself you were my brother, but last night I realized I never truly saw you as a brother. “What am I blaming you for?” I forced a smile, but my voice trembled uncontrollably. “We’re brother and sister. We were before, and we will be in the future. Last night was just an accident. What else can we do but forget it?” “Enough.” Ethan suddenly leaned over, hands resting on either side of me, trapping me between the headboard and his chest. The scent of his cold cologne mixed with body wash filled my nose, and my brain completely shut down. “Evelyn Davis, listen well.” His voice was deep, every word landing hard on my heart. “I do not regret what happened last night.” My eyes widened. “But if it makes you uncomfortable or feel violated, then it’s my fault. You can blame me, you can curse at me, you can even beat me up. But the one thing you cannot say is ‘nothing happened’.” His gaze burned into me, like it was trying to scorch a hole right through me. “From the moment I knew I wasn’t a biological child of the Davis family, I couldn’t control myself anymore.” My brain completely stalled. Ethan, however, suddenly stood up straight, took two steps back, and returned to his cold, restrained demeanor. “Breakfast is in the living room. I’ll take you to the office after you eat.” He turned and walked out of the bedroom, his back as straight as a tree that would never bend. I sat on the bed, clutching the blanket, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would leap out of my throat. He had known for a long time that he wasn’t a child of the Davis family. That year I secretly wore my mom’s high heels and fell down the stairs, he was the one who caught me. He sprained his wrist and couldn’t write for three months, yet he still insisted on tutoring me every day. That day he looked at me and said something very strange: “Evelyn Davis, can you please grow up a little slower?” I thought at the time he found me annoying. Now— I buried my face in the blanket and let out a muffled groan. It’s over. It’s all over.

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Our seventh wedding anniversary. The hospital called, pulling me in for an emergency C-section. The Chief of Staff, Mr. Hill, his face grim, personally warned me: The patient was someone very important’s beloved. The surgery had to be flawless, or the entire hospital would face the consequences. I frowned, reviewing her chart. I’d always thought power players in this town, like my husband Asher, were devoted to their wives. A “beloved” who wasn’t his wife? That stung. The surgery was a success. The incision, neat and clean, was a testament to my skill. Just as I was letting out a relieved breath, a swarm of men in dark suits burst in. They shoved me roughly to my knees, right outside the patient’s room. Then, a voice, hauntingly familiar, pierced the air, sending a chill straight to my bones. “My wife says you hurt her during surgery. You’ll stay on your knees all night to atone.” Through the window, I saw him. My husband, Asher Hill, cradling a newborn, his eyes red-rimmed with tender concern. He was my husband, Asher Hill. And the woman in the hospital bed? The one he claimed he’d cut ties with three years ago. … 1 Six hours of surgery had already drained every ounce of my energy. The cold seeping into my knees was nothing compared to the icy stab in my heart. My lips parted, but no words came out. All I could do was stare blankly into the room. Asher’s eyes were bloodshot as he leaned over, pressing a kiss to the girl’s forehead. “Sweetheart, our daughter is beautiful.” “Thank you for this precious gift on our three-year anniversary.” Tears splattered onto the pristine hospital floor. So, Asher had never truly ended things with her. All those late nights he supposedly spent “at the office,” were they spent with her instead? The girl on the bed, her voice sickly sweet, grated on my nerves. It was just like Asher’s birthday, years ago. I’d swapped shifts with a colleague, rushing home early to surprise him. But when I pushed open our door, Asher was tangled naked with a stranger. I’d gone wild, flinging the birthday cake at them. Asher had dragged the girl to her knees, his eyes wild with a desperate, bloodshot plea. “Aurora, I’m so sorry. My friends got me wasted and brought her to my bed.” “I was drunk, I didn’t know who she was…” The girl, trembling, reached for my hand, trying to excuse Asher. “Mrs. Hill, it was my fault. I needed money, I seduced him, I even drugged his drink.” That night, Asher whisked the girl away at lightning speed, then tore into his buddies who’d allegedly set him up. He wrote a ten-page apology by hand, then knelt outside my bedroom door for an entire month. It even reached Asher’s mother. With tears in her eyes, she begged me to give him another chance. “Aurora, he can’t live without you. He’ll fall apart.” I locked myself in our room for three days and three nights, convinced I couldn’t sever the deep, searing love I felt for him. I forgave Asher. But I also warned him: if there was ever a next time, I would vanish from his life forever. Daylight broke, and the bodyguards finally let me go. Chief Hill, shaking his head, told me to pack my things and leave the hospital. I drifted home like a ghost, every muscle aching, my spirit a fragile thread. The candles on the dining table had burned down, the steak was cold. A tight, sickening ache filled my chest. I collapsed onto the floor, my eyes drawn to the enormous wedding photo on the wall. Asher in that picture, his gaze brimming with devotion, was the exact same man I’d seen doting on Felicity in the hospital room last night. Felicity pouted, asking for water. He carefully checked the temperature, then brought the glass to her lips. Felicity murmured her legs ached. He immediately searched online for how to massage a new mother. My eyes were vacant, tears streaming down my face, my heart spasming uncontrollably. Seven years of shared love, now reduced to ashes. Asher, I don’t want you anymore. 2 I packed a small bag, then sat alone until darkness fell. During that time, I called Asher over a dozen times. A part of me still couldn’t let it go. I wanted to ask him, face-to-face, how he could love two people at once. How could he lull me to sleep, then still have the energy to sneak off to Felicity? But the only response was a cold, dismissive text: “Don’t be silly. I’ll be home tonight to be with you.” Close to midnight, the lock clicked. Asher, seeing my red eyes, stiffened. He rushed to me, pulling me into his arms, feeling my ice-cold hands and feet. “Didn’t I tell you not to wait up for me anymore?” “You always make me worry, sweetheart.” Asher tucked me into bed, holding me tight, trying to warm me with his body heat. Years ago, before he made it big, we lived in a drafty, leaky apartment. Nights were brutally cold. Asher would hold me just like this, piling every warm piece of clothing onto me, his voice choked with promises. “Aurora, I’ll never let you suffer like this again.” Now, we had more money than we knew what to do with, our house warm year-round. But why was my heart growing colder by the day? My throat was raw and dry, and I couldn’t stop the tears. I was about to demand when he’d changed, when the strong scent of baby formula on him hit me. My stomach churned, and I pushed Asher away, rushing to the bathroom. In the mirror, my face was ghostly pale, a strange unease settling in my gut. Asher followed, gently patting my back, pulling out his phone to call our family doctor. “My wife isn’t feeling well. Be here in five minutes.” My hand instinctively went to my slightly swollen belly. I prayed there wasn’t a baby to complicate my plans. The doctor arrived quickly. After a brief check-up, he handed me a pregnancy test. “Mrs. Hill, have you been losing your appetite, feeling nauseous lately?” “It might be early pregnancy…” Asher’s eyes lit up, shining with a sudden, fierce hope. He practically dragged me into the bathroom. “Aurora, are we going to have a baby?” My fingers trembled, my heart threatening to burst from my chest. About three minutes later, two distinct lines appeared on the pregnancy test. Asher’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his lips quivering uncontrollably. “Aurora, we’re having a baby.” He immediately instructed the family doctor to fill our house with supplements and delved into thick stacks of pregnancy guides. I gave a bitter smile, unable to grasp why this child had arrived at such an utterly wrong time. Years ago, while helping Asher with