Category: English

I am the girlfriend of a serial killer. I am also completely brain-dead. At least, that’s what I want him to believe. My boyfriend, Elias Vance, loves me with a terrifying intensity. He adores me precisely because I remain in an endless sleep, unlike the ninety-nine “players” who came before me, always poking around, trying to unearth his dark secrets. The last fool who dared to venture into the basement in search of clues found himself dissolved in high-grade acid and flushed down the sewer pipes that very same night. Every evening, Elias presses his heavy body against mine, his breath ragged in my ear. “I miss you so much. Please wake up, just for me, okay?” I am usually so paralyzed with primal terror that I almost squeeze him back in reflex. I must maintain the charade; I must remain the perfect vegetable. If the graphic details of how he dismembers his victims are any indication, my fate would be infinitely worse if he discovered the truth. I’ve been trapped inside this horrific, simulated horror game for two endless years. Playing dead is my only lifeline. Until today, when the new caregiver arrived. Taking advantage of the moment we were alone, she leaned in and whispered directly into my ear: “Stop faking it. I know you’re wide awake.” … Caregiver Maya’s fingers dug ruthlessly into the sensitive flesh of my inner thigh. “Speak to me!” I gave absolutely zero response. The EKG monitor continued its steady, maddening beep… beep… beep… “My System interface shows your brainwave activity spiked at 180. You are absolutely not a vegetable.” Maya increased the pressure, her sharp fingernails almost puncturing my skin. “Don’t imagine for a single second you can fool the System! Those ninety-nine players before me are all dead, and you think you’re the one who gets to survive to the end by lying here like a coward?” “I’m a player too.” “And I have a primary objective.” “The moment I expose your charade, I earn ten thousand points.” “That is my ticket out of this living hellscape!” She leaned in closer, her voice thick with suppressed, desperate madness. I remained perfectly still, my eyes closed, the rhythm of my shallow breathing unchanging. Maya recoiled half a step with a look of pure disgust, finally loosening her murderous grip. “What an actress.” “You miserable coward, using ‘playing dead’ as a survival strategy? Are you even human?” She reached into the pocket of her pristine white lab coat and pulled out a long, silver needle. “System-issued item,” she boasted. “Amplifies physical pain by a factor of ten, leaving zero trace of the puncture.” She raised the needle high, targeting my fingertips, poised to thrust it downward with brutal force. BANG. “I’m home, baby!” The heavy, reinforced security door was violently thrown open. Maya’s hand jerked violently in surprise, and the silver needle went wide, stabbing into the cotton bedsheet instead. She instantly retracted the needle, wiped the malice from her expression, and replaced it with a mask of quiet, submissive professionalism as she retreated to the side of my hospital bed. A thick, metallic stench of fresh blood saturated the room long before Elias himself crossed the threshold. Elias strode into the room. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, the hem saturated with dried blood that had turned a sickening dark brown. He was casually carrying a pink, cardboard bakery box that was still dripping fresh red liquid onto the hardwood floor. Elias walked directly to my bedside, tossing the bakery box onto my nightstand without a second thought. The impact caused the box to spring open, and a severed human head rolled out onto the wood surface. The hazy, grayish-white eyes were frozen wide open in terror, and the neck was a gory mess of red veins, raw muscle, and shattered cartilage. “Look, my darling.” Elias sat down heavily on the edge of the mattress, reaching out a hand to stroke my bloodless cheek. His fingertips were rough, covered in thick calluses earned from years of gripping various sharp butcher knives. “This belonged to that neighbor who was so eager to call the authorities.” “The one who claimed he was going to expose the secrets in my basement to the Bureau.” “The one who was going to send a SWAT team to raid our home.” Elias let out a low chuckle. It was a pleasant, rich sound on the surface, but it contained an undercurrent that made my blood run cold. “So, I made him watch as his own body was put through a massive industrial meat grinder, piece by piece.” I remained perfectly still, my eyes closed, giving absolutely zero reaction to the gory trophy resting just inches from my face. Maya, standing in the dark corner of the room, clapped her hands over her mouth too late, letting out a violent, dry heave. “Gag!” The motion of Elias’s hand stroking my cheek instantly froze. He slowly turned his head to the corner, focusing on Maya. “A new hire?” Maya’s face went chalk-white, her legs shaking so violently that she collapsed onto her knees with a loud thud. “Mr…. Mr. Vance…” “No manners.” Elias casually raised his hand. A flash of silver light flew from his sleeve with terrifying speed. A scalpel, honed to a razor edge, transfixed Maya’s left shoulder, the massive force of the throw driving her backward and pinning her mercilessly to the pristine white plaster wall. A blood-curdling shriek shattered the dead silence of the room. Elias didn’t even grant her a second glance as he turned back to me. Using that same blood-stained hand, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his smartphone, and tapped on a video link. He held the glowing screen directly in front of my closed eyelids. The audio exploded from the speakers: the high-pitched, terrifying whine of a chainsaw tearing through solid bone, mixed with a man’s final, guttural screams of utter despair. “Just listen to that sound, my sweet. Isn’t it exquisite?” “You know, the neighbor was begging for his life right up until the very end.” “He claimed he had a wife and children waiting for him.” “But why should I care about any of that?” “My world begins and ends with you.” “Anyone who tries to interfere with us, anyone who tries to disturb our peace… they must die.” I continued to lie there in perfect silence, zero micro-movements of my eyes beneath my lids. Maya was struggling violently, unable to dislodge the blade, fresh blood saturating the wall. [System! Why can’t I trigger a primary objective completion confirmation?! I know she’s faking!] She was screaming inside her head to her System interface. I couldn’t see the visual interface she was looking at, but I could imagine her sheer desperation at that moment. Elias switched off his phone and casually wiped the blood from his fingers onto the clean sleeve of my hospital gown. “Did you like it?” I was as silent and still as a fresh corpse. The corner of Elias’s mouth curled into a look of pure, twisted fascination. “So perfectly obedient.” “You are the only one who will never betray me, right?” He stood up from the bed, strolled over to where Maya was pinned, and casually ripped the scalpel from her shoulder with one violent yank. Fresh blood sprayed across the room. Maya collapsed onto the floor, clutching her shoulder, her eyes wide with a horrific cocktail of terror and pure hatred. Elias slapped the flat of the bloody blade against Maya’s cheek several times, a sickeningly casual gesture. “Don’t imagine for a single second I don’t see through the games of you ‘players’.” “You’re all looking for clues, hoping to find my weaknesses.” “But none of you are useful. You aren’t even worthy of being preserved as taxidermy specimens in my collection.” “I don’t care who planted you as her caregiver.” “But if you fail to take perfect care of her, the next time this blade leaves my hand, it gets pinned into your brain.” Maya spent the next three days recovering from her injury. During that time, she didn’t dare lift a hand against me. She just sat on the chair by my bedside, a nervous wreck, whispering under her breath over and over again. “Points… redeem… System items…” She was exchanging her earned points for an item. I remained perfectly still, maintaining my breathing at a constant twelve breaths per minute. Elias wasn’t home. Due to the recent string of high-profile serial murders in the city, the Bureau was cracking down hard, and he had a lot of “loose ends” to process. Maya stood up from the chair. She was holding a syringe filled with a terrifying, neon pink liquid. “A customized cocktail of neuro-stimulants and a systemic truth serum,” she sneered, looking down at me like I was an insect. “I spent five hundred points on this premium System item.” “Once this enters your system, even a fresh corpse would sit up and recite Pi to the hundredth decimal place.” She aggressively purged the air from the syringe, and a nauseating, chemical odor instantly drifted into my nose. “Go ahead and take it. When this is over, you’ll finally be free.” She roughly grabbed my arm, slamming the needle mercilessly into my vein. I felt the freezing liquid being forced into my bloodstream. Maya let go of my arm, took two steps back, and a horrific, fanatical grin spread across her face. She pulled out a miniature high-definition video camera and aimed the lens directly at my face. “Answer me! Are you faking this?!” “Tell the camera who you really are!” The liquid burned like gasoline as it coursed through my veins. My nerve endings started misfiring, sending random signals, and my muscles began to twitch uncontrollably, desperate to spasm. An intense, overwhelming compulsion to speak, to confess everything, hammered at my brain like a physical force. Maya shoved the camera right against my mouth. “Say it! Tell the lens the truth!” I felt my Adam’s apple bob violently. “Blech!” I violently threw my head to the side. A massive stream of acidic stomach fluid and bile exploded from my mouth, splashing directly onto her designer sneakers. Maya froze in sheer disbelief. “Impossible! A System-issued serum cannot fail!” “Tell me! Tell me who you are!” Panicking, she grabbed my shoulders, violently shaking me back and forth. My mouth opened again, a reflexive action beyond my control. “Blergh!” Even more vomit sprayed from my stomach, saturating the bottom half of her pants. Maya let out a piercing shriek, jumping back in disgust. “Damn it! My limited edition Jordans!” She raised her leg high, aiming a brutal stomp directly at my exposed stomach. “Don’t you dare.” A voice as cold as absolute zero drifted from the bedroom doorway. Elias stood there, casually holding a massive firefighter’s axe that was dripping fresh blood onto the hardwood floor. He glanced at the disgusting mess on the floor, then at the vomit covering Maya’s expensive clothes. His brows knotted together in deep revulsion. “What is this?” He gestured with the bloody axe toward the acidic pool on the floor that was saturating the air with a horrific, pungent stench. Maya froze in primal terror, retracting her leg instantly, frantically trying to hide the miniature camera behind her back. “Mr…. Mr. Vance, this is… it’s just a liquid nutritional supplement I was trying to feed her.” “Supplement?” Elias took several strides toward us. His custom dress shoes made an agonizingly heavy clack… clack… sound against the wood. “Funny. It smells exactly like an emetic drug.” He walked directly to my bedside, reaching out a cold hand to feel my forehead. No fever. “Did my baby throw up?” I remained perfectly still, my eyes closed, a trace of bile on the corner of my mouth, giving zero reaction. Elias turned his head, staring dead at Maya’s shoes. The camera lens hadn’t been hidden properly, and the light from the overhead lamp glinted off the glass, exposing it. “What is that?” Maya’s face went instantly chalk-white, a cold sweat saturating her back. “This… this is…” Elias delivered a brutal swing with the axe. The blade completely cleaved through the front tip of Maya’s limited edition shoe and smashed the camera into unrecognizable pieces. Plastic shards and splinters of bone flew across the room. “AGHHHH—!” Maya collapsed onto the floor, clutching her bloody, mutilated foot, rolling and screaming in agony. “I utterly despise spies and hidden surveillance,” Elias announced coldly, letting the heavy axe fall to the floor with a dull thud. “Drag her away. Sever the hand that was holding that camera.” “If she dares to use a device like that against her, this hand is useless to her.” The iron door to the basement was thrown open, and several massive, vicious guard dogs that Elias kept in the basement lunged out, dragging Maya down the stairs by her legs. The shrieks of terror turned into desperate gurgles, before being completely silenced by the heavy, reinforced metal door clicking shut. Elias filled a basin with warm water and grabbed a clean white towel. His movements were heartbreakingly gentle as he meticulously wiped the bile from the corner of my mouth. “Baby, you mustn’t eat anything anyone gives you from now on.” “It’s dirty.” Maya didn’t die. She spent three thousand of her accumulated points to buy a System-issued item called “Limb Regeneration Fluid.” The very next day, she appeared in the living room with both hands completely intact. However, her face was even paler than usual, and the look she directed at me was no longer just malice—it was the look of someone staring at a specimen about to be dissected. Elias displayed zero surprise at her miraculous recovery. In this simulated horror game world, he had witnessed plenty of bizarre and supernatural events. Regenerating limbs was just a standard “player perk.” As long as that perk didn’t threaten his dominance, he could tolerate it. He actually seemed to view her recovery as an amusing magic trick. “That medicine of yours is actually more effective than anything the local hospitals carry.” Elias was lounging on the designer sofa, idly spinning a perfectly honed scalpel between his fingers. Maya was kneeling on the floor, her body trembling with terror. “This… it’s an ancient family recipe, passed down for generations.” “An ancient family recipe? Then hand it over.” Elias said it casually, but the tip of the scalpel dug into the glass surface of the coffee table, creating a grating screech. Maya gritted her teeth, a flash of ruthless intent crossing her eyes. “The primary ingredient… it requires a living human heart.” “Specifically… the brain of someone in a deep coma!” She violently snapped her head up, pointing a trembling finger directly at me as I lay on my hospital bed. “Mr. Vance, she’s never going to wake up. She is the ultimate catalyst!” “If you allow me to harvest her brain, I can synthesize the ultimate potion for you: the elixir of Omniscience and Omnipotence!” She dropped the act entirely. She wanted me dead. Omniscience and Omnipotence. That was the ultimate endgame for every Big BOSS inside this entire horror game universe. The motion of Elias’s hand spinning the scalpel stopped instantly. He jammed the scalpel deep into the gap of the coffee table. He tilted his head, subjecting my lifeless expression to a cold, calculating analysis. I continued to lie there in perfect silence, the heart monitor producing a flat, unwavering wave. “Omniscience and Omnipotence?” Elias ripped the scalpel out of the table and casually blew the glass dust from the honed blade. “All I want in this entire world is for her to stay by my side forever. Why would I want to be omniscient?” “Knowing too many secrets and watching the universe slowly rot? That sounds like absolute torture.” He stood up from the sofa and strolled to my bedside. Maya refused to give up, her voice screaming in desperation. “Mr. Vance! Keeping this vegetable alive is a complete waste of expensive medical resources! It would be much better to…” “Shut up.” Elias cut her off, his voice absolute zero. He casually raised both hands, placing them securely around my throat. He applied sudden, brutal force, completely cutting off my supply of oxygen. As my lungs were aggressively robbed of air, my body’s natural survival reflex began to scream in protest. But I maintained my perfect role as a living doll. Zero struggle. Zero furrowing of my brow. Zero movement of my eyelids. The EKG monitor began producing a frantic, piercing alarm. The wave patterns on the display screen became utterly chaotic. Elias stared dead into my eyes, watching as my pale face turned red, then a bruised purple, and finally a sickening, breathless blue. One minute. Two minutes. Right at the very final second before I would have descended into irreversible asphyxia and shock, Elias released his grip. Fresh oxygen aggressively flooded into my lungs, but I forced my muscles not to convulse in a gasp. I continued to lie perfectly still, relying entirely on the mechanical ventilator to slowly stabilize my breathing rhythm. Elias’s expression transformed into one of pure, twisted fascination at my zero reaction. “She is my girlfriend. She is my exclusive property.” “Whether I kill her or not depends entirely on my mood.” He turned his back on the bed, looking down at the kneeling Maya. “You want to kill her?” Maya’s body gave a violent shiver, and she dropped her head to the floor, terrified to speak. “Plenty of people have wanted to kill her.” Elias cracked a grin, but there was zero warmth in his eyes. “Last month, that player who claimed to be ‘high-ranking’ also wanted to kill her, saying she was the primary objective of his level-clearance task.” “Later, I flayed him alive and turned him into the custom rug in the living room.” Elias walked directly to Maya, using the spine of the bloody scalpel to casually slap against her cheek. “Would you like to try your luck?” Maya’s System interface was flashing frantically. She collapsed onto the floor, saturated in cold sweat. “I… I wouldn’t dare.” Elias let out a cold snort and retracted the scalpel. “Tonight is the standard monthly convergence at the Crimson Moon Club. The Big BOSSes from all the districts will be attending.” “Get her cleaned up.” “Put her in that black formal gown.” “After all, this is going to be her final public appearance.” He said the final part with a soft whisper. But I heard it clearly. Elias wants to kill me? Maya heard it too. The terror in her eyes evaporated instantly, replaced by a fanatical, greedy fire. She scrambled up from the floor, marched to my bedside, and violently ripped the blankets off my body. Her sharp fingernails dug into my flesh again as she pretended to adjust my clothes. This time, she lowered her voice and let out a rich, malicious giggle. “Did you hear that, you useless trash?” “Tonight is your execution date.” “That brain of yours is officially mine.” The Crimson Moon Club’s convergence was hosted inside a massive, retrofitted underground fallout shelter. The facility was blindingly bright, and heavy industrial metal music was deafening. I was strapped tightly into my specialized wheelchair and pushed to the absolute center of the grand main hall. Elias was lounging on the opulent leather sofa beside me, wearing a blood-red designer suit, his powerful aura completely dominating everyone else in attendance. I was trapped in a pristine black evening gown, my neck locked into place by a specialized brace. I had to act like a perfect plastic mannequin, staring vacantly forward. Maya stood behind my wheelchair, holding a goblet filled with a thick, crimson-red liquid. Her eyes were constantly darting to the center of the room, focusing on a man holding a massive industrial chainsaw. That was her backup plan. If she failed to complete her objective through Elias, she was going to try and conquer the Chainsaw Killer. “Elias, I’ve heard rumors that you’ve been bored lately.” The Chainsaw Killer stood up from his chair, raising his glass. His voice sounded like rusty metal scraping together. “Is bringing a vegetable to a party your idea of entertainment?” Every single eye in the grand hall instantly snapped to me. I saw expressions of cruel mockery, gleeful anticipation, and brutal calculation. Everyone in this simulated universe knew Elias Vance, the most psychotic of them all, kept a completely insensate piece of trash by his side. Elias casually peeled a dark purple grape. The juice stained his naturally pale fingertips a violent red, looking exactly like blood. “What I choose to bring to my own convergence is none of your damn business.” He casually popped the grape into his mouth, crunching through the skin and seeds with deliberate force. “As long as she remains perfectly obedient by my side, that is all that matters.” The Chainsaw Killer let out a piercing, roaring laugh. “Perfectly obedient? Then she is no different than the dead pigs hanging in a slaughterhouse!” “Elias, you’re the Big BOSS of District A, and you keep a dead pig as a pet?” The room erupted into high-pitched, mocking laughter. These psychopaths, who were usually terrified by Elias’s dominance, were taking advantage of the alcohol to vent their frustration. Elias didn’t get angry. He simply tilted his head, subjecting my bloodless face to a heartbreakingly affectionate gaze. “Baby, they are calling you a pig.” I stared forward with wide, empty eyes, giving zero reaction. A small stream of drool slowly dripped from the corner of my mouth, staining the front of my expensive black gown. Elias smiled. He reached out an incredibly gentle hand to stroke my hair. “So good.” And then, Maya moved. She suddenly stepped forward and dropped to her knees in the center of the grand hall. “Bosses! Mr. Vance!” “She isn’t a vegetable at all! She is… hiding her true nature!” The deafening industrial metal music was cut off instantly. The massive hall descended into a terrifying, dead silence. Elias’s hand froze on my head, his fingers clenching into a tight fist. He grabbed a fistful of my hair tightly. “Oh?” The Chainsaw Killer looked intrigued, stepping forward with his heavy weapon. “How, exactly, is she hiding?” Maya threw her head up, staring dead into my eyes with a look of pure, poisonous malice. “She has been faking this entire time. Her intellect is incalculable; she is actually manipulating everything from the shadows.” “I saw the anomalies on the EKG monitor with my own eyes. She is utilizing her brainwave frequencies to leave… an encoded SOS signal.” Encoded SOS signal. Those words caused the atmosphere in the room to turn completely frigid. Inside the horror game world, trying to contact the outside for help was the ultimate taboo. Elias’s grip on my head violently yanked backward. Head-splitting, tearing agony ripped across my scalp. I was forced to tilt my head back, locking eyes with his, which were now bloodshot and utterly lethally cold. “An SOS signal?” Elias’s voice was soft, but it sent a violent shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. “Bring it here.” Maya pulled a thermal-paper printout of an EKG graph from her lab coat. She had utilized the System to forcefully forge the evidence. The paper clearly displayed an irregular pattern of wave spikes, with the deciphered Morse code annotated next to it. [HELP. I AM IN THE BASEMENT.] This was a simulated death trap. Elias casually took the paper. He subjected it to a cold, contemptuous glance. Then, he slammed it down onto the table directly in front of my face. Furthermore, he reached into his bag and pulled out a solid silver lighter. Click. A ghostly blue flame flickered to life. He grabbed a bottle of high-proof imported vodka from the table and aggressively poured it directly over the front of my formal gown. The pungent, suffocating stench of pure alcohol saturated the air. He held the lighter flame right at my chest, just one centimeter from the soaked fabric. “Baby.” Elias’s voice was vibrating with a sick, psychotic tremor. “Did you leave this signal?” Maya knelt on the ground, screaming hoarsely. “Stop pretending! Confess! As soon as you admit it, the System will pull you out of the game!” She was trying to force my hand. Elias’s patience was dropping rapidly. The flame inched closer to my body. “Three.” “Two.” The flame licked the edge of the gown.

