My childhood sweetheart’s family believed that boys should be raised in poverty to build character. So, Lucas lived in a run-down apartment, eating nothing but plain bread and pickled vegetables. I couldn’t bear it and secretly helped him out. But Lucas thought I was chasing him. He rejected me with a cold face: “I don’t need your charity, and I won’t accept your pursuit. Give up.” Disappointed, I gave up and consciously kept my distance from him. It wasn’t until after high school graduation, when Lucas got accepted into a top college, that he found out his family was actually loaded. He completely changed his attitude and started hovering around me every day. His friend was confused: “Bro, didn’t you hate her?” Lucas: “Who said that?” “Your bro has money now, I must shower her with it!” Me: ? 1 “Bro, she’s here again.” I stood at the door of Lucas’s classroom, holding a lunchbox. Enduring the teasing, joking, and mocking stares of everyone around, I waited for Lucas to come out. Hearing his classmate’s reminder, Lucas indeed pulled himself out of his sea of textbooks and looked up at me. He froze for a second, then frowned fiercely. It was the long break between classes, and people were coming and going. I felt a bit embarrassed, so I reached out and waved at him. The implication was: Hurry up and come out. Lucas’s classmate teased me: “Isn’t this Chloe from Class 4? Bringing food for our bro again?” “What are you saying? Why call her classmate? She’s clearly our bro’s…” A burst of laughter erupted. I didn’t understand what they were laughing at; I just anxiously called Lucas out. This was the food I specifically asked our family’s cook, Maria, to prepare. All the flavors Lucas liked. Seeing my face getting redder, Lucas finally got up and came out. He impatiently dispersed the onlookers and pulled me into the stairwell. I presented the lunchbox to him like a treasure. “Lucas, didn’t you say the ribs were good last time? I brought you a lot this time.” Lucas stared at me expressionlessly. I shrank back a bit, feeling inexplicably nervous. To be fair, Lucas had a very aggressive look. Especially when he wasn’t smiling, his face looked even fiercer. I didn’t know how I had offended him, so I could only test the waters carefully: “Lucas, are you angry?” Lucas stared at my face for a moment and suddenly said: “Chloe, why do you always bring me food? I can swipe my own card and eat in the cafeteria.” I thought about it and smiled: “The cafeteria food is too salty and greasy. Eating too much of it is bad for your health. The food at my house is evaluated by a nutritionist; it’s better for you.” Lucas’s face suddenly turned ugly. I looked at the prominent bones on his hands and suddenly felt a bit of heartache. I held his hand and said: “Your parents are busy with work, and you always skimp on your meals. Look, you’re getting so thin.” The next second, Lucas suddenly shook off my hand. “You’d better not bring me food anymore.” 2 Lucas left. My lunchbox accidentally spilled all over the floor. The strict Dean of Students passed by, saw it, and gave me a harsh scolding. He made me write a reflection paper and clean up the floor spotless. My eyes burned a little, but I held back my tears. By the time I finished cleaning, class had already started. I didn’t know why Lucas suddenly got mad. But I figured something I said must have accidentally angered him. Did he not want to be teased by his classmates? Or was he tired of the food? Thinking about it, I decided to ask him carefully after school tonight. After the last class, I waited for Lucas at the school gate. He wore a clean school uniform, his back straight. Seeing him, my eyes lit up. “Lucas, let’s go home together, okay?” Saying that, I pointed to the new black SUV my dad just bought. Lucas’s gaze swept over my family’s car from front to back, then returned to me. “No need, I’ll ride my bike home.” The bike Lucas pointed to was an old, rusty one. Who knows where his dad got it. It was covered in rust and rattled loudly when ridden. I quickly grabbed his hand. Half begging, half forcing: “Come on, come on, my car is faster. Don’t you want to get home sooner?” Lucas’s brow furrowed, suppressing his anger. “Chloe, don’t you have your own things to do?” His voice wasn’t loud. But it was enough to stun me. What… does he mean by this? I just wanted a chance to talk to him. His class was the honors class; the workload was heavy. Plus, Lucas loved studying so much he didn’t even stop doing practice problems during breaks. I simply didn’t have much time to talk to him. But Lucas didn’t give me a second chance to speak. He walked straight towards his small bicycle. Leaving me with only a cold back. The questions I wanted to ask blocked my throat; not a single word popped out. I cursed him silently in my heart: “Stupid Lucas, why are you being so cold!” 3 Lucas and I are childhood sweethearts; we played together since we were little. It’s just that the distance between our two homes was a bit far now. Every time I went to play with him, I had to sit in the car for a long, long time. Originally, our families lived in adjacent mansions. But when Lucas was five, his dad decided to raise him in poverty. My parents tried hard to stop him at the time. But Lucas’s dad said resolutely: “Boys must be raised poor. We must temper their will and train their bodies from a young age, so they can endure hardship and exhaustion.” So, five-year-old Lucas moved away. Moved to a very small, very dark apartment. I had been to that apartment; it was a bare concrete room. It was already in a sunless location, and the dim lighting made it look like a giant animal cage. It was suffocating. And Lucas spent over a decade growing up in such a small, cramped room. Even his food, clothing, and transportation were extremely strained. I didn’t understand. There are many ways to teach a kid the value of hard work. Why did his dad have to create such an extreme environment? Later, I heard my parents say that Lucas originally had an older brother. Because of some setbacks in relationships and work, he took his own life. Lucas’s dad attributed the reason to a fragile inner world. So he insisted on having a second child with his wife, and Lucas was born. My parents specifically warned me never to tell Lucas about this. Otherwise, his dad would be unhappy. I could only nod and agree. But I couldn’t help pitying Lucas. He was supposed to be a privileged child, yet he was forced to grow up in a small room with extremely poor lighting. And knowing the truth, I could only stand by and watch. The feeling of knowing the truth but not being able to speak was too torturous. So I could only quietly be good to Lucas in my own way. When we were little, I would save half of my snacks for him. As we grew older, I always invited him to play at my house. Lucas was very cute every time he accepted with a blushing face. Later, slowly moving into middle school, Lucas rarely came to me. I didn’t mind too much, just thinking he didn’t want to travel so far to see me. So I frequently stuck to him. Habit is a scary thing. With hindsight, I realized I seemed to have fallen for Lucas. He was good-looking and had good grades. Although usually taciturn, he was special to me. Falling for him was inevitable. I silently decided in my heart: after the college entrance exams, I would confess to him. After all, Lucas seemed to like me a little bit too. But now, I started to waver. Does Lucas… really like me? 4 The next day was the weekend. My mom said we were going to eat with Lucas’s family. Just like usual. We chose an ordinary restaurant. After entering the private room, I greeted Mr. and Mrs. Miller. They still kept up their act perfectly. Wearing worn-out clothes from head to toe. I smiled politely and sat next to my mom. While the adults were chatting, I saw a bottle of loquat juice on the table. I offered proactively: “Mrs. Miller, isn’t Lucas allergic to loquats? I’ll ask the waiter to change the water.” Mrs. Miller said subconsciously: “Lucas? He’s not allergic.” The smile on my face suddenly froze. Before I could speak again, Lucas came back from the restroom. I sat back down, but my thoughts were a tangled mess. Last week the temperature dropped. I noticed Lucas coughing non-stop for days, so I brought homemade loquat syrup from home and put it on his desk when no one was around. I even attached a sticky note: “This works really well, give it a try.” But the next day, he put the unopened bottle of loquat syrup back on my desk. I confusedly asked him why. Lucas’s tone was as flat as if he were talking about the weather: “Thanks. But I’m allergic to loquats. Don’t trouble yourself in the future.” My thoughts returned. I felt a bit lost. He clearly wasn’t allergic, why wouldn’t he accept my goodwill? I looked up at Lucas. He wasn’t looking at me, his face still flat. But I knew him. Lucas was unhappy right now. I couldn’t figure it out, and didn’t know how to ask. At the dinner table, the topic somehow turned to the two of us, soon-to-be high school graduates. Lucas’s dad asked me where I wanted to go for college. I subconsciously looked at Lucas. But Lucas shifted his gaze away. My heart swelled, and I lowered my head feeling a bit lonely. I answered: “Anywhere is fine. If possible, I still want to be with Lucas.” I didn’t dare to look up at Lucas’s face. But I heard his dad joke about how close Lucas and I were. We used to be close, indeed. But now, I wasn’t so sure. I felt like I couldn’t read Lucas anymore. His dad asked Lucas what he thought. I heard him say: “Everyone has their own path to walk, just focus on yourself.” My heart felt like it was pricked by a needle. It wasn’t anger, but a profound sense of powerlessness. That sentence seemed specifically directed at me. Lucas was telling me: he didn’t want to be with me. 5 The next day, I woke up with red, swollen eyes. On the nightstand lay two pairs of wool gloves. The weather was getting cold now; he must be freezing riding his bike to school. That’s why I bought them to give to him. Thinking about it, I had already bought them, I might as well give them to him. During the familiar long break, I packed the gift box, preparing to give it to Lucas. Just as I reached the door of his classroom, I heard Lucas chatting with someone else. “Bro, you got another love letter, so jealous.” “If you ask me, this subtle way is the best. That Chloe from Class 4 runs over here every day, like a simp.” “Tell me about it, Bro is sick to death of her, and she still keeps forcing her stuff on him.” “If Bro wasn’t trying to protect the little girl’s self-esteem, he would have rejected her ages ago.” “Exactly, Bro’s most important task right now is studying. We’re counting on him to get into an Ivy League. Who has the mind to deal with Chloe’s pursuit.” I stood blankly at the back door of the classroom. Listening to their words land word by word. But through it all, Lucas never said a single word. Was that tacit agreement? I do like Lucas. But I also know now is not the time to date. Even if I were to pursue him, it would be after the college entrance exams. What I’m doing now is just trying to make Lucas’s life a tiny bit better. What gives him the right to assume I’m pursuing him. I was so angry my eyes turned red, but I couldn’t say a single word. If I had known… I should have just cursed them out. Just then, someone noticed me. Alerted by a classmate, Lucas slowly turned his head and saw me. The moment he saw my tears clearly, he immediately rushed out. I didn’t want to see Lucas in this embarrassing moment. So I ran towards the garden downstairs without looking back. But Lucas chased after me. He grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, what’s wrong.” 6 I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to cry, biting my lip hard. Lucas took out a tissue to wipe my tears. “Don’t cry, what happened.” After saying that, Lucas looked down and glimpsed my gift box. His face sank a bit: “What’s this, another gift for me?” Only then did I realize I was still holding the wool gloves. I exhaled heavily, just wanting to give him the item quickly and leave. “Here, for you. You can wear them when you ride your bike.” But Lucas didn’t take them. He looked at me quietly, his tone indifferent: “I have gloves. Whatever I use is the same.” I bit my lip, looking at his face. I just felt he was so unfamiliar. My heart felt like it was gripped tightly; I couldn’t breathe. The things I treasured and put my heart into, in his eyes, were totally unnecessary. Until this moment, I finally felt it clearly. The gap between Lucas’s and my understanding of our relationship was like a chasm. After a few seconds of silence, I asked in a choked voice: “Lucas, why do you always reject me? Weren’t we fine before?” Lucas frowned, staring at my face. After a long while, he asked in confusion: “So, are you really pursuing me?” I opened my mouth, just about to explain. But was interrupted by Lucas. He rejected me righteously: “I don’t need your charity, and I won’t accept your pursuit. Give up.” My eyes instantly widened. Charity? Charity! The goodness I had shown him for so long, in his eyes, was just charity and pity? My sincere, unrequited goodwill was actually seen by him as blatant relief?! So that was it. The goodness I thought I was showing was actually hurting his self-esteem all the time. No wonder when our families ate together, only Lucas had a tight face. No wonder every time I invited him to play at my house, Lucas would awkwardly refuse. No wonder when I casually helped him buy study guides, he insisted on shoving those few crumpled dollar bills into my hand. I suddenly didn’t know whether to be angry or find it laughable. I looked at Lucas with complex eyes. Then nodded calmly. “Okay, I understand.” “I won’t bother you anymore.”