deliveries, we’d been in a terrible car accident. I’d instinctively shielded him with my body, suffering severe injuries that landed me in the ER. That’s when we lost our first child. The doctors said my uterine lining was thin, and it would be very difficult to conceive again after the miscarriage. Later, as Asher’s career took off, I started regulating my body, trying to get pregnant. Five years passed with no luck. And now, just when I’d caught him cheating, just when I was planning to leave, a tiny life was growing inside me. But what could I do? Let this child grow up without a father? Be ostracized in a single-parent family? I looked at Asher, a last sliver of hope in my voice. If he just confessed, I could convince myself to forgive him one more time. “Asher, is there anything you want to…” The insistent ringing of his phone cut me off. Asher glanced at me guiltily, his fingers flying across the screen. He came over, hugged me, his voice muffled. “Something urgent came up at the office. I need to go make money to support you and the baby.” I grabbed Asher’s hand, my throat tight. “Can you give me three minutes?” His phone continued to ring. He gave a helpless smile. “We can talk about it when I get back. Tomorrow, I’ll spend the whole day with you.” Half an hour after I watched Asher leave, a text message from an unknown number arrived. The photo showed the man who supposedly went to the office, kissing the girl’s lips, while the baby in their arms smiled at the camera. 3 Some questions, I realized, didn’t need answers. Thankfully, Asher had been good to me over the years. The zeros in my bank account were almost uncountable – enough for me to raise a child alone, comfortably. I stroked my belly, tears splashing onto my hand. “Baby, from now on, it’s just you and me.” Tonight’s flights were sold out. I only managed to book one for tomorrow night to Los Angeles. All night, my phone pinged with a new photo every ten minutes. Asher had bought the girl a villa, right in our own neighborhood. The photos showed Asher holding the girl’s hand, helping her write calligraphy. Amidst the blurred ink, I zoomed in, making out the words on the red banner: “A Happy Family of Three.” A dull ache started in my lower abdomen, and my hand slipped, losing its grip. The phone crashed to the floor, its screen fracturing into a spiderweb of cracks. It lit up, displaying a picture of Asher and me, our first kiss, the moment we fell in love. I went insane, smashing the phone to bits, then tearing down the photo wall opposite our bed. Over a thousand pictures, Asher always saying “I love you” each time the camera clicked. But he lied to me… how can you love someone and still seek out another? How could he bear to break my heart? I shredded every photo of us, tossed out the ceramic mugs we’d made together. As the sun rose, I slipped off my wedding ring, selling every piece of jewelry Asher had ever given me. Our once warm room became hollow. Just as I finished tidying the last remnants, Asher finally came home. He carried countless elegant gift bags, then noticed the empty space on the wall. “Aurora, where’s our wedding photo?” I looked at him with cold eyes, my voice soft. “The frame broke. I sent it to be repaired.” Asher’s tensed shoulders relaxed. He came to my side, tentatively speaking. “Have you been short on cash lately? A friend said they received some jewelry engraved with our names.” He opened a box, revealing everything I’d just sold. The pink diamond earrings, the first luxury item he’d bought me with his first big paycheck. To commemorate it, Asher had even hired a professional engraver to carve our names into them. I glanced at them indifferently, my voice flat. “Must have accidentally packed them with some other things I was getting rid of.” Asher rummaged through the glittering array of jewelry and pulled out a simple diamond ring. The diamond was tiny, almost unnoticeable. But it was the best Asher could afford back then, a symbol of his deepest love for me. Asher gently stroked my head, his tone indulgent. “My little scatterbrain, how could you lose your wedding ring?” He leaned down, kissing my ring finger, then slipped the ring back on. Afterwards, he transferred fifty million into my bank account. “If you need money, just tell your husband. Don’t try to handle everything alone.” “Aurora, try to rely on me more.” I didn’t say a word, feeling like a hollow shell from which the soul had been sucked out. These gifts were things he’d bought while out with Felicity. Not because he genuinely wanted to give them to me, but because someone had reminded him. Asher, how much genuine affection do you still hold for me? The entire day, Asher turned off his phone and stayed with me, almost like we were back in our dating days. He cooked my favorite century egg and lean pork congee, and meticulously followed a blogger’s recipes for my pregnancy meals. Time ticked by, and my app reminded me it was time to leave. I watched the busy Asher, unable to find an excuse to get rid of him. Just then, the doorbell rang.

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I’m a voice-over enthusiast, and I recently started an online relationship. The day we were finally supposed to meet in person was fast approaching when my roommate suddenly approached me. With a serious expression, she tried to talk me out of it, saying men with good voices usually weren’t much to look at. She even worried about me going alone and offered to go meet him in my place. Just then, some strange text appeared before my eyes, like comments on a movie scene. The text said things like, “The female lead is so smart, she just snatched the perfect male lead,” and scoffed, “The supporting female character was too scared to go herself, so the female lead got her chance.” It even mentioned later how “the clownish supporting character regretted it when she saw the handsome guy, but the male lead completely ignored her.” Seeing my roommate’s determined look, an idea sparked in my mind. I quietly messaged my online boyfriend: “Change of plans, could you come tomorrow instead?” 1. “Sweetheart, I’ve already booked my ticket.” My online boyfriend suddenly sent me a message, along with a picture of his flight arriving near A University this afternoon. “Sweetheart, remember to pick me up.” I tapped the voice message, and the man’s deep, captivating voice instantly flowed into my left ear, a tingling sensation that shot straight to my brain. So good to hear. Lisa’s voice was just too perfect. My face involuntarily flushed. I hurried to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. As I looked up, I saw my plain face in the mirror. Not ugly, exactly. Just not pretty, very ordinary-looking. A knot of anxiety tightened in my chest. Would Lisa… look down on me? Find me unattractive? My gut told me he wasn’t that kind of person. But thinking of his incredible voice, I felt a pang of inadequacy. For a moment, I wavered. I didn’t reply to Lisa’s message immediately. Normally, we’d reply to each other in an instant. Nothing was ever left for later. So, Lisa quickly sensed something was off. He tentatively asked, “Sweetheart, are you not ready yet?” “It’s okay.” “Just being yourself is perfect, don’t be scared.” Afraid I’d feel guilty, Lisa quickly added that last bit. Just then, my roommate, Ashley Hayes, walked into the dorm, laden with gifts. Our eyes met, and sparks flew. I knew she’d heard. “Summer Brooks, have I ever told you that online relationships are unreliable and you should break up with him already?” Ashley frowned, her beautiful brows furrowed, staring at me with displeasure. She really lived up to her reputation as the campus queen. Even when she was angry, she looked stunning. But I wasn’t like her; I didn’t have a string of admirers. My social anxiety was severe, making me afraid to even step outside. Remembering how good Lisa was, I instinctively tried to defend him, “Lisa, he…” “Don’t you know how many female students get kidnapped because of online dating? Besides, a guy with a nice voice doesn’t necessarily mean he’s handsome, why are you so obsessed?” She impatiently cut me off, then, as if an idea struck her, she blinked her pretty eyes, “How about this, I’ll go meet him in your place today and see if he’s a demon or an angel!” In truth, no matter what Lisa looked like, I wouldn’t break up with him. But I wasn’t sure if he’d accept me. After all, not everyone was a voice-over enthusiast. As I was pondering the credibility of her words, text suddenly flashed before my eyes: “Tsk, this supporting character is so dramatic, online dating but too scared to meet up, isn’t she just messing with him?” “Hehehe, no worries, no worries, our female lead is super smart, after she goes to meet him, she’ll fall in love at first sight with the male lead and easily reel him in~” “Well, our female lead is a magnet for men~ Even the school’s top jock fell for her, let alone some small-time streamer.” “LOL, the supporting character will regret it once she knows how handsome the male lead is, she’ll beg the female lead to give her boyfriend back, but the male lead won’t even bat an eye at her, what a clown!” Seeing those negative comments pop up, I couldn’t help but freeze. My mind was a jumble. 