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My left eye can see ghosts. My boyfriend took me home to meet his parents. I eagerly offered to wash the dishes, but some dish soap splashed into my left eye. I covered my eye, looked up, and tried to say I was fine. But then I suddenly realized, I couldn’t see my boyfriend’s parents anymore. 1 On our first anniversary, my boyfriend, Caleb, suddenly suggested taking me home to meet his parents. I was both excited and nervous because I knew this meant he was thinking about marriage. I bought some gifts, and Caleb and I took the express train home. Caleb’s family lived in the suburbs of a small, tier-four city in the north. The apartment complex looked somewhat desolate, and the property management wasn’t doing a great job. But Caleb’s parents were truly wonderful people. They prepared a huge feast, barely eating themselves, constantly piling food onto my plate, and even slipped me a thick envelope of cash. Their warmth made me a bit uncomfortable, so after dinner, I volunteered to wash the dishes. Caleb’s mom, however, grew anxious. “Oh no, you can’t! You’re our guest; I’ll do them.” But I insisted, taking the dishes into the kitchen. “Auntie, you worked so hard making all that food; let me handle this.” Caleb’s mom still wouldn’t let up, trying to take the dishes from my hands. As I was squeezing out dish soap, her grab caused some to splash into my left eye. “Ow!” I bent down, covering my eye. Caleb’s parents panicked, and I heard his father’s voice. “Elara, are you alright?” I looked up, still clutching my left eye, trying to force a smile and say I was fine. But I suddenly froze. Because with only my right eye open, I suddenly realized that Caleb’s parents had vanished. 2 From a very young age, I noticed I could see things other children couldn’t. I could see my deceased grandfather smiling and waving at me, and I could also see a woman hanging in the study. My parents noticed my unusual abilities and took me to a spiritualist. The spiritualist said I had a yin-yang eye. But only one. So my left eye could see spirits, while my right eye was a pure yang eye, incredibly strong with positive energy. A pure yang eye meant that no matter what visible method a ghost used, my right eye couldn’t see them; it could only perceive physical objects in the mortal realm. The spiritualist told me that this yin-yang eye wasn’t frightening. As long as I didn’t provoke malevolent spirits, I wouldn’t invite trouble. As for distinguishing spirits, it was simple: I just needed to close my left eye and use my right eye to check if I could still see them. After all, no ghost, no matter what, could manifest to my right eye. So, growing up, every time I entered a new environment, I would secretly check with my right eye first to see if there were any unwelcome presences. But today, I didn’t do that when I came to Caleb’s house. Because when I stepped into their home, I only saw Caleb and his two parents, and I naturally assumed there wouldn’t be anything unsettling. But now, with only my right eye, I couldn’t see Caleb’s parents. What did that mean? It meant they weren’t human. A chill ran down my spine, and at that moment, I heard Caleb’s father’s voice again. “Elara, are you alright?” The kitchen was empty, yet the voice clearly echoed in my ears. I suppressed a shiver and forced a smile. “I’m fine, just a little dish soap.” I wiped my left eye clean and opened it. Sure enough, Caleb’s parents reappeared before me, looking at me with concern. I pretended to rub my left eye, then used only my right eye to check again. Caleb’s parents vanished once more. My heart sank completely. “What happened?” A clear voice sounded, and I looked up to see Caleb had entered. Caleb’s parents had already spoken, anxiously. “Elara got dish soap in her eye; we don’t know if it’s serious.” Caleb immediately rushed to me, asking worriedly, “Elara, are you okay?” But I didn’t answer. I just pretended to continue rubbing my left eye, while cautiously, I glanced at Caleb with only my right eye. 3 Caleb was still standing there, perfectly normal. My tense nerves relaxed slightly. Thank goodness, at least Caleb was still alive. But the next second, I felt a little ridiculous. Caleb and I lived together, intimately. If he wasn’t alive, how could I not know? Perhaps Caleb’s presence gave me some courage. I finally calmed down and smiled at Caleb’s parents. “Uncle and Auntie, I’m fine.” Caleb’s parents visibly relaxed. After washing the dishes, Caleb’s parents said they were going downstairs to buy fresh fruit for me. Once they left, I began to probe Caleb. From Caleb’s description, I learned that his parents were retired factory workers and rarely socialized with others. That explained a lot. If Caleb’s parents rarely interacted with people, it was normal for Caleb not to immediately discover if something happened to them and they suddenly passed away. Caleb also told me that it was his parents who had suggested bringing me home this time. “My parents, for some reason, suddenly told me a few days ago that I absolutely had to bring you back. Maybe they wanted to meet their future daughter-in-law sooner.” Caleb said it with a smile, but I felt a growing sense of dread. A few days ago? His parents might have already been dead by then. Two ghosts insisting on meeting me, what exactly did they want? I looked at Caleb, suddenly realizing I had to tell him the truth. So I spoke: “Caleb, do you know, your parents are actually already dead.” 4 Caleb froze for a moment, then he got a little angry. “Elara, that’s not funny at all!” I knew he wouldn’t believe me. I could only tell him everything about my left eye being a yin-yang eye. But Caleb still didn’t believe it. He hugged me worriedly: “Elara, are you under too much stress lately? Do you need to see a therapist?” He probably thought I was crazy. Helplessly, I spoke. “If you truly don’t believe me, why not try this. You’ve probably heard that scattering rice at the door can ward off spirits, right? That’s because rice can obscure the vision of ghosts, preventing them from seeing the location of the door.” “If you truly believe your parents are alive, open the door and then scatter a handful of rice at the entrance. If your parents are alive, they’ll be able to enter normally. But if your parents are ghosts, they’ll think the door is closed and won’t be able to find their way home.” Over the years, because of my yin-yang eye, I’d learned quite a bit from the spiritualist, and it was coming in handy today. Caleb still looked at me with disbelief, but at least he did as I said. Not long after, the elevator bell chimed in the hallway. Caleb’s parents were back. They were carrying groceries and called out from the hallway. “Caleb, come out and help your dad with the fruit!” Caleb glanced at me, his expression seeming to say, “See? I told you my parents are fine, didn’t I?” Then he got up and walked towards the door. But the next second, he suddenly froze. Because he saw his parents walk up to the open front door, and their footsteps suddenly halted. Immediately after, his dad shouted, “Caleb, what are you doing? Open the door for us!” 5 I saw Caleb’s face turn pale. Because the door was clearly open. Caleb spoke, almost trembling, “Dad, we’re a bit busy here. Can’t you just come in yourself?” His dad’s tone grew urgent: “We have so many things in our hands! How can we open the door! Come here quickly!” I don’t know if it was my imagination, but Caleb’s father’s voice suddenly sounded a little sharp, echoing continuously in the empty hallway. Caleb’s face instantly turned even whiter. I quickly pulled him aside. “Caleb,” I whispered, “It’s best not to provoke your parents right now. Just pretend you don’t know anything.” With that, I walked out the door, subtly kicking away the rice on the ground, then pretended to open the door. “Uncle and Auntie, you’re back.” Caleb’s father looked displeased: “Why didn’t you open the door just now?” He gave me a gloomy look, but I feigned a blush. “Caleb was keeping me… occupied… We didn’t expect you to be back so soon…” I lowered my head, feigning more shyness. Caleb’s parents looked like they understood. “Young people!” Caleb’s mother laughed, saying no more, then pulled Caleb’s father inside. We awkwardly ate some fruit, then Caleb made an excuse about needing an early night. Caleb’s house only had two rooms, and his parents weren’t old-fashioned, so they let Caleb and me share one. I also breathed a sigh of relief; with two ghosts in the house, I wouldn’t dare to sleep alone. That night, under the covers, Caleb hugged me and whispered. “Elara, I’ve thought about it. Even if they’re dead, they’re still my parents. I think they just couldn’t let go of me, so they wanted to see my girlfriend before they left.” I felt a pang of sympathy. Indeed, for Caleb, the loss of his loved ones was probably more painful than fear. Caleb suddenly asked me again, “But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why can I still see my parents even though they’re ghosts? I don’t have yin-yang eyes.” “Ghosts have ways to make themselves visible,” I whispered. “Your parents must have deliberately used a manifestation method, but they didn’t expect my right eye to be a pure yang eye.” Since his parents invited me home, they must have had a way to manifest. After all, they didn’t know I had yin-yang eyes. It was because they didn’t expect me to have a pure yang eye that I discovered something was wrong with them. I whispered again, “I also hope your parents just wanted to see me, and not to harm anyone.” Caleb frowned, “How do we know if they want to harm us?” I was silent for a moment before speaking: “Ghosts are strongest in the middle of the night. If they intend to harm us, they’ll probably act tonight. Conversely, if they don’t bother us tonight, then we should be safe.” Caleb was about to speak when he heard my words, but just then— Knock, knock, knock. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside. Accompanied by Caleb’s mother’s gentle voice. “Caleb, Elara, are you asleep?”