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After my boyfriend died, I was bullied, and I went to his grave in the middle of the night to cry and complain. I blamed him for leaving so suddenly and letting me get bullied. I also told him before I left that I was going to find someone new to replace him. Who knew that after I went back… The people who bullied me went crazy. The people who coveted me avoided me like the plague. The people who looked down on me became respectful. And when I went to meet the blind date my friend introduced to me. I discovered… “You look exactly like my dead boyfriend.” “That’s great, welcome to treat me as his replacement.” Only, as we got deeper into the relationship, his habits highly overlapped with my ex-boyfriend’s. Including that aspect. “Is he better, or am I better?” I, who had long discovered the clues, bit his hand. “You two are clearly the same person!” 1 “Liam, you’re not here, and they’re all bullying me.” At 1 AM, I sat in front of Liam’s grave. Rambling on about what had happened during this period. “He’s married, has kids, yet he’s still touchy-feely with pretty young boys. Tell me, how can someone like that live till now?” After speaking. I laughed self-deprecatingly again. How can they still be considered young boys? But being pretty is true. When Liam hadn’t passed away yet. He always liked to praise me. Praising me for being pretty, praising me for good looking. Every day, he wished he could take me with him wherever he went. In his words. “Babe is so pretty, if I don’t keep a close eye on you, someone might steal you away from me.” And the result now? “Liam, someone really came to steal me away from you, how can you just not care at all?” Actually, in the beginning, that sleazy boss of mine didn’t dare to treat me like this. 2 After all, Liam used to pick me up from work every day. He was tall and big. The muscles on his body were also obvious. One punch could embed someone into a wall. So even if that sleazy boss had any ideas about me. He didn’t dare to make a move at all. But now it’s different. Everyone in the company knows. Liam passed away. I was at work when I received the news of his accidental death. The overly obvious emotional fluctuations made everyone notice. So much so that this secret couldn’t be hidden. And it resulted in the current situation. “Liam, you big liar, didn’t we agree to be together forever?” Now he went back on his word and left first. “You made me become alone again.” Although it was summer, the wind at 1 AM still felt a bit cold. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. But I didn’t want to leave. After all, this was a meeting opportunity Liam had urged me many times in my dreams to exchange for. If I just said two sentences and left, who knows how angry he would be in my dream tonight. Since Liam was buried, I haven’t visited him. He, on the other hand, often came into my dreams. At first, he just thought I was sad and didn’t want to go. Later, he discovered that I seemed to be deliberately not going. So he started making a fuss in my dreams. “Chloe, you’re too cruel. It’s been so long, and you haven’t even visited me. I just died, you know!” Liam in the dream was no different from when he was alive. Just as unreasonable. Just as clingy and loves to act spoiled. Just as loves to shift the blame onto me. “Liam, you’re already dead. Even if I visit you, you can’t see me. Might as well meet in dreams.” 3 At least we can still talk. If I went to the cemetery. It would just be me rambling alone. If I did it too often, I was afraid I’d become neurotic. So I resolutely refused to go. And Liam’s nightly visits in my dreams were only for one thing. That was to urge me to visit him at the cemetery. I don’t know if it was the messy stuff at the company giving me a headache. Or if I was getting a headache from Liam’s urging. So I came. I picked the most unlikely time for anyone to be here. “Liam, do you know why I didn’t come to see you? Because I didn’t know what I should say to you.” “I know you definitely want to hear that without you, I’m still living a very good life.” I wiped Liam’s photo. Tsk. How can someone be so handsome? “But unfortunately, I can’t make your wish come true, because I’m living a very bad life, so I didn’t dare to come see you, because I know I can’t lie.” As if not relieving my anger enough. I repeated it again. “Liam, did you hear that? Me! Chloe! I’m living a very bad life without you!” After shouting this sentence. I laughed self-deprecatingly again. Why get angry with a dead person? It’s not like he can crawl out of the grave to coax me. Besides, Liam, I watched him burn into a pile of ashes. I told Liam that many places we used to go to had changed. It hasn’t been half a year since he passed away. It’s as if everything in this world vanished and reorganized with his departure. I wanted to find a bit of memory between him and me. It seems I can’t start anywhere. Originally I just wanted to briefly talk about recent events. In the end, it turned into a complaints session about Liam. 4 Talking and talking. Complaining and complaining. It’s nothing more than complaining that he left suddenly, without giving me any chance to say goodbye. “Liam, tell me, shouldn’t I also start my new life?” “If I had known you would only accompany me for these few years, I would rather we had never met. That would be better than letting me suffer like this.” People who have seen happiness and lost it. Are far more painful than those who have never obtained happiness. Checked the time. It’s about time to go back and get ready for work. I intended to leave directly. But after moving a bit, I remembered something again. Standing in front of Liam’s grave, looking at the beautiful eyes in his photo. “Liam, tell me, I’m still so young, shouldn’t I go find a new person?” I can’t possibly stay a widow for Liam my whole life, right? “I know, there will definitely be no one better to me than you, and no one can surpass you in various aspects, but I thought about it, actually these are not very important, just being able to stay by my side healthily is enough.” I watched the candle flame fluttering slightly in the wind. “Liam, if I find a new person, you should also be happy for me and bless me, right?” The voice fell. I didn’t leave or speak. Just silently watching the burning candle. Suddenly. The candle went out. But there was no wind or rain at this moment. It could only be a certain jealous person. But I pretended not to understand what he meant. Talking to myself. “Looks like you really bless me, then that’s fine, I’ll ask someone to help me keep an eye out later, I know you definitely can’t bear to see me live alone.” After speaking, I packed up my things and left. Just as I turned around, a gust of wind suddenly blew. Such a big temper even after death? 5 When I went to work the next day, what I thought was, if that old sleazebag still wanted to do something to me today. I would just resign directly. Anyway, Liam didn’t leave me much else. But he did leave me quite a lot of money. We are both orphans, especially Liam, he didn’t even have relatives. At least I still have some relatives I can call by name. So after he passed away, I wasn’t worried at all. Someone would come to me for Liam’s inheritance. Since there is a guarantee. Then there is no need to suffer anger. But what I didn’t expect was that the old sleazebag didn’t come today. “Seems like he got sick.” My colleague, Sam, is the company’s know-it-all. No matter what happens, he is always the first to know. This time was no exception. “Sick? Is it serious? He actually didn’t come to work.” I didn’t need to speak, someone nearby was already asking. “Don’t know, seems like he encountered something unclean, heard he almost went crazy, then missed a step and fell from upstairs.” My heart skipped a beat. Thinking of what I did in the middle of the night yesterday. Could it be? But I quickly dismissed this idea. How could it be Liam who did it. If he really had such ability, he would have come back to find me long ago. Instead of doing other bad things. It must be me overthinking it. “I think it’s because he did too many bad things himself, has no ability himself, yet oppresses us every day, he will get his retribution sooner or later, isn’t this it coming.” Sam curled his lips. He also usually couldn’t stand this old sleazebag. But helplessly, the old sleazebag had backing behind him. Simply couldn’t do anything about him. Now that he’s in trouble, naturally everyone is happy. 6 “I think so too, it’s best to break a leg, best never to come again.” I silently agreed in my heart. It’s best never to see him again, so at least I can still stay here and work for a while. If he recovers from his injury and comes back. Then I’m quitting. Might as well take this opportunity to go out and play. “Eh, Chloe, what did you go do last night? How come your dark circles are so heavy?” Sam leaned over. Pointing under his own eyes. I blinked. “Nothing, just didn’t sleep well, going back tonight to rest well will be fine.” Sam probably thought of Liam’s matter, but in the end, said nothing. The best comfort is not to mention anything. Actually, I think they are too cautious. The current me has accepted the matter of Liam’s passing very well. Even if this matter is mentioned, I won’t feel anything. Probably. I will really miss him for my whole life. The old sleazebag really isn’t coming. Heard the fall injury isn’t very serious, but the person seems to have gone crazy. Yelling and shouting in the hospital every day. When colleagues who went to visit the sick mentioned this matter. The whole process was smooth. “Anyway, couldn’t see the person, just heard barking, the whole person’s state was also very bad, estimate there’s no way to come to work normally.” As expected. A few days later. A person was air-dropped into the leadership position. Took over our department. The new leader is very strict, but won’t do other things, on the contrary, treats us quite well. Everyone works more energetically under such a leader. And I, who originally wanted to resign. Finally gave up this idea. It’s quite good to stay. 7 “Liam, it really couldn’t be you who did it, right?” I burned incense for Liam, then stared at his portrait for a long while. Finally popped out such a sentence. Actually I know. It couldn’t be Liam. Where in the world are there so many ghosts and gods things. Even if there are. It couldn’t happen to me. Thinking about it, I smiled and shook my head. “It’s me being too tired recently, really dare to think anything, if you really could do such things, how could you not come find me, probably met someone better? Think us humans are different so won’t want me anymore, right?” Finished speaking. I also carefully considered this possibility. Finally shook my head very firmly. How is it possible. Liam only had feelings for me alone, and it was him who actively pursued me. Before the accident, I felt like he wished he could merge with me. Wishing he could stay by my side twenty-four hours a day. Shouldn’t be him. But what happened later, seemed a bit strange. The person in the same neighborhood who pursued me before, but wouldn’t give up after I rejected him, seems to have suddenly figured it out. When seeing me, it’s like seeing some enemy. Turns and runs away before getting close. Thought about it, recently we don’t seem to have said anything harsh. But fewer people harassing me, I am happy to be at ease. It’s just that overnight, all my suitors seemed to have disappeared. No matter if it’s serious pursuit of me. Or purely just want to develop some irresponsible relationships with me. All disappeared. If these are all coincidences. Then the next thing, really cannot be explained by coincidence. Every year I return to my hometown to visit my parents’ graves. 8 When I went back before, those relatives would point fingers at me. Saying I cursed my parents to death. Later Liam went back with me. They didn’t dare to say it in front of us. But there was no less discussion behind our backs. For example, how we two men got together. And some other stuff. I can imagine what they said this time back. Nothing more than, I really am a jinx. Not only cursed my own parents to death, now even my own boyfriend didn’t escape. But what should be gone back still must go back. Things that should be done still must be done. Only. They didn’t say anything. Instead, the way they looked at me was fawning. As if they suddenly wanted to have a good relationship with me. No one asked about Liam’s matter either. Everyone kept quiet about his passing. Too strange. Could it be that someone really is silently helping me behind my back? Which good-hearted person can do to such an extent? “Liam, if it’s really you doing it, come find me in my dream tonight to claim credit, if it’s really not you, then I might be targeted by someone, I’ll go to the police tomorrow.” Before going to bed, I said this sentence to Liam’s portrait. But he didn’t come at night. Of course I didn’t choose to call the police either. After all, can’t find the person, and the other party didn’t do anything to me. Going to say like this. Estimate people would think I’m crazy. What makes me unbearable is. I suddenly found several of my underwear missing. One of them is even my favorite! I searched every corner of the house. Don’t have pets, so impossible to be taken away by small animals. But I searched every nook and cranny of the house. None.

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When Liam and I fought the fiercest, he cursed at me to get lost. He said, “If it wasn’t for you, I would have been with Chloe long ago.” Hearing this, I sneered. “Chloe? Are you worthy of her?” “Only I am.” “I am the optimal choice you can get.” “The top tier, understand?” 1 Chloe, my older sister. Beautiful inside and out, great grades, high IQ. It’s not surprising that Liam liked her. After all, my secret crush, Arthur, also liked her. This caused me great pain. Chloe, my sister. Such a wonderful existence, I truly couldn’t bear to do anything to her. But she just happened to be the sweetheart of my secret crush. What could I do? I could only beat up Liam. When Arthur talked to Chloe, I beat up Liam. When Arthur held hands with Chloe, I beat up Liam. When Arthur hugged Chloe, I beat up Liam. When Arthur kissed Chloe, I beat up Liam. When Arthur and Chloe got together, I wailed and beat up Liam. It’s not that Liam didn’t think about fighting back. But he couldn’t beat me. Although he’s taller than me and has eight-pack abs. All his workouts were for body sculpting, hoping Chloe would lust after his beauty. I was different. I learned kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Jiu-Jitsu. Thinking that if Chloe ever abandoned Arthur, I would lock him up, hehehe. So we waited and waited, and then Arthur and Chloe got married. One of us gave the bride away, the other welcomed the groom, both crying like two dogs. Everyone said they were a loving uncle and nephew, and we were deeply affectionate sisters. (Note: Arthur is Liam’s young uncle). But they didn’t know how badly we wanted to crash the wedding. We didn’t do it; our last shred of moral standard restrained us. That time, I didn’t beat up Liam. We got wasted, hugged each other and cried bitterly, and then started making out. 2 Yes, that’s right, we slept together. Whether Liam was driven by alcohol-induced lust, I don’t know. Anyway, I wasn’t. I was just giving up on myself. If I couldn’t give myself to the person I loved the most, then I’d give it to someone with a good face. If I can’t give myself to the person I love most. Giving it to a dog is the same. Later, we slept together many more times. Passionate in bed. Once out of bed, we warned each other. “Friends with benefits, understand? Don’t get clingy!” Finally, our parents started rushing us to get married. First was Liam’s dad. He tagged him in the family group chat. [Look at your young uncle, how happy he is after getting married, deeply in love with your aunt, aren’t you envious?] At that time, Liam was drunk. Replied: [Envious. So should I marry my aunt too?] One sentence literally stunned the group chat into silence for five minutes. His dad sent over a dozen sixty-second voice messages in a row. His mom roared: “Are you trying to tear this family apart?” His aunt (my sister) sent a question mark. His uncle sent a polite smile emoji. Liam knew he was dead meat. So he slid onto his knees, hugging his dad’s thigh. “I meant my aunt’s sister. Since my aunt is so wonderful, her sister can’t be bad either. I want to marry my aunt’s sister.” 3 How great. How beautiful this world is. The person I loved the most became my brother-in-law. And I could marry my nemesis, making my brother-in-law my young uncle at the same time. Sure enough, the world is a circle. Liam knelt before me. “I know you saved my dog life, I’ll agree to anything!” I nodded, my voice calm. “Then go die.” “That won’t work.” “Then I’ll kill you.” I hadn’t beaten up Liam in a long time. Out of practice, I actually forgot to lock the door. Just as I was straddling his waist, ready to unleash a flurry of punches on him, his parents, my parents, plus my sister and Arthur, all stood outside the door at the same time. Their eyes full of benevolence, like holy halos, blinded my dog eyes. They nodded one after another. “So wonderful.” “We didn’t even know these two kids were together.” “Adding family ties to family ties.” “Simply wonderful.” “Get married, get married immediately.” I compromised. Let’s marry. Gotta get married eventually, who cares to who? 3 (Continued) On our wedding night, Liam set three rules with me. “A marriage of convenience, right? You play your way, I play mine.” I shook my head. “If I meet someone I like, you can’t stop me.” I shook my head. “Then if I want to go out and have fun, you can’t control that, right?” I shook my head, then nodded. Liam broke down. “What do you mean?” “Mia, you don’t actually like me, do you?!” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and immediately gave him a hard slap on the head. “Do I not need face?” “You are Mia’s man, yet you’re hugging and kissing others, and I have to turn a blind eye?” “Let everyone know I’m wearing a green hat (being cuckolded)?” “Liam, I’m warning you, if you dare to step out of line, I’ll break your legs.” I, Mia. Grew up with a strong sense of entitlement. In this world, there is only what I don’t want, nothing I can’t get. Of course, Arthur being the exception. Losing to Chloe, I don’t feel ashamed. But if Liam dared to make me lose face… Hehe, I have plenty of strength and means. 4 But Liam was just not one to stay in line. He went on a date. The date was a college student. He took the little girl to eat Western food, considerately cutting her steak for her. Then took her to a movie, always casually lowering his head, making the little girl blush. Finally dropped the little girl back at school, hugging her gentlemanly and restrainedly. Acting like a proper human being. The photos were sent to me by a private investigator. Liam hadn’t been acting normal recently. Always staring at his phone, raising his eyebrows, curling his lips, and even using emojis he never used before. Even his profile picture changed to a view of his own back. A glance and you know he didn’t take it himself. And he wouldn’t be so vain as to have a guy take it for him. So it could only be the opposite sex. Which opposite sex? Around Liam, no one who knows of my existence dares to get close. So it must be someone who doesn’t know about me, not in our circle. Outside the circle? That leaves even more room for imagination. So I hired a marriage mediator (PI) to follow Liam. 4 (Continued) Today is his third day following Liam. Leaving home in the morning, Liam looked in the mirror for ages, styling every strand of hair. He dressed ordinarily, specifically choosing an outfit without visible logos. Even grabbed a cup of fresh milk from the fridge. I asked him where he was going. He said playing poker. Looking at it now, he wasn’t playing poker, he was inspecting the goods. Looking at the photos, I was very calm. Calmly finished my meetings, calmly got off work, calmly went home. Calmly took out the bottle of wine Liam treasured the most from the wine cabinet. Liam’s car pulled in. I stood there calmly. He got out of the car. “What are you doing here…” Before he could finish, I raised the wine bottle and smashed it over. “F*ck!” Liam turned pale with fright and quickly dodged. His car wasn’t so lucky, smashing into pieces, a mess all over the ground. “Are you crazy? What nerve are you tweaking?” I didn’t say a word. Raised a foot and kicked him right in the stomach. Liam stumbled back repeatedly and fell to the ground. I pressed down, my knee digging into the soft flesh of his stomach. Slapped the photos onto his face with a smack, smack sound. “Giving me a green hat? Do you have a death wish?” Liam’s face, originally full of anger, turned to embarrassment after hearing my words. He cleared his throat. “I didn’t even do anything, get off me.” I sneered and increased the pressure. Liam let out a muffled groan. “Are you done? Do you think I don’t dare touch you?” “Then show me.” As soon as my words fell, Liam suddenly raised his leg and thrust upward fiercely. As I lunged at him, he flipped over and pinned me underneath. He looked smug. “Did you really think I couldn’t beat you? I was letting you win, understand?” My face turned extremely ugly. I raised my head, opened my mouth, and bit down hard on his arm. Liam let out a howl. “Are you sick!” “I didn’t even really do anything.” “Is this necessary?” With a cold face, I kicked him off me. “Is it necessary? What, do I have to catch you in bed?” “Can you not speak so harshly?” “You think my words are harsh? Are your actions any prettier?” “What did I do? Look at you instead.” He pointed to the wine on the ground. “Do you know how much that wine costs? Do you know how many people I had to ask? Mia, you are truly sick!” He fired off sentence after sentence. I watched him squat down, picking up the glass shards with a pained expression. Watched him glare at me with vicious eyes. The photos were still in my hand, crumpled out of shape by me. Finally, I swung my arm and threw the photos at his face. “Divorce!” “I’m f*cking divorcing you!”