2. Six months ago. I met Lisa in a game. That day, I had a seven-game losing streak and my lane was even stolen. I was simultaneously crying hysterically and cursing up a storm. I hadn’t noticed, though, that my voice chat was open to the entire team. Everyone listened to me rage for a whole game. “Waaah, waaaah, can’t you see I pre-picked? What are you stealing for, you jerk?” “So eager to die, do you want me to help you?” There were many more unpleasant things I said. But when the mid-lane fell into danger, my hands moved faster than my brain. Even as teammates spammed the ‘retreat’ signal, I instinctively rushed to save him. The mid-laner immediately got a penta-kill against the enemy. I suddenly fell silent, no longer cursing. But he opened his mic and chuckled softly, “Support, your voice is quite nice.” “Can I add you as a friend?” At that moment, all I wanted to do was post on Reddit asking, “What do you do when you fall in love with your arch-nemesis?” Lisa’s voice was inexplicably captivating. I, as if possessed, accepted his friend request and added him on Messenger. From then on, he would flirt with me constantly. “Can I invite you to a game?” “I just sang a song, want to hear it?” “Don’t misunderstand, it’s just a song exclusively for you.” “The weather’s great today. I mean, how are you? Or rather, can I be your boyfriend?” Later, I learned he was a faceless voice-over streamer on TikTok. He had tens of thousands of followers. Many people adored him. I was practically invisible at school, with only Ashley as a close friend. How could I resist such blatant pursuit? I instantly fell in love. I had thought about meeting him in person, but in Lisa’s social media, his university was a top-tier institution. He participated in academic competitions every month. He was too exceptional. It always made him feel unreal to me. Until today, I finally understood everything. This was a cheesy romance novel with a ‘magnet for men’ as the protagonist. The female lead was my roommate, Ashley Hayes, who could captivate hearts with every move. My existence was merely a bridge for her to meet Lisa. Because of my insecurity and timidity, Ashley would go meet him in my place this afternoon, then fall in love at first sight with the pure-hearted male lead, Lisa, and use all her charm to win the handsome man over. And I, out of jealousy, would cyberbully the female lead, demanding she give Lisa back to me. Constantly making a fool of myself and digging my own grave. Ultimately, I would meet a tragic end, despised by all. “Why is this supporting character still pretending to be noble? Didn’t the female lead say she’d go first to scout out the male lead for her?” “Relax~ Our female lead is so beautiful, she’s naturally afraid her boyfriend will be charmed away~” “Serves her right, not going to the meetup herself and letting someone else snag a great catch.” “The moment the supporting character gave up on meeting, the male lead was already in our female lead’s pocket~” I lowered my gaze, staring at the text. My hands clenched into tight fists. The next second, I forced a smile, my voice natural, “Okay, then you can go in my place!” “Have fun~” 3. I hadn’t given up on Lisa. I was the one who had spent hundreds of days and nights with him. I was still the one who had helped him win thousands of game matches. Such a long-standing relationship, it couldn’t just crumble overnight. Similarly, I wouldn’t abandon my love because of a few baseless comments. Watching Lisa send me the rescheduled flight ticket, a warmth slowly spread through my body. No matter how unreasonable or irritable I was, he always managed to calm me down immediately. Patiently waiting for my explanation. He was so good, I really shouldn’t have hesitated. After some thought, I turned to look at Ashley, who was changing dresses in front of the mirror. She hummed softly, trying on one dress after another. Finally, she settled on a pure white gown that perfectly matched her makeup. No embellishments. Making Ashley appear even more elegant and pristine. A silver necklace just barely concealed a faint red mark on her collarbone. The comments were all praising her: “Our female lead is so beautiful~ drool.jpg, no wonder she can even win over the aloof male lead!” “This magnet-for-men female lead is awesome! All the excellent men should be hers!” “Handsome guys should be with beautiful girls, right? How dare the supporting character, looking like that, even dream of our male lead?” “LOL, the supporting character was scared the male lead would be ugly and didn’t dare go, but turns out she’s the ugliest one.” Hearing these familiar comments, my heart no longer stirred. Normally, I had no friends. Only Ashley was willing to approach me, exuding kindness. But I knew she was merely trying to highlight her own goodness and beauty. Walking with her, everyone would instinctively look at the more beautiful Ashley. My secret crush would also be drawn to her, becoming one of her many admirers. I could let her have anything. Except Lisa. Before leaving, Ashley’s gaze lingered on me, subtly mixed with a hint of disdain. Yet her voice was soft and gentle, “Summer, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. I’ll ask you one last time, do you want me to go in your place?” I sat up, pressing my glowing phone screen, “Of course not, you’re so pretty, Lisa will be amazed when he sees you!” “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I never told Lisa my real name. When you pick him up, you need to shout out my online alias, okay?” “Tsk.” A flicker of annoyance crossed Ashley’s beautiful eyes, and she rolled them, “You online daters are such a pain, not even daring to say your real name, afraid he’ll secretly look up your photos?” “I hate you online dating types the most. You wave the banner of pure love and say you’re looking for a soulmate, but as soon as you send a photo, you’re nowhere to be found.” I was about to open my mouth to explain something when she abruptly cut me off, “Alright, alright, I’m leaving. Don’t waste my time.” 4. Only after watching Ashley leave did I continue to open Messenger. On the white chat background, the man’s skin was pale, his features delicate, and his attractive almond-shaped eyes had a faint redness at the corners. This was the only photo Lisa had ever actively sent me. This picture was also my phone’s wallpaper. So, I was very sure, that the ‘love at first sight’ the comments spoke of between Ashley and Lisa was a lie. Because she had already seen Lisa. Today’s charade was merely a performance for me. To shift all the blame onto me, and then brazenly start a new relationship with my online boyfriend. But I didn’t want to let her have her way. “Sweetheart, remember to pick me up tomorrow.” Lisa sent another voice message, making my heart flutter. My face turned red involuntarily, and I stammered, “I… I know.” Afterward, we both opened the game. About five matches later, the sunset outside the window disappeared, giving way to hints of black. My roommate, Ashley, finally pushed open the door with an explosive temper, her exquisite hairstyle disheveled and quite a mess. She was like a madwoman, “Summer Brooks! How dare you trick me?!” “I waited all afternoon, there was no online boyfriend of yours!” Saying this, she extended her newly manicured hand, poised to grab me. I retreated in fear, quickly squeezing out a few tears from my eyes, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would be like this.” “Lisa’s flight was delayed, I just found out too. See, I called you.” I forcefully placed my phone in front of her. It accidentally brushed against Ashley’s expensive earring, and she irritably pushed it away, “Alright, alright, so when is he actually arriving?!” I thought for a moment and replied, “Tomorrow.” “Lisa said tomorrow noon.” “Fine.” Ashley went back to her bed, about to rest for a bit, when something suddenly occurred to her, and she stared at me with a dark expression. “This time, you won’t stand me up again, will you?” “No, no, never.” The comments reappeared: “Is the supporting character an idiot? She said she’d let the female lead go for her, but didn’t tell her the flight was cancelled? Is she doing this on purpose to mess with the female lead?” “How could she? The supporting character is so dumb, only our female lead can play her, she’ll get her prize tomorrow, just be patient~” “The supporting character is truly speechless, making the female lead wait all afternoon for nothing, and delaying the male and female leads’ meeting again. She can’t sacrifice our female lead’s happiness for her own love, can she?” “Seriously biased, when will this annoying supporting character log off?!” Ignoring these sour comments, I lay down listening to the love song Lisa had specially recorded for me. And drifted off to sleep beautifully. 