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After realizing I was the villainess in an e-sports novel, I stopped using my position as team manager to control Jax Thorne. When the true heroine joined, I quickly handed over my duties and moved to a new club. During the Spring Split, our two teams clashed. Jax was out for blood. Before the match, I offered a few words of comfort to our rookie mid-laner. Jax dove under towers, relentlessly hunting the mid-laner. The commentators: “This must be a strategic play Jax discussed with his teammates!” The broadcast switched to the TNG team’s voice chat. Teammate: “Jax, are you crazy?! Get back to your jungle!” Jax, eyes red: “Didn’t you see? Harper just touched his shoulder!” Teammates: … Commentators: … 1 I was the manager for Jax Thorne, the legendary jungler. For half a month, I’d woken up early to make yam porridge for him, bringing it to the club every day to soothe his stomach. Jax would grimace, chewing and grumbling, “Summer Hayes, aren’t you annoying? This stuff tastes terrible.” Just as I was about to insist he finish every bite, a series of comments popped up in my vision: [How is this villainess such a simp? She doesn’t even know the male lead is allergic to yams?] [No wonder Jax has been so quiet these past two weeks. Yam allergies make your tongue numb…] [Jax doesn’t deserve this. He’s been taking allergy medicine for half a month to spare the villainess’s feelings.] [Other players train 13 hours a day, and Jax is groggy from his meds.] [Thank goodness the heroine is coming online tomorrow. Jax is finally escaping his misery!] My jaw dropped as I stared at Jax. He was still frowning, spooning the porridge into his mouth. I quickly reached out and snatched the container. Turning, I handed it to Leo Vance, a passing youth trainee. “Leo, you eat this. You look like you’ve lost weight recently.” The air instantly went still. Jax, spoon in hand, froze. A few seconds later, his tense shoulders slumped, and he leaned back into his gaming chair. A cold sneer twisted his lips. “Fine. Looks like I dodged a bullet today.” His words really stung. Allergy aside, how many hours of sleep had I sacrificed to make him that porridge every day? And his allergy? That wasn’t my fault. What kind of normal person would suffer for half a month without saying anything? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I snatched the spoon from Jax’s hand and gave it to Leo. Leo slurped a big mouthful, his eyes lighting up. “Manager Hayes’s porridge is so fragrant and soft, it’s amazing! If Jax doesn’t want his in the future, can I have it all?” I was about to say there wouldn’t be a “future.” Jax’s expression stiffened. With a loud clatter, his gaming chair was kicked back. Leo and I both turned. Jax strode over in a few steps, snatching the container back from Leo. “That’s enough! I haven’t even had breakfast yet!” He then tipped the container directly into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed furiously. I stared at him like he was the biggest idiot on Earth. Seriously, what was wrong with this guy? The comments called him a dog, and he was really guarding his food like one. [??? No way, why is Jax so desperate? Is he addicted to allergy meds?] [Maybe he’s got rabies now] [LOL, I’m dying. Jax’s masochistic tendencies are an old problem, huh?] [Dogs don’t deserve this. My dog even knows not to eat chocolate…] 2 Thanks to the comments, I roughly understood the plot. Turns out, I was the villainess in an e-sports novel. Using my privileges as team manager, I’d been secretly pestering Jax. The true heroine, Harper Miller, loved gaming, and after joining TNG, she quickly became close to the team and a playful rival with Jax. They’d reach the peak of love and career together. As for my fate: fueled by hatred, I’d collude with an opponent, betraying information, and be driven out of the e-sports world. …Oh, come on, fate! You didn’t even treat me like a decent human being! I wake up earlier than a rooster and go to bed later than a dog, only to end up losing everything? What kind of justice is that? 3 To resist the storyline, I avoided bothering Jax the entire day. Around eight in the evening, the boss told me Jax had “gone on strike” today and asked me to find him. I drove to the industrial park bar Jax frequented. Sure enough, in a private room, Jax’s long frame was slumped in a sofa, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The comment section was filled with lamentations about how handsome “Jax the dog” was! I pursed my lips; he didn’t even drink alcohol; he was just sitting there, purely for show. Suddenly, I heard someone loudly ask Jax: “Jax, is that yam-porridge manager of yours still bothering you?” Yam-porridge manager… I really wanted to twist the heads off these rich kids and kick them around like balls! But I was so smitten, my hand reaching for the door involuntarily slowed by half a beat. Unfortunately, Jax didn’t say anything. His friend beside him spoke first. “If it weren’t for the club’s sake, Jax wouldn’t have put up with her for so long, right, Jax?” Jax’s hand paused, and he didn’t deny it. It was the reaction I expected. I pinched my palm, then, with a burst of resolve, pushed open the private room door. Everyone’s gaze turned to me. Jax’s expression stiffened for a moment, then quickly reverted to his usual cold demeanor. I pretended not to notice, walked over, and tossed his team jacket onto the coffee table. “Review meeting tomorrow at eight AM. Now, get up and come back to the base with me.” He lifted his slender eyelids to glance at me, but didn’t move. The rich kid with dyed blonde hair blew a smoke ring and scoffed. “Seriously, Manager Hayes, who exactly are you to Jax? Even his own mom doesn’t boss him around this much, does she?” The room erupted in laughter. I remained unmoved, simply tapping my wrist and looking at Jax. Bang! The whiskey glass in his hand hit the glass table, liquid splashing. The laughter instantly choked. Jax grabbed his team jacket, stood up, and placed himself between me and the blonde-haired guy. His face was cold, his tone casual but laced with aggression: “I’m happy to pay someone to manage me. You got a problem with that?” Without waiting for the blonde-haired guy’s scowl, he pulled me out of the private room. 4 In the parking garage, Jax got into the car first. He leaned back in his seat, irritably tugging at his collar, his tone displeased. “Summer Hayes, can you stop treating me like a child in front of outsiders?” “Don’t worry,” I said softly. “I won’t anymore.” I didn’t linger by his side as usual. After closing his car door, I slipped into the passenger seat. “Driver, please take us back to the base.” The car was silent for a few seconds. Jax’s eyebrows furrowed, his tone becoming even more agitated. “Summer, what’s with the attitude? Is it because of that damn porridge this morning? I ended up eating the whole pot, didn’t I?” He thought I was still sulking about the morning incident. I turned my head to look at the streaking night outside, not bothering to argue. Jax stared at me for a long moment, then let out a cold scoff, closing his eyes to sleep. The driver, accustomed to this, kept his eyes on the road. I laughed at myself internally. The blonde guy was right, actually. I did micromanage Jax too much. 5 The entire e-sports world knew I was Jax Thorne’s “nanny.” Jax was the highlight of my career. He was also the first successful player I’d managed. He’d raked in trophies from domestic and international tournaments, and my salary had increased six or sevenfold because of him. But as talented as Jax was, he had just as many quirks. Low blood sugar, tenosynovitis, and nervous gastritis—all at once. If he missed even one meal, I worried he’d die in his gaming chair… But I didn’t want Jax to die. I didn’t want anything to happen to him. I couldn’t remember when exactly, but I started cooking for him in various ways, coaxing him to eat. Jax was quite unhappy about it. Everyone in the circle admired my patience. “Summer, you deserve to earn that money!” Even Jax asked me, “Why are you so shamelessly managing me? Are you afraid I’ll die and no one will win games and make money for you?” They thought I’d thrown away my dignity for money. But to be honest, most of the money still went into the boss’s and players’ pockets. My self-appointed care for him, the biggest reason was to repay a debt of gratitude from two years ago. 6 The year I entered the industry, the club was just starting out. Everyone wore multiple hats, and I was often dragged by the boss to liquor events to drink on his behalf. One investor, Mr. Davies, loved to use a profile picture of his family of four while sending lewd messages to young women at the table. Later, he did invest a good deal of money. I couldn’t block him, so I just put him on do not disturb, out of sight, out of mind. Jax joined the club not long after and saw the messages on my computer. He averted his gaze, his brow furrowed so deeply it looked like it could trap a fly. “Why don’t you delete them? Is Julian forcing you?” Julian was the club owner’s name. I didn’t even look up, working as I spoke, “He’s an investor. No need to offend him. Just don’t reply.” He looked at me intently, but said nothing more. At the intercontinental championship celebration, that investor was also present. He clapped Jax on the shoulder, praising his youthful ambition. Of course, he didn’t care about the player’s achievements; he just wanted to use Jax to get closer to the Thorne family. Jax sat at the head of the table, not even touching his drink. His gaze suddenly swept across the crowd, then he put on an innocent, somewhat troubled expression: “Manager, can I drink?” 7 I was lost in thought when my name was suddenly called. Everyone turned to look at me. Catching Jax’s eye, I understood and played along. “No drinking. Your stomach just recovered.” Jax didn’t hesitate for a second. His lips curved, his tone regretful, yet his expression was utterly dismissive. “My apologies. Our manager has spoken, and I have to listen to her.” The investor’s jowls stiffened, then he immediately forced a fawning smile: “Yes, yes, of course, Young Master Thorne’s health is precious, no need to drink!” From that day on, I never received another harassing message on my phone. I knew it was a simple favor for Jax. In fact, he’d probably forgotten all about it. But he truly had, effortlessly, resolved a tricky problem for me. I owed him, and I desperately wanted to be good to him. The comments said my behavior was “simp-like,” and that I was a burden to Jax. Honestly, I still don’t understand. For example, why was my “goodness” to Jax so clumsy? Perhaps I never learned how to better express gratitude or love for someone. No one had ever taught me. My phone buzzed, pulling my thoughts back—a message from the boss. “The Miller family’s daughter wants to check out our club. Can you show her around?” I mechanically opened the attached resume. Harper Miller, a delicate face, eyes like stars. Her name matched the heroine’s name from the comments. 8 The next day, as soon as I entered the base, my assistant, Chloe, rushed over to me as if I were a savior, tears in her voice. “Summer, help! You’re finally here! This morning, Jax was sitting there with a grim face, clutching his stomach, not saying anything. He probably got gastritis again from staying up late. The rookie team is so scared they don’t even dare to type. You need to go calm him down…” Before she finished speaking, the frosted glass door of the training room opened. Jax walked out, wearing an oversized gray hoodie, his face cold. The area instantly fell silent; the players all uniformly bent their heads, furiously typing on their keyboards. He walked directly to me, leaning in slightly, his tired face close to mine. “Summer Hayes, you’re fifteen minutes late today.” Then he opened his long, slender palm. “Where’s my porridge?” [No way, a second round? Bro really thinks he’s a divine farmer, testing poisons, huh?] [It expresses some of the male lead’s hunger…] [Didn’t they say the male lead has anorexia? This greedy boy might actually have regained his appetite because of the villainess?] I took a half-step back, creating a safe distance between us. “No porridge. And there won’t be any in the future.” With that, I pulled out a strip of stomach medicine and half a pack of soda crackers from my bag, and slapped them into his arms. Jax lowered his head, staring at the items in his arms, his expression bewildered. “Summer Hayes, are you serious?” 9 The knuckles of his hand, clutching the crackers, were slightly pale, and his voice held a hint of urgency. “What did I do to upset you?” [Jax, please donate your brain. You don’t remember what your friends were gossiping about the villainess last night?] [Super dense male lead, but it’s good to let the villainess give up, saves her from future heartbreak…] [Whatever, hurry up and get offline, villainess, I want to see a sweet romance!] Jax frowned, staring at me. In the past, I would have been heartbroken for a long time. Then I’d have gone to sleep alone, comforted myself, and continued to stubbornly manage him and stick to him. But this time, I suppressed the ache in my heart and calmly spoke: “Jax, I’m the manager, not a nanny. Making porridge isn’t part of my job. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work.” With that, I walked past him without a backward glance, heading towards my office. Behind me, I heard hushed whispers: “Is Manager Hayes in a bad mood today?” “Didn’t you see the group chat? Miss Miller just joined… Manager Hayes is probably being sidelined.” I pushed open my office door. The “Miller family daughter” my colleague had been mentioning was sitting proudly in my office chair.

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After being scratched by the fox-shifter for the umpteenth time, I went to the hospital alone. The nurse grumbled, “That gash is deep, it’s definitely going to scar. Has your shifter ever received proper socialization training?” I gave a wry smile, “He has. He was an honor student.” My phone suddenly buzzed. Leo, uncharacteristically, sent a flurry of messages: “Just a scratch, do you really need to go to the hospital?” “I’m hungry, come back and make me dinner.” “I’m starving with you.” “You really don’t take good care of me.” Was that truly what he thought? I turned and walked to the Shifter Registry: “I’d like to exchange my shifter.” 1 The staff at the Shifter Registry were very polite. She asked, as per procedure, “You and your shifter have been registered for over a year; you’ll be eligible for bonding soon.” “Why are you choosing to exchange your shifter now?” A bitter taste filled my mouth. It had been a year already, huh? I had once looked forward to the bonding ritual, excitedly discussing ring styles with Leo. Leo would sneer, his lips curling mockingly: “Do you think you’re worthy of me?” “Crying won’t help. I will absolutely not bond with you.” “Let me tell you something, inferior human, crying is truly disgusting.” I was indeed a lower-tier human, only capable of basic work. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t meet the living standards Leo desired. In fact, being able to acquire a pure-blood fox-shifter like Leo was an accident. I swallowed the lump in my throat, “He doesn’t like me.” One could even say he despises me. The receptionist looked surprised, “Trained shifters are always devoted to their owners.” “Normally, a problem like this would never occur.” Yes, a problem that shouldn’t occur, happened to me. I tried to smile lightly, “Maybe I just have bad luck.” The staff member showed an apologetic expression, “It seems our training was flawed.” “Please don’t blame yourself.” “Please follow me.” 2 Purchasing Leo had cost me fifty thousand credits. I could choose a replacement from shifters in the same price range. My gaze swept over faces that were slightly less striking than Leo’s, but still beautiful. Their profiles read: Fox, Leopard. I hesitated, “Are there any others?” I wanted a canine shifter. A Golden Retriever, preferably. I heard that Golden Retriever shifters are very fond of humans. Even an inferior human like me should be well-liked by them, right? The staff member maintained a polite smile, “None at the moment.” “However, shifter breeding is quick; the next batch will be available in about two months.” “As compensation, you’ll have priority selection then.” I nodded. As the staff member saw me out, an unstuck photo fell from her binder. The man in the photo had cold, vertical gray pupils, a high nose bridge, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist—a strikingly sharp beauty. He was a Werewolf. The staff member sighed, “He’s actually our most obedient shifter here.” “Management wants to try opening a new market.” “But everyone is afraid of werewolves going wild.” “The boss fears losses, so they’re selling him to the fighting pits today.” “But he’s been trained to be very gentle since he was little; going to the fighting pits means certain death.” “No one wants him, it’s really pitiful.” No one wanted him? No one wanted me either. But… The staff member’s sigh grew heavier, “I heard that in the fighting pits, he’ll be torn to pieces.” “You won’t even be able to pick him up.” That would be very painful. Werewolves are also a type of dog, right? I stopped, “Is he really obedient?” The staff member’s eyes lit up, “Yes, really.” “Then I’ll take this one.” 3 The staff member said the werewolf would be delivered in three days. I carefully put the exchange agreement into my bag. On the way home, from a distance, I saw Leo and Clara. The white-haired shifter was bathed in the twilight, his features deep and exquisite, like a work of art. Clara was a higher-tier human from the neighboring district. Smart and elegant. Completely unlike me. After meeting Leo, she often came by to deliver high-grade nutrient solutions. The two of them were also unusually close. My steps slowed. Clara saw me, “Elara, off to work again?” She gave a subtle smile, “Elara, I’m not saying anything, but even if you’re about to bond with Leo, you should still dress up.” “Look at what you’re wearing… really…” “Walking on the street, who would believe you two are a couple?” I looked at my simple t-shirt and jeans, then at her beautiful dress: “I think this is fine.” Leo didn’t look at me, his voice low, “She doesn’t look good dressed up either.” “Might as well pretend she doesn’t know how to dress up.” “Saves people from saying she’s genuinely ugly.” Clara playfully hit his arm, “Leo, how can you talk about a girl like that!” Leo curled his lips. It was a perfect smile, yet full of mockery, “You’re trying to be nice to her, and she still thinks you’re meddling.” “Inferior humans can’t understand the thoughts of higher-tier humans.” “Being bought by her was truly the worst luck of my life.” 4 Actually, Leo wasn’t always like this. Even if I couldn’t provide him with the high-grade nutrient solution a top-tier shifter needed, even if the clothes I bought would chafe his delicate skin. Leo always firmly maintained that meeting me was a stroke of luck. The turning point came when we encountered Leo’s former competitor, a Red Fox-shifter, on the street. My bag dropped to the ground, and Leo helped me pick up the scattered items. The Red Fox-shifter got out of his car and stepped right on Leo’s hand. He exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this the most popular Leo?” “How… did you end up with such an ugly, inferior human?” “Well, I suppose a defective product with an inferior human, it just fits.” Leo locked himself in the house for a night, and I stood guard by the door all night. I told him it was wrong to categorize people into different tiers, so Leo being classified as defective by the Shifter Registry shouldn’t matter. We were living perfectly well, weren’t we? Leo opened his door, his eyes red and swollen: “You’ve never lived in the heavens, so of course, you think being trash isn’t bad.” Later, he met Clara. Clara came from a noble background and could offer Leo many things. They grew increasingly familiar; sometimes, while chatting, Clara would lean against him. I cautiously brought it up once, “You’re my shifter, can you keep your distance from Clara?” Leo gave me a condescending glance. Both cold and hateful. He said, “Elara, if I hadn’t had that defect, how could you possibly have acquired me?” “You merely took advantage of my misfortune.” “By what right do you put on airs as my owner?” But, it was Leo who begged me to save him then. 5 In this new era, male shifters bear the function of reproduction for humans. As the most exceptional shifter, Leo had fetched an exorbitant price at the trading house before his infertility was discovered. A non-reproductive shifter was unwanted. Even at a discounted price of fifty thousand credits, he was considered useless among humans with reproductive needs. The higher-ups intended to send him to the red-light district to recoup their investment. That day, I happened to be going to purchase a shifter of my own. Leo broke through his restraints, kneeling before me, “Please, save me.” He looked up, crying, tears like pearls streaming from his beautiful eyes. “I’ll be very good to you; I’ll become your family.” “I don’t want to die, please.” I had no family since childhood, growing up in an orphanage. Leo’s words touched me. Although I loved children, having one family member seemed just right. I spent all my savings and took out a loan to buy Leo. Fearing to hurt Leo’s pride, I never brought up the past. I never expected to hear it from him again, twisted into me taking advantage of his misfortune. I argued with Leo. During the dispute, I touched his hand. He instinctively pushed me away with a fierce shove. A sharp table corner cut my arm, leaving a gash deep enough to show bone. Leo froze for a moment, but still didn’t move, “If you hadn’t tried to touch me, how would you have gotten hurt?” “It’s all your own doing.” He didn’t even want to accompany me to the hospital, “I’m going shopping with Clara today.” “Besides, my presence won’t lessen your pain.” “You have hands and feet; don’t blame everything on me.” As the nurse dressed my wound, she sighed, “Such a deep gash will definitely scar.” “It’ll ache on rainy days.” “You and your shifter are so incompatible; maybe it’s time to give up.” I suddenly understood. Right, I could give up. Leo and I didn’t need to be bound together for life. My thoughts returned. I spoke, interrupting Leo’s movement to close the door, “Leo, do you truly feel that being with me is a torment?” Leo’s body stiffened, but when he turned, he still wore that mocking expression, “Yes.” “But an inferior human like you, who got such a bargain with me, would you really be willing to let go?” “I’ll be stuck with a persistent pest for life.” I exhaled. It seemed my decision was correct. Leo, not getting a reply from me, impatiently flicked his drooping tail against the floor, “What exactly do you want to say?” I looked down, picking at my fingertips, “I’ve prepared a gift for you. You’ll find out in a few days.” A fleeting, unidentifiable emotion flickered across Leo’s face. It seemed to be anticipation. But quickly, he resumed his mocking tone, “Not another batch of low-purity nutrient solution that even dogs wouldn’t drink, is it?” “I’ll just have to waste my energy pouring it down the toilet.” I answered very seriously, “No, it’s the thing you want most.” Freedom. Leo tossed out a “better be,” and shut the door tight.