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Do you know how miserable it was for a family without a son in a traditional, tight-knit rural community? At community meetings, my dad had no right to speak. At Thanksgiving dinner, my mom wasn’t allowed at the main table. Even when inheriting property, we only got the dilapidated, leaky old farmhouse. Until I was five, and my mom got pregnant again… 01 When my mom had me, she lost a lot of blood and almost didn’t make it. For years after, she didn’t get pregnant again. The local midwife said she likely damaged her body and wouldn’t have any more children. When we divided the family property with my uncle, I was four. My dad was very angry: “I paid for half the materials and put in the labor to build the new house. Why do I only get the old farmhouse?” My aunt, nursing my cousin, said dismissively: “You don’t have a son, what do you need such a big house for?” “Look at us, we have three boys. They’ll need a place to live when they get married!” My grandma chimed in: “Girls are meant to be married off anyway. You’ll have to rely on your nephews to take care of you in your old age!” My dad’s spirit broke instantly. It sounds ridiculous now, doesn’t it? But the idea that nephews were “real family” and daughters belonged to “other families” was very common back then. My dad came out of the living room and sat on a big rock in the yard, his head hanging low. The moonlight was bright, casting a deep, dark shadow beside him. I walked over and hugged his neck from behind: “Daddy, I’ll take care of you and Mommy when you’re old.” He patted my hand, his voice choking: “Okay, Lily is such a good girl.” In the end, we still moved into the old farmhouse. The family’s old tractor and farming equipment were all given to my uncle. We only got a rickety old manual thresher. The night we moved in, my mom tried many times but couldn’t get the old wood stove to light. This house was built by my great-grandfather. It had mud-brick walls and a thatched roof. Because it had been empty for so long, the dampness inside wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon. After using up a whole box of matches, my mom suddenly covered her face, her shoulders shaking continuously. My dad poured the water he fetched into a cracked bucket and walked silently to her side. My mom hugged his waist and burst out crying. That night, I slept on a bed in the north room. The cold wind pierced me from all directions through the cracks. I curled up in the stiff, old quilt, praying silently: Please let Mommy have a little brother. That way, she and Daddy probably wouldn’t be so sad anymore. Perhaps God heard my prayer. My mom soon got pregnant. 02 The women in the community all said that since my mom’s belly was pointy and she craved sour food, it must be a boy. My dad kept saying a boy or a girl was the same to him, but at dinner, he told my mom: “John invited me to go work in Texas next year. He says there are more opportunities there.” “I’ll work for a few years, save some money, and we’ll build a nice two-story house. Otherwise, he won’t be able to find a wife in the future.” My grandma brought over two laying hens and instructed me: “Lily, the eggs are for the little brother in Mommy’s tummy. You can’t be greedy, understand?” The gossiping women in the neighborhood asked me: “Lily, do you want a little brother or a little sister?” I answered without hesitation: “A little brother!” The women laughed out loud: “If you have a little brother, your parents won’t love you anymore.” I got anxious: “No way! I’ll always be Mommy and Daddy’s precious.” The women laughed even louder, completely oblivious to how terrifying those words were for a four or five-year-old child. The day came, and my mom went into labor. She was in pain all day without giving birth. Before dawn the next day, my grandma went to the local butcher and bought a large piece of fatty pork and a huge pork bone. By the time she returned with the meat. My mom had given birth. It was a little sister! My grandma stood in the yard holding that bag of meat. The midwife called out to her: “Come in and see your granddaughter, she’s so fair and chubby!” “I’m not looking. My oldest’s boys are still waiting for me to make breakfast!” She left the bone behind and took all the meat with her. Times were hard then, meat was scarce. Every household loved fatty meat, so bones were sold cheap. I went into the room to see my sister. She was wrinkled, her face red like a little old man, completely different from the “fair and chubby” the midwife described. My mom lay weakly on the bed, staring at the thatched roof, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. My dad smoked his cigarette: “Don’t cry, since she’s here, she’s here.” My mom gave birth right during the autumn harvest. My grandparents were busy at my uncle’s farm, and my dad was busy harvesting our crops too. My mom stayed in bed for three days before getting up to cook for us. Because of this, she developed a chronic condition; her whole body would ache whenever it rained. That year during Thanksgiving, my two aunts from the city also came back for dinner. My aunt was playing cards with them while my sister cried from hunger. My mom was in the smoky kitchen preparing the Thanksgiving dinner with my grandma. After a busy afternoon, it was finally ready. My mom found a moment to go nurse my sister. When she finished, she found there was no seat for her at the table. My dad and my older cousin were about to get up, but my grandma stopped them: “Why make it so complicated? We’ll just eat in the kitchen.” 03 It was too much bullying. I pulled at my parents, wanting to go home. My mom held my endlessly crying sister with one hand and patted my head with the other: “What does a child know? Just eat.” That night, as we left my uncle’s house, my aunt smiled and twisted the knife in my mom’s heart: “Sister-in-law, honestly, you have it much easier than I do.” “You don’t know how exhausting it is to raise three boys.” There was no moonlight that night. Every house was brightly lit. The dim yellow light spilled over the muddy country road. I softly asked my parents why we had to endure this. My dad’s tone was irritated: “What do you know, you’re just a kid.” My mom’s face was steeped in shadows: “Who asked me to be unable to bear a son.” Ah. They didn’t believe I would take care of them in their old age. My dad didn’t go to work in Texas. Because he didn’t have a son, there was no need to build a new house. We just got by day by day. People say country folks are simple, but when they twist the knife, they are more ruthless than anyone. I don’t know when it started, but my dad got a nickname: “Mule Smith”. A mule is a hybrid of a horse and a donkey. It cannot reproduce. When the community was raising funds to repair the local church, someone laughed and suggested: “Let’s skip the Mule’s family. They don’t have a son. Making him pay would be too much bullying.” My dad stayed silent. My mom only dared to choke back complaints at home, but put on a smiling face outside, never daring to argue back. I couldn’t change them, I could only make myself stronger. They called my dad “Mule Smith,” so I cursed their whole family as mules. When my cousins bullied me and my sister, I used my teeth to bite and my feet to kick. Even if my face was bruised and swollen, I had to tear a piece of flesh off them. My grandma took away the chicks our family just hatched, saying she would raise them for us. As she raised them, they became my uncle’s. I chased them all the way out and snatched them back. My aunt tied her cow near our vegetable patch, and it ate a whole patch of newly sprouted spinach clean. She hypocritically said it wasn’t on purpose. I opened the gate to her vegetable garden and let all the chickens in. They pecked her whole garden of vegetables away. She was so angry she stood with her hands on her hips, cursing my mother. I cursed back at her: “If you dare to eat our vegetables again, I’ll take a scythe and cut down all the crops in your field.” Gradually, I became notorious in the community. Those aunts and older women always advised me: “You don’t have a brother. If you have such a big temper, when you get married, there won’t be anyone to back you up.” My mom also sighed looking at me: “Just like this, it’s not even certain she can get married!” But Mom. I am only… Protecting you, protecting this family. In the blink of an eye, it was time for my sister to go to preschool. That day, two major events occurred that affected my life. 04 First, on my sister’s first day of preschool, the teacher taught counting. After only three times, my sister could count from one to a hundred. The substitute teacher, who was from our community, praised her to my mom: “Your Chloe is much smarter than Lily.” Second, an older relative in our extended family was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Back then, there was no good medical insurance. For people in rural areas, getting cancer was basically a death sentence. However, unexpectedly, his daughter, who had gone to community college and was working in the city, took him to the hospital. They removed half his stomach. He survived, and even chatted eloquently with people in the community about interesting things during his hospital stay in the city. That day, returning from that relative’s house, my mom grabbed my dad, who was about to go play poker: “David, Chloe is so smart. If we just cultivate her well, she won’t be worse than a son!” With conviction, my parents were revitalized. At heart, they treated me and my sister the same. But from that day on, my sister received more favoritism. If there was only one drumstick, it definitely belonged to her. If she didn’t want to eat breakfast at home, my mom would give her fifty cents to buy a muffin. I only got that kind of treatment when I was sick. Every Christmas, my sister would definitely get a new outfit. While I always wore the hand-me-downs my two aunts brought back from the city. During the busy harvest seasons, my sister didn’t have to go to the fields. My mom said: “Your hands are for writing. These chores aren’t for you.” “Chloe, you must study hard and bring honor to our family.” My sister was indeed very smart. She was always first in her class and got certificates every semester. The certificates back then held much more weight than they do now. I have to say, studying relies heavily on natural talent. I had to work several times harder than my sister. I went to bed at eleven and woke up at five every day. On the way riding my bike to school, I would memorize ten vocabulary words. On weekends, I went to the mountains to cut bamboo, pick mushrooms, and gather wild berries. I saved the money from selling them to buy extra workbooks. Back then, the school had row latrines. Once, I took a math test paper while squatting in the toilet. By the time I solved the problem, my legs were numb, and I almost stepped into the pile of waste. I always adhered to the idea that “the clumsy bird catches the worm by starting early,” but the results were not obvious. Although I didn’t want to admit it, I was just an ordinary person in the crowd. The background extra in a TV show, the passerby A in a novel, the “who was that again” at a class reunion. My mom kept nagging in my ear: “Lily, you’re the older sister. You must protect your sister, support your sister.” You don’t need to repeatedly remind me, Mom. From the moment my sister was born, I have been protecting her. Soon a few years passed, and I took the high school entrance exams. The scores hadn’t come out yet when my friend Sarah from the community invited me to work in a factory in the city. Her face was full of longing: “In the factory, you can earn eight hundred a month!” “I could buy pretty dresses, and I want to get my hair permed.” The midsummer heat was brutal. My aunt sat under the big maple tree fanning herself and said to my mom: “Lily can go make money to pay for Chloe’s tuition. You two will have it much easier.” My mom smiled: “Yes, it all depends on Chloe now.” I stalled as long as I could, finally reaching the day the scores were released. It was a scorching summer, but my hands and feet were as cold as ice. Even though I had given it my all, I was still nine points short of the cutoff for the top high school. Just nine points… If I had worked a little harder, if I had done a few more practice tests, if I had carefully checked every exam… Would my life have been different? The admission letter for a vocational high school was sent home. That night, under the dim yellow light, my mom sighed looking at the letter: “Lily, hardly anyone from this vocational school gets into a good college each year.” “Chloe is in fifth grade this year. Your dad and I want to send her to the middle school in town next year, but that’s a big expense…” “If both of you study together, your dad and I… sigh…” The incandescent bulb had a bad connection, making a “sizzle sizzle” sound, like a saw repeatedly cutting the bottom of my heart. My parents looked at me silently, waiting for me to say: “Never mind, I won’t go.” 05 My sister, innocent and naive: “If sister wants to go to high school, she should go. I can just go to the middle school in the community, it’s the same.” My dad scolded her: “What do you know? Can the community school be the same as the one in town?” After a long silence, I clenched my fists and spoke: “Then I won’t go to high school.” “The homeroom teacher said with my grades, if I go to community college, tuition will be waived.” I practically begged, “Mom, Dad, when I graduate from community college, I will definitely earn back the money spent these three years.” Looking back at that period now, I can understand my parents’ choice. The family’s resources were limited, so they had to supply the one who had a better chance of succeeding. An ordinary girl like me was destined to be given up on. But if I had the chance to travel back in time, I would definitely throw a tantrum, kneel and beg, do everything in my power to go to high school. My grandma and aunt both scolded me: “Why can’t you be more considerate of your parents? The other girls in the community have all gone to work. Your grades aren’t even good, what’s the point of continuing to study!” The women in the community also advised my parents: “Community colleges don’t guarantee jobs anymore. It’s useless to go. If it were a son, that’s one thing, but a daughter? Why spend so much money on her!” “Let her go to work early and build you a house. You never know when your mud-brick house is going to collapse.” Before school started, my mom gave me living expenses and repeatedly reminded me: “It’s not easy for us to support you. You must spend frugally.” The community college was in the city, and the cost of living was completely different from the countryside. Two hundred dollars a month was barely enough for food. The internet was starting to boom then, and I signed up for Facebook. Chatting with Sarah on Facebook, she said: “The work on the assembly line isn’t meant for humans. 12 hours a day, only four days off a month. If you don’t finish your quota, they dock your pay.” “Facing those parts every day, I’m going crazy.” “Lily, it’s better to study. There’s a foreign company across from our factory. Those white-collar workers wearing heels and lipstick sitting in offices, they have it so easy.” Korean dramas were popular then, so I chose Business Korean as my major. I set a goal for myself: I must get into a foreign company, I must work in a cubicle. Although I wasn’t as desperate as in middle school, I didn’t slack off either. I worked hard. When my roommates went to the internet cafe, it was all to play games or watch shows. I usually went to look up information or practice pronunciation along with Korean dramas. I got up punctually at six every day, ran, ate breakfast, studied by myself, and then went to class. When there were no classes, apart from doing part-time jobs, I basically spent my time in the library. I read a lot of books. I was young then and didn’t know how to discern and choose well. So I just swallowed everything whole, cramming it all in. The atmosphere at our school wasn’t good; not many people studied. Boys and girls all dyed their hair in trendy, edgy styles. Girls wore heavy smoky makeup that obscured their eyes; boys wore earrings and smoked. Some of the bolder ones hugged, kissed, and groped in the cafeteria. As long as there were no pregnancies, the teachers didn’t care at all. To save on travel expenses, I didn’t go home normally. Every time I called my mom, she would always remind me repeatedly: “Don’t cause trouble at school. Spend your money frugally. It’s not easy for your dad and me to make money.” I rarely bought new clothes, always rotating the same two bras, and didn’t touch cosmetics. Going out with my roommates, even spending two dollars on the cheapest lemonade made me feel guilty. Yes. My mom’s reminders made me feel guilty for every penny I spent. Many years later, when I could make money myself, the first thing I did when shopping was check the price tag. Even if I could completely afford that piece of clothing, I still lacked the underlying confidence. Poverty had been firmly etched into my bones. I spent a very, very long time slowly wearing away its brand. But, perhaps I will be affected by it for the rest of my life. An upperclassman named Ryan, who was very handsome, liked me. He pursued me for over two months, buying me food every day and waiting downstairs. 06 My roommates all advised me to go out with him. “He’s so handsome, and I heard his family is quite well-off.” “He’s not bad to you, give it a try.” … I refused. Smoking, drinking, fighting—in the eyes of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, there’s a wild kind of handsomeness. But I didn’t like it. About a month later, Ryan got a new girlfriend, who actually turned out to be a senior from the neighboring state university. He paraded around with her, and many guys praised him for his skills. He even made a point to show off in front of me. During our late-night dorm chats, my roommates were indignant. “It hasn’t been that long, and he’s already moved on to someone else.” “I don’t think that girl is all that. She’s three or four years older than us, and not as pretty as you, Lily.” … After a round of condemnation, the dorm president said softly: “But she’s from the state university, a real university student.” For a moment, the dorm was dead silent. We already understood then: there was long an invisible chasm dividing us from them. Because of the reverence for academic degrees, those guys all envied Ryan, because he crossed that chasm and held the hand of someone on the other side. That senior seemed to never have class, following Ryan around our school every day. My sister passed the entrance exam for the junior high in the county seat. My parents rented a small place there to accompany her. This caused a huge uproar in the community. My grandma stamped her cane and cursed: “She’s a girl! You put in so much effort, just to spend money for another family!” “If you have that money, help out your own nephews. Don’t end up with no one to mourn you when you die.” The villagers also mocked them overtly and covertly. Saying my parents might as well just adopt a son-in-law to live with them. My mom held onto her pride, telling my sister she must succeed. She also told me: “You must study hard too. When you start interning, the burden on me and your dad will lighten a bit.” Opportunities in the small county seat were scarce back then. My parents pushed a cart selling street food, often getting chased away by city management. The money they earned was barely enough for the family’s expenses. Community college was a two-year program. During the summer after the first year, internships started. The school arranged for everyone to go to assembly lines. I refused. Along with a few classmates who usually stuck together to study, we decided to find jobs ourselves. These past two years, my grades were always at the top. I also participated in several competitions and won awards. I had leverage. I bought myself a set of professional clothes and had a roommate do my makeup. The weather was great that day. When I left, the sky was filled with a radiant sunrise. It was a good omen. I brought my resume, full of confidence and hope, to attend an interview at a foreign company. Surprisingly, I ran into that senior from the state university. She was also among the interviewees. I felt a moment of panic but quickly calmed down. She skipped classes every day, spending her time in internet cafes or bars. While I had been studying seriously all along. While waiting, I went over my Korean self-introduction in my mind again and again. Striving to be flawless. Finally, the interviewer appeared. She quickly scanned the collected resumes, then divided them into left and right piles. “Jessica, John, Sarah, Lily…” She called my name. I quickly stood up, ready for battle. However, the HR manager’s next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