5. The next day. Ashley woke up early to do her makeup, and unlike yesterday, she wore a captivating smoky eye, a black fitted top, and a mini skirt. As she was about to leave, I slowly got out of bed and called out to her, my voice laced with hesitation, “Ashley, I think, I think you’re right. Meeting someone from online dating, of course, I should go myself. It’s the least respect I can show them.” “It was really out of line for me to ask you to go in my place!” After saying that, I quickly washed up and changed into clothes suitable for moving around. “You?” Ashley’s face turned green. Her fists clenched, knuckles cracking. To meet the legendary male lead, she gritted her teeth and started to manipulate me again, “Well then, why don’t I go with you? That way, we’ll have each other’s backs.” After a moment of hesitation, I accepted her suggestion. Lisa was punctual. He got off the plane at 11:45 AM. At 11:47 AM, I saw him walking towards me, pulling a suitcase, with his long, straight legs. Judging by his height, he must have been around six feet one. Suddenly seeing him in person, I felt shy and resisted the urge to rush forward. But Ashley, standing beside me, smiled brightly at Lisa and said in a natural tone, “You must be Lisa, right? I’m ‘Little Pig Who Eats Thirty Pounds of Feed and Never Gets Fat’~ your online girlfriend!” “Little Pig Who Eats Thirty Pounds of Feed and Never Gets Fat” was my alternate account’s online name. It seemed she remembered what I said yesterday very clearly. Lisa, having never seen her before, instinctively glanced in my direction. His eyes showed confusion. He seemed unable to recognize either of us. The comments quickly chimed in: “Tsk tsk tsk, the male lead is stunned, isn’t he! The elegant and alluring beauty is right in front of you, his eyes are glued~” “The male lead must be thinking, why is one so beautiful, and the other looks like an elementary schooler, flat-chested.” “Even a blind person would know which one to choose, right?” “Hehehe, soon we’ll get to see the juicy bits~” “Countdown to the clownish supporting character logging off!” But the next second, Lisa merely gave her a distant nod and continued walking towards me. “Summer, have you been waiting long?” His voice was just as pleasant as it was over the phone. He casually took my cheap handbag and slung it over his shoulder. The corners of his mouth curved into a slight smile. He was about to lead me away. Ashley’s outstretched hand and her smile froze on her face. Perhaps she didn’t understand why. So, I kindly reminded her, my tone sincere. “Ashley, thank you. You’re right, I should not only come to pick up Lisa myself, but also tell him what I look like earlier. I thought about it a lot last night and finally decided to send him my selfie.” “Thank you, really.” Instantly, countless “Btch, you f*ing btch!” comments flashed before my eyes. Unfortunately, they were blocked by something. She turned around, a fake smile on her face, “It’s nothing, lovers always find a way~ I guess I did a good deed~ But you, next time, don’t play around like this, okay? Lisa came all this way, and you made me pick him up, how rude of you~” As she spoke, she kept glancing at Lisa opposite her. I nodded seriously, “Ashley, you’re absolutely right.” “If you hadn’t suggested going in my place, I wouldn’t have realized how much I truly like Lisa.” This time, the comments were fuming again, spewing profanity.

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It was May 20th. My roommate, Kelly, announced her new relationship that day. In the photo, a diamond ring sparkled brightly on their tightly clasped hands. Her caption read: “This is the best thing he’s ever given me.” I zoomed in on the photo and suddenly saw a scar on the man’s index finger that was all too familiar. I turned my head and yelled to my dad, who was busy in the kitchen, “Dad, I feel sick, I want to throw up.” … 1 In the living room, Mom and Dad hovered over me, their faces etched with worry. I clutched the trash can, my stomach churning violently. Ever since I saw that social media post, my mind had been uncontrollably conjuring images of my dad and Kelly together. Each one made me physically ill. Mom gently rubbed my back, offering a perfectly tempered honey water, her eyes full of concern for me alone. Suddenly, I couldn’t meet her gaze, as if I was the one who had done something wrong. Perhaps I truly was to blame. If I hadn’t felt sorry for Kelly, working hard during summer and winter breaks, and hadn’t brought her home so often for meals to cheer her up… If I hadn’t constantly bragged that my dad was the best man in the world… Would none of this have happened? Self-inflicted blame and internal turmoil surged, and I almost blurted out: “Mom, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault Dad had the chance to betray you.” But before the words reached my lips, I regained my composure and rationality. I couldn’t just rip open this wound. Dad held all the financial power in the family. Why should Mom’s years of hard work and everything she built just be handed over to someone else? She can dream! I took a deep breath, and when I looked up again, my eyes were brimming with tears, my expression utterly distraught. “Dad, can you skip your company meeting tonight? I feel really unwell.” Dad didn’t hesitate for a second, nodding repeatedly. I was his little princess, cherished above all else. That evening, I still shared my daily life in the dorm group chat. [Anyone else feel me, fam? I’m getting force-fed puppy chow again.] In the video I posted, my dad, with a look of pure adoration, fed peeled shrimp to my mom. Aside from Kelly, the other two roommates responded with emojis like [eating puppy chow] and [can’t even look]. I tagged Kelly, asking with feigned innocence and curiosity: [Kelly, I saw your relationship announcement on social media. Congrats! You’re the first one in our dorm to get snatched up. I bet your boyfriend’s peeling shrimp for you on this romantic day too, right?] I wasn’t sure if Kelly’s post was public, so I used this method to gauge her reaction and that of the other two roommates. The other two roommates were surprised, asking in a flurry what social media post I was talking about. They screenshotted Kelly’s feed. The 5/20 announcement wasn’t there. I, in turn, screenshotted Kelly’s post from my own phone. The other two roommates, clearly annoyed, tagged Kelly. [Kelly, what’s the deal? We’re all roommates, and you’re blocking some of us from your posts? What’s up with that?] [Falling in love isn’t something shameful. Why hide it and not even show his face? Is your boyfriend some top idol or something?] I smirked behind my phone screen. Huh. Looks like that post was specifically set to ‘visible only to me,’ with a lot of thought. What was she trying to do? Covertly brag? Test if I could recognize the owner of that hand? Undermine my perfect family, which I always prided myself on? Whatever her reason, I would never tolerate or forgive it. I treated her as my best friend, always thinking of her when I had something good. Yet she maliciously wanted to destroy my family. The other two roommates’ barrage of questions quickly filled the screen. Kelly clearly hadn’t expected things to spiral in an unanticipated direction. She couldn’t play dead any longer, stammering explanations in the group chat, claiming she’d accidentally tapped the wrong setting when posting. The excuse was weak and transparent. No one was stupid; the other two roommates naturally