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The lofty Miss Avery Parker of Crown City dumped me, a mere bar host, at my birthday. My sister shut down his bar and planned to send him to a remote mine. Avery stayed quiet. Three days later, my brakes failed, and I crashed into a shantytown. Unconscious, I was dragged into an alley. I woke up bruised, with compromising photos on my phone. Avery used them to break off our engagement. The next day, the bartender, Brandon White, moved into her home. My childhood fiancée, Miss Celeste McDougall, said she’d marry me despite the scandal. At our civil registration, I overheard groomsmen outside: Avery set me up to be with Brandon, and Celeste only married me to stop my family from investigating him. Both their hearts belonged to that one man. I looked at myself in the groom’s suit, disgusted. Tearing off my jacket and tie, I drove to the International Medical Aid Center. Filling the forms with trembling hands, I wrote clearly: “I’m applying for Latin America. I’ll sign the waiver—my life, my responsibility.” … The director flipped through my resume, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly. “Dr. Hart, there’s an ongoing conflict and a dengue fever outbreak in Latin America right now. Two of the three doctors we sent have already been infected, and the armed factions there don’t follow rules. You might genuinely not come back.” I closed my eyes, my heart aching as if squeezed, but my voice was calm when I spoke. “I know. I’ll take Sister Wang’s place; she’s pregnant and it’s inconvenient for her. It’s convenient for me.” The director looked at my expensive shirt and trousers, sighing. “Isn’t today your wedding day? Why are you here?” Tears splattered on the ground. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand, saying nothing. She didn’t ask further, directly approving my application. A top surgeon willing to go to such a place, they couldn’t ask for more. “The special flight leaves at seven tomorrow morning.” “If you make it back alive, the organization will apply for the highest honor for you, and your sister’s hospital will also receive international aid funding.” I bowed, then turned and walked out. The white Porsche I’d left at the entrance was gone. Just as I was about to call a taxi, Avery pulled up in that very car, stopping in front of me. She rolled down the window, a slender lady’s cigarette between her fingers, her gaze as indifferent as if she were looking at a stranger: “Allo likes this car. I was just having someone pick it up, and I happened to run into you, so I just drove it away.” I looked at the steering wheel, my throat tight. She had bought this car abroad three years ago, spending forty million, claiming it was my birthday gift. There were only twenty of them worldwide, and the license plate was even my birthday. Back then, she had taught me to drive it herself, saying the car suited me, Allen Hart. Now, for Brandon, she wanted back even things she had given away. I smiled faintly, ignored her, and turned to leave. Behind me, the engine roared, her voice a little impatient. “It’s your big day today, why are you here?” “Get in. I’ll drive you back to the registry office. Don’t waste time, or Celeste will dump you and you won’t even have time to cry.” I didn’t look back. “I’m not getting married.” Avery scoffed, the scent of tobacco wafting on the wind: “Allen Hart, don’t I know your little schemes? You just can’t let go of me, you’re unwilling to be with Celeste.” “Coming here, isn’t it just to get my attention?” “But after what happened to you in the shantytown, my Parker family can’t have you anymore.” “I’ve already had those people who touched you dealt with. Consider it my closing statement.” “Now, Celeste is willing to have you. You should be counting your blessings. Don’t be ungrateful.” I turned to look at her. Her face was still the same beautiful face that was hard to look away from, but what was inside had long since rotted. Counting my blessings? It was just another calculation. Brandon, selling drinks and charming customers in a bar, how much cleaner could he be than me? I opened my mouth, but only one word escaped: “Scram.” Her face instantly darkened. She pushed open the car door, grabbed my wrist, and shoved me towards the car. “Allen Hart, we’re long over. Don’t cling to me like a lunatic.” “Celeste is my childhood friend. You should be celebrating that she’s willing to have you. Don’t mess up this chance.” She sped all the way to the Hart family gates, pushed me out of the car, and then stomped on the accelerator, leaving. My sister was already pacing at the door, her face dark when she saw me. “Where have you been? The McDougall family is waiting for you to sign, and you’re not answering your phone. Do you want to kill me with worry?” I took a deep breath and told her about going to Latin America. My sister swayed, almost losing her balance. “No! Are you crazy? That’s a suicide mission! I forbid it!” 2 I forced myself to calm down and repeated verbatim what I had overheard outside the dressing room. My sister’s face flushed crimson as she listened. She grabbed her car keys, ready to confront Avery Parker and Celeste McDougall. I clung to her arm tightly: “Sis, please let me go. If I really marry Celeste, every day after that will be torture.” “Going to Latin America isn’t just to escape; it’s also to earn some reputation for our family.” “Besides, leaving here is the only relief for me.” My sister looked at me, the keys in her hand falling to the ground. She didn’t speak for a long time. She loved me, but the Hart family had such a large estate, and there were still those relatives from the side branches watching. If I could use this method to bring some benefit to the family, no matter how much her heart ached, she would have to consider it. The motorcade for the wedding arrived at the gate. I hadn’t done my hair, hadn’t changed clothes, and walked straight out. Celeste stood by the car, wearing her usual smile. I looked at her face, my heart feeling like something was lodged in it. She didn’t love me, she was shielding another man, yet how could she act so convincingly? I said indifferently, “I’m not getting married. You should go back.” Celeste’s face changed. She stepped forward, grabbed my hand, and lowered her voice: “Allen, what’s with the drama? Right now, I’m the only one in the entire city who doesn’t look down on you. If you break off this engagement with me, do you want people to talk behind your back for the rest of your life?” “I know you’re still thinking about Avery, but if you truly love someone, shouldn’t you support their happiness?” My nose stung. I tilted my head back, forcing the tears away, and looked at her, smiling: “So you also like Brandon. To make them happy, you’re sacrificing yourself to take me?” “To keep me from bothering Brandon, you’re marrying me to keep me under your thumb, right?” Her eyes flickered, but she stood her ground, her eyes even reddening. “Allen, how could you think that of me? We grew up together, don’t you know what kind of person I am?” Onlookers began to murmur. “Ms. McDougall is being kind to him, and he’s slandering her. What kind of man is this?” “Exactly. Ms. McDougall, since he doesn’t appreciate it, just break off the engagement! Who would want a man who’s been defiled, besides you!” My sister stood beside me, her face dark with anger, about to speak up about what happened that night. I quickly pressed her hand, shook my head at her, and whispered in her ear, “Sis, we can’t say anything. The Parker and McDougall families are allied; we can’t fight them.” “Avery just secured those big projects; she’s riding high. Even if she hired people to harm me, even if she ruined my reputation for Brandon, if she wants to whitewash it, she can make black sound white.” “Right now, no one will believe us. They’ll just think we’re slandering them for sympathy.” My sister’s chest heaved with anger. Finally, she swung her arm and went inside, leaving me alone. Celeste took my hand again, her face full of tenderness. “Allen, you’re not in a good mood today. I can wait. This engagement is forever valid, as long as you promise me not to go after Avery and Brandon again.” I shook off her hand, my eyes turning cold. “I won’t be with you, and I won’t go after Avery again. Never in this life, because I’m about to…” Before I could finish, Brandon, driving the white Porsche Avery had just taken from me, roared his engine and stopped by the road. He was wearing a custom casual suit from a famous brand. When he got out, his body was as soft as if he had no bones. He looked at Celeste with a hint of something different in his eyes. Celeste’s eyes brightened, then quickly dimmed. Brandon walked up to me, his eyes reddening, and he started to cry, looking incredibly pitiful: “Hart, why did you go to see Avery again today? You’re about to get married, why are you still clinging to her?” 3 The murmurs from the crowd grew harsher. “Just now he said he wouldn’t bother Ms. Parker, but then her official boyfriend shows up. Where’s his face?” “Ms. McDougall’s sincerity was wasted on a dog. This kind of man should get out of Crown City.” Celeste, hearing I had gone to see Avery today, her eyes immediately turned cold. She instinctively stepped in front of Brandon, her tone full of reproach: “Allen, I know you look down on Brandon, thinking he’s from a bar, not clean, and not good enough for Avery.” “But he only served drinks in the bar; he never did anything like that. He’s still innocent.” “On the contrary, after that night, you’re much dirtier than him.” I took a deep breath. The hot June wind felt like knives on my face. Yes, Avery, to whitewash Brandon and make him suitable for the Parker family’s prestige, had immediately bought off several media outlets to change their stories, and even had him adopted by a retired female professor as a godmother, giving him a layer of gold. Overnight, I became the scorned outcast of Crown City, while he became the inspirational, pure idol, Ms. Parker’s darling. Brandon suddenly pointed at the diamond-studded watch on my wrist, his voice sharp: “How did you steal my things? This is Avery’s love token for me! How is it on your hand?!” My body stiffened, my eyes reddened as I looked at Celeste: “This watch, didn’t you give it to me last night?” Celeste’s eyes darted away, unwilling to meet mine, but her tone was firm: “When did I ever give you a watch? You’re light-fingered yourself, don’t drag me into this.” My ears were filled with accusations of being a thief, words hitting me like stones. I endured the tearing pain in my chest, my hands trembling as I unclasped the watch and violently threw it to the ground. The watch face shattered, pieces scattering onto Brandon’s feet. I questioned, “I’ve never been to the Parker family home. How could I have stolen this watch?” Brandon clutched his ankle, a flicker of triumph in his eyes, as he wailed to the onlookers: “The Parker family’s servants all saw him come by today! If you don’t believe me, ask them!” Suddenly, a clear, cold female voice came from outside the crowd: “Allo, it’s just a watch. If he wants it, let him have it. I’ll buy you a better one. Allen and I have known each other since childhood, let’s not make a scene on his big day.” Avery parted the crowd and walked over, pushing Celeste aside, and embraced Brandon, her eyes full of possessiveness: “Thank you, Celeste, for looking after Allo for me. You two continue; Allo and I are leaving first.” I called out to her. “Avery, you know very well I wasn’t at your house today. Why aren’t you explaining for me?” She stopped, turned back, her eyes utterly cold. She leaned close to my ear, speaking in a voice only we two could hear: “I just want you to completely give up. No matter how pitiful you pretend to be, I won’t look at you again. If you keep clinging to me, it’ll only disgust me.” My eyes ached terribly, but it felt like my tears had dried up. I remembered when I was a child, no matter who wronged me, Avery would be the first to rush to my defense. She had said I was her little prince, and no one could bully me. And now, to force me away, she indulged the man she loved in publicly slandering me. She didn’t know, even if I wanted to cling to her, I wouldn’t have the chance. After tomorrow, Allen Hart would no longer exist in Crown City.

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My boyfriend, William, was famous in our social circle for being a “central heating” type of guy – warm to everyone. At group dinners, he’d smile and help order for ten female friends at the table: “Chloe loves the Shrimp Scampi with Garlic, Mia prefers the Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, and Emily absolutely has to have the Spicy Jambalaya…” Ten people, ten dishes, all their favorites. Everyone envied me: “You found a great guy that’s impossible to find.” But I broke up with him. He asked why, his eyes red. I said, “I don’t want to live with a central air conditioner anymore.” Later, we ran into each other at a party. He had his new girlfriend in his arms, and his eyes mocked me: “Heard your new boyfriend’s pretty cold? Doesn’t even let you order your own food.” I looked at the silent man beside me. He opened the menu and ordered only three dishes. All of them were my favorites. Then he closed the menu, not glancing at anyone else. Someone tentatively asked, “Aren’t you going to ask what we want?” He didn’t even look up, “What other people like to eat, what does that have to do with me?” My ex-boyfriend’s face stiffened, inch by agonizing inch. 1 Once the dishes were all served, William suddenly raised his hand and called for the waiter. “Add a mug of Cinnamon Ginger Tea.” My hand, midway to picking up a piece of Roast Chicken, paused. The tightness in my chest, which had been there all evening, eased a little. After such a late night, he still remembered I wasn’t feeling well. The tea arrived quickly, and William got up to pour a cup. I was just about to reach for it. The lazy Susan was already turning. The mug of tea rotated to the hand of Tara, a colleague from the club. Tara’s eyes lit up… “Wow, William, you’re so thoughtful! How did you know I’m on my period?” William smiled casually, a hint of nonchalance: “You usually crave spicy food, but tonight you haven’t touched anything hot. How could I not notice?” Everyone at the table exclaimed. “William, are your eyes like a measuring tape or something?” “Where do you find a good man like this?” “Only Olivia is lucky enough to have such a considerate boyfriend.” William waved a hand: “Alright, alright, stop teasing me.” Then he got up, walked to the wall, and turned the air conditioning up two degrees. He turned back to Tara with a smile: “You get stomachaches and still don’t wear enough layers.” I was wrapped snugly in a high-neck sweater, the collar hiding the marks he’d insisted on leaving last night, and fine beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. The air conditioning was already warm enough. But I still felt cold. The entire table of delicious food tasted like sawdust. As the dinner ended, William picked up his car keys: “I’ll drive you girls home; it’s not safe late at night.” I tugged at his sleeve, whispering: “It’s not even nine yet. Let’s just go home; I’m not feeling well today.” Sweat had been pouring off me in the stuffy private room, and now the evening breeze made my temples throb. William looked down, took my hand, and said gently: “How can I let girls go home alone when it’s dark? Be good, just a little longer.” Another one of his perfectly warm, unblemished statements. A wave of helplessness washed over me. Was William not good to me? Quite the opposite. Everyone in our circle knew he was incredibly attentive, the perfect boyfriend who did everything for me. But his kindness was like the breeze from an air conditioner, evenly distributed to everyone in the room, without favor. And what I wanted was, just once, his undivided attention. I let go of his hand. “I’m only asking you once.” “Can you take me home first today?” William frowned, his tone laced with exasperation: “Don’t be difficult, it won’t take long, you can rest in the car just the same—” “Fine.” I stopped arguing, turned, and hailed a taxi. William froze for a moment, then chased after me, grabbing the car door: “Jasmine! What are you doing?” I pushed his hand away and closed the door. “Drive.” 2 When I got home, the air conditioning was broken. I huddled under a blanket on the bed, waiting until one in the morning. William called. “Jasmine, something happened with Tara.” “Her ex-boyfriend showed up again, her apartment is a mess, and she’s too scared to be alone. I’m staying with her for a while.” I closed my eyes, taking a sharp breath. “William, you could have taken her to a hotel, or called a female friend to come over.” “You staying there, just the two of you, what kind of impression does that give? Aren’t you worried people will misunderstand?” “Misunderstand what? We’re just colleagues.” He dismissed it. “I’m like this with everyone, you know that. No one will think anything of it.” I clutched the blanket tightly. “I think I have a fever. The air conditioning at home is broken, can you…” “Jasmine!” He cut me off, a hint of impatience in his voice. “Can you stop being so dramatic? I’m just helping a friend. She’s terrified right now, and you’re making a scene with me? “Am I not good enough to you normally? Do I have to ignore everyone else and only pay attention to you?” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Tara took the phone, her voice soft and tearful. “Jasmine, please don’t misunderstand William… I was just so scared that I begged him to stay and protect me… “Please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll give him back to you tomorrow.” I hung up the phone. The room was cold, so cold my bones shivered. I wrapped myself in the blanket and lay down, curling into a ball. My body grew hotter and hotter, my heart pounding as if it wanted to leap from my throat. I struggled to get up. I called 911 myself. In the emergency room, after the doctor finished examining me, she frowned. “Didn’t you know you were pregnant?” “Why did you wait until your fever developed into myocarditis to come in!” I stared at the report, my mind reeling. 3 When I next woke, birds were chirping outside the window. The nurse removed the IV drip. I picked up my phone; it was quiet, no messages, no calls. Just as I was about to get up and leave, my phone rang. “Hello, is this Jasmine?” “This is the police station. William Vance is your boyfriend, right? He got into a fight and was brought in. Could you come down?” My head buzzed. “A fight? He—” “Both he and the other party were involved. They’re both here now; please come handle it.” I hung up, my mind a mix of panic and urgency, quickly getting out of bed and putting on my shoes. Wasn’t William with Tara? Why would he suddenly get into a fight? It had been years since he was that impulsive. My phone rang again. “Jasmine! Get online quickly! William’s been filmed!” I clicked the link my best friend sent. Video title: “E-sports Player William Vance Fights in Early Hours, Angrily Confronts Ex-Boyfriend to Protect Mysterious Woman” In the footage, William stood beneath an apartment building, his hair disheveled, a cut on his lip, blood oozing out. Tara hid behind him, her eyes red, clutching his arm. The man opposite pointed at Tara’s nose and cursed: “You only broke up with me because of him!” William shielded Tara behind him, wiping the blood from his lip: “If you dare harass her again, I’ll beat you every time.” The ex-boyfriend rushed forward, and the two men wrestled. The video shook violently; I could only hear the dull thud of fists on flesh and Tara’s screams. The comment section had gone wild. [Holy cow, William is so alpha! What a boyfriend!] [Who’s that girl? His girlfriend?] [Looks like the operations manager from their club, I’ve seen her on streams before!] [William getting mad for his lady, I’m swooning!] [William didn’t deny it, isn’t this basically official?] My chest felt tight, struggling to breathe. I stared at those comments, my fingers clenching until they were white. We had been together for seven years. His fans didn’t even know I existed. He always told me that his profession was unique, that e-sports players didn’t date, and that if they made mistakes, fans would still forgive them. But if he dated, any slight drop in performance would be blamed on him being distracted by romance. For his career, I endured it. But what was this now? 4 In the police station hallway, I spotted Tara immediately. She sat on a bench, her shoulders shaking. William stood beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder, talking to her quietly. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his eyes flickering. I said nothing, turning to sign the papers and pay the fine. When I returned, Tara got up to meet me. “Jasmine…” She grabbed my hand, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, I dragged William into this. I didn’t know it would cause him to get hurt, or that someone would film it…” She cried, tears falling like pear blossoms after a rain. Then she looked up at William, her tearful eyes filled with dependence. William raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, his voice incredibly tender. “Who else is going to look out for you? If you have trouble, who else would you call?” I turned to walk out. “Jasmine!” William ran after me. I didn’t look back. Back home, just as I set my bag down, William hugged me from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder, nuzzling me affectionately: “You were scared today, weren’t you? Don’t be angry, it was just an accident, Tara’s situation…” His hand rested on my lower abdomen. There, a tiny life. Seven years. I had been with him since I was twenty. We lived in a basement apartment, and at our poorest, we only ate instant noodles. He played games, and I worked three part-time jobs to support him. Now, finally, we had made it through the hard times. Was I willing to break up over these things? I closed my eyes, then opened them again. I turned to face him. “William, let’s get married.” “Why so sudden…” He froze. “We’ve been together for seven years, shouldn’t we get married?” A flicker of panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by a forced smile. “Why are you bringing this up again? Honey, I told you, I’m in a career upswing right now, I need to focus on competitions. Marriage can wait…” “Then announce me,” I interrupted him. “Clarify that I am your girlfriend. I don’t like people speculating about you and Tara.” He frowned. “Why do you care what strangers on the internet say? As long as we’re good, isn’t that enough?” “You used to say not to go public because you were afraid of upsetting your fans.” I stared into his eyes. “What about now? Aren’t your fans supportive?” “Don’t be difficult, Jasmine. If I announce you now, how will the public view Tara?” He looked away, his voice softening as he tried to appease me: “Listen, I’m doing this to protect you, aren’t I?” “Protect me?” “If your past working at the club as a bartender were dug up, you know how vicious people online are; they’d definitely cyberbully you.” I looked at the man before me, feeling an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity. “Are you afraid they’ll slander me, or are you afraid they’ll look down on you?” William’s face changed. “Jasmine, what do you mean by that?” “Are you afraid others will look down on me, or is it that you look down on me?” Silence cut through the air like a knife, slicing me inch by inch. “Fine.” I nodded, my voice beginning to tremble. “You won’t say it, will you? Then I’ll say it for you. “You’re the last person who has the right to look down on me!” “Back then, you were dead set on e-sports, cooped up at home playing games all day. If I hadn’t gone to the club to earn extra money to support you, would you be where you are today?” William’s face flushed instantly. “Why are you bringing this up? Are you trying to use it against me? “Haven’t I given anything? Haven’t I been good to you all these years? Haven’t I provided emotional support?” His arrogant words left me stunned. A tight cramp seized my lower abdomen. “Get out.” My voice suddenly became calm. He was bewildered. “What?” “Get out.” I pointed to the door. “I don’t want to see you.” His face alternated between red and white. He slammed the door shut as he left. 5 In the evening, I drifted into a drowsy sleep. Woken by a ringing phone. My best friend’s voice was frantic: “Jasmine! Come downstairs quickly! I’m outside your building, it’s urgent!” My head throbbed as if it would split open, my throat sore and dry. “I’m not feeling well today, can we reschedule?” “No! Hurry down! It’s a big deal!” I struggled to get up, felt my forehead—it seemed I was feverish again—and threw on a jacket before heading downstairs. I was shoved into a car and driven directly to a fancy club. The moment the private room door opened, confetti sprayed over my face. “Surprise!” William had hired a party planning team. The room was filled with balloons and lights, and there was even a photographer. A banner hung on the wall—”Jasmine, I’m Sorry.” William stood in the center, holding a large bouquet of roses, his smile gentle and sincere. “Honey.” He walked over, knelt on one knee, and placed the flowers in my arms. “This morning was my fault, my attitude was wrong. I regretted it the moment I left, and I felt I had to formally apologize.” “All these friends are here to witness. I promise I’ll never argue with you again. Please forgive me, okay?” Everyone applauded and cheered: “Forgive him! Forgive him!” I stood at the doorway, feeling cold all over. But not a trace of emotion. All I wanted was for us to be together, a quiet hug, just the two of us. Not like this. Not a room full of people, not confetti and banners. Not being put on display for everyone to watch, forced to nod, forced to smile magnanimously, forced to forgive. William got up, put an arm around my shoulder, and looked down at me: “What’s wrong? You look terrible. Still upset?” Before I could open my mouth. Tara squeezed in, holding a glass of wine, and with a sweet smile, offered it to me. “Jasmine, please forgive William.” “You don’t know how much effort he put in today. He started running around arranging the venue first thing this morning, even picked out the balloon colors himself. We’re all so jealous of you.” She paused, then tilted her head to look at me. “But Jasmine, you haven’t even smiled since you walked in.” “William put in so much effort, you should at least give him some face. So many people are watching; it makes things so hard for him…” Her tone was aggrieved and innocent. The entire room fell silent. Everyone’s gaze landed on me. William’s hand on my shoulder stiffened. I looked at him. Then at Tara. Suddenly, I smiled. “You envy me? Envy me for what? “Envy that every birthday, every anniversary, every surprise is such a half-hearted gift? “Envy that after a long day, I still have to force myself to party all night with a group of people, and at the end of the month, I’m still robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay off credit cards, because my boyfriend says he spent all his money on me? “Or envy that I’ve been in a relationship for seven years, and it still has to be kept a secret?” The room was completely silent. William’s face changed: “Jasmine, you—” I pushed his hand away, looking at Tara. “You want them?” I picked up the bouquet of roses and placed them in her arms. “They’re yours. “And William, if you want him so much, he’s yours too.” Tara stood there, stunned, holding the flowers. “Jasmine!” William grabbed my wrist, his voice very low. “I know you’re still angry with me. I’ve already apologized. There are so many people here; give me some face. Let’s go home and talk, okay?” “I don’t want your apology.” William panicked, his face alternating between red and white: “Then what do you want? Tell me! I’ll do anything, alright?” “Do you want me to announce our relationship? If you really want that, then I can forget about my career and announce you as my girlfriend right now…” He stopped. Because I gently pulled away from him, smiling and shaking my head. “I don’t want it anymore.” I turned to walk out. William chased after me, grabbing my wrist again: “Jasmine, explain yourself! What do you mean, you don’t want it anymore?” “Let go!” I struggled to shake him off. In my panic, my side violently hit a metal door handle. Sharp pain shot through me, quickly spreading to my entire abdomen. A spasm came from deep within my lower belly, as if something was being fiercely clutched and torn downwards. I doubled over in pain, cold sweat already breaking out. William looked down and saw my other hand clamped tightly over my lower abdomen, my fingers trembling violently. “Jasmine?” His voice changed in fear. “What’s wrong with you?” I couldn’t control my body as I slid down, yet I still forced myself to open the private room door and walk out. William’s pupils contracted sharply; he suddenly embraced me. “Let go of me!” He held me tighter, his voice trembling: “Jasmine! What’s wrong? You look so pale—” My vision went black. Just then, a hand reached out from the side, gripping William’s wrist. With a forceful twist. William cried out in pain, his hand loosening its grip. I fell backward, but into an embrace. A voice came from above my head, deep and restrained. “Didn’t you hear her tell you to let go of her?”

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I was the chosen shield for the ruthless gang lord’s beloved. Three years into our marriage, I was kidnapped by his enemies for the eighth time. Ace arrived with his men to rescue me. The negotiation lasted barely five minutes before the young girl’s call came through. “Ace, my dare game led to a kiss, but I want to save my first kiss for you.” “Can you come to me?” The moment Ace turned to leave without hesitation, the knife plunged into my abdomen, blood gushing out. His men, just like the seven times before, paid them off and then sent me to the hospital. In the ambulance, I vaguely overheard someone speculating if I’d live to see the day that girl could stand on her own. They burst into laughter, while I wept silently. The mission to save the gang lord had failed, and the system was about to erase me. Ace, I won’t make it to that day. 1 The doctor sighed softly beside my ear. “Ms. Spiller, your uterus was already damaged from your last miscarriage, and now it’s been stabbed in that very spot again.” “I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear children anymore.” I stared at the pristine white ceiling, my voice sounding as if it came from a distant place. “It’s fine.” After the doctor left, I heard the system sigh too. “Mission failed. You will be erased.” “Do you want to restart the mission and continue saving him?” I shook my head. “Erase me.” “Understood. Erase protocol initiated. You have 72 hours remaining.” I closed my eyes, the silence around me almost unnerving. But soon, a strange impulse led me to open Chloe Vance’s live stream. Today, she was painting live from the hilltop mansion Ace had bought her. The young girl, in Ace’s oversized men’s shirt, her hair in a messy bun, was mixing colors in front of an easel. In the camera, her cheeks were flushed, and her smile was pure and lovely. “My clothes? Oh, they’re my boyfriend’s. My own shirts were just… impossible to wear.” “It was quite… intense last night, actually.” As she spoke, she glanced back shyly at the person just out of frame. She mumbled, “I never expected my first kiss and first time to happen on the same day…” A man’s deep, gentle voice drifted in. “My apologies. I’ll be gentler next time.” The chat exploded with cheers. [Chloe finally got her man! More daily couple content, please!] “Couple content is a bit tricky. My boyfriend has a special job, so he can’t show his face.” As she spoke, a little red paint stained the sleeve of her shirt. Chloe let out a small “oops,” and the man’s long, slender fingers reached over to roll up her sleeve for her. A cute little peach ring on her ring finger was revealed. “It’s okay if it gets dirty.” Chloe’s blush deepened. She giggled, then was suddenly pulled away by the man. From off-camera, sounds of kissing and heavy breathing, leaving much to the imagination, filled the air. The live stream comments flew by, one catching my eye: [I think I just heard Ace Evans, the gang lord.] The man spoke, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. “I am not.” The live stream abruptly ended. I put down my phone and drifted back into a heavy sleep. I dreamt of a time I was cleaning and accidentally got dust on his white shirt. I apologized profusely, but he still flew into a rage, scolding me for touching his belongings. He threw that white shirt away like trash, and I never saw any of his clothes in the house again. The last image in my dream was Ace’s back. It was eerily similar to his back over the past three years, each time he’d rushed off because of Chloe, leaving me to my torment. I woke up groggily, and the first thing I saw was a peach ring. My gaze traveled upwards to Chloe, who had changed into a simple T-shirt and jeans. She was cheerfully sipping chicken soup from a thermos. The housekeeper’s face held an apologetic expression: “Mrs. Spiller, it’s all my fault. I only made one serving of soup for you, and it turns out Miss Chloe loves it too.” “Oh dear, I drank it all! Clara, I’m so, so sorry!” Chloe seemed to just realize it was my nourishing meal, and her eyes welled up with tears. When Ace walked in, he saw her clutching her hands, repeatedly bowing to me. “Clara Spiller, what are you doing now?! Chloe came to see you because she was worried!” The housekeeper looked a little awkward, wanting to explain, but Chloe cut her off: “Ace, please don’t be angry. My mouth was just so greedy. As soon as I smelled the chicken soup, I couldn’t help but have a couple of sips, and then I just drank it all… Clara has every right to be mad at me…” She cried so piteously that Ace’s heart ached. “It’s just a bowl of chicken soup. You can have all you want when you’re discharged. Why are you picking a fight with Chloe?” He looked coldly at the housekeeper: “Chloe hasn’t had much appetite lately, and she rarely enjoys your chicken soup. Go back now and make another pot, and deliver it to Chloe’s hilltop mansion.” The housekeeper scurried away. Ace’s expression softened as he bent down to wipe away Chloe’s tears. “Don’t cry anymore, or you’ll be a little mess.” Chloe broke into a smile, throwing herself into his arms. “You’re making fun of me again.” The two left the hospital room, giggling, and silence once again settled around me. To my surprise, the familiar cycle of misunderstandings, scoldings, and accusations, which had played out countless times, now stirred no ripple within me. I no longer wanted to argue, to make a scene, or to explain myself. An hour later, as the doctor was checking my wound, Ace’s henchmen sauntered in, urging me to get discharged quickly, as his enemies were still stirring. One of them, taking pity on me, asked if I wanted more pain medication. I shook my head. “It’s fine.” I’ve grown accustomed to this pain. 2 His men dropped me off at the doorstep, tossing a bag of medicine at me before driving away. Ace treated me as if I were nothing, and his people regarded me like dirt. I unlocked the door, carrying the bag, only to find the house cold and empty; even the cleaning staff were gone. Ace’s call came through, his voice as cold and devoid of warmth as ever. “Chloe’s not feeling well. Your housekeeper is meticulous, so I sent them all over there.” “You’ll have to stay by yourself for a few days. They’ll come back once Chloe feels better.” He said it as if it were the most natural thing, as if the person who had been stabbed five times by his enemies and nearly died was Chloe. “Okay.” Hearing my indifferent tone, he paused for a moment, then continued: “Jot down anything you want to eat, and the housekeeper will make it for you when they come back.” “Okay.” Even through the phone, I could sense his frown. “What’s with the attitude, all for a bowl of chicken soup?” “Clara Spiller, don’t you forget, when I married you, I told you you were just a shield for Chloe. Don’t think that after three years as Mrs. Evans, you can walk all over Chloe!” I nodded mechanically. “Okay.” “You…” Just as his anger flared, Chloe called out to him. “Ace, come quickly and have some cake!” The call ended. 48 hours left until the system erased me. I felt a little hungry, but when I went to the kitchen, I found all the groceries gone, the refrigerator completely empty. Due to Ace’s peculiar identity, he never allowed me to order takeout. I rummaged through the cupboards and drawers, managing to find a single packet of expired instant noodles. The kettle had been broken and unrepaired, so I used hot water from the water heater to prepare them, then placed the bowl on the dining table. My phone chimed, showing Chloe was live streaming. Today, they weren’t at the hilltop mansion. The background seemed to be a hot spring resort. Chloe, in a loose T-shirt, was eating chocolate cake while interacting with her viewers. The man off-camera occasionally speared a piece with his fork, gently feeding it to her. [Can’t you really show your daily romance? Those fingers definitely belong to a hottie!] Chloe stuck out her tongue. “My boyfriend is the most handsome man in the world. Every time he smiles, my heart just melts.” “He chased me first, but I’m a bit timid, afraid of everything, so I dragged it out until now before saying yes.” “The cake is sweet, but not as sweet as we are.” The man stroked her hair, and her cheeks turned crimson when she smiled. Chloe finished half the cake, and I finished my unappetizing instant noodles. In the live stream, her other phone lit up. Her eyes went red as she looked at it, revealing a surprised expression. A few seconds later, she burst into heart-wrenching sobs in front of over a hundred thousand viewers. The live stream abruptly ended. I was still in a daze when Ace’s call came through. He immediately launched into a furious tirade: “Clara Spiller, all for a bowl of chicken soup, for a few housekeepers, you actually posted about Chloe and me dating online!” “If Chloe gets hurt because of this, dying ten times wouldn’t be enough!” I opened my mouth to speak: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. After I got home, I was just eating…” “Still denying it? Chloe said she only accidentally sent those pictures to you, no one else has seen them, not even me!” “Besides, the resort where we’re eating today, you’ve been there before.” “You were just in the live stream. I saw you.” His last few words were laced with a grinding fury. If I were in front of him right then, he would probably have kicked me down, forcing me to my knees to apologize to Chloe. Just like last winter, when Chloe had period cramps and specifically demanded I take care of her. But my body was weak after the miscarriage, and I had barely uttered “I’m sorry” before he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me down. That day, I must have knocked my head ten times, leaving my face covered in blood, before Chloe finally cried and said she forgave me. Ace’s angry breathing from the phone dragged me back from my memories. I looked down at the instant noodle soup and said, “It wasn’t me. I had no reason to do that.” Chloe cried again. “Ace, someone outside seems to be watching me. I’m so scared…” After the call ended, I sat motionless at the dining table, lost in thought. Sure enough, just ten minutes later, Ace’s men punched in the code and burst in, dragging me out like a sack of potatoes. “Hurry, Boss wants you to shield Miss Chloe!” 3 The hot spring resort had an enormous floor-to-ceiling glass window. I was instructed to sit at the dining table in front of the window and read. In the safest corner of the room, Ace was gently comforting a weeping Chloe. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ll protect you.” She buried herself in his arms, her delicate hands clutching his expensive custom cashmere sweater. “Ace, will they kill me? I’m so afraid, I hate pain…” “No, they won’t. It’s safe here. Ace promises you’ll be fine.” Her sobs gradually subsided, and Chloe sniffled. “Ace, what would I do without you?” “Don’t talk nonsense. How could you be without me? I’ll always be with you, until we grow old.” The sounds of their kissing were too obvious. Even if I concentrated on my book, every detail reached my ears. The sounds lasted for half an hour, only stopping at the final stage. “Ace, Clara is still here. She is your wife, after all. Maybe you should find someone to protect her?” Ace glanced at me coldly. “If she hadn’t exposed our photos and location, you wouldn’t be so scared. She deserves this.” I desperately wanted to read the words on the page, but my vision was blurred. Why did tears still fall, when I supposedly no longer felt that agonizing pain? I didn’t understand, and I didn’t want to. After an unknown amount of time, the accumulated pain and exhaustion of the past few days made me drift off to sleep. I woke up to the sound of “24 hours left” ringing in my ears, accompanied by Ace’s slap across my face. “Clara Spiller, how could you be so vicious, sneaking in while I was asleep!” As I quickly stood up, I pulled at the wound on my abdomen, letting out a sharp gasp. “Don’t play innocent. Tell me, where is Chloe?!” It was then I realized I had somehow entered the bedroom. And Chloe was gone. “I don’t know. I remember I was at the floor-to-ceiling window last night…” “Cut the crap. Where did you send Chloe?!” I shook my head. “I don’t know.” “Clara Spiller, you’d better genuinely not know, or I swear I won’t let you off!” Ace said, gritting his teeth, then stormed out, making countless calls until he finally located Chloe. “Get a few men here, and bring her along!” I was bound at the feet and trapped in the back seat of Ace’s car. He drove himself, pressing the accelerator to the floor. In three years of marriage, this was the first time I’d seen him lose control like this. When we arrived at the beach, Chloe was tied by her wrists and suspended from a boat, crying hysterically. “Ace, why did you take so long? I’m so scared, please save me!” “Chloe!” Ace shouted her name anxiously, then glared menacingly at the enemies on the boat. “Let her go. I’ll give you my wife, plus two territories and ten businesses, in exchange.” The leader of the enemies, his face scarred, grinned. “Deal.” As I was slowly hoisted up, Ace was tightly embracing Chloe, whispering soothing words. When I reached the highest point, he turned and walked away with the woman he loved. I saw that back again, but this time, Chloe was by his side. The enemy leader lit a cigarette, then glanced sideways. “Do it.” The searing hot iron pressed against my skin, and I couldn’t help but cry out in agony. “Just kill me!” He shook his head: “If you die too quickly, it would be an injustice to my fallen brothers.” “Better to slowly torture you, so everyone in the underworld can see that Ace Evans isn’t so terrifying after all.” I struggled and twisted my body, but the branding iron always found its mark, hurting me so much I couldn’t even speak. I don’t know how many times he burned me. I was on the verge of losing consciousness from the pain when they finally lowered me. But just as I caught my breath, I felt a sharp sting on my wrist. He cut my wrist with a knife, then plunged it into the sea! Blood flowed into the ocean, instantly staining the seawater a vivid red. I was pressed down, unable to move, but my head was forcibly turned to my wrist, forcing me to watch my own blood drain away. Suddenly, I smiled. Ace, if I die here, will you find another shield for your young girl? Or will you simply marry her and take her home? But either way, it will no longer concern me. My consciousness gradually blurred. Before I completely slipped away, Ace’s men finally arrived, belatedly. I heard muffled negotiations, and then I was lifted onto an ambulance. Inside the vehicle, they were playing cards and laughing raucously, their noise keeping me from sleep. In my daze, I heard someone say: “Boss truly dotes on Miss Chloe. He wasn’t even going to pursue it, but the moment he saw Miss Chloe’s wrist was scraped, he got so angry he personally killed all those people.” “Hey, have you heard? Boss decided to retire from the gang for Miss Chloe.” 4 When I was resuscitated, the system informed me I had six hours left. I suddenly remembered what they said in the ambulance. Ace, because Chloe’s wrist was scraped, was going to retire from the gang. I looked down at the bandaged wounds on my wrist and the countless scars covering my body, a bitter smile on my face. Something that took me three years to achieve was, it turned out, so easily accomplished. Only, the one who completed the task wasn’t me. With four hours left, I ignored the hospital’s protests and, leaning on my fragile body, returned to the villa. Before I left, I wanted to take one last look at that medical report. But when I struggled back, I found the yard in disarray, the house completely empty. The guest bedroom was turned upside down. The things in the drawer were gone. I hastily called Ace. He answered, full of impatience: “I’m going to retire from the gang. All my previous properties will be sold, and I’ll buy new ones after everything’s clean.” “Just find somewhere to stay. Once Chloe’s emotionally stable, we’ll get a divorce.” I opened my mouth: “But the things in my bedroom drawer…” “Clara Spiller, don’t push your luck!” “Chloe’s injuries are all your fault. Sending my men to save you was already more than enough. Are you seriously expecting me to buy you a separate house just for the jewelry in your drawer?” I had nowhere to go, and I didn’t need to find a place to live. With three hours left, I sat on the doorstep, basking in the sun. The sunlight warmed my skin, but it couldn’t thaw my gradually chilling body. The garden gate creaked open, and I looked up to see Chloe, arms crossed, leaning against the gate and staring at me. “You’re truly lucky. You still haven’t died.” I paused, then smiled softly. “Soon. Don’t worry.” She was about to say something when she suddenly heard a sound and immediately dropped her arms. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Clara, I didn’t mean it, please don’t be angry, okay?” “You just got discharged, you shouldn’t get upset. I’ll ask the housekeeper to make you some chicken soup right away…” Before she could finish, Ace burst in, enraged, his phone held up in front of me. The chat log displayed a message someone had sent him. “Boss, your wife is quite something. She mass-emailed your enemies, telling them you love Chloe, and they should go after Chloe from now on, not her.” “Photos and addresses are all there. Chloe’s social media accounts have been exposed.” Ace, in a frenzy, kicked me hard in the chest. “I shouldn’t have sent anyone to save you. You’d be better off dead there!” I gasped for air, and as I looked up, the sun blinded me. A gun was pressed against my forehead, the barrel icy cold, sending a shiver down my spine. “It wasn’t me.” In these three years, I seemed to say those three words often. Chloe ran over and stopped him, crying, “Ace, Clara didn’t mean it. It’s my fault for taking the person she loved. It’s normal for her to hate me, so please don’t hurt her. She just got out of the hospital…” “It’s okay if the accounts are gone. It’s fine if they come after me. I can handle it…” Ace hugged her, his heart aching. He turned to look at me, his teeth gritted. “I really regret ever finding you. You’re restless and vicious!” His men called him: “Boss, several of our enemies are offering bounties for Miss Chloe’s life, what should we do?!” “Maybe you should take Miss Chloe abroad to hide. Someone must have told them Miss Chloe is at the villa, they’re already heading that way!” Ace’s eyes flickered. “I know who told them.” He started a live stream, appearing on camera for the first time in his life, but quickly turned the camera to face me. “I am Ace Evans. As of today, I’m retiring from the gang and will no longer be involved in underworld affairs.” “All of you who have grievances and grudges, come find her. Everything I’ve done in the past was at her instigation. Now, I no longer wish to be with her. She’s yours to deal with.” I gasped for air. “I shielded Chloe for three years. Now you want me to die for you?” Ace grabbed my collar and dragged me all the way to the main road. As he threw me down and walked away, he left a cold parting remark: “This is all your own doing. Whether you live or die is up to fate.” This was the last time I saw his back. Cold, resolute. He disappeared. Not even ten minutes later, countless enemies swarmed from all directions. They unleashed all their pent-up resentment and fury on me, no one holding back. My tendons were severed, my legs broken, and countless knives plunged into my chest. They roared for revenge for their relatives, brothers, and friends, gripping my chin and demanding an apology. But I felt as if I had lost all sensation of pain, only staring blankly at the clear blue sky. It was good. Before I died, I could see a vast expanse of blue, not a single cloud in sight. Just like the day I first entered this world. “Mission failed. Erase protocol initiated.” “In one hour, all your identity information will be erased. Clara Spiller will completely vanish from this world.”

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I was a technical consultant personally recruited by old Mr. Sewell. On my second day, I hadn’t even gotten my ID badge yet. That morning, a crowd was waiting at the elevator. When the doors opened, I instinctively stepped inside, but suddenly felt a shove from behind. “Move it, move it, move it! Mrs. Sewell is here!” The woman, in her early thirties, didn’t even glance up, her high heels clicking as she squeezed past me into the elevator. Her male assistant forcefully pushed me aside, and I nearly collided with a trash can. I suppressed my anger, choosing not to make a scene. But that afternoon, HR showed up. In front of everyone, Mr. Thorne, the manager, ripped off my temporary ID badge and tossed it into the trash can. “Mr. Sewell said your probation period is over.” “Pack your things and get out.” “A rule-breaking dog like you will never be worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors!” I said nothing, quietly gathering my belongings. I pulled out my phone and found the message that had gone unanswered. “Mr. Lyn, about the employment conditions you mentioned last time.” “I accept.” 1 My first day at work, I finished the paperwork in the afternoon, only to be dragged into an emergency project meeting that evening. A technical problem had stalled the team for a month, leaving the engineers with hollowed-out eyes from exhaustion. Looking at their test data, I had a rough idea. It wasn’t a major issue, but it would take time. I ended up working until two in the morning. This morning, I dragged myself out of bed at seven, my eyelids heavy with fatigue. My mind was consumed by the optimization path for that algorithm, so much so that I didn’t even pay close attention to the queue at the elevator. The elevator doors opened. I instinctively took a step forward. Suddenly, a hand shot out from behind, forcefully pushing me to the side. The force was considerable; I stumbled back a couple of steps, nearly crashing into the trash can by the wall. By the time I regained my balance and turned around, a young man in a black suit was already blocking my path. He made a shooing gesture with his hand towards me, words spilling out in a rapid-fire volley: “Move it, move it, move it! Get out of the way, are you blind?” “Can’t you see Mrs. Sewell is here?” The crowd automatically parted, creating a path. A woman in high heels strode in. She was in her early thirties, with long, curled hair and an unreadable expression. Her gaze swept over my temporary ID badge, but her eyelids didn’t even flicker. I stood there, looking at the crumpled cuff of my shirt. Before the man in the black suit followed her in, he glanced back at me, his mouth turning down at the corner. I’d seen that look before. It wasn’t a big deal, just that dismissive “who do you think you are?” kind of contempt, so subtle it wasn’t even worth his breath. A large elevator, yet only two people entered. I took a deep breath, pushing down my anger. Better to avoid trouble. It was only my second day, the project was waiting, and it wasn’t worth getting into it with someone like that. Another elevator door opened. I smoothed out my cuff and followed the rest of the crowd into the elevator. The elevator ascended in silence. Everyone was covertly sizing me up. There was sympathy in their eyes, some ridicule, and many other unreadable emotions. The crowd streamed out. As I walked towards my cubicle, a middle-aged woman with a teacup, sitting nearby, leaned over and whispered, “New guy, huh?” “You were standing by the elevator just now, weren’t you? Did Mrs. Sewell’s assistant push you?” I didn’t reply. The woman sighed, looked left and right, then leaned in closer: “Listen, kid, I’m just an old busybody, but there are some things you need to know.” “Mrs. Sewell is not someone you want to cross. She never takes the same elevator as regular employees, she thinks it’s beneath her.” “Oh, and her assistant’s name is Louis, he’s Mr. Thorne’s brother, the HR manager.” “Everyone in this company knows Mrs. Sewell and Mr. Thorne are old classmates, right?” “If you offend her, your job… well, it might be…” She didn’t finish the sentence, just shook her head. I offered a faint smile: “Thanks for the warning.” “Don’t just brush it off,” she said, looking a little anxious at my nonchalance. “A few days ago, a young woman, just because she didn’t move fast enough in the elevator, Louis yelled at her, and then somehow, she was gone before her probation was even over.” “You, this…” “Ma’am, I know you mean well,” I interrupted her. “But I think I’ll be fine.” She looked at me suspiciously. I didn’t elaborate. She was about to say more, but someone called her from a distance, and she hurried off with her teacup. As she left, she looked back at me, her eyes filled with the worry of an elder seeing a naive young person. I didn’t dwell on it. I sat down at my workstation, opened my laptop, and continued to adjust the parameters from last night. It wasn’t that I was ungrateful for her concern, it was that I genuinely wasn’t afraid. Because I was personally invited back by Mr. Sewell, the company’s founder. 2 A week ago, freshly returned from overseas, I was on the shortlist for several companies. It was then that old Mr. Sewell reached out through a contact, requesting a meeting. The meeting wasn’t in some luxurious office, but an old tea house in the west of the city. Old Mr. Sewell was in his seventies, with completely white hair and a slightly stooped back. The moment he saw me, he reached out and clasped my hand, holding on tight, his grip surprisingly firm. “Mr. Lane, I’ve finally met you,” he said, pulling me to a seat and personally pouring me tea. “I’ve read your papers published abroad, every single one, several times over.” “That paper on intelligent algorithm optimization paths, I understand parts of it, but not entirely.” “After all, I’m just an old man, a layman in technology.” “But I trust in your abilities.” As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of papers from his old leather briefcase – my research papers, densely printed. “Our company is currently facing a major problem. Our core project has been stalled for a year, and we’ve poured nearly twenty million into it with nothing to show for it.” “I’ve consulted experts in this field, and they said fewer than five people in the entire country could save this project. You are one of them.” I smiled faintly: “Mr. Sewell, you flatter me.” “Not at all, not at all.” He waved a hand, leaning forward slightly. “Mr. Lane, I won’t beat around the bush. I want to invite you to join Sewell Group, and you can name your terms.” I paused for a moment. The old man looked at me, his clouded eyes showing a stubborn determination: “I know you have several options, and I know our company isn’t the biggest or the wealthiest.” “But let me tell you something from the heart, this project is the last thing I want to accomplish in my life.” “I’ve been in business my whole life, made some money, and now at the end, I want to create something truly remarkable.” “Not for myself, but to leave something for this industry.” As he said this, his voice was low, but every word was distinct. I looked at his silver hair, at his face full of wrinkles, and something stirred within me. “Mr. Sewell, I…” “You don’t have to agree right now.” He cut me off, pouring me another cup of tea. “Go home and think about it. My only condition is this.” “If you come, you’ll be in charge of this project.” “Whatever you need, people or money, you’ll have it.” He then pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “This is my private number. Whenever you’ve made up your mind, feel free to call me.” After returning that day, I deliberated for three days. The conditions offered by other companies were indeed better, but for some reason, the old man’s cloudy eyes kept swirling in my mind. When he said, “I want to leave something for this industry,” his tone reminded me of my graduate advisor. The old man never rushed me. On the fifth evening, I sent him a message, saying I had made up my mind and would join. The next morning, he had his assistant contact me to arrange my onboarding. Before I left, he specifically called me, his voice filled with joy: “Mr. Lane, rest assured, I will personally oversee your compensation to ensure you are not shortchanged.” “You were brought in by me, and I will absolutely not allow you to suffer any injustice.” I believed him. So now, I wasn’t at all worried about Mrs. Sewell or Mr. Thorne. Mr. Sewell, after all, was merely old Mr. Sewell’s son. Moreover, in a place where technical skill spoke loudest, there was no need to cater to anyone’s whims. I lowered my head and continued typing code. The parameters on the screen adjusted smoother and smoother, and I gradually forgot the earlier unpleasantness. The words the old lady had spoken were long gone from my mind. Project progress was paramount. I was here to solve problems, not to get involved in office politics. Just as I was hitting a crucial part of the code, footsteps suddenly sounded behind me. I didn’t turn around. The footsteps stopped behind me. “You must be Ethan Lane?” The man’s voice was a little sharp, a little arrogant. I turned my head. A man in a white shirt stood behind me, in his early thirties, with slicked-back hair. He was followed by two others, a man and a woman, both with their heads down, carrying folders. I stood up: “I’m Ethan Lane. And you are?” He didn’t answer, just looked me up and down, his gaze settling on the temporary ID badge on my chest. Then he smiled. It was an unsettling smile, as if he’d seen something utterly ridiculous. He reached out, pinching the thin plastic with two fingers, and ripped it off. “You won’t be needing this anymore.” Rip. In front of everyone, the ID badge was violently torn off. Without even looking at it, he casually tossed it into the nearby trash can. 3 “You…” My words were cut off before I could finish. “Ethan Lane, right?” “I’m the HR manager, Mr. Thorne.” He took a step forward, very close to me, his spittle almost spraying my face. “Mr. Sewell said your probation period is over.” He paused, a slow grin spreading across his face. “You have ten minutes. Pack your things and get the hell out.” The office fell silent. I could feel the gazes from the surrounding cubicles, all directed our way. Some were pretending to be busy, head down, while others covertly looked up, their eyes filled with shock and sympathy. Mr. Thorne stared at me, waiting for me to speak. He waited for me to argue, to plead, to show panic and distress. I didn’t move. Nor did I speak. His smile faltered slightly, then became even more arrogant: “What? Didn’t hear me? I’ll say it again then.” “A rule-breaking dog like you will never be worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors!” “If I see you here in ten minutes, I’ll have security throw you out!” With that, he clapped his hands, as if he’d just touched something dirty. Then he turned and walked away, his dress shoes clicking loudly on the floor. The two followers hurried after him, never once lifting their heads to look at me. The office was eerily quiet. I stood rooted to the spot, looking at the crumpled temporary ID badge in the trash can. I pulled out my phone and scrolled to the unanswered message. It was from Mr. Lyn, CEO of Lyn Industries, three days ago. At the time, I had already agreed to old Mr. Sewell, so I hadn’t replied. “Mr. Lyn.” “I accept the employment conditions you mentioned last time.” After hitting send, I began packing the items on my desk. My laptop hadn’t even warmed up, the code wasn’t finished. But none of that mattered anymore. Less than two minutes after sending the message, my phone vibrated. Mr. Lyn’s reply was direct: “Welcome aboard! I’ll have a driver pick you up immediately!” “No, better yet, I’ll pick you up myself!” I continued packing. My laptop went into my backpack, a few pens from the drawer were tossed in, and I glanced at the borrowed water bottle on the desk. It