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To go undercover in the largest crime syndicate in the Southern state, I turned to the streets the very next day after being expelled from the police academy. My boyfriend broke up with me, saying I was an embarrassment. My best friend cut ties with me, scolding me for my self-destruction. Even my father, who used to dote on me the most, disowned me. I remained unmoved, continuing to sink into the darkness. In my third year on the streets, I finally infiltrated the syndicate. That day, my father wept bitterly as he severed our relationship, declaring he no longer had a daughter and wishing I were dead. For seven years, I never had a good night’s sleep, tormented by my conscience almost daily. Finally, three days ago, another failed mission by the syndicate led them to discover my true identity. After transmitting the core evidence, I was tortured to death for ten grueling hours. My soul wandered, eventually returning to my father’s side. 1 I hadn’t seen my father in years, and his hair was completely white. His once upright posture was gone. From a distance, he looked as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, aged and hunched. A neighbor, Mr. Miller, saw my father and initiated a conversation with a smile. “Hey, Arthur, hasn’t your daughter come back this year?” “The streets are dangerous. Hope nothing happened to her.” My father’s calm face immediately darkened upon hearing this. He gave a cold snort and cursed loudly. “I haven’t had a daughter for ten years.” “Even if I did, she wouldn’t have survived until today. She should’ve been dead long ago.” As if still unsatisfied, he stomped his foot and yelled. “I, Arthur Sterling, served in the military when I was young, and worked hard at the factory after my honorable discharge. I’ve lived a clean life. How could I raise such an animal?” “Her death would be her greatest contribution to the Sterling family.” Hearing this, a sharp pain shot through my heart. It hurt more than the thousand cuts the crime syndicate inflicted on me. I could count the times I’d been home these past years on one hand. But every time I saw my father, the words I heard were exactly the same. “You scumbag, society’s reject, what are you doing back here?” “You’re not welcome here. Get the hell out.” “Dad, it wasn’t easy for me to come back. Just let me have a meal with you.” “I promise I’ll leave right after I eat. I won’t bother you.” I would hug my father’s arm and act spoiled, not expecting him to dote on me like when I was a kid. I only hoped for a little more time with him. But his face would remain grim, and he would throw the garbage from the doorway right at my face. Old wrappers and leftover food would cover my entire body. Seeing this, the neighbors would point and whisper. “Arthur is too ruthless. He won’t even have a meal with his daughter.” “What do you know? This girl looks docile, but she’s no good. She leads gangs to cause trouble outside, doing all sorts of bad things.” My face burned with shame. Looking at my furious father, I stayed silent for a moment before turning to leave. Covered in sour stench and garbage, I sat on the steps outside all night. Although I felt wronged, I didn’t blame him. My father served in the military when he was young, but was forced to medically discharge due to an injury, becoming a factory worker. When I was little, he often said that if he hadn’t been injured and discharged early, he would have become a glorious police officer. Other kids listened to fairy tales before bed, while I listened to my father’s military stories. To make up for my father’s regrets, I studied hard and, living up to expectations, got into the police academy. The sound of sneers interrupted my thoughts. Looking at their mocking faces, I knew these neighbors were doing it on purpose. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that Arthur’s daughter was expelled from the police academy for insubordination, throwing her bright future down the drain. And Arthur, who used to be so proud of me getting into the academy, became everyone’s laughingstock. When he was younger, Mr. Miller was often caught by my father for petty theft, becoming a regular at the police station. Their relationship had never been good, so his words were extremely targeted. Hearing my father’s words, he laughed heartily, his eyes full of mockery. “Arthur, what kind of talk is that?” “No matter how much of a scumbag she is, she’s still your seed, your own daughter. You can’t hide from that.” My father’s face turned ashen, his chest heaving continuously. He gritted his teeth, seemingly using all his strength. “I don’t have a daughter like that. What she has done is unforgivable.” “God will take care of that evil creature sooner or later.” After speaking, my father hurried away, his steps slightly staggering. The neighbors laughed loudly. Floating beside my father, my eyes were red. When he was young, he was respected wherever he went. Now, in his old age, he was being humiliated because of me. I watched helplessly as the downward curve of my father’s mouth trembled slightly, and his eye rims slowly turned red. It felt like ten thousand blades piercing my heart. I knew he couldn’t hear me, but I still stood by his side and tremblingly said the words I had held in my heart for a long time. “Dad, I’m sorry.” 2 Returning home, my father sat on the sofa, panting heavily. Fine sweat covered his forehead. A moment later, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. My father carefully unfolded it. I froze for a second before realizing what it was. It was my admission letter to the police academy from back then. More than a decade had passed, and it was already covered with the mottled traces of time. The once bold and vigorous characters were now blurred and illegible. But my father picked up his glasses from the table, sat up straight, and softly began to read. “Student Sarah Sterling, you have been admitted to our academy… to become a prospective cadet…” My father’s voice grew louder, and waves of sorrow welled up in my heart. My whole being was enveloped in grief; I couldn’t catch my breath for a long time. Scenes from the past flashed before my eyes. I remember it was a summer day, the sweltering heat making my clothes stick tightly to my body. I held the admission letter in my hand and ran towards home. The cool breeze brushed my cheeks, as if the whole world were cheering for me. “Dad! I got in! Dad! I got in!” I yelled all the way, attracting the neighbors’ attention. My father, in his prime then, ran out from the hallway immediately. His face was filled with joy. His big hands held my admission letter, looking at it over and over again. The bright light in his eyes was as scorching as the sun in the sky. “Good girl, you are Daddy’s pride. Daddy is proud of you.” He grabbed my waist and lifted me high. That was the closest I ever got to the sky. I remember that day, my father took me walking around the neighborhood for a whole day. He showed the admission letter to everyone he met, proudly patting his chest. “Police academy, my daughter, got in.” Every neighbor who saw it gave a thumbs up, smiling and saying. “Like father, like daughter.” “Arthur’s daughter is just as good as any man, getting into the police academy, making us proud.” But no one expected that in the second year, I would be expelled from the academy for insubordination. The day I came home carrying my luggage, my father’s eyes were bloodshot. It was the first time I ever saw him cry. He clutched his belt tightly in his hand, only whipped me twice, then sobbed and started whipping himself. “It’s because I didn’t educate you well, it’s all my fault.” That night, my father and I hugged each other and cried the entire night. From that day on, my father completely lowered his head in front of the neighbors. His straight back also gradually bent. He stayed cooped up at home all day, no longer going out to chat and play chess like before. He was afraid they would talk about me, afraid to hear their mockery, and even more afraid to hear their pity for me. Just like that, ten years passed. And I took a path completely opposite to before—joining the underworld. At first, my father scolded me, beat me, used all the words and logic he could think of to persuade me to turn back. But later, seeing that I never changed, he became completely desperate. He cut off all contact with me and changed the locks on the house. Even if I waited outside all night, all I got was his hateful glare. The father and daughter were no longer as harmonious as before, completely severing ties like enemies. So, when I saw this admission letter, I simply couldn’t believe it. He actually still kept it. A long-standing bitterness, buried deep in my father’s heart for ten years, enveloped me. I seemed to see him in countless days and nights, holding the admission letter and crying bitterly. Everything from before shattered all my father’s pride, and the image of him crying bitterly hit me right between the eyes like bullets. 3 Time ticked by minute by minute. My father just sat blankly on the sofa, from dawn to dusk. He only snapped out of it when his stomach growled. He stood up shakily, walked to the kitchen, and opened the fridge. It was packed full of ingredients and cooked dishes. I was startled; I had prepared all these for him three days ago. Perhaps it was my sixth sense acting up. Three days ago, I had an inexplicable urge to go home. I bought bags and bags of things and stuffed them all into the fridge. The old man still looked at me with disgust, yelling repeatedly to kick me out. “Take your things and get out.” “The Sterling family doesn’t need a scumbag like you. Your things have blood on them, and they stink.” The old man cursed harshly, but I was already used to it. I just replied calmly. “If it stinks, just soak it in ginger and scallion water.” I took the ingredients into the kitchen, silently cooked a table full of food, and then smiled again. “Dad, I’ve never drank with you before. How about a couple of shots?” I don’t know why, but that day my father surprisingly didn’t chase me away. Instead, he sat at the table with a grim face. Father and daughter face to face, sitting at the table, yet not knowing how to start. I drank a few cups by myself until the alcohol kicked in, then turned to look at my father. “Dad, it’s been ten years. I know I’ve embarrassed you out there.” “But whether you believe it or not, I’ve never done anything bad.” “Your daughter… your daughter really has her own difficulties.” Hearing this, before the shot glass even touched his lips, my father smashed it onto the floor with a bang. “Unavoidable difficulties? I’m old, but I’m not blind.” “What difficulty makes you disobey superior orders and give up being a police officer?” “What difficulty keeps you from coming home for ten years, hanging out in the underworld?” “What difficulty makes you an expert in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling? Making you a societal reject?” My blood rushed madly out of shame. I could feel the heat all over my body, but I couldn’t utter a single word. I wanted to shout to my father that I wasn’t really in a gang; I was an undercover cop. But the words reached my lips and I simply couldn’t open my mouth. My father’s emaciated, dry hand slammed heavily on the table. His eyes flashed with tears and anticipation. “Speak! If you really have difficulties, can you not even tell me?” I remained silent, which my father took as being speechless. He flipped the table over, glaring at me with eyes full of unwillingness, questioning me loudly, every word bleeding. “Let me ask you, how did I teach you when you were little?” “Be down-to-earth in everything you do, and have a clear conscience.” My father hit his chest hard, making dull thuds. “And what did you do? Do you have a clear conscience?” After saying that, my father slapped me across the face. My ears buzzed, and the grievances accumulated over ten years instantly erupted. I stood up abruptly and yelled at my father, losing control. “I, Sarah Sterling, have a clear conscience regarding everything I’ve done.” My father looked at me, trembling all over, his eyes full of disappointment. He stumbled backward a few steps. Seeing this, I quickly tried to support him, but he avoided me. “Dad…” I called out softly, but he shook his head, as if looking at a stranger. “Don’t call me Dad. You’re not my daughter.” “My daughter died ten years ago.” Speaking of this, he looked at me, gritted his teeth, and squeezed a few words through his teeth with all his might. “You killed her.” After that, he shoved me out of the house. My vision blurred as I fled toward the nearby woods. I clutched the phone in my hand and uncontrollably dialed that number. Before the other party could speak, I said, crying. “I’m begging you, I don’t want to be an undercover cop anymore. I want to be a police officer in the light.” “After this mission is over, will you reinstate my file?” A sigh came from the other end of the line, followed by a pause. “Sarah, you know you’re the only one who has successfully infiltrated the crime syndicate…” “Just one more year. In a year, we’ll launch our final strike against the syndicate…” “One year, one year, one year.” My voice grew louder. “One year after another. It’s been ten years, Captain. I’m really tired.” After saying that, without waiting for a reply, I hung up the phone and burst into tears. Watching my father shove the cold food from the fridge into his mouth, a pang of sorrow flashed through my heart. A knock sounded on the door. My father looked at the door, then at the food on the table, and quickly dumped it into the trash can. He took a few deep breaths before walking over to open the door. “You bastard, I said you’re no longer my daughter.” “Don’t ever come back.” Just as my father finished speaking, he saw several police officers in uniform standing at the door and froze. The officers instantly stood at attention, their eyes red, and called out. “Bringing Comrade Sarah Sterling home.” 4 Seeing the police, my father subconsciously frowned. “What has Sarah done now?” He looked past the officers, seemingly searching for me. “I’ve already kicked her out of the house. The Sterling family has no place for a societal reject like her.” “You don’t need to bring her back here. This isn’t her home either.” My father’s face flushed with anger as he spoke, moving to close the door. The leading officer gently held the door and shook her head. Before she could speak, her eyes reddened. She looked at my father, her voice trembling. “Mr. Sterling, we are Sarah’s colleagues.” At these words, my father froze in place. He didn’t make a move, his mouth wide open in disbelief. Even though it was plain English, strung together, it was hard for an old man like him to comprehend. “What did you say?” The officer opened her mouth, trying to say something, but couldn’t get the words out after several attempts. The officers behind her even started sniffing. My father seemed to realize something, his body trembling. The leading officer quickly supported him, and my father tightly gripped her arm. Like grasping at a lifesaver. “What you’re saying is fake. She told you to lie to me, didn’t she?” “Was she sentenced to life in prison, and that’s why you’re willing to help her?” The officer just took a deep breath, then said word by word. “Mr. Sterling, Sarah died gloriously in the line of duty during an undercover mission to dismantle a crime syndicate.” My father didn’t hear a single word they said next. He just stood there, blankly repeating one sentence. “Died gloriously in the line of duty.” He couldn’t believe that the daughter who was sitting across from him drinking just a few days ago had now passed away. He also didn’t understand why the daughter who he thought should have been struck by lightning just a few days ago, the daughter he hated and resented for ten years, suddenly transformed and was worthy of the words “died gloriously.” The “clear conscience” I mentioned at the dinner table a few days ago struck his heart like lightning. He understood the true meaning behind my words. He knew I never failed his expectations and had always been striving to fulfill them. Even when cursed by everyone around me, I never changed, walking alone in the dark to release the last bit of light in my heart. Father and daughter share a deep bond. At this moment, he seemed to experience the bitterness in my heart, no longer able to control his expression. The old man, who hadn’t cried more than a few times in his life, was now sobbing uncontrollably. The officer beside him supported my father, barely keeping him from collapsing onto the floor. Her voice was low as she looked at my father and advised him. “Sir, don’t be sad. You need to bring her home.” Hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in my father’s eyes, and he muttered. “Yes, I need to bring her home.” My father followed the officer, walking unsteadily. This scene was coincidentally witnessed by Mr. Miller passing by. He leaned in and started mocking. “What, your daughter got caught committing a crime and is going to be executed?” “Hahahaha, crying like a baby. Are you going to see her for the last time?” “It seems you got your wish. God helped you take her away.” My father didn’t react to his words at all. He continued walking forward, his whole body numb. He had only one thought in his mind now. To see me one more time. The police officers beside him couldn’t tolerate it anymore. They clenched their fists and were about to rush forward, but were stopped by the leading officer. The officer glanced at Mr. Miller and said flatly. “Considering you don’t know the situation, I’ll let you off this once.” “Mr. Sterling’s daughter, Sarah, is our colleague. If I hear you spouting nonsense again, you can spend the rest of your life locked up.” Leaving a dumbfounded Mr. Miller behind, the group continued forward. My father followed the police like a walking corpse to my body, his face blank. A snow-white sheet covered my body, and my father just stood beside me, lost in thought. He tried to reach out and lift it several times, but it was as if someone was holding him back; he didn’t move. I knew. He was afraid that if he lifted it, it would really be me. He hoped that as long as he didn’t lift it, I would still be there. 5 After a long silence, he finally reached for the sheet with trembling hands. After all, my father was a border military veteran who had been through the wringer. As my face was revealed to the light, the crowd could no longer contain their grief and began to weep. My face was slashed with no good flesh left; my eyes were gouged out, leaving only black holes. My slightly open mouth was empty. Even after days of restoration by the mortician, my face was as terrifying as a demon’s. If it were in a horror movie, it would definitely scare all the viewers to death. I thought to myself with a morbid sense of humor, yet my heart was filled with desolation. Seeing me like this, my father knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant. He wanted to stroke my face but didn’t touch me, as if afraid of hurting me. He grabbed my hand, which had two broken fingers, and tears streamed down his face. “You bastard, unfilial daughter. I told you before, you’re not allowed to lie to me.” “Why did you try to be a hero? I… I…” The words died on my father’s lips. He seemed to recall something and fell silent again. He just knelt beside me, tightly grasping my wrist. At this moment, he was like a mountain, standing quietly by my side. His tears kept flowing, his eyes empty. I wanted to wipe away his tears, but I couldn’t touch him. I could only kneel on the ground beside him. The officer next to him shouted a tearful command to salute. Everyone turned toward me, stood at attention, and saluted. My father looked at me and smiled slightly. “Look, your colleagues are saluting you.” Yes, my colleagues were saluting me. We should have all been standing together in the bright sunlight, but now I was lying here first. Whether they could see me or not, I returned the salute. Although I hadn’t done it for ten years, I wasn’t rusty at all. Because my desire to serve my country had never diminished; in fact, it had grown stronger. But then I saw my colleagues’ eyes filled with hot tears, as if they were looking at something. Following their gaze, I turned around, and the scene before me is something I will never forget in this life, or the next. It was my father, standing tall with a straight back, returning the salute to my colleagues on my behalf. His back was as straight as when he was young. In the sunlight, it was as if he had become that proud, righteous soldier once again. The officer walked over to support my father, but my father just looked at her with an earnest expectation in his eyes. “Captain, my daughter… did she really do nothing wrong?” The officer nodded heavily, her voice hoarse. “Comrade Sarah Sterling excelled during her time at the academy, and her exam scores were the best in the state over the last ten years.” “Whether in tactical simulations or practical exercises, she was the best in the school.” “Then… was her sacrifice worth it?” My father grabbed the officer’s hand tighter, his eyes even more desperate. His fingernails even dug into the officer’s palm. But the officer didn’t flinch. Instead, she nodded and said solemnly. “Comrade Sarah Sterling went undercover in the largest crime syndicate in the state to participate in the investigation.” “During this time, she provided over a hundred pieces of vital intelligence, suffering 72 minor injuries and 18 severe injuries.” “She made the ultimate sacrifice transmitting crucial evidence against the syndicate.” “The syndicate was completely destroyed by our forces yesterday, and 163 criminals were arrested.” “The largest crime syndicate case in the state has been officially declared closed.” Amidst the silence, the officer shouted at the top of her lungs. “Your daughter, Sarah Sterling, is a true heroine, second to none.”