didn’t believe her. The once lively group chat suddenly grew awkward. Since my family was local, I usually didn’t stay in the dorms. Kelly and the other two roommates lived there. Thinking about how Kelly would face them tonight, the pent-up frustration​ in my heart finally eased with a satisfying breath. Kelly wanted to snag a rich guy, that was her business. But when she tried to snag my rich guy, she shouldn’t expect me to be polite. … 2 To my parents’ astonishment, I drove my dad’s Porsche, which he’d given me for my eighteenth birthday. With a trunk full of belongings, I moved into my school dorm room with great fanfare. My excuse: independence and self-reliance. In the dorm, Kelly sat disconsolately, clutching her phone. Seeing it was me, she yanked her bed curtain shut. I happily and loudly announced to my other two roommates that I’d be living in the dorms and started bustlingly unpacking my things. I was in the thick of it when my phone rang with a video call. I pulled out my hand to answer. A rich, deep voice came through. “Cora, Dad just got home and saw your room half-empty. My heart sank. You’ve never been away from home your whole life. If you need anything at school, anything at all, you have to tell Dad. I’ll bring it to you.” From behind Kelly’s curtain, there was the sound of a dropped phone. I glanced over, playfully adding: “Dad, do you remember my roommate, Kelly? Her boyfriend gave her a huge diamond ring, it’s so beautiful, I’m so jealous! But I don’t have a boyfriend, sigh… Dad, maybe I should find a rich boyfriend, then I can have a big diamond ring too.” Kelly’s bed curtain remained motionless, but I could feel it. She was undoubtedly staring at me with cold fury from behind that curtain. On the other end of the video, a flicker of discomfort crossed my dad’s face, immediately replaced by anger. His tone was anxious, clearly afraid I’d actually start a relationship just for a diamond ring. “Cora! Don’t you dare! My daughter, Cora Tang, would never date for money like some gold digger. If you like diamond rings, Dad can buy you enough to fill ten fingers. Don’t ever say anything that demeans yourself like that again.” My dad angrily hung up the video call. Five seconds later, the dorm room echoed with the sound of [Alipay: 500,000 yuan received]. My roommate, Sarah, rushed over, exclaiming, “Oh my god, what kind of fairy tale dad is this? Cora, are you really going to buy ten diamond rings with 500,000 and wear them all?” I pulled back Kelly’s bed curtain, feigning innocence and a carefree smile. “If you wear one and I wear ten, would you be mad, Kelly?” Kelly seemed to be suppressing something, gritting her teeth as she squeezed out, “Does my being mad matter? You, Miss Tang, always do whatever you want, never caring about anyone else’s feelings.” I beamed at her words and happily walked out. I really did buy ten diamond rings. When curious people asked, I’d tell them my dad was so afraid I’d become a gold digger for a single ring that he filled my fingers with them first. Everyone then looked at the diamond ring that had suddenly appeared on Kelly’s finger with complicated expressions. In just a few days, Kelly couldn’t bear it anymore and voluntarily took off her ring. Yet every time she saw me, her eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness. Is that all it takes to make her feel wronged? To feel humiliated? This was just the beginning. I wasn’t exposing her yet. Not because I was afraid of her, but because I wanted to slowly torture her to death. After a few quiet days, Kelly started returning to the dorm later and later, almost always just as the doors were closing. Each night, she came back beaming. But on her, I smelled a familiar, high-end cologne. Kelly, giddy with delight, admired her new designer bag in the dorm mirror, her eyes twinkling with a smile as she asked me: “Cora, this is the bag my boyfriend gave me tonight. It’s a new style. Do you like it?” I surveyed her, my words sharp. “The bag’s alright. It just looks a bit… suburban on you. Don’t you think, everyone? Kelly looks neither rural nor sophisticated.” 3 The other two roommates took a careful look, nodding in agreement. Kelly stood in front of the mirror like a clown, her face alternating between green and white. Then, as if remembering something joyful, she said with a suggestive tone, “But my boyfriend says he loves my natural, country girl charm. Cora, don’t you think my boyfriend is great?” This time, I didn’t even bother to look up, my fingers flying across the screen. After a lot of effort, I had finally calculated our family’s approximate assets. I pinched the bridge of my nose, then slowly said, “That’s hard to say. Who knows if your boyfriend just got tired of all the fine dining and suddenly craved a bit of dandelion greens?” Kelly glared at me, her eyes red with fury. I hummed a tune, my heart filled with frost. Hating Kelly was true. But I hated my dad more. He knew Kelly was my roommate, knew how much Mom and I trusted him. Yet he entangled himself with Kelly, again and again. Perhaps, that perfect dad had always been just my own fantasy. Only because it was Kelly this time did I finally notice the cracks. I should be grateful, grateful for Kelly’s thoughtlessness and subtle bragging. It allowed me to see my dad clearly, and gave me time to make arrangements beforehand. I wouldn’t let either of them off the hook. That weekend, I drove to my grandparents’ house. The moment I walked in, I knelt before them and burst into tears. My grandparents cherished me like the apple of their eye, calling me their precious darling, frantic with worry. Between sobs, I told my grandparents, “I don’t want to live, Grandma, Grandpa. You’re the ones who love me most. I wanted to see you again before I die.” At my words, Grandma’s tears flowed freely, and Grandpa, a strong man his whole life, teared up, his voice trembling. The two of them held me, comforting and reassuring me, promising that no matter what injustice I suffered, they would stand up for me. I pulled out my phone, found the picture of Kelly and my dad with their fingers entwined, and then found the video I secretly recorded of Kelly showing off her new bag and asking me if her boyfriend was great. My grandparents, guided by my hints, recognized the scar on my dad’s finger. Grandpa’s eyes widened in fury, his face turning ashen. He stood up, ready to go beat my dad to death. Grandma grabbed me, insisting we go to the school to expose Kelly for breaking up a family. I cried, stopping them, my voice choked with grievance. “It’s no use, Grandma, Grandpa. A scar alone can’t prove this. And besides, if family secrets get out, where will Mom and I put our faces? I really don’t want to live, but I don’t want Mom to know any of this. I’m afraid she’ll do something rash, boohoohoo…” My grandparents were heartbroken, crying that if anything happened to me, it would be the end of them. When the moment was right, I spoke with a bitter tone. “Grandma, Grandpa, my roommate is clearly after Dad’s money. Every time she gets something, she subtly flaunts it in front of me. I’m so sad. Is there… is there any way to make sure Dad has no money for her? I’m afraid today she wants a diamond ring, tomorrow a bag, the day after a car, an apartment, and then Dad’s company. What will Mom and I do then, boohoohoo…” Grandpa and Grandma exchanged glances, lost in thought. A moment later, Grandpa put his arm around my shoulder, promising: “Don’t cry, sweetie. Grandpa has a plan. Grandpa will find a way to reclaim your dad’s assets and transfer them to your name. If that day comes, the only one left with nothing will be him, the one who made the mistake. You and your mother have Grandpa to protect you.” My objective achieved, I lowered my head to conceal the curve of my lips, my eyes clear and sharp. …