wasn’t mine, so I left it. As I zipped up my backpack, footsteps sounded behind me, someone jogging over. “Mr. Lane!” I turned around. It was old John, an engineer I’d met in the project team yesterday. He was in his forties, with graying hair and deeply sunken eyes, clearly a seasoned technical veteran who had pulled countless all-nighters. He hadn’t spoken much during the meeting yesterday, but the few questions he asked were spot-on. “Mr. Lane, I finally found you,” old John said, out of breath. “I can’t get this parameter to tune, could you take a look for me?” As he spoke, he was already holding out a tablet, filled with dense data. I glanced at the screen, then at him. He then noticed I was packing my things and froze: “Mr. Lane, what are you doing?” His gaze swept to the side and landed on the temporary ID badge in the trash can. Old John’s face changed. He squatted down, picked up the badge, which had some tea leaves stuck to it. He wiped it with his hand, flipped it over to read the name, then looked up at me. “Mr. Lane, who did this?” I offered a faint smile. “It’s fine, John. Send me that parameter to my email; I’ll take a look tonight if I have time.” “No, what exactly happened?” old John’s voice rose. “You just started yesterday, how could you be…?” Before he could finish, footsteps echoed from down the hallway. Old John turned around; it was Mr. Thorne returning. Next to him was the man in the black suit, the one who pushed me this morning. Mrs. Sewell’s assistant, Louis. The two brothers walked over, one after the other, their expressions identical, both with a hint of a smirk. Louis spoke first, nodding towards me: “Well, well, still here?” “Got fired and still trying to leech off us?” 4 Mr. Thorne stood beside him, arms crossed, saying nothing, just watching me. Old John stepped forward, demanding, “Mr. Thorne, what is going on?” “Mr. Lane is the technical consultant our project team brought in. He just started yesterday, why is he leaving today?” Mr. Thorne rolled his eyes. “Old John, this has nothing to do with you.” “How can it have nothing to do with me?” Old John held up the ID badge. “Who threw this away? Mr. Lane was personally recruited by old Mr. Sewell, do you know that?” Louis snorted with laughter. Mr. Thorne took a step forward, pointing a finger at old John’s chest: “Old John, how many years have you been at this company?” Old John froze. “Over ten years, why?” “Over ten years,” Mr. Thorne nodded. “And you’re still just an engineer. Do you know why?” Old John’s face clouded: “What do you mean?” “What do I mean?” Mr. Thorne withdrew his hand, pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Louis immediately leaned in to light it for him. They completely ignored the ‘No Smoking’ sign on the wall. He took a drag and blew smoke right into old John’s face. “It’s because of your muddled thinking.” Old John coughed a couple of times from the smoke, stepping back. Mr. Thorne, cigarette in mouth, eyed him askance. “Old Mr. Sewell? Old Mr. Sewell retired a year ago, don’t you know? Who’s in charge of the company now?” Old John, stubborn, argued: “But even so, you can’t…” “Can’t what?” Louis interjected. “John, my brother calls you ‘Old John’ out of respect.” “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Old John’s face turned beet red. “You… you can’t just make Mr. Lane leave!” Mr. Thorne flicked his cigarette ash, slowly saying, “What did he do wrong? He did a lot wrong.” “This morning at the elevator, Mrs. Sewell was already there.” “This kid, eyes in the back of his head, pushed his way to the front.” “Louis told him to move, and he dared to glare back.” Louis nodded beside him: “Yeah, like a stubborn idiot, just stood there.” I stood by, listening, not saying a word. Old John grew agitated: “Just for that? Just because he didn’t yield the elevator to Mrs. Sewell?” Mr. Thorne threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot. “Old John, are you an idiot? That’s Mrs. Sewell! The company’s boss!” “What is he, a consultant who just started?” “And he dares to fight Mrs. Sewell for an elevator?” Louis chimed in: “Exactly, what a nobody.” Old John was trembling with anger. “You… you’re too much! I’m calling old Mr. Sewell right now to make him resolve this!” He said, pulling out his phone. Louis’s face changed, and he reached out to snatch it. Old John dodged, but couldn’t hold onto his phone, and it clattered to the ground with a snap. Louis stomped on it. Crunch. The screen shattered. Old John froze, staring down at the pile of fragments on the ground. Louis took his foot back, his sole still carrying glass shards. He scraped his shoe on the floor, cleaning it off, then looked up and smiled at old John. “Go on, call him again.” Old John looked up, his eyes red: “You…” Mr. Thorne walked over, patting old John’s shoulder, this time with considerable force, repeatedly. “Old John, I’m advising you, stay out of this.” “Louis is my brother, you know that.” “My brother works for Mrs. Sewell, you know that too.” “And you know my relationship with Mrs. Sewell even better.” He paused, then leaned in close to old John’s ear, lowering his voice. But the office was so quiet, everyone could hear. “If you keep meddling, you’ll be out with him today.” Old John trembled with rage. Mr. Thorne stepped back, sizing him up, a smirk on his face: “Think it through yourself, ten years of service, for a stranger who just arrived yesterday. Is it worth it?” I walked over and patted old John’s shoulder. “John, let it go.” Old John turned to look at me, his eyes red-rimmed: “Mr. Lane…” I smiled faintly and picked up my backpack. “It’s fine. I’ll email you that parameter tonight.” Louis, listening nearby, sneered: “Still emailing? Fired and still pretending to be a big shot?” I ignored him and walked towards the exit with my bag. Mr. Thorne called after me: “Ethan Lane, did you hear what I said?” I stopped and turned back to him. He stood there, a newly lit cigarette in his mouth, eyes squinted at me. “I said, you’re not worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors.” “If you dare to show up again, I’ll have you beaten every time I see you!” I looked at his face, then at Louis, who stood beside him with his arms crossed. I smiled. “Don’t worry, even if old Mr. Sewell himself comes to ask.” “I won’t be coming back.”

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My grandmother is the richest woman in the country, and I’m her only granddaughter. Yet, my two older brothers allowed their trophy girlfriend to impersonate me. Before the start of the group’s centennial celebration, Mia Turner had already taken her place in the seat reserved for the CEO’s daughter, feigning politeness as she spoke to me. “Oh, dear~ if the boys hadn’t insisted on bringing you to see the world, a poor student like you would never step foot inside the Zenith Group’s doors.” “Later, remember to be sensible. Don’t cause me any trouble, or the boys will surely beat you to a cripple.” In my previous life, I was intimidated by my brothers, timid and weak, always yielding to Mia. But now, I’ve been reborn. Watching Mia still spouting nonsense, I simply raised my foot and kicked her back three feet. “What do you think you are? Trash, daring to lecture me!” 1 My audacious act immediately drew everyone’s attention. My elder brother, Alexander, instantly rushed to cradle Mia, his face etched with concern. My second brother, Benjamin, then raised his hand and slapped me twice. Seeing their pampered trophy girlfriend kicked away by me, both brothers were beside themselves with distress. They glared at me, seething. “Alexa Summers, you must have a death wish, daring to lay a hand on our sister!” Looking at my two aggressive brothers, I realized how foolish I’d been to ever imagine they felt any familial affection for me. I pointed at Mia, who was still cradled in their arms, and mocked loudly. “She’s just a little ‘sister’ you’re both keeping as a mistress. Am I, the group’s heiress, the CEO’s own granddaughter, not entitled to hit her?” At my words, Alexander instantly flared up, shoving me back to the ground. “Alexa Summers, Mia was kind enough to fund your education, yet here you are, spouting nonsense.” “Everyone here, listen up! Mia is my grandmother’s true granddaughter, the daughter of Zenith Group!” I looked at Alexander in disbelief. “She’s my grandmother’s granddaughter? The daughter of Zenith Group?” “Alexander, how dare you say such a thing? You truly have no shame!” Benjamin’s eyes darted around, then he looked at me with disdain. “Alexa Summers, did you forget to take your medication today? Are you having an episode?” Mia, meanwhile, began to sob theatrically. “It’s all my fault. I knew Alexa had a mental illness, but I still brought her here.” Their twisted conversation, where they completely inverted the truth, was heard clearly by everyone in the hall. Instantly, everyone around me looked at me with contempt. “So Alexa Summers is just a poor student sponsored by the young lady, no wonder she’s dressed so shabbily.” “The young lady is truly pure and kind, to sponsor someone so mentally ill and twisted.” Alexander then called for the group’s assistant, Mr. Davies. “Take Alexa Summers out of here. From now on, she’s not allowed to step foot in the group’s building without my permission.” I looked at Mr. Davies, who was approaching me with security guards. “Uncle Davies, you were a veteran beside my father. How can you not tell who the real CEO’s daughter is?” Mr. Davies immediately stopped, frozen in place. “I… I…” Benjamin glared at him with clear displeasure. “Uncle Davies, my elder brother is the future heir of the group. Are you defying his orders now, or do you want to pack your bags and get out?” Mr. Davies instantly turned pale with fright. He looked at me uneasily. “Miss, I have elderly parents and young children to support; I rely on this job. Please don’t make it difficult for me. Please come with me outside.” With that, Mr. Davies motioned for the security guards to quickly drag me away. Looking at the several people surrounding me, I picked up a vase from the table and threw it hard. “I am not only the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group, I am also the group’s sole heiress. Dare to touch me, and you’ll regret it!” 2 The shattering sound of the vase and my furious shout echoed through the entire banquet hall. Hearing my words, everyone around me scoffed. “She must be seriously ill. First, she claims to be the CEO’s granddaughter, and now the group’s heiress? Absolutely ridiculous.” “Exactly. Even if she were the CEO’s actual granddaughter, it wouldn’t fall to a woman to inherit the group. After all, the CEO has two biological grandsons.” Looking at my two still arrogant brothers, I directly challenged them. “Alexander, are you sure you and Benjamin have any claim to inheritance?” Benjamin’s eyes flickered, but he quickly regained his composure, tugging at Alexander’s sleeve. “Alexander, today is a joyous occasion. Later, all the family elders will be here. Perhaps we should just let it go?” Seeing Benjamin’s reaction, I knew he was remembering his origins and was starting to get scared. After all, my grandmother, the richest woman in this country, only gave birth to my mother. After my mother’s passing, I was her only biological granddaughter. My two brothers were merely the orphaned children of my father’s younger brother. After their parents died, my father, unable to bear seeing his nephews suffer outside, brought them into the Summers family. So they shared no blood relation with my mother or grandmother and could absolutely not inherit Zenith Group, which my biological grandmother had founded. But Alexander ignored my words, instead glaring at Benjamin with a deep frown. “She just laid a hand on Mia. Are you seriously going to let Mia suffer this indignity?” “Alexa Summers, it seems your illness has worsened. Should we just have Mr. Davies send you to a mental institution for treatment?” The mention of a mental institution sent a surge of pure hatred through my chest. I remembered the agony of being bled and flayed by Mia in the mental asylum in my previous life. Yes, in my past life, Alexander and Benjamin, in their desperate attempts to win Mia’s affection, had both, without exception, conspired against me and harmed me. Mia, who was studying medicine, always had a peculiar fascination. She wanted to personally observe the differences in anatomical structure between living and dead bodies. And after my two brothers learned of this, they collaborated with Mia to dissect me alive. Despite growing up with my brothers, living together in the Summers family for 18 years. Yet, to please Mia, they not only allowed her to impersonate me, but also daily concocted ways to help Mia torment me. Now, I understood. In my brothers’ eyes, familial bonds were meaningless; only romantic love held true importance for them. But now I was curious, when love and power were placed side by side, which would my two brothers choose? Thinking of this, I let out a cold laugh. “I’ll ask you one last time, who is the CEO’s daughter and heir of Zenith Group?” Before my two brothers could even open their mouths, Chloe Green, the daughter of a partner of the group, rushed forward and slapped me. “This is outrageous! You, a sponsored poor student, dare to act out in Zenith Group’s premises? Look at yourself, you don’t belong!” I knew Chloe Green. She secretly adored my older brother, Alexander, and constantly fantasized about marrying him and becoming the future chairman’s wife of the group. Ever since she heard Mia Turner was the CEO’s granddaughter and the daughter of Zenith Group, she had been fawning over Mia for the past two months, running errands for her. She wanted to establish a good sister-in-law relationship early on, to leave Alexander with the impression of a virtuous wife. Too bad she was flattering the wrong person. Mia was not only not the Zenith Group’s CEO’s daughter, but she was also Chloe’s love rival, my older brother’s secretly kept mistress for years. I wasn’t about to take Chloe Green’s slap for nothing, so I raised my foot and kicked her hard in the stomach. “What do you think you are? The daughter of a third-rate company daring to lay a hand on me! One word from me, and your family goes bankrupt instantly.” Chloe clutched her stomach in pain, looking at me in disbelief. “Alexa Summers, you actually dared to kick me! My mom and dad never even dared to yell at me, not once in my life!” “You just wait, I won’t let you get away with this.” Mia remorsefully took Chloe’s hand. “Chloe, don’t bother with her. She’s not mentally stable. I apologize on her behalf.” I looked at Mia with disdain, sneering. “I think you’re the one with a screw loose. Why act as a common mistress when you could be a high-class one? And why pretend to be the group’s CEO’s daughter at such an important event?” I turned to my two brothers, pointed towards the door, and said coldly. “Oh, since you two insist on playing dress-up with your mistress, then take your little ‘sister’ and get out of my company!” 3 My two brothers’ faces turned ashen as they glared at me. “Alexa Summers, let me tell you, we hold real power in this group. You’re still just a student. You’re the one who needs to leave!” “What’s going on? Why are you all standing here instead of taking your seats?” A distinguished, elegant middle-aged man pushed his way through the crowd. He was Marcus Summers, the CEO of Zenith Group, and my biological father. But he hurried to Mia, raising his hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes. “Mia, don’t cry~ Who’s been bullying you?” “Tell me quickly, and I’ll take care of them right now!” Alexander angrily pointed at me: “Besides this ignorant little brat, Alexa Summers, who else would dare to bully Mia right under my nose?” My father heard him and slapped me hard across the face. “Alexa Summers, I truly gave you too much freedom. You dare to abuse your power and bully Mia.” “Now, apologize to Mia on your knees immediately, or you won’t get any allowance for the next year.” Looking at my father, who was blaming me without any clear understanding, my eyes filled with disappointment. Sure enough, my father was still the same as in my previous life, blindly favoring Mia along with my two brothers. Although I had long anticipated it, my heart still couldn’t help but ache. Before, I never understood. I was clearly my father’s daughter, while Mia was just a plaything for my two brothers. But after my father met Mia, he became obsessed with her, treating her exceptionally well. Especially after discovering both my brothers had been supporting Mia as their mistress, my father exploded in fury, whipping both brothers for an entire day and night. When I saw my brothers being beaten, I even ran over to plead with my father, defending them. But I was accidentally hit with two lashes, and those two whip scars are still on my arm to this day. Afterward, my father not only stopped my brothers from continuing to support Mia, but he also used his connections to send Mia to the best university in the country. What’s more, my father even told my two brothers. If they truly loved Mia, they should compete fairly and try their best to marry her. And the one who successfully married Mia would be the heir to my father’s fortune. In my previous life, my father’s unusual behavior made me very curious, so I secretly investigated Mia’s background. Later, I learned that Mia was actually the daughter of my father’s first love. Mia looked very much like her mother; my father recognized her the first time he saw her. The destructive power of a deceased first love was truly formidable; a similar face could firmly capture my father’s heart. It was pitiful for my mother, who died of illness, never knowing that my father harbored another woman in his heart. Thinking of this, I looked at my father with sarcasm. “I will not apologize!” “But since my two brothers say Mia is their sister and the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group, shouldn’t Father offer an explanation to everyone?” Hearing this, Mia immediately looked at my father with a pained expression, knowing he hated seeing her cry. Sure enough, seeing Mia crying so beautifully, my father immediately slapped me twice again. “Explain what? They’re right, Mia is my dear daughter, the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group.” Looking at my father, who was telling blatant lies, I directly yelled at him. “Marcus Summers, do you think this is fair to my deceased mother? Do you dare to lay your hand on your heart and repeat what you just said?” My father ignored my words, turning to my two brothers. “Go throw this trash out, this one who bullied your sister.” Looking at my cold and heartless father, my heart was a mix of emotions. Heh, this was the man my mother loved her entire life? This was my biological father, whom I had admired for 18 years since childhood? I doubt my mother ever imagined, before her death, that the two sons she kindly adopted would harm her beloved daughter for the sake of a mistress. And that her own husband would not only fail to protect his biological daughter but would also drive her out of the house for the child of his first love. In this moment, I truly felt sorrow for myself and for my deceased mother. I lifted my head, meeting my father’s gaze directly, and said coldly. “This is my family’s Zenith Group. It’s not for outsiders like you to swagger around here!” I deliberately emphasized “my family’s” with extra force. The words had barely left my lips when my father completely erupted in rage. He signaled my two brothers to rush forward, holding me down firmly so I couldn’t move. “Yours? That’s utterly ridiculous!” My father then walked behind me, grabbing my hair, and violently slammed my forehead against the glass wall of the hall. “I’ve been managing Zenith Group all these years. Why can’t it be my Marcus Summers’s? Why can’t I decide the heir?” I fought back tears, firmly shouting, “Zenith Group belongs to my grandmother! I am the group’s only heir!” Thump, thump, thump, the moment my words ended, my forehead was shoved against the glass wall again. My father continued to roar at me, “Alexa Summers, stop dreaming! I gave Zenith Group to Mia as a dowry last year! Whoever marries Mia will inherit Zenith Group!” My father’s words stunned everyone present, and their gazes at Mia grew even more intense. Just then, an aged, sharp female voice came from behind me. “Marcus Summers, dare you say that again? Who is the heir of Zenith Group?”