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My family runs a butcher shop, and it turned out I was switched at birth with the daughter of the wealthiest family in town, the Sterlings. The day they came to pick up the “real daughter” (me), I thought the “fake daughter” wouldn’t show up. But she did. She came clutching her “Scientific Pig Farming Manual.” I, on the other hand, shoved my hands in my pockets and hopped into the car. The domineering CEO older brother who came to get me shot me a side-eye: “Where’s your luggage?” I drawled out slowly: “Too lazy to pack. Isn’t bringing myself enough?” Domineering CEO brother: “…” 01 I sat down in the car, buckled my seatbelt, found a comfortable position, and slumped back. Not moving an inch. Arthur Sterling’s look at me was hard to describe, like he was looking at something very abstract. Oh, Arthur is my long-lost biological older brother, profession: Domineering CEO. And I am the real daughter who was switched at birth. My picnic-like attitude made Arthur silent for a good while before he finally asked: “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to them?” “No…” “Sis, my one and only sis, are you just going to leave like this?” I had just opened my mouth when I was interrupted by a wail. Next, a humanoid object sprinted over, throwing himself at the car window and grabbing my hand. “I can’t bear to let you go. What will I do when you leave?” He said this while grabbing my arm and shaking it violently. I felt like seaweed trembling in the water, my soul flying out of my mouth. “Yeah, I’m gone. Burn some paper money for me if you need anything.” I closed my eyes peacefully. Leo Miller paused, and the next moment, he cried even louder. “Sis, I passed the assessment, when are you giving me the invite code—” He was yanked up by his collar and forced to stand straight. The crying stopped abruptly. Chloe, holding a thick notebook, pushed up the glasses on her nose. A cold glint seemed to flash behind the lenses. “Leo, is it? According to Mom and Dad, you’re in charge of the diet for the eight pigs in the backyard right now?” This serious, interrogative tone made Leo involuntarily stand up straight, adopting the solemn attitude he used when facing his elementary school homeroom teacher. “Y-yeah, what about it?” Chloe flipped open the notebook with a whoosh, pulled a fountain pen from her chest pocket, and started writing scribble scribble scribble while asking: “What time do you feed them every day? “How’s the piglets’ appetite? “How long is their post-meal exercise? “Any abnormalities in their stool?” With each question, Leo’s mouth slowly opened wider, looking as if he’d gone stupid. Arthur, however, seemed to have expected this. He lifted his eyelids slightly and stood quietly to the side. I looked at Chloe in surprise. From a wealthy heiress to a butcher’s daughter, she didn’t show the slightest sense of a comedown. She adapted faster than I did. Chloe met my gaze and nodded politely. I smiled, pointed at the dumbfounded Leo, and told her: “Leo is very useful. You can tell him to do whatever ideas you have.” Chloe’s eyes lit up slightly. She thought for a moment and said: “The Sterling family, has money.” Sterling Family’s Big Brother: “…” Miller Family’s Little Brother: “…” 02 It was almost ten o’clock by the time we got back to the Sterling mansion, past my usual bedtime. My eyelids were fighting each other, and I could practically fall asleep standing up. But as soon as I walked in the door, I heard an overly dramatic voice that startled the sleep bugs right out of me. “Big brother, you’re finally back! Maria, hurry up and bring out the chicken congee I asked you to prepare. Big brother has been traveling all day, he must be exhausted and probably hasn’t eaten well on the road.” A girl in a white dress fluttered over, fluttering around Arthur, expressing her concern with a slight frown. After a long speech, her gaze drifted toward me, and she covered her mouth in shock: “Oh my… Sister, I’m sorry, I forgot about you.” She carefully glanced at me, then back at Arthur: “Big brother, is this Mia? So Sister… Sister Chloe really isn’t coming back?” Arthur’s face was expressionless: “Where she wants to go is her business. From now on, Mia is your sister.” He turned to me and said: “This is Grace Sterling. Mom sponsored her, and now she’s considered adopted.” Grace looked at me timidly, her expression quite awkward: “Mia… Sister, I didn’t know you were coming back today, so I didn’t prepare anything for you. You… you won’t blame me, right?” I covered my mouth and yawned. My body was still standing there, but my soul had long since drifted away. Are you done talking? If you’re done, hurry up and find me a place to sleep. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, a hint of exhaustion showing on his handsome face. “She’s tired from traveling all day. Take her to her room to rest.” Grace bit her lip: “…But the room isn’t ready yet.” Arthur lowered his hand, his frown deepening: “What’s going on? Wasn’t this settled before I left?” His stern gaze swept toward Maria, the housekeeper, nearby. Grace frantically explained: “Don’t blame Maria, it’s me. I thought since sister was coming back, I’d give up my room, but… but there was too much stuff, and I couldn’t finish packing it all at once.” Saying this, she looked like she was about to cry. Arthur’s frown deepened even more: “There are so many empty rooms upstairs. Just prepare another one.” “But my room has the best lighting. Sister should have the best when she comes back. “It’s all my fault. I should have moved out earlier. I shouldn’t have stayed in such a nice room in the first place… Why don’t I let sister sleep in my room tonight? I can sleep anywhere, Sis…” Grace, wiping her tears, looked at me resiliently, and the words in her mouth came to an abrupt halt. Arthur followed her gaze, and his calm expression cracked a little. He saw me leaning against the wall with my eyes closed, having been sound asleep for a while. 03 I slept until noon the next day, opening my eyes in a completely unfamiliar room. Not a hint of panic. When I was little, I once followed my dad to butcher a pig in the middle of the night. On the way back in the early hours, I was so sleepy. I saw a haystack on the side of the road, fell into it, and went to sleep. My dad, walking ahead, suddenly looked back and found his big daughter missing. He broke out in a cold sweat. My mom nagged him about it for over a month, and young Leo gained a new task because of it. —Keep an eye on me, don’t let me fall asleep randomly anywhere. When I went downstairs, Arthur and Grace were already sitting at the dining table. Arthur looked up, saw me, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He’d never seen anyone sleep like a corpse on a bed, impossible to wake up. If I hadn’t still been warm to the touch, he really would have taken me to the hospital. After I sat down, Arthur asked a couple of concerned questions and told me to make a list if I needed anything, and he’d have his assistant buy it. Opposite me, Grace bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something but was holding back. Naturally, I wouldn’t initiate a conversation. Whoever can make me say an extra word is a true master. Leo had knelt and begged me to talk to him countless times. When all the dishes were brought out, I slowly picked at the one dish right in front of me. Arthur looked at me once, then again, and finally couldn’t hold back: “There are so many dishes, why are you only eating that one?” He paused, his tone softening a bit. “This is your home. Don’t be formal. Eat whatever you want.” Grace seemed to be waiting for this exact opportunity. Hearing this, she immediately put food in my bowl. “Sister, you haven’t eaten these before. Try them all. I know your family were butchers…” She gasped, covering her mouth with an “Ah,” and looked at me, blinking her eyes. “Sister, I didn’t mean it, and I don’t look down on butchers. It’s just that living in a place like that, you must have suffered a lot. Now that you’re back in the Sterling family, it’s different. “Sister, tell me whatever you want to eat, and I’ll definitely have Maria make it for you.” After speaking, she stared at me, waiting for my reaction. I gave a flat “Oh.” “Thanks.” She waited a bit, the smile on her face stiffening. I paused, turned to look at Arthur: “It’s too far. Raising my hand is tiring.” Arthur froze for a second before realizing this was the answer to his question from just now. He was caught between laughter and tears. “Just raising your hand…” My phone dinged constantly. Someone was continuously sending messages. Seeing me completely ignore it, Arthur reminded me. “Aren’t you going to look?” “No need.” I didn’t even lift my head, continuing to bury myself in my food. Grace’s eyes flickered. She suddenly reached out and picked up my phone, looking as if she were considering things for me. “What if it’s an emergency? Even though sister is back in the Sterling family, you can’t just cut off ties with the people you knew before.” Saying this, she casually tapped on the phone, and instantly, a series of wails pierced our ears through the screen. “Sis, help me, my sis! “This woman is a demon! Staying up all night writing a pig farming business plan! Just the postpartum care regulations for sows has a hundred rules! A hundred! “She also said she wants to expand the scale of our family’s pork stall, aiming to open a factory in half a year and go public in three years. “She dragged me out of bed at six in the morning to do health assessments on each pig, and then led all the pigs in aerobic exercises! “I don’t want to be tied to pigs for the rest of my life. “And I definitely don’t want to be the young master of a slaughterhouse, not even a publicly traded one!” 04 A string of wails echoed through the living room. I could almost see Leo’s mental breakdown playing out before me. An unusual silence filled the room. Arthur straightened his back: “I’m done eating. Take your time.” With that, he got up and strode out the door to go to work. There was an inexplicable feeling that he had suddenly been injected with chicken blood (motivation). And Grace, who had been full of drama, also suddenly quieted down. I looked thoughtful. That child I was switched with, the former Sterling heiress, now Leo’s biological sister. Is she really that intimidating? Under Leo’s continuous bombardment of messages, I learned just how intense Chloe was. Not only did she stay up late writing business plans, but she also non-stop renovated the facilities, implementing scientific breeding and scientific slaughtering. She was also very willing to lower herself, personally going to Dad Miller’s pork stall to inspect, helping sell pork for three days, and then setting about implementing reforms. I have to say, the reformed pork stall was elevated by more than one level, and business was much better than before. It was just tough on Leo, who became the only usable soldier under Chloe’s command. But that wasn’t the scariest part. The scariest part was that the Miller family’s pork stall was merely Chloe’s side hustle. Her main job was being a project group leader at the Sterling Group. This was a position she earned step-by-step, starting from a low-level employee after applying with her resume when she turned eighteen. At the time, absolutely no one knew she was the Sterling heiress. Terrifying. I suddenly understood Arthur’s sense of urgency this morning. With such a hyper-competitive sister by his side, constantly threatening his CEO throne, how could he possibly act domineering? But now that she’s replaced by me, a slacker sister, he probably doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. The domineering CEO brother goes to work to support the family; I slump on the sofa playing on my phone. Grace finishes her piano practice. I’m slumped on the sofa. Grace finishes her dance class. I’m slumped on the sofa. Grace learns to make desserts with Maria. I flipped over. “Sister, you…” Grace, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, walked up to me, hesitating to speak. My fingers tapped on the screen, not noticing the humanoid creature beside me at all. A hint of annoyance flashed across Grace’s pretty face, and her pitch suddenly rose. “Sister, even though the Sterling family has money, we should still enrich ourselves and not waste time.” She paused, bit her lip, and continued. “Maybe the environment you were in before was too poor, and you haven’t seen truly excellent people, so your horizons are limited. You’re used to the bottom-feeder state of just eating and waiting to die, but—” She suddenly emphasized her tone, clenching her fists and glaring at me indignantly. “That’s no excuse for your degradation!” I looked up blankly: “What is she saying?” Grace frowned, and just as she was about to speak again, a familiar voice suddenly came from the phone. “She’s been like this since she was little: can’t grasp the main point, lacks logic, and uses vague semantics.” Chloe, on the other side of the screen, paused and added a little more weight to her tone. “Grace, have all those years of English classes been a waste? “How did your English teacher teach you, or is there a problem with your learning? Otherwise, for someone as old as you, how can you not even speak clearly?” “Sis… Sister?” Grace’s face turned pale, her whole body tense, and she subconsciously stood up straight. Chloe’s words seemed to hit her hard. She turned around and walked away, looking totally lost. Chloe thanked me over the phone. “The system you built is very easy to use. Leo wasn’t wrong, you really are good at this.” I gave a noncommittal response. Before ending the call, Chloe remembered something and gave me a warning. “In a few days, Mom and Dad… Mr. and Mrs. Sterling will be back. They are very different people from the Miller parents. You’d better prepare yourself mentally.” Different how? Are they not human? I thought about it for two seconds, then completely tossed it to the back of my mind.