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Declan Martin, to save his terminally ill darling, made a deal with a mysterious system. The terms of the deal were brutal: he had to kill me, Nina Thorne, ninety-nine times, by various means, so his beloved could extend her life. The first time, it was in our marital home. He strangled me with his own hands. The twelfth time, we were hiking, and he deliberately orchestrated an accident, pushing me off a mountain. I fell to my death. He hired people to abduct me, then burned me alive. That was the thirty-sixth time. And the ninety-ninth time, I chose to end my own life. This time, I never woke up again. His darling finally recovered, but he didn’t go to see her. He knelt beside my cold corpse like a madman, hoarsely begging me to come back. I really wanted to ask him, isn’t your beloved perfectly fine now? Why are you unhappy instead? 1 Declan Martin’ ninety-eighth kill was to slit my wrists and then hold me down in a bathtub, drowning me alive. When I woke up this time, my face was blank. I gripped the edge of the tub, slowly pulling myself to my feet. Blood still swirled down the drain in the mirror. My skin was terrifyingly pale, only my eyes still holding a flicker of life. Declan had said the system indicated Clara’s heart needed a strong surge of life force. So, as he held the razor blade to my veins, his expression was devoid of emotion, intent only on quickly dispatching me, this nuisance. His gaze didn’t even linger on my face. I pulled the bathtub plug and watched the blood drain away. Then I picked up the showerhead, rinsing my body, as if cleaning a crime scene I wasn’t involved in. My life was merely a line item on Clara’s life-extension ledger, to be crossed out and rewritten at any time, until the damned ninety-nine deaths were complete. The system was as thoughtful as ever; upon rebirth, my wrist bore no trace of the wound. But the memories of my deaths became increasingly vivid in my mind. I walked out of the bathroom, put on clean clothes. Outside, dawn was breaking. A new day had begun, and so had my death countdown. The ninety-ninth time, what method would it be? A car crash? A fall from a building? Or something more novel? I was a little curious, a little numb. After all, repeating something ninety-eight times, no matter how painful, became a habit. My phone vibrated on the bedside table. It was a message from Declan. [Clara wants to go for a walk today. Get ready to accompany her to West Ridge Park.] His tone was like instructing a servant. When my sacrifice wasn’t needed, he didn’t treat me like a wife either. I replied with a single word: [Okay.] Then I tossed the phone back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. My heart was riddled with a dense ache. I suddenly yearned to know, when the ninety-ninth time arrived, would I truly be free? 2 Three years ago, Clara had a car accident. When I rushed to the hospital, Declan was kneeling outside the operating room. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was grabbing the doctor’s white coat, roaring, “Save her! Whatever the cost, save her!” The doctor merely shook his head helplessly. Declan’s back slumped, and he crumpled into a defeated heap. Only then did I realize that he valued his beloved more than me, more even than his own life. But before I could even leave, a cold, mechanical voice simultaneously sounded in both our minds. [Detecting strong life prayer.] [Life Transaction System activated.] [Contract target: Clara Thorne.] [Contract condition: In exchange for the designated subject Nina Thorne’s ninety-nine deaths, the life signs of Clara Thorne will be restored and maintained.] I was utterly stunned. What system? What transaction? Declan abruptly looked up, as if clutching a final lifeline. He confirmed almost impatiently, “You mean, as long as Nina dies ninety-nine times, Clara can live?” The system responded coldly: [Yes.] “I agree!” He roared the words, without a hint of hesitation, not even glancing at me, as if afraid the system would back out a second later. In that moment, colder than the operating room lights, was my heart. I didn’t even have time to protest before the system’s voice sounded again: [Contract generated. Phase one: Restore Clara Thorne’s critical life signs. Requires Nina Thorne’s first life sacrifice.] [Execution method: Suffocation.] [Executor: Declan Martin.] I was frozen, backing away involuntarily. “Declan, listen to me, the system is nonsense, don’t believe its lies, don’t…” But Declan was beyond my pleas. His eyes were bloodshot, stained with an almost insane stubbornness. “Nina…” He walked towards me step by step, cornering me against the wall. “I’m sorry.” He reached out and choked me. Suffocation instantly overwhelmed me. I struggled desperately, looking at his face so close to mine. Tears streamed from his eyes, and he choked out, “I can’t lose Clara… I truly can’t…” My mouth was open, but no sound came out. My vision began to blur, and the air was sucked from my lungs. I stared fixedly at him. I wanted to ask, why me? Declan seemed to understand my gaze; he avoided my eyes. “The system chose you. This is your fate.” He didn’t dare look into my eyes, only increasing the force of his hands. That was my first death, accompanied by his tears and that fleeting ‘I’m sorry.’ When I woke up, I found myself in my bed at home. Declan was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing at me gently, as if the person who had strangled me last night was just a hallucination. At the time, I still harbored a foolish hope, believing it was just a nightmare. Until a few days later, news came that Clara was out of danger. And the system’s voice sounded again, reminding Declan that Clara’s body still needed subsequent life force maintenance, requiring a second sacrifice. This time, it was in our basement. He tied me to a chair and turned on the gas valve. His hands still trembled slightly, but his gaze was already much calmer. And later. The third time, he drove me to the beach, then crashed me into the sea. The fourth time, he poisoned my dinner. The fifth time, he pushed me from the top floor of the company, making it look like a suicide. … The twentieth time… The fiftieth time… His actions became more practiced, his eyes growing colder. From an initial apology, to later silence, and now to outright impatience. Each sacrifice’s reason was connected to Clara’s condition. “Clara’s heart is rejecting, needs life force to suppress it.” “Clara has a lung infection, needs life force to purify it.” “Clara needs stronger life force to fully stabilize…” And I was the sacrifice providing that life force. Ninety-nine times, like a curse, etched into my soul. I couldn’t break free, couldn’t escape. I could only hope to quickly complete these ninety-nine tasks, and finally be free… 3 On the tenth day after the ninety-eighth death, according to the usual pattern, Clara’s body was due for another small setback. Declan should also have received the system’s mission notification. The ninety-ninth time was almost upon me. I even started preparing in advance. I checked the gas pipes in the basement to ensure they were clear, loosened the screws on the balcony railing, and sharpened a dagger. This was so that if he found it inconvenient to act, I wouldn’t have to struggle fiercely and suffer more before I died. After doing all this, I looked at the withered flowers on the balcony, and for some reason, tears blurred my eyes. This was once the garden he and I had built together. But now it was somber and lifeless. I simply pulled out all the roses by their roots, threw them all away, along with all my personal belongings, discarding everything. Anyway, there was only one more time, and I would be free. Better to leave cleanly, without a trace. He returned, smelling of alcohol. Seeing the unusually empty and neat house, he was momentarily taken aback. “That dress… I remember you were as happy as a child when you received that gift.” I gazed at the brief moment of tenderness in his eyes, feeling a strange sense of unreality. The light blue dress I was wearing was indeed the first gift he had given me. Back then, he wasn’t yet the monster who would cruelly murder me for his beloved. “Really? I don’t remember.” “Nina, are you still sulking?” “Can’t you be a little more sensible? Clara only gets one life, and you’ve died ninety-eight times and you’re fine, aren’t you? One more time won’t matter.” “Just one more time. Once Clara fully recovers, I’ll compensate you properly. Then, whatever you want to do, I’ll be there with you.” Ha, how ridiculous. “Declan Martin, how can you kill someone ninety-eight times and still remain so unfazed, without a flicker of guilt?” I calmly threw the ring he gave me when we got married out the window. Watching the sparkling diamond disappear from sight, Declan suddenly felt a strange unease. Ninety-eight times, and Nina had never thrown away their wedding ring, but today she was so uncharacteristically defiant. He suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart, as if something important was being stripped from his life. He didn’t seem as decisive as he had been in the previous ninety-eight times he killed