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My wife was raped and murdered. In a fit of vengeful rage, I stabbed the assailant seven times in the abdomen, resulting in a ten-year prison sentence. Three years later, I was released early. I tore up the succession contract my billionaire father handed me, choosing instead to become a private chef. But the address for my first job was none other than the scene of my wife’s murder – our marital home. My mind a tangled mess, I finished cooking. The sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the front door. I looked up, and a figure identical to my wife smiled as she pushed the door open and walked in. … ##1 I froze, my heart threatening to pound out of my throat. She was holding a man’s hand, smiling blissfully as they approached the kitchen table. I knew that man. He was the defense attorney in my rape-and-retaliation case – Arthur Chen. Arthur pulled her back before she could sit down at the table, smiling as he took a ring from his suit jacket pocket. She gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes wide. Their friends whistled and cheered from the sidelines. A surge of panic hit me, and I stood up, shouting, “You can’t marry him!” She turned, looking at me with a confused, unfamiliar gaze. Arthur, seeing me, froze, his face abruptly darkening. “Ken Stone? What are you doing here?!” His gaze dropped to my greasy, disgusting chef’s uniform, and a sneer curled his lips. “Oh, so Mr. Stone is out of prison. You’re our chef for today.” People around chuckled. “Is he the one whose wife was raped, and he murdered the assailant in a rage?” “Hilarious, he used to be a big shot, everyone on the street would greet him. Now he’s cooking for us!” Arthur took her right hand, smiling as he knelt. “Mr. Stone, Laura Lee isn’t your deceased wife. She’s my soon-to-be bride.” Laura stood there, one hand playfully covering Arthur’s mouth, the other extended towards him. “You don’t have to say anything. I do.” My wife loved me desperately. If she were still alive, she would never accept another man’s proposal. But Laura looked so much like her, even sounded like her… I was caught in endless turmoil, then inadvertently glanced up. On the bare forearm Laura exposed as she rolled up her sleeve, there was a tiny heart-shaped birthmark! My heart lurched! This was my wife’s unique birthmark, no one else in the world had it! I rushed forward, grabbing Laura’s hand, pointing to the heart-shaped birthmark on her arm. “Have you had this birthmark since birth?” Arthur grabbed my shirt, tugged hard, and threw me onto the sofa. He pointed at me, impatiently saying, “Ken Stone, finish cooking and get out.” “I’m proposing to my girlfriend. Try disrupting it again, and see what happens.” I stood up, holding Laura’s arm tightly. “Laura, have you lost your memory? How could you forget me?” “Let me take you to the hospital, please…” Laura struggled furiously, her face icy cold. My wife was an only child. I didn’t believe there could be two people so identical in the world. I tried to persuade Laura to go to the hospital for a DNA test. Arthur walked up to me, raised his hand, and slapped me, pointing his finger at my nose. “Ken Stone, you stinking cook, open your eyes and look! This is *my* house, not yours anymore!” This house used to be my wife’s and my marital home. But after her passing, I commissioned a real estate agent to sell it for me, to avoid painful memories. I never expected the buyer to be Arthur, a student I had once funded. Even more, I never expected a woman so similar to my wife to appear in our former marital home. I stood in the center of the living room, covering my stinging face, and scanned my surroundings. All the memories unique to my wife and me had been erased. The furnishings had completely changed. Even the eternal rose, symbolizing my wife and my love, had been removed from the wall cabinet, replaced by an object covered with a red cloth. I was lost in thought. Laura… maybe she truly wasn’t my wife. Because my wife had promised me that the day the eternal rose withered, that’s when she would stop loving me. But eternal roses don’t wither, and my wife would never stop loving me. I turned away in despair. Laura, amidst cheers, had the ring placed on her finger by Arthur, and they kissed. My heart ached unbearably, a burning sensation spreading across my back. Before turning to leave, I looked back longingly. Laura, at that moment, made a gesture in the dining area. My pupils dilated violently… ## 2 I was convinced Laura was my wife! I rushed over, gripped the wedding ring on her ring finger, yanked it off, and smashed the broken ring onto the ground. I held Laura’s hands tightly, earnestly saying, “Laura, listen to me, you really are my wife!” “When I used to make you this dish, I would often put in tiny slivers of ginger. No one could see them, and no one would pick them out directly. Only my wife knew these little details, and all of this proves that you are my wife!” Laura tried to pull her hands away from mine, but I desperately held on. After several unsuccessful struggles, she angrily raised her hand and slapped me. “Get out!” I wasn’t angry; instead, I laughed. There was nothing more joyful than the resurrection of a deeply loved, departed person! I grabbed Laura and was about to leave when Arthur rushed over again, pulling Laura away. He picked up the ring, holding it in front of my eyes. “Ken Stone, I told you, Laura Lee isn’t your deceased wife, she’s my fiancée.” “It’s perfectly normal for her to wear my wedding ring. How dare you smash it?” “How much do you want for compensation?” I asked. Arthur poked my chest with his index finger. “This ring cost three hundred thousand, and it’s a limited edition, the only one in the country.” “It took me half a year to secure it. You owe me at least a million!” I stood there, taking Laura’s hand and walking towards the exit. “The money isn’t an issue, but I don’t have that much on me right now. I’ll transfer it to you immediately when I get back.” “Forget a million, I can afford ten million.” “Get out of the way, I’m taking my wife with me!” Arthur stood and kicked me. “Ken Stone, do you really think I’m an idiot?” “Three years ago, when you were a boss, you didn’t have ten million in cash. Now that you’re an ex-con, you suddenly do?” I was kicked into a corner, and the red cloth-covered object above my head swayed precariously. Several burly men with full-sleeve tattoos rose from the sofa, clenched their fists, and surrounded me. I picked myself up and said earnestly, “Arthur, I am truly the son of Lord Stone, the wealthiest man in Capital City.” “Just let me take Laura for a test first. Afterward, I’ll immediately transfer ten million to you.” I wasn’t lying. The Capital City billionaire truly was my father. This secret was known only to the elite of society. I had a very strained relationship with my father since childhood. I disliked everything he arranged for me. Unable to bear it any longer, I ran away from home when I was young. While in prison, he offered to reduce my ten-year sentence to three if I returned home and took over the business. But after my release, I didn’t fulfill my promise to take over, so he froze all my bank accounts. I stood up, pulling Laura, and turned to leave. Arthur raised his fist and punched me in the face. “Do you know what a powerful figure Lord Stone is in Capital City? If he tells you to shut up, you breathe softly!” “His son is this kind of worthless man? You stinking cook dares to bluff me? Beat him up!” They raised their feet and kicked me in the head, repeatedly. Laura was also within the attack range. I desperately shielded her behind me, taking all the kicks with my back. “Ken Stone! My wife doesn’t need your protection!” Arthur bent down, picked up an iron bar, raised it, and brought it down on my head! I hunched over, preparing to take the blow, but Laura suddenly pushed me away. Arthur’s wooden stick slammed into Laura’s shin, leaving a bruised, swollen mark. “Laura!” I panicked. I clenched my fists and unleashed a flurry of punches, smashing into Arthur’s nose. The burly men stepped back, all looking at me with fear. I pinned Arthur to the ground. He couldn’t break free from my grasp, his nose bleeding profusely, angry and agitated. “Darling!” Laura’s scream reached my ears. I instinctively turned. A wooden stick came flying towards me! With a *thud*, excruciating pain shot through the top of my head. Warm, sticky blood streamed down my face, and my vision blurred. I stumbled and collapsed by the wall cabinet. Laura anxiously cradled Arthur’s face. My heart was filled with immense grief and indignation. She wasn’t calling out to me… *Crash!* The red cloth-covered object above me fell to the floor in front of me. The red cloth scattered, revealing the true nature of the hidden object. ## 3 It was a photograph. Laura stood in a pool of blood, smiling, with Arthur beside her, kissing her hand. The timestamp in the bottom right corner of the photo was the exact day my wife was raped and murdered. The photo’s title was “Moment of Bliss.” My heart trembled with terror, all the blood in my body freezing. Arthur reached out, sneering as he repeatedly patted my face. “Well, well, looks like you’ve discovered the truth.” Laura leaned her head on Arthur’s shoulder, giggling as she spoke to my stunned self. “Ken Stone, three years have passed, and you’re still so foolish.” “Laura, you didn’t lose your memory…” The people around burst into laughter, pointing and mocking my heartbroken expression. “Look at him, like a lost dog, haha!” “He actually believed it, didn’t even know he’d been completely taken advantage of.” Laura whispered into Arthur’s ear, her breath like orchids. “Darling, he knows I faked my death. What if he, having stabbed someone before, stabs *me*?!” Arthur wrapped his arm around Laura’s waist. “Then we’ll make him rot in prison for a few more years, or… kill him!” Arthur pulled out his phone and made a call. “Alex, your father’s killer is at my house. He wants revenge. Hurry over.” I crawled up, clutching Laura’s leg. “Laura, what are you two talking about?” Laura raised her leg, her high heel digging into my face. “Ken Stone, you stabbed his father to death! We’re calling him to get revenge!” My lips trembled. “Laura, weren’t you raped? Everything I did was to avenge you!” Laura laughed until she bent over, while Arthur watched me with amusement. “But Sarah wasn’t raped at all. The truth of the matter is, you just went crazy and killed someone!” My standing body began to tremble. “How could you two frame me like this? I killed the pillar of a family!” Arthur grabbed my hair. “Not just that. You also caused a girl who got into a top university to drop out.” I roared, “Arthur, back then, I funded you to get out of the mountains, and I introduced you to a top law firm. Are you repaying kindness with enmity?!” Arthur narrowed his eyes, extended a hand, and lightly slapped my face. “Don’t talk to me about funding. All my achievements are due to my own excellent abilities.” “Besides, Ken Stone, your funding of me was earned by Sarah Jensen.” “Sarah Jensen is my true benefactor. You, Ken Stone, are just a useless tool.” I opened my mouth, a sob escaping my throat. I straightened my head and head-butted Arthur. “You adulterous couple, I’ll kill you both!” “Kill us? Do you have the guts to kill us?” The burly men on the sidelines grabbed both my arms, yanked hard, and held me spread-eagled, unable to move. *Ding-dong*. The doorbell rang. Arthur opened the door, leading a small, thin girl inside. Arthur pointed at me, speaking into the girl’s ear. “He is your father’s killer.” The girl looked up, her eyes filled with a hatred so dense it seemed to turn to liquid. “Ken Stone, you killed my father, I want you dead!” She aimed the knife at my chest. *Plop*. The knife tip entered my chest, stopping half an inch from my heart. The pain was unbearable, my face pale. “Alex, I’m also a victim. Our real enemy is Arthur.” “If you kill me, you’ll also go to prison. Don’t throw your life away for this. Arthur is lying to you!” Arthur reached out, gripped the girl’s trembling arm, and gently pushed forward. The knife tip sank another half inch. Arthur stared at my distorted, pained expression, whispering into the girl’s ear, egging her on. “Don’t be afraid, Alex. Uncle Arthur is a great lawyer.” “Uncle will tell the judge in court that you didn’t intentionally kill him, it was self-defense.” “Don’t forget, you once had a happy family, you got into your dream university, you should have had a bright future, but Ken Stone ruined everything beautiful for you!” I anxiously said, “Alex, after the incident, I transferred all the money from selling the house to you. I didn’t mean to harm you.” Alex gritted her teeth, roaring, “You liar, what money did you give me?” I shuddered, looking at the smiling, silent Arthur. Back then, as my defense attorney, he was the one who prepared the compensation process for me… Alex’s reaction suddenly made me realize he had embezzled the money from my house sale. This house was bought by him. He played a shell game, turning everything I owned into *his* – Arthur’s! “Hahahahaha!” Arthur stroked Alex’s hair, laughing uproariously. Alex cried out, her right hand gripping the knife, plunging it into my chest. But for a long moment, no sharp pain came from my chest. I opened my eyes. Arthur lay collapsed on the ground, a bloody knife sticking out of his thigh.

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