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The day I was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, my longtime crush finally confessed his love. He gathered his friends and family, chartered a luxury cruise ship, and threw a massive engagement party. Thus began our week-long romantic getaway. But when midnight struck… A romantic requiem echoed through the ship… Lock your door, Ms. Rabbit, cover your face tight. Your breathing will stop, you won’t toss turning tonight. Rest in peace, beautiful soul, in the pale moonlight. Slowly, the number of living people on board began to dwindle. 1 The day my DID diagnosis became official, my world lost all its color. Outside, rain poured in sheets. Inside, I stood clutching my medical file, tears streaming down my face. My parents had kicked me out, and my best friend was ignoring my calls. Just when I thought the whole world had abandoned me, Cole appeared. He took me back to the Vance family estate and confessed to me in front of all his friends and relatives: “Mia, I promise you, no matter what happens, I will never leave you. I love you, and I will love all of your personalities.” Cole’s parents were incredibly open-minded. Flipping through my medical file, they said: “A famous actress and a psychologist? Such positive personalities! Mia, this just goes to show what a kind-hearted child you are!” “Exactly! Our son is so lucky. He gets to marry two wonderful girls at once!” I frantically wiped the tears from my face and forced a smile. They didn’t know that besides the host personality, I had been diagnosed with a third. The Rainy Night Butcher. The moment I touch rainwater, that bloodthirsty version of me is unleashed. Just like right now. No one noticed that a page was missing from the medical file. 2 The next morning, numerous dead cats and dogs were found in the upscale gated community where the Vance family lived. At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was peaceful. No one suspected me. I breathed a sigh of relief. But a neighbor had somehow caught wind of my illness and splashed a huge bucket of red paint on the Vance family’s front door. Before leaving, they didn’t forget to drop a threat: “Keep your psycho locked up!” “I did it! It has nothing to do with Mia!” Perhaps fearing his parents would look at me differently, Cole actually took the blame. I was moved, but also anxious. Could someone like me really be accepted by his parents? To my surprise, his parents didn’t make a fuss. Instead, they came over to comfort me: “Of course we believe Mia. Don’t listen to what those people outside say. How about this: our family will take a cruise for a few days, and we’ll come back when the butler has cleaned this up.” “Okay.” I naturally had no reason to refuse. After packing a few clothes, I followed the Vance family onto the cruise ship. The Vance family controlled a leading corporation in New York, one of the wealthiest families around. And Cole was a top-tier elite lawyer. They weren’t short on cash; chartering a multi-million dollar cruise ship was nothing to them. Besides being shocked, I was also a bit confused. Was it necessary to spend so much money just for a few days’ getaway? It wasn’t until we boarded the ship, amidst a shower of rose petals, that Cole got down on one knee: “Mia, I love you, until death do us part.” I finally understood. He was proposing to me. This cruise ship was his gift to me. There were thirty people on board in total. Aside from the twenty service staff we brought along… The rest were Cole’s friends, family, the butler, and bodyguards. They came here to witness my love with Cole. The moment he slipped the ring onto my finger, I thought, all of us here… Were the happiest family in the world. We embarked on a one-week romantic getaway. Cole said he wanted to give me the most beautiful scenery of my life. But only a day later, he changed his mind. 3 “Cole, what’s wrong? It’s me, Mia, open the door!” “Stay away from me! You psycho!” Hearing this, my face turned deathly pale. My body lost all its strength, and I slumped outside the guest room door. What exactly happened? Could it be… Devastated, I walked out onto the deck, staring at the sparkling sea. I asked with hatred: “What did you do this time?” The waves rolled in one after another, as if my face was changing from one to another. The smile at the corner of her mouth was mechanical and eerie. Her eyes were full of mockery as she parted her red lips: “Guess.” Enough! I flew into a rage! I grabbed an empty wine bottle and hurled it fiercely. Water splashed everywhere. That face gradually disappeared. Replaced by my tears. I lowered my head and found a few drag marks of red on the floor. Stretching towards the edge of the ship. There was also a bloody handprint on the railing. Below was the bottomless ocean. Suddenly, I realized something and my body stiffened. Looking back, the deck was completely empty. But I clearly remembered everyone being here just a moment ago? I tore at my hair, trying desperately to remember, but I couldn’t recall the missing fragments. I only remembered… At dusk, everyone was dead drunk. Except for me. Cole took care of me, intercepting a lot of drinks for me. But he wasn’t so lucky. He lay on the deck and slept for a few hours. The sea breeze was very cold. I covered him with a light blanket and sat beside him, singing a lullaby. Then I fell asleep too. “What exactly are you trying to do to me?!” I hugged my head, kneeling on the deck, screaming in agony. A red light flashed across my eyes in the distance. Such a familiar blinking frequency. There seemed to be many similar light sources on this ship. They were like human eyes, monitoring me, torturing me. In the silent night, besides my voice… There was also a faint, trembling sound of breathing coming from behind. My blood suddenly began to boil. Even without turning around, I knew it was the person I loved the most—Cole. No matter what… He couldn’t leave me… I rubbed my eyes, gritted my teeth, tremblingly picked up a bottle of wine, and walked slowly towards him. Under the moonlight, my shadow stretched very long. 4 The next day, when I woke up, Cole was sleeping right beside me. He held me in his arms, sleeping soundly. I poked his dimple and broke free from his embrace. As soon as I got up, he grabbed my waist: “Why are you up so early, babe?” My face flushed, and I scolded playfully: “Keep your hands to yourself!” “Is my babe shy?” Cole kissed my back through my clothes, muttering: “Why didn’t you change into pajamas?” Then he pulled me back down and pressed himself against me. I narrowed my eyes, catching out of the corner of my eye that the red light had gone out. Just as I was about to push Cole away, someone knocked on the door: “Mr. Vance, Ms. Lin, it’s time for breakfast.” It was a crew member. I breathed a sigh of relief. Opening the door, a girl with pigtails forced a smile: “Mr. and Mrs. Vance have been waiting for you in the dining room for a long time.” I nodded: “We’ll be right there.” Then I ducked into the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps because the door wasn’t closed tight, I could hear the conversation outside while brushing my teeth. The girl’s overly sweet voice came through: “Mr. Vance, let me help you put this on. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m so clumsy, how did I fall on you? Mr. Vance, are you alright?” My reflection in the water smiled a half-smile: “Someone’s trying to steal your man right in front of you, and you’re not angry?” I shook my head, silently replying to her: “I believe in Cole.” Sure enough, Cole didn’t disappoint me. He stood up and yelled: “Get out!” Then he squeezed in, looking aggrieved, and hugged me: “Babe, someone’s seducing your husband, aren’t you going to do something about it!” I pressed my forehead against his and rewarded him with a hug: “Good job, my Cole is the best.” “Hmph, you’re just humoring me!” Cole was right. I was indeed humoring him. Because I wasn’t in the mood to be lovey-dovey with him right now. My head was full of what happened last night. My anxiety lasted until we entered the dining room. When I saw everyone was there, I was finally comforted. So it was just a dream. Our happy family is still all here, that’s great. “Did Mia sleep well last night?” Cole’s mom poured me a glass of cranberry juice and asked with a smile. I looked at the bright red drink, and a blurry image flashed through my mind. “I slept very well, even had a dream.” “Oh? What did you dream about?” I chewed on a freshly cut sausage, narrowed my eyes, and tried hard to recall. A few seconds later, I had a sudden realization: “I remember now, I was slaughtering pigs.” After saying that, I put down my knife and fork and swept my gaze over the people in the dining room one by one. Silently counting in my heart… One, two, three… twenty-nine. We’re missing one person! I asked calmly: “Cole, did everyone come for breakfast?” The man was focused on peeling an egg for me: “They should all be here… Wait…” He paused, as if remembering something, and continued: “Where’s that chubby guy who makes the cakes? Don’t make pistachio mousse today. Mia is allergic, she can’t eat nuts.” “That brat disappeared first thing this morning! Don’t worry, Mr. Vance, there absolutely won’t be any more mistakes with today’s meals!” The head chef standing nearby answered respectfully. But as soon as he finished, the smile on Cole’s lips froze. Consequently, the hand peeling the egg also trembled slightly. I leaned close, patted his back, and whispered comfortingly in his ear: “Cole, I’m here.” He forced a smile that looked worse than crying: “Babe, let’s get married, okay?” The friends and family around us raised their glasses and cheered again, celebrating and shouting for us. I ruffled his hair: “Okay, I’ll always stay by Cole’s side.” Cole’s eyes were red. In my arms, he looked like an abandoned puppy. Across the table, Cole’s parents watched us with gratification. After rushing the wedding, they started rushing us for a baby: “Give us a good grandchild soon!” I shyly lowered my head, catching out of the corner of my eye a few servers secretly rolling their eyes in the corner. Sigh. Too bad, my boyfriend is too popular. What should I do?

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When I was three months pregnant, my husband’s grandmother showed up at our door to lay down the law. She deliberately killed the dog I had raised for three years and made a stew out of him just to disgust me. At the dinner table, she showed off smugly: “The meat of a little beast raised on expensive dog food sure is tender~” After the meal, she made me bow down and acknowledge the turtle she had kept for forty years as my “god-grandmother.” I obediently did as I was told. She just didn’t know that acknowledging a god-grandmother is easy, but getting rid of one is hard! 1 My grandmother is a contrarian, and my mother is a fierce woman. The two have fought their whole lives; they clash the moment they meet. Influenced by these two, I became well-versed in the dynamics of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships at a young age. People feared me; dogs ran from me. But unluckily, I married into a family of honest, simple people, so all my skills had nowhere to be used. Life was smooth sailing, and I gained a few pounds. I went to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic to ask for some weight-loss tips, and only after the doctor checked my pulse did I find out I was pregnant. The doctor said the first three months of pregnancy are crucial. My in-laws treated me with extreme caution, terrified I’d bump into something and have an accident. When I was in my third month of pregnancy, an old lady suddenly appeared in our house. The moment our eyes met, I knew the vibe was right. The universally despised troublemaker had arrived! The way the old lady looked at me was exactly the same as how my grandmother looked at my mother—wishing she could find fault with everything! My usually cheerful mother-in-law was pale, kneeling on the floor, wiping it inch by inch with a paper towel. My reasonable father-in-law was trembling like a little quail, not even daring to breathe loudly, brewing tea and pouring water for her. My husband blankly called out: “Grandma!” Then he dragged me back to our room. “Honey, pack your bags. We’re going to stay at a hotel for a few days. You’re pregnant; you can’t be stressed!” My phone received a notification: an extra three thousand dollars transferred from my in-laws. Their intention was very clear: they wanted us to stay outside for now. I could only move back when his grandmother went back to her hometown. “Is she that scary?” “More than scary! She’s a nightmare!” My husband briefly recounted the old lady’s dark history. When he was six, the old lady stewed the rabbit he had raised for two years and tricked him into eating the meat. After he finished eating, she took him to see the pile of bloody rabbit skin. My husband cried his eyes out. The old lady ate sunflower seeds while spitting the shells at his face: “It’s just an animal. It died, so what? Is it worth crying like this? “You have no masculinity at all! Don’t tell anyone outside that you’re my, Martha’s, grandson! “You little brat, remember this: an animal is an animal. Even if you’ve raised it for two years, or twenty years, it’s still an animal. It will never be more important than your family!” My mother-in-law came over to comfort my husband, but the old lady kicked her instead. “You jinx! Always pulling a long face and teaching my grandson useless things. It’s just a dead rabbit. Are you trying to kill me, this old lady?” That kick caused my mother-in-law to miscarry. It was a three-month-old female fetus. My mother-in-law wept uncontrollably in the hospital. The old lady smoked her pipe at home, speaking self-righteously: “A money-losing girl. She’s gone, so she’s gone. Is it worth crying like that?” My father-in-law was furious and confronted her: “That was your own granddaughter!” The old lady sneered: “What own granddaughter? She didn’t even have all her hair, she wasn’t even born, and you dare call her my granddaughter? “So what if she was a granddaughter? A granddaughter is just a money-loser! With that one kick, do you know how much money I saved you? You don’t even know how to be grateful, and you’re here demanding an explanation from me? I see you really are an ungrateful wretch, forgetting your mother once you have a wife!” My father-in-law was so angry he wanted to take my mother-in-law and my husband away, refusing to live with the old lady anymore. The matter was brought to the village head. The older generation values filial piety above all else. My father-in-law was clumsy with words and didn’t know how to speak well. 2 The old lady, with her glib tongue, completely twisted the truth. After her tantrum, my father-in-law’s family ended up looking like heartless, rebellious, unfilial descendants. The old lady also heavily favored my husband’s uncle, Robert. She used my in-laws’ salaries to subsidize Robert, putting him through college and buying him a house in the city. Later, Robert married his boss’s daughter, and the old lady went to live with them to enjoy a comfortable life. Only then did she finally let my in-laws’ family go. Outside the door, the old lady was reprimanding my father-in-law: “You heartless little beast! You’re rich now, living in a big house, driving a luxury car, just watching your brother’s family eat scraps. You think you’re so great now, feeling all smug, don’t you?” “Mom, we don’t think like that.” “Shut up, you vixen! If it wasn’t for your instigation, would my son disobey me, his own mother? “Don’t think that just because you secretly ran away to another city behind my back, I couldn’t find you! Let me tell you, you can run, but you can’t hide! I’ve been keeping track of all the money you owe your brother over the years!” The old lady threw down a yellowed little notebook. My father-in-law picked up the notebook and flipped through a couple of pages: “Mom, when did we owe Robert over four hundred thousand dollars?” “What do you mean ‘over four hundred thousand’? It’s four hundred seventy-eight thousand, six hundred fifty-one dollars and thirty-seven cents! If your brother hadn’t jumped into the river to save you back then, leaving him with chronic health issues, he would have been selected by the military to be a high-ranking officer long ago! This amount is already a discount given the fact that you’re my biological son and his own brother! “You heartless little beast! Not only are you not trying to make up for the damage you caused your brother, but you’re also hiding from me with this jinx?! “Don’t call me Mom! I don’t have a shameless son like you!” “It wasn’t Robert who saved David, David saved Robert!” My mother-in-law couldn’t stand it and tried to explain for my father-in-law, only to receive a loud slap across the face. “You troublemaker! When I’m talking to my son, it’s not your place to interrupt! If I say the eldest saved him, then the eldest saved him! “Cut the crap. I’m here on serious business. My eldest grandson is getting married in a few days. Clean this house up and vacate it in two days so Brian can use it as his marital home!” “No! This is the house we prepared for Chloe and Liam!” My mother-in-law covered her red, swollen cheek and flatly refused. “You jinx, it’s not your place to speak!” As they argued, I went to the dog crate and let out Buddy. Buddy is a Malinois, very protective of his owners, and will attack whoever I point at. He’s just too energetic and always pesters me. After I got pregnant, my in-laws kept Buddy in his crate to prevent him from accidentally bumping into me. “Buddy, go!” Hearing the command, Buddy charged toward my in-laws like lightning. Threatened by the Malinois, the old lady was forced to jump onto the back of the sofa, her two stick-thin legs trembling violently. “You… don’t come any closer! I’m not afraid of you! “Don’t, don’t bite me! “Are you all dead? Stop him! “Help… Help!” My in-laws froze in place. I carefully helped my mother-in-law up: “Mom, your face is swollen. Liam, go to the pharmacy downstairs and buy Mom some anti-inflammatory medicine.” Hearing my voice, Buddy happily trotted over to me, nuzzling against my leg. “Good boy!” I affectionately rubbed Buddy’s head as a reward. Seeing this, the old lady quickly realized what happened. She pointed at my nose and cursed: “Alright, you little tramp! You’re commanding this wolf-dog to abuse an elder, are you? You better slaughter this dog right now! Kneel down and apologize to me, or I’ll have my grandson divorce you! Let’s see what you’ll do then, you used-up secondhand goods!” “Mom, Chloe and Liam have a great relationship; they won’t get a divorce.” My mother-in-law spoke up for me, only to earn another glare from the old lady. I patted Buddy’s rump. “Woof! Woof! Woof!” This time, Buddy not only barked at the old lady but also lunged at her. And I made absolutely no move to call him off. After a few lunges, the old lady closed her eyes and fainted. After she fainted, my mother-in-law transferred another few thousand dollars to me. 3 “Chloe, quickly take Liam and go hide somewhere. You used Buddy to help Mom and Dad, and we’ll always remember this favor, but the old lady is not someone to mess with. When she wakes up, who knows what scheme she’ll come up with to make things difficult for you!” “Yes, Chloe, you have a baby in your belly. The doctor said you shouldn’t have too many emotional fluctuations. If the sky falls, Mom and Dad are here to hold it up. Just consider it a honeymoon with Liam!” “Mom, Dad, what are you saying? The old lady might be tough to deal with, but I’m no pushover either! As for the baby, don’t worry. If it can’t even handle this little storm, it has no right to be my, Chloe Davis’, child!” After cooking dinner in the evening, the old lady slowly woke up. At the dinner table, she deliberately picked fights. “The meat is stewed so tough, are you trying to break my teeth?” “Don’t you know I don’t eat seafood? And you deliberately made smoked fish!” “Now that living standards have improved, you’re starting to waste food, right? Eight dishes for four people!” As she spoke, she tried to take the beef and smoked fish in front of me to put in the fridge. “Put it down. “I told you to put it down, didn’t you hear me?” “You don’t listen to nice words, huh? Buddy, attack!” Amidst the barking, the old lady resentfully put down the bowls and chopsticks. I tilted my head to look at her: “If you think the meat is too tough and hurts your teeth, then eat porridge. Do you know why long-lived elderly people live long?” My husband weakly chimed in: “Because they like to eat millet porridge, and millet porridge