me. “Nina, maybe there’s another way to save Clara…” “It’s already the last time. You’re saying this now? It’s too late.” My unusual calmness unsettled him. He suddenly took a step forward, grabbing my wrist, staring intently into my eyes. “The last time. Do it.” He didn’t make a move, just impatiently tore off his tie and threw it on the floor. His grip on my hand was painfully tight. “Are you really so willing to die?” His voice held a hidden mix of reluctance and frenzy. I suddenly laughed. What was he so reluctant about? Three years ago, the first time he choked me, I begged, I questioned. I asked him why me, what our relationship meant, pleaded with him to let me go. But his eyes only saw Clara. Later, I tried to escape, to get away from them, away from this damned system! Yet no matter where I fled, even overseas, Declan would find me, bringing me back to this cage-like home. He wouldn’t allow me to leave without his permission, as I was tied to Clara’s health and the Martin family’s decade of kindness to me. So I compromised. At first, I still held onto hope, even if it wasn’t love, even if it was for that tiny bit of childhood sweetheart affection, hoping he might show me some pity. But now, with over ninety deaths accumulated, those questions, tears, and affection had long since vanished. 4 Seeing Nina in such a stubborn, broken state, Declan’s heart suddenly felt like it was crushed by a massive stone, muffled, unable to breathe. Just as he was about to say something more, the door suddenly opened. It was Clara. She wore a pristine white dress, her face flushed with health, looking perfectly recovered. Seeing the argument between Declan and me, she walked over in her high heels, gently removing Declan’s hand from my wrist, and softly whined, “Declan, don’t be so rough. Girls need to be cherished.” Then, with a radiant smile, she looked at me: “Nina, please don’t be angry with Declan, don’t blame him. Blame me instead.” “It’s all because of my poor health that Declan showed me more care. But don’t worry, he and I are just old school friends. I would never disrupt your relationship.” “And thank you for always taking care of Declan. He always tells me how wonderful you are. You two must stay strong together.” Seeing the irrepressible triumph in her eyes, I only felt cynical. Her words on my phone, “the unloved one is the home-wrecker,” were still fresh in my memory. What was she trying to act out for me? Declan, however, was blind. With his darling by his side, his gaze instantly softened. He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Clara’s forehead, his tone a tenderness I had never heard: “Silly girl, why aren’t you resting at the sanatorium? What are you doing coming to find me in this cold wind?” Clara clutched her chest, her voice faint: “Declan, I… I feel a little tight in my chest. I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I asked the driver to bring me to you.” “I… I was just afraid I wouldn’t see you one last time.” This act, performed ninety-nine times, still didn’t tire Declan. But I was already scarred and exhausted, and I refused to play along any longer. I picked up the dagger I had prepared, placed it against my neck closest to the carotid artery, and gave him one last look. “Declan Martin, from this moment on, we are even.” Under Declan’s horrified gaze, I plunged the blade. The instant the knife sliced through my skin, blood spurted. Declan immediately flung Clara aside, rushing towards me, utterly desperate. I even saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. “No!” The system’s mechanical voice sounded again: [Contract complete.] [Target Clara Thorne’s life signs permanently stabilized.] Declan, congratulations. Your Clara is finally fully recovered. And I, at last, am free.

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I suddenly found myself in a world ten years in the future, adrift and disoriented on the streets. Instinctively, I headed for the villa belonging to Garrison Bale, my childhood friend. The door opened, revealing a cold-faced child who stood there and told me, “Go away. Don’t even think about pretending to be my mother.” I froze, still trying to grasp what was happening, when I noticed scrolling comments—the kind you see on online videos—floating in my vision. One comment read: “This ‘Player’ is too dumb. The kid’s already been successfully ‘captured’ by someone else, and she just shows up?” Another mentioned: “The other Player perfectly replicated the deceased wife, Natalie Reed, even down to all her memories. She’s probably sipping coffee in the villa right now.” And a warning: “The male lead, Garrison Bale, is on a plane heading back. This Player should run; the last person who tried to impersonate his wife? The grass on her grave is already two feet high.” I stared at these comments, slowly piecing things together until I finally understood a few things. First, Garrison and Natalie had married and had a child. Second, Natalie had died at the age of thirty. Third, there were these so-called “Players” attempting to “capture” Garrison. But they all had it wrong. I wasn’t some Player. I was twenty-one-year-old Natalie Reed. 1 Of all these revelations, the hardest to accept was this: Why did I die so young, at thirty? Even if I somehow went back to my own time, I would only have nine years left to live. Definitely not good news. So I bent down, earnestly addressing the child in front of me: “Um, how did your mother die?” When he didn’t respond, I pressed on: “Accident? Illness? Or… murder?” His brow twitched a few times, his face growing even fouler. Then, with a CRACK, the door slammed shut. I paused, a dawning confusion washing over me. Maybe that was a bit too blunt. A sharp pain suddenly shot through the sole of my foot. I slowly walked to the villa’s front steps and sat down, examining my foot. There was a cut, bleeding slightly, from a piece of gravel. Having walked three miles barefoot, it was probably unavoidable. I must have been sleeping in my dorm room when I transitioned. I woke up to find myself on a park bench, dressed in my pajamas, with no money, no phone, not even shoes. Fortunately, the park was close to the Bale’ villa. And for many years in the past, I had lived in the Bale’ villa and visited this park. That’s why I came directly to knock on the door. I just hadn’t expected… this scenario. The comments continued to scroll: [I can’t with this Player, she’s so funny.] [Son: Constantly provoking.] [She showed up in pajamas, looking so disheveled. Sister, put some effort into your job.] [Out of all the Players, the son only opened the door for the one who perfectly replicated his mother, the one currently inside.] [Pajama Lady, give up. You can’t even get through the Bale’ door. When the male lead returns, your life will be at stake.] Actually, I didn’t desperately want to go inside. I just wanted to see Garrison. I wanted to know what had happened to us over these ten years. But the next second, the door behind me opened again. The child still had a cold expression. “You, come in.” 2 I was puzzled. The comments were also puzzled. [What does this mean? Why did he let Pajama Lady in?] [Maybe he saw her and was reminded of his mother when she was younger? But there have been other Players like that before!] [Ahhh! She just walked in without wiping her feet! Doesn’t the son have mysophobia?] I glanced at my dirty feet. Quietly, I retreated to the rug in the foyer. The child, however, said nothing. He simply took out a pair of grey slippers from the shoe cabinet. As he handed them to me, he noticed the bloodstain by my foot and visibly winched. “So dirty.” “…” What have I given birth to? This kid’s temper was awful. Not like me, not like Garrison. I slipped on the slippers and walked into the living room. Immediately, I came face to face with a very familiar countenance. My own face. But it looked much more mature, bearing the marks of time. She tilted her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Are you… a Player? Please leave. Now that I’m back, there’s no need for your futile efforts.” I didn’t reply, simply studying her. Studying this “me” from ten years in the future. The child also remained silent, finding a first-aid kit and handing it to me. He pointed at my foot. “Clean that up.” My heart softened a little. I took the first-aid kit and thanked him. “Thank you. What’s your name?” His eyes dimmed, as if with disappointment. “Adam.” After that, he returned to the sofa, busying himself with his phone, not looking at me again. The Player also seemed to relax, settling comfortably beside Adam, smiling at me. “Next time, maybe do your homework before you come.” She peeled an orange and handed it to Adam, who naturally took it and put it in his mouth. Mother and son, harmonious. 