is good for health!” “Wrong! Because they are smart and know who not to mess with!” I looked at the old lady: “Grandma, you’re a smart person, right?” The old lady didn’t speak, just glared at me. “Buddy~” “Yes, yes, yes!” “Woof! Woof! Woof!” “Are you crazy? I already said yes, and you’re still making your dog bite me!” “Move your foot, you’re stepping on his toy!” With Buddy around, the old lady didn’t dare to act up again that night. When going to sleep, my husband wrapped his arms around my waist, his tears wetting my shoulder, crying like a child: “Chloe, why are you only here now! “Boohoo, if only I had met you earlier! “Sniff, wife, I love you.” A night of sweet dreams. When we woke up in the morning, my husband went to feed Buddy. He searched around but couldn’t find any trace of him. He looked at me with red eyes: “What do we do, honey? Buddy is missing!” As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. He ran to the kitchen and found a pool of blood. There were also a few strands of black hair in the trash can, exactly like the ones on Buddy. My husband angrily found the old lady and confronted her: “Tell me, did you kill Buddy?!” “You little beast, how are you talking to your grandmother! Is there any justice?! I cooked for you all early in the morning, and I get blamed for it?” “It was you! You stewed my rabbit back then!” “David, control your son! He’s in his twenties and has no manners at all! Yelling at his elders like this!” My father-in-law was called out, with my mother-in-law following behind. The old lady grabbed my mother-in-law: “You tell them, you woke up earlier than me. Did you see me kill the dog?” “N-no.” My mother-in-law’s eyes welled with tears. “Forget it, it’s not a big deal. We’ll look for him after breakfast, he won’t be lost.” “Exactly, exactly. My granddaughter-in-law is the sensible one.” At the dining table, the old lady served me a bowl of meat soup. “Granddaughter-in-law, you are the reasonable one, unlike these few, completely lacking basic decency. An animal is just an animal. Even if you raise it for two or three years, or even decades, it can never be more important than a person.” “You’re right.” “Everything has its fate. Don’t blame this old lady for speaking bluntly. If Buddy was killed for meat, it’s also his fortune. Blame nothing else, only blame that he committed too many sins in his past life, or that the owner who raised him committed too many sins. Granddaughter-in-law, do you think I’m right?” I nodded: “Grandma naturally makes sense.” She nodded in satisfaction. It wasn’t until she saw me drink the entire bowl of soup that her expression changed, and she asked me with a grinning smile: “This soup tastes pretty good, right?” “Very fresh.” “Of course, the meat of a little beast raised on expensive dog food sure is tender~” My husband was so angry he smashed his bowl on the floor: “I knew it! You did it!” “You little brat, shut your mouth! Is it your turn to speak? Your skin is itching, you need a beating, don’t you?” After reprimanding my husband, she came to lecture me. “And you, using a dog to bully people! This old lady gave you some face, and you really thought I was afraid of you! Without that Malinois, what are you! Piss in a puddle and look at your reflection! A face that curses her husband! Only this blind fool would want you!” She grew more arrogant as she spoke, setting down several rules for me. When she got excited, she even demanded I acknowledge the turtle she had kept for forty years as my “god-grandmother.” “I’ve raised this turtle for forty years; it could be your grandmother. Acknowledging you as a granddaughter is doing you an honor, don’t be ungrateful.” I nodded in agreement. 4 However, she searched for a long time but couldn’t find that forty-year-old turtle. I stood up unhurriedly, fished a turtle shell out of the soup, washed it, dried it, and handed it to her: “Oh, Grandma, the ‘god-grandmother’ you mentioned, it wouldn’t happen to be this one, would it?” I looked at the bowl of turtle soup and sighed sincerely: “As expected of an old beast raised for forty years, making soup out of it is much more nourishing than a three- or five-year-old one. Grandma, you really have a good eye!” The old lady tried to disgust me deliberately, so she ate the most during the meal. Her mouth was dripping with grease, and seeing me not eating, she even called me “lacking taste” and “ungrateful.” Now, learning that the meat soup was made from the old turtle she had raised for forty years, she hugged the turtle shell, crying to the heavens and pounding the earth, mourning more bitterly than if her husband had died. “My poor Turtle! Which cursed troublemaker killed you! I’ll make her pay with her life!” I sobbed on the side: “God-grandmother, even if you descend to the eighteen levels of hell, don’t forget to seek revenge on the person who ate you. Poor you, living to forty years old, a long-lived elder among turtles! You died such an unjust death! I hope you have a good journey and reincarnate well in your next life!” Reminded by me, the old lady retched uncontrollably. After vomiting, she looked at me fiercely: “You little beast! You’ll get your retribution!” “Grandma, what are you saying? Didn’t you tell Liam that a pet dies because the owner lacks virtue? Look at you, only knowing how to educate your descendants, but when it falls on you, you refuse to admit it at all. That’s not right!” “You! You sharp-tongued little shrew!” “I’m no shrew. Shrews scratch, bite, kick, and scream. Anyone who offends a shrew is lucky if they only get a layer of skin peeled off. I’m so gentle!” “Hmph!” The old lady hugged the turtle shell and ran away angrily. My husband looked at me with adoration. My father-in-law jumped up in excitement. My mother-in-law was full of respect: “Chloe, you really have your ways.” My father-in-law chimed in: “Yes, leave this to me. Liam, take your wife out quickly to buy a gold bracelet. Be happy, be happy!” I smiled and nodded, looking at the pile of vomit my mother-in-law swept up, and said: “Mom, don’t throw this away yet. I have a use for it. Come here, let me tell you…” To disgust me, the old lady didn’t go to the bathroom; she intentionally vomited all over the living room floor. Thinking this would hurt me? Too childish! Hasn’t she heard the saying: “As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten”? At the jewelry store, my husband was ecstatic, trying on bracelets left and right. I was okay; compared to buying a gold bracelet, I preferred battling the wicked old lady and seeing her defeated look. After leaving the jewelry store, I went to my best friend’s house, brought Buddy’s toy ball over, and bought him some dog food and snacks. When my husband saw Buddy, he was so excited he couldn’t speak: “Buddy! You’re really not dead! Daddy was so heartbroken, boohoo!” Looking at him, Buddy couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge him. My best friend gave me a look and pointed to her head. [Is Liam’s head okay?] [Just PTSD from the wicked old hag. Don’t worry, dealing with wicked old hags is my specialty!] [Queen, let your humble servant worship you!] When leaving, Liam saw a familiar figure in the fish tank again. “Honey, why is it here?” “What else? You think I’d kill a forty-year-old turtle just like that? Am I a butcher or a demoness!” “Then the shell of the ‘god-grandmother’ you fished out was?” “Bought at the market.” “Boohoo, honey. You truly are a sweet angel.” Liam was moved to a mess. On the way home, he kept pestering me, asking how I did it. “Nothing much, just giving her a taste of her own medicine!” I know vicious old ladies inside out. The moment she bends over, I know what kind of crap she’s going to take. After being terrified by Buddy, she definitely hated him to the core. Killing Buddy and making soup for me to drink—killing two birds with one stone, truly malicious. She didn’t dare approach Buddy, so she deliberately put sleeping pills in his dog food. Taking the opportunity to kill Buddy. But she didn’t know that I had trained Buddy; he wouldn’t touch drugged dog food. And when she wasn’t looking, I put sleeping pills in her soothing soup. Making her groggy, sleeping until dawn. I smeared blood on her hands and threw dog hair in the trash can. Elderly people have poor memory and general mental states. When she was asleep, I pretended to be Buddy seeking revenge by her ear. When she woke up, groggy and influenced by my performance, she genuinely believed she had killed Buddy and was triumphant. As for making meat soup, with my mother-in-law around, the old lady wouldn’t do it herself. So she only saw the bloodstains and didn’t know what kind of meat was in the pot. After all, before me, no one dared to challenge her authority like this. I wouldn’t explain the details to Liam. I just rubbed his head and comforted him: “Don’t worry. With me here, I won’t let you repeat your childhood trauma. I’m a professional when it comes to dealing with this kind of malicious old lady.” Liam was very obedient. He didn’t ask too many questions, just whimpered and cried in my arms like a puppy: “Boohoo, honey, I wish I had met you earlier!” “Damn God, why didn’t he send you to me earlier!” After complaining to the end, he held my hand, full of heartache: “Honey, you must have suffered a lot to get to where you are now. My heart aches for you!” I lowered my head, my shoulders slightly shrugging. I used all my strength to hold back my laughter. But Liam mistook it for a sad sob. “Don’t worry, honey. In the future, I will definitely care for you even more!” This little fool, so easy to trick! Hehe! How could I possibly have suffered?

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My dad had a respectable job and always talked about taking responsibility. My mom didn’t have much education and was timid. So, when they divorced, I decisively chose my dad. Not long after, my dad remarried. My stepmom sold me to human traffickers. My mom traveled across mountains and rivers to find me in a remote village and bring me back. The moment we met, my mom held me, tears streaming down her face: “Mia, I’m sorry, Mommy didn’t protect you well!” My dad, to pay for my stepbrother’s private school tuition, forced me to drop out of high school. My mom couldn’t win back custody of me, so she could only secretly slip me the tuition money she had saved up. I was pushed off a balcony to my death by my stepbrother, and my dad testified in court: “That girl committed suicide.” After I died, I floated in the air and saw my mom kneeling at the courthouse entrance, holding up a sign that read “Injustice,” refusing to get up… When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn back to the day the judge asked me to make my choice. 1 In the courtroom, the judge called me in. “According to family law, for a child who is fourteen, we must respect their true wishes. “You are already fourteen, and you understand your parents’ situations. Who do you choose to live with?” I had just been reborn, and my mind was still a bit foggy. My mom thought I was hesitating and hurriedly said, “Mia, live with Mommy. Mommy can take good care of you.” My dad showed a look of disdain and said, “Take care of what? Are you going to feed my daughter scraps from now on?” “I’ve already found a job, I can support Mia!” “How much can you earn with your education? Every penny you spent for the past dozen years was mine!” I gradually woke up amidst their arguing. In my previous life, I was a fourteen-year-old pubescent girl, right at my most rebellious stage. My mom restricted me a lot. She wouldn’t let me pierce my ears, dye my hair blonde, or skip class to date. I found her incredibly annoying. Conversely, my dad rarely came home and basically ignored me. When he did come back, he would give me money and tell me to take my friends to KFC for a family bucket. So, when they fought over my custody, I chose my dad without thinking twice. Hearing my decision, my mom started shedding tears continuously, soaking her clothes. Her hair, her lips, her eyes were all covered in tears. My mom called my name as she watched my dad smugly take me away. Now, this scene was repeating itself. Both my parents were looking at me eagerly, waiting for my decision. “I choose Mom.” My mom’s eyes showed pleasant surprise, while my dad looked in disbelief. “But I have one condition! “I want to change my last name! I want to take Mom’s last name!” 2 Outside the courthouse, my dad grabbed me. “Mia! What’s wrong with you? My situation is far better than your mom’s, and you’ve always been a child who knows how to weigh the pros and cons!” “Yes, exactly because I know how to weigh the pros and cons, I wouldn’t choose you!” In my previous life, my soul floated in mid-air, and I watched my blood-covered body being loaded into the ambulance. My dad fake-cried and knelt on the ground, telling the police that I had too much pressure from the SATs and committed suicide out of depression. What absolute bullshit! I scored a 1550 on the SATs, what pressure did I have? It was clearly his cheap son whose scores weren’t even enough for community college, who pushed me off the building out of jealousy. If his son was the murderer, then he was an absolute accomplice. Under the scorching sun, my mom knelt at the courthouse entrance holding an “Injustice” sign, ignoring the people taking pictures and gossiping around her. She scraped both her knees raw, refusing to leave no matter who tried to persuade her, just to get justice for my death. In this life, if I chose him again, I’d be looking for death. “Mia, what do you mean by this?” “What do I mean? Don’t you understand?” My provocative gaze made my dad’s hair stand on end, and my mom didn’t understand what was going on with me either. “Arthur Sterling, let me remind you. Chloe Davis, know her?” My dad’s originally firm gaze became a bit evasive. “Who, who is that?” I sneered inwardly. Why is he pretending? 3 Chloe Davis was his college goddess. My dad chased her for four years and loved her for four years. After graduating from college, the Davis family didn’t agree to their marriage and made Chloe marry into a wealthy family. My dad, introduced by his family, married my mom. Later, Chloe and her son were kicked out by the wealthy family, leaving with nothing, and no one knew the reason. My dad, this devoted simp, resolutely took over. He gave my mom the silent treatment for three years, forced my mom to divorce, and then had a flash marriage with Chloe. My mom might not know the name Chloe Davis, but my dad certainly knew it perfectly well. “Mia, I know this person. She’s your dad’s college classmate. I saw her when I picked your dad up from a college reunion. Let’s not mention this irrelevant person, let’s go home!” My mom pulled me, wanting to leave, but I didn’t want to let my dad off so easily. After parting today, I didn’t know if I’d have a chance to see him again. If I didn’t make him suffer a bit, I’d be doing a disservice to my tragic death in my previous life. “Mom! Are you stupid? Chloe Davis is his first love and his mistress!” My mom froze, but her expression wasn’t surprised. “So you knew?” I always thought my mom wasn’t highly educated, a bit slow, and couldn’t tell my dad was cheating. “Then why did you endure it for three years?” Three years of silent treatment! My dad came home less than twenty times a year, and when he did, he just grabbed some clothes, shoved a few hundred bucks at me, and left in a hurry. “Mia, Mom didn’t want you to be sad, so I kept it a secret. I didn’t want you to know your father was such a person and feel inferior later on.” “So, you endured three years for me? “Just to maintain the illusion of a reunited family, you deceived yourself like this?” My mom felt a bit guilty under my glare, folding her hands and rubbing them secretly. 4 Actually, what right did I have to judge my mom! In my previous life, I was too rebellious. Whenever my mom looked sad under the desk lamp at night, I thought she was being dramatic, and even said it was because she had nothing to do since she didn’t work. My dad hung up on her countless times, and I made sarcastic remarks on the side, saying she couldn’t even keep her own man and was a failure as a woman. When my mom went out, it was never for more than an hour, at most just browsing the downstairs supermarket and the farmers’ market. But when my dad went out, it was always for at least a week. He went to Dubai for business trips, went to the World Trade Center for meetings, so respectable! I expressed more than once that Dad was more important than Mom. So, the reason Mom endured for three years without divorcing was really because of me! Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but want to slap myself. I looked at my dad and couldn’t help but sneer. “Arthur Sterling, you see that! My mom and I both know about your affair! “Think about how you were throwing your weight around in court just now, isn’t it ridiculous? You look like a clown!” My dad was already feeling guilty. Hearing me say this, he suddenly lost his usual flair and stood there stunned like an eggplant beaten by frost. 5 I hooked my arm through my mom’s, turned around, and left, taking a taxi home. “Mia, I’m sorry, causing you to not be able to live in a big house anymore.” My mom looked at me with tears in her eyes and guilt. “This house was bought by your dad. The law protects personal property now, I can’t get a share.” I comforted her, saying it was fine, we’d rent an apartment from now on. Although my mom wasn’t highly educated, she was very good at making crafts. In the future, I would help her do social media, so we wouldn’t have to worry about a livelihood. But I still felt stifled in my heart. My dad was clearly the one at fault for cheating during the marriage, but he didn’t suffer any loss in the end. The house and car were all his. When my mom and I left, besides child support, we got nothing. The child support would stop when I turned eighteen. The more I thought about it, the more suffocated I felt. As if seeing through my thoughts, my mom said, “Cheating is very hard to prove, especially since your dad is capable and hid the mistress very well. Why did he give me the silent treatment instead of directly asking for a divorce? Because he wanted to drag me down until I didn’t have the energy to fight him, and finally divorce as soon as possible under the guise of long-term separation.” “I know, but Mom, don’t worry, I’m confident that even if we didn’t get a share of these assets, it won’t be easy for him and Chloe’s family to enjoy them in the future.” My mom smiled and said, “Alright! I have hands and feet, I won’t let you suffer.” “Yeah! The good days for us mother and daughter are ahead!” My mom happily packed our luggage, radiating the joy of relief. But I wasn’t. In a corner she couldn’t see, I glared viciously at my parents’ wedding photo on the wall. My mom didn’t know what I went through in my previous life, and I didn’t want to tell her either. In this life, she has let it go, but I won’t easily let the Sterling family off the hook. 6 A few days later, I prepared all the documents and went to the police station to change my last name. My mom said I actually didn’t need to go this far. Even though they divorced, the blood relation between me and my dad couldn’t be severed. But I firmly wanted to change my last name; this last name disgusted me. I had just finished filling out the application form when I saw two familiar people walk in. “It really is a small world, is there only one police station in Seattle?” The voice of the person speaking was coquettish, it was none other than Chloe Davis. She came in holding my dad’s arm, and rolled her eyes when she saw me. My dad asked, “Mia, what are you guys doing here?” I waved the name change application form in my hand and said, “Changing my last name, of course. I said this in court.” Hearing this, my dad’s face changed. “Do you have to be so extreme? I did your mom wrong, but what did I do to wrong you? Why must you change your last name?” “Why else? Because it feels dirty!” I glanced at Chloe’s hand holding my dad’s arm; she was already wearing a diamond ring. I remembered when my mom just married my dad, my dad was still a poor boy. Let alone a diamond ring, even the wedding was simple. My dad promised that when he got rich, he would definitely make up for my mom’s wedding ring. But I’ve grown this big, and I still haven’t seen this “Emperor’s New Ring.” Once my mom asked for it, but my dad choked her back with a few words. “You don’t make money, do you know how much a diamond ring costs? Did the wind blow my money in? “Besides, you’re a housewife doing chores all day, wearing a ring is inconvenient!” My mom didn’t say anything and never mentioned the wedding ring again.

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After some liquid courage, it was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to confess my feelings. But I walked into the wrong hotel room. From then on, I lived the humble life of the “Boss’s Sugar Baby.” 1 When I woke up again, I didn’t know how much time had passed. But I felt something in my hand. I was startled and hurriedly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the stunningly beautiful face of my boss. She was sleeping soundly, looking quiet and gentle, completely unlike her usual icy demeanor. I knocked on my still somewhat groggy head, regretting drinking so much last night. I was on a business trip with my team members and the boss. We had a dinner meeting and drank. Especially since I was the only guy, I couldn’t let the two women take the brunt of the drinking. So, I drank the most. The team member with me was also my goddess. It wasn’t easy to be on a business trip together, so I planned to drink a little and use the liquid courage to confess to her. But I didn’t expect that when I went back to my room last night, I was so out of it that I actually stumbled into the boss’s room. What I didn’t expect was that although the boss didn’t drink much, the aftereffects hit her, and she was also a bit groggy. Just like that, I actually mistook the boss for my goddess and groggily slept with her. At this moment, I was filled with regret. I threw off the blanket and was about to slip away. But the boss’s voice rang out behind me. “What, eat and run? Not even saying a word?” I was instantly distressed, my face full of embarrassment. I turned around and said somewhat timidly: “Boss, this… this was an accident…” “You slept with me, and you say it’s an accident? So I just got slept with for nothing?” “Boss, please don’t fire me. I will definitely work hard to repay you in the future.” I still have debts! And my mom is sick, still in the hospital, and really needs money. The boss rolled her eyes at me and scoffed: “Useless thing, get out of here.” I quickly grabbed my clothes and slunk away. What I didn’t know was that after I left, my boss finally dared to get up. Because there was actually a pool of blood underneath her. 2 We signed the contract in the morning, and in the afternoon, we drove back. I was driving, my goddess Chloe was in the passenger seat, and the boss, Serena, was sitting in the back. I kept glancing at the boss in the rearview mirror, but she acted as if nothing had happened, reading documents in the back. Now I didn’t dare to say a word. Even though I usually tried hard to find topics to chat with my goddess, I didn’t dare to open my mouth now. The atmosphere was very weird until three hours later when we returned to the company. After the two of them got out of the car, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. For the next few days, I hardly spoke. Especially when facing the boss, I often kept my head down, not daring to look her in the eye. On the other hand, my heart was full of tension, and I didn’t even want to pay attention to Chloe. I used to be Chloe’s simp, but now I wasn’t taking the initiative, which made Chloe a bit surprised and disappointed. Of course, she wouldn’t show it. A week passed, and Chloe was the one who couldn’t sit still. I had just sat down when Chloe coughed lightly next to me. I looked at her. Chloe pretended to be casual, talking to herself: “The weather is quite hot. I’ve been craving lemonade recently!” She didn’t say it to me, but I knew it was deliberately said for me to hear. I didn’t move. My psychology was very conflicted right now. Should I deal with my relationship with the boss, or continue simping for Chloe? So, because of the conflict, I didn’t respond to her immediately. Chloe didn’t expect me to continue to be indifferent and couldn’t help but look at me: “Lucas, do you want some lemonade?” “My teeth have been a bit sensitive lately. I don’t dare to drink cold stuff.” I didn’t look at her, focusing on writing the proposal. She froze for a moment, completely dumbfounded. She had hinted so obviously, and I still hadn’t taken action. How could she not be astonished? She was a bit angry, picked up her cup, and went to get water. 3 When Chloe left, colleague Maya from the neighboring desk stretched her neck curiously and looked at me. I asked her what she was looking at. Maya smiled and said I wasn’t acting right. Why haven’t I been a simp these past two days? Did I find a new target? I smiled and shook my head, saying I wasn’t in the mood lately. She immediately sighed at me, saying I lacked perseverance. Going on like this, how could I woo a girl? Wooing girls isn’t something that can be done in a day or two; you must persist. I could only smile helplessly. Lately, I had been deliberately finding excuses not to meet the boss, trying to avoid the awkwardness between us. She could pretend to not care, but I couldn’t, because I’m thin-skinned. As long as this matter wasn’t talked out and there wasn’t a conclusion, I could never get over that hurdle in my heart. I was thinking I might need to take the initiative to find a time to have a good talk with her. I was afraid and guilty on one hand, and wanted to solve the problem on the other. It was truly a dilemma. But sometimes, the more you fear something, the more it happens. That day, the boss’s personal assistant, Jenny, came over and said to me: “Lucas, I need to take a long leave of absence. I might not be able to work for these two months, so you will take my place as the boss’s personal assistant.” I hurriedly waved my hands, saying I was a copywriter and had never been a personal assistant. I definitely couldn’t do it. I can’t even take care of myself, how could I take care of the boss? I said I couldn’t do it and told her to find someone else. But Jenny shook her head, saying this was the boss’s idea, not hers. I was stunned right then. The boss wants me to be her personal secretary? Are you kidding me? What should I do? Chloe next to me was also stunned. She didn’t expect this either. I hesitated. But Jenny said: “The boss’s schedule is very tight these two months. She always has to go on business trips, so she needs a driver. You know, us girls driving isn’t always reliable; you guys driving is much safer. So, driver and personal assistant, you’re the only one who can do it. There’s no one more suitable in our company.” Saying that, she sighed, saying the boss really had an eye for talent and made the best use of everything. 4 I had a bitter expression on my face. Jenny continued to pass on the message: “The boss said, if you don’t want to do it, then pack up your things and get out. Those were her exact words.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yeah, if I had money and power, I would immediately pack my things and quit decisively. But I have an elderly mother to support and a mortgage. I don’t dare to quit casually right now; this is my only source of income. This is the sorrow of a corporate slave. I was somewhat reluctant and followed Jenny to Serena’s office with a miserable face. Knocking on the door, Jenny took me inside. Serena didn’t even look up and directly said: “Jenny, you can go.” Jenny nodded and turned to leave. As she brushed past me, she patted my shoulder. Looking at the smile on her face, I felt a shiver run down my spine, as if I were about to enter a tiger’s den. Sure enough, as soon as Jenny left, Serena looked up at me. Being stared at by her, I immediately lowered my head. “What’s wrong? Am I going to eat you or kill you? You don’t even dare to look at me?” I awkwardly raised my head, full of smiles, and asked: “What orders does Ms. Sterling have?” Serena put down the pen in her hand and looked at me with interest: “I heard you’re not willing to be my personal assistant. Seems like it’s a bit beneath you, isn’t it?” I quickly waved my hands, saying it was my honor. She smiled and told me that as long as I did a good job, my salary wouldn’t be lower than before, but if I didn’t do well, my salary might be cut by more than half. I really wanted to cry but had no tears. I could only state that I would definitely do my best. “Then starting today, your first task as a personal assistant is to go get me a cup of coffee.” I nodded, took the boss’s cup, and walked out. 5 Everyone looked at my miserable face and immediately started mocking me. “What? Working for the boss, and you’re still not happy?” “Seems like being by the boss’s side is beneath our Lucas!” I glared at them: “Don’t you know the boss’s temper? When she gets mad, no one has a good time. Just you laugh. One day it’ll be your turn.” They shook their heads, saying they didn’t have that “blessing.” I couldn’t care whether they were envious or jealous. I went straight to the pantry and brewed a cup of coffee for Serena. But when I brought the coffee to her, Serena despised it. She said the coffee was too hot and the aroma was gone. I had to take the coffee out and brew another cup for her. But this time, she said there was too little sugar and the coffee was too bitter. I took it out again and added another spoonful of sugar for her. When I went back, she said it was too sweet and wanted to make her sick. Just like that, I ran back and forth between the office and the pantry seven or eight times before finally getting a cup of coffee that was somewhat satisfactory. As she drank, she didn’t forget to insult me: “A personal assistant who can’t even make a simple cup of coffee. I think you should start as an intern.” I quickly apologized, saying I would definitely learn and guarantee success on the first try next time. She didn’t say anything more. But I muttered in my heart: “This woman doesn’t seem like a good person. Are you the reincarnation of an evil empress? You’re even harder to serve than that old witch.” “What are you muttering about?” Serena looked up at me. I panicked. Damn it, she even knows what I’m thinking. “I mean, if Ms. Sterling doesn’t have anything else, I’ll go out to work.” But Serena pointed to a small desk by the window: “From now on, you’ll work there, so I can call you directly if I need anything.” I had to nod and went out to move my things. 6 Maya smiled: “No wonder you’re not willing to simp for Chloe anymore. Turns out you’ve already hooked up with the boss. You’re set now, getting rich overnight!” “You silly girl, stop talking nonsense. I think I’m doomed this time. I don’t know how the boss is going to torture me!” Maya asked me strangely why? Did I provoke the boss? Or did I do something to wrong her? Otherwise, why would the boss torture me? Of course, I didn’t dare say I slept with the boss. I could only shrug, indicating I didn’t know. Just like that, I moved into the boss’s office and was alone in a room with her. Who knows what it means to be on pins and needles? Even without having a relationship with the boss, just sitting in the same office with her would be uncomfortable. Every second was torture. “Do you have sores or lice? What are you squirming around for?” The boss’s voice came. I quickly shook my head and sat up straight. “Are you still thinking about what happened that night at the hotel?” Serena suddenly dropped this line. I froze, hurriedly stood up, and immediately bowed to her, constantly apologizing. Serena frowned, walked over directly from her seat, and came to my desk. At this moment, she transformed into a female hooligan, stretched out her slender fingers, and lifted my chin, looking exactly like she was teasing me. “How do you think I should punish you?” “As long as the boss’s anger subsides, as long as you don’t fire me, anything goes.” I quickly stated my position. But she changed the subject: “Since you didn’t genuinely mean to sneak into my room, I’m curious to know, whose room were you originally trying to enter?” I immediately choked up and didn’t dare to speak. I couldn’t say I wanted to enter Chloe’s room. But the boss seemed to see through everything and said it for me: “I heard you like Chloe. You probably wanted to enter her room!” My back was covered in sweat, but I still forced myself to be calm, saying I was completely drunk and had no consciousness of where I went. But the boss suddenly shouted: “Since you were unconscious, how could you think of doing that kind of dirty deed?” 7 I immediately shut up. When the boss unleashes her power, nothing grows. She is a notorious demon in the company. “Ms. Sterling, just tell me how I can atone for my sins. I’ve been blaming myself for so long, I can hardly go on living.” I was completely wilted and could only beg for mercy. Serena scoffed: “You want release, right? Let me tell you, no way. I must torture you properly to vent my anger.” I immediately felt like I had fallen into hell, feeling that life had no hope, no light. “There’s a dumpling shop on the next street. Go buy me a box immediately. However, the dumplings will lose their original flavor ten minutes after coming out of the steamer. So you must deliver it to my desk within ten minutes, otherwise 10% will be deducted from your salary.” “Ah… Ms. Sterling, it’s over a kilometer round trip, plus crossing the street and taking the elevator. Even if I were an Olympic sprinter, I might not be able to run back in ten minutes.” “That’s your problem.” Saying that, she sat back at her desk. “Female demon…” I gnashed my teeth in my heart, but humble me still set out. Then I started a new round of torture. “It’s cold!” “It doesn’t smell good anymore!” “You’re out of time!” I was panting, much more tired than usual at work. “These dumplings are really dog food!” I couldn’t help complaining. Finally, I thought of a way. I went and bought a self-heating pot, took out the self-heating pack inside, added water, and put the dumplings inside to steam. I strolled back leisurely. Until I reached the office door, the dumplings were still hot. Serena couldn’t find any faults, so she glanced at the dumplings: “I suddenly don’t want to eat them now.” I really had the urge to pin her to the ground and rub her face in the dirt. For the next few days, I suffered endless torture. Pouring tea, getting documents, checking her schedule, buying things. The key was, almost every task had to be repeated several times before she was satisfied. I knew she was taking revenge on me, torturing me, but I could only endure it. 8 I dragged my exhausted body, getting ready to leave work. Chloe walked up to me: “You look like you’re working hard. Getting paid well, huh? How much of a raise did you get?” I didn’t have the energy to joke around, so I could only ignore her. But Chloe grabbed me: “Lucas, do you still like me?” I was startled. I didn’t expect her to be so direct. I nodded numbly. The boss and I, after she finished torturing me, would inevitably kick me away. Or in three months, when Jenny comes back, I’ll move out. By then, I’ll only have Chloe. Since she asked proactively, of course, I’m willing to continue pursuing her. Chloe looked at me and said, “If you really like me, then resign from the boss. Don’t hover around her anymore. You’re capable; changing companies won’t be any worse than here.” I was stunned again. She actually wanted me to job-hop. This was completely beyond my expectations. “Is there any conflict between me pursuing you and working in the boss’s office?” I couldn’t help asking. “The boss is a woman. You two being together, spending time together day and night, it’s inevitable there will be times you can’t control yourselves.” I finally understood. Chloe was actually jealous over me. I laughed: “Just relax. Who knows how much the boss hates me! Look at how she’s treated me recently. Nothing I do is right, doing useless things over and over again. I’m as tired as a dog right now; where would I have the mind for anything else.” Chloe sighed, looking into my eyes: “It seems it’s still impossible between us. Then don’t look for me anymore.” Saying that, she turned and left. I froze on the spot. When did Chloe’s logic become so twisted? I’m just a bit busier with work, how did that get mixed up with dating?

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