3 I took the first-aid kit to the bathroom to clean my wound. The comments were laughing hard. [LOL, Pajama Lady doesn’t even know the kid’s name. What kind of people does the system find?] [The kid must be speechless. Never seen such a useless Player.] [Pajama Lady, be smart and leave. You can’t compare to even a single strand of hair on Replica Sister. When she arrived, the kid almost cried.] [Just waiting for the male lead. He’ll be here in half an hour. He’ll definitely choose Replica Sister too when he sees both Players.] [I bet on Replica Sister.] [You bet, I bet too. I bet Replica Sister ten coconut lattes.] [Agree!] [Also agree with the above.] … I couldn’t blame them. Even I wasn’t very confident. After all, Adam was practically a stranger to me. His personality, his preferences—I knew nothing. I hadn’t even imagined I would end up with Garrison. And certainly not that we’d have a child. He and I were just too different. 4 To be perfectly clear, Garrison and I were childhood friends. Or perhaps, “young master and bodyguard” would be more accurate. I was naturally strong, developing faster than my peers. When I was six, Garrison visited our orphanage during a kindergarten charity event. He was almost kidnapped, stuffed into a sack, but I saved his life. Garrison’s parents subsequently adopted me. But not into the Bale family directly. I was adopted under the name of the Bale’ housekeeper. It saved face and didn’t waste too many resources. So I moved into the Bale’ staff quarters. On my first night there, Garrison and I officially met. His face was pale and sickly, his features delicate, making him look almost androgynous. Seemingly harmless, his mouth, however, was sharp. “Oh my goodness! I wished for a gentle, cute sister! Why are you here?” I actually wanted to punch him. But being dependent on them, I could only feign obedience, smiling sweetly. “No, I’m not your sister.” I was just his bodyguard. Garrison was a premature baby, born with an underdeveloped heart valve. To live a normal, healthy life, he would need a valve replacement as an adult. Until then, he remained very frail and needed protection. And I was the best candidate. Later, Garrison and I grew up together. Wherever he went, I followed. I was also trained in various martial arts, winning numerous championships along the way. In Garrison’s senior year of high school, he must have been in an early relationship. As rivals, he got into a conflict with another wealthy young man. When I arrived, Garrison had just fallen to the ground. The wealthy young man frantically waved his hands. “He threw the first punch! Really! Everyone saw it! I dodged, he missed, and just fell over!” “…” Though it sounded absurd, for Garrison, it was perfectly normal. I carried Garrison on my back and turned to leave. Behind me, the other boy was still muttering, “I just casually asked if they’d gone all the way. Was it really necessary? She was already…” I walked further away, not quite catching the rest of his words. On the way to the infirmary, Garrison lay on my shoulder, uncharacteristically silent. Finally, he managed to blurt out: “I’m sorry, Natalie. Am I a lot of trouble?” It was the first time he’d smiled so weakly. “You’ve always protected me. I feel like I’ve never done anything for you.” My footsteps faltered slightly. I wanted to say that’s not true. Garrison had also done a lot for Natalie. He would pretend to have no appetite, bringing his nutritious meals back to the room and feeding them all to me. He would insist, in my early teenage years, that I should have the right to lock my own room. He would cancel pre-arranged dates when I had my period, deliberately staying in so I wouldn’t have to endure the pain of going out. I wanted to say, you really did so much. So much that I’ve developed feelings I shouldn’t have for you. But the words that came out were different. “Yeah, you did. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be in the orphanage, and I wouldn’t have gotten into such a good school. Besides, aren’t you having surgery soon? You won’t need me after that.” Garrison fell silent again. This time, the silence stretched on for a very long time. It wasn’t until the school nurse finished examining him and confirmed nothing serious was wrong that he suddenly spoke. “Natalie, which university are you planning to go to?” A baffling question. Through the white privacy curtain, I couldn’t see Garrison’s expression, couldn’t guess his reason for asking. I ended up lying. I casually mentioned a university up north, but in the end, I went south. 5 Later, during my university years, Garrison came to find me once. But we parted on bad terms. After that, I heard he went abroad. We lost all contact. And now, there was Adam. And I was dead. What had truly happened in those ten years? What were these “male lead,” “system,” and “Players” all about? Could they be connected to my death? … I splashed water on my face; a cool rush instantly permeated my skin, waking me up. No matter what, I had to see Garrison first. If even he didn’t recognize me, then I’d make other plans. With that thought, I exited the bathroom, only to find the living room filled with fierce-looking security guards. They clearly intended to escort me out. The Player remained seated on the sofa, maintaining the demeanor of a hostess. “Now that everything is handled, please leave.” I didn’t agree. “Garrison will be here soon. I need to see him.” She sighed, as if regretting the next step. “Then don’t blame us for getting rough.” At her words, the security guards prepared to rush me. “Wait!” It was Adam. He stood up, looking at me, his small face serious. “Wait until Dad gets back to decide.” It had to be his own son. I felt a surge of emotion, about to speak, but the Player cut me off. She knelt, meeting Adam’s gaze, her expression pained. “Have you forgotten how Mom died?” Adam froze, a conflicted, hesitant expression appearing on his face for the first time. “I’m sorry…” He didn’t finish. But I was curious. “How did I… how did you die?” Regardless of whether I’d get an answer, any delay was a win. As I asked, I saw a fleeting look of disdain in the Player’s eyes. But quickly, she resumed her facade, patiently coaxing Adam. “See? She doesn’t even know how Mom died. How could she be real? Adam, you’ve always been a smart boy. You can tell the difference this time, right?” Adam looked at me deeply, the hope in his eyes completely extinguished. A moment later, he murmured, “You should go.” An inexplicable dull ache settled in my heart. 6 The security guards immediately surrounded me. The comments were also mocking me. [She doesn’t even know the cause of death. Pajama Lady, stop daydreaming.] [Replica Sister is so smart. She knows the cause of death is a hurdle the son can’t get over, so she used it to stop him.] [Speaking of the ex-wife’s death, it was truly tragic. Otherwise, why would the male lead have become so dark?] [I don’t understand why the son is hesitating. Shouldn’t he just kick Pajama Lady out? She’s been full of holes for a while.] [Actually, being dragged out by security is the good outcome. If the male lead arrives, it won’t be so simple.] I really wanted to know my cause of death. Yet, among all those comments, not one clearly explained it; they were all betting on how quickly I’d be thrown out. Too bad, I was about to disappoint them. I braced myself for the security guards’ attack. Just as I was about to punch one of them in the jaw, a deep, cold male voice suddenly cut through the air from the doorway. “What’s going on?” The chaos in the room immediately ceased. The security guards all turned to look back, allowing me to see the man as well. He was dressed in black, dusty from travel, his face a healthy pale, his features much sharper now. His gaze swept over everyone in the room. When he saw the Player who looked exactly like me, he paused slightly. But finally, his eyes locked firmly on me. A myriad of emotions swirled in his gaze. Shock, doubt, disbelief, regret, grief… And the wild joy of finding something lost and recovered. After a brief staredown, Garrison suddenly strode over and grabbed my wrist, his voice hoarse with a trembling intensity. “Natalie? Is that you?”

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