I discovered that my husband had secretly bought a voice recorder. When I asked about it, he exploded immediately: “It’s for work! Why are you interrogating me?” “If you’re so bored, go find a job!” I didn’t argue. I simply swapped the recorder’s internal memory card for a micro-transmitter. The next day, he took his mistress to his car for a thrill. Every word they said was transmitted via Bluetooth… Directly to the massive speakers used for the neighborhood Zumba class. 1 Mrs. Robinson, the Zumba instructor, was about to change the song when Dance Monkey cut off abruptly. Replacing it was a burst of harsh static, followed by sounds that made everyone blush, blasting from the high-wattage outdoor speakers. “Caleb… gentle…” A coquettish female voice, amplified by the heavy bass, rolled like thunder across the entire community square. Hundreds of retirees stretching their arms and legs froze mid-motion, like someone had pressed the pause button. Following that was Caleb’s familiar voice, dripping with a greasy arrogance I had never heard before: “Scared of what? This car has great soundproofing. That yellow-faced woman is still at home like an idiot, waiting for me to ‘work late’.” Dead silence fell over the square. Only the unbearable sounds from the speakers continued, wave after wave, clear as if they were whispering in our ears. Mrs. Robinson stood stunned for a few seconds, her fan dropping to the ground with a clatter. She was closest to the speaker; the sound made her heart palpitate. “This… whose couple is this, leaving their windows open?” someone in the crowd muttered. “Couple? Listen to those words. That’s an affair!” I sat on a bench at the edge of the square, pulling the brim of my baseball cap low, clutching the receiver’s control unit in my hand. I watched the black BMW X5 with dark tinted windows parked not far away. The car was rocking in rhythm with the sounds from the speaker. The conversation continued, getting even more explosive. “So when are you going to divorce her? I don’t want to keep sneaking around like this.” “Soon, soon,” Caleb’s voice carried a ruthless edge. “That idiot is trying to get pregnant recently, forcing me to take vitamins every day. She doesn’t know I swapped her bottle of prenatal vitamins for long-term contraceptives ages ago. I even added a little ‘extra spice’.” “As long as she can’t conceive and her health collapses, my mom will naturally force her out.” If people were just watching for the drama before, this sentence changed the atmosphere in the square completely. The seniors, who had been whispering, now had faces of iron. Everyone there had children. Who could stomach such a conscience-less, evil scheme? “Is he even human? Poisoning his wife?” “That’s wicked! That’s trying to kill someone!” Listening to the curses around me, I dug my nails deep into my palms but felt no pain. So that was it. That was why my health had deteriorated over the last two years, why I had unexplained bleeding. It was all thanks to him. Rage boiled in my blood, but I had to stay calm. 2 “Ugh, don’t mention that buzzkill woman,” the female voice whined. “Caleb, doing this here… will we get caught?” “Don’t worry, I scouted this place ages ago,” Caleb gloated. “Those old geezers dancing Zumba play their music so loud it covers everything. They make their noise, we have our fun. It’s exciting.” The words “old geezers” were like a spark dropping into a powder keg. Mrs. Robinson trembled with rage, picking up her fan and waving it fiercely: “Bullying us! Doing dirty deeds right under our noses and calling us names?” “It’s under the shade trees! I’ve been eyeing that black car for a while!” Someone shouted, and hundreds of pairs of eyes swept toward the roadside parking spots. The black BMW X5 stood out glaringly under the streetlamp. “Let’s go! Let’s see which animal it is!” The crowd surged toward the car like a flood breaking a dam. I merged into the back of the crowd, watching Caleb’s car get surrounded tightly. The people inside clearly hadn’t realized what was happening until the woman screamed in panic: “Caleb, outside… why are there so many people?!” “What?!” Caleb’s terrified roar came through the speakers, followed by the frantic rustling of clothes being put on. People started banging on the windows: “Get out! Explain yourself to everyone!” “Poisoning people and cursing us in the street? Get out here!” The BMW rocked like a small boat in a stormy sea, shoved by the angry mob. Caleb panicked. He tried to start the car, but he was blocked in front and back. He rolled the window down a crack, yelling furiously: “What are you doing? Get away! This is my private business! Move or I’m calling the police!” This shout, transmitted clearly through the “pen” clipped to his collar, once again boomed across the square. “Police? Call them!” Mrs. Robinson had a fiery temper. She pointed the Zumba microphone directly at the car window. “Let the police see who’s in the wrong—you poisoning people, or us catching perverts!” Caleb’s face appeared intermittently behind the glass, pale as a sheet. He probably never dreamed his every word and action was being “livestreamed” right there. As the standoff continued, I tapped my phone screen lightly. If I’m going to hammer him, I’ll hammer him so deep he never gets up. I switched the signal source. No longer livestreaming real-time audio, I played an encrypted file recovered from the recorder—one he had hidden very deep. 3 The noise from the speakers vanished. Replacing it was the sound of a very quiet room, followed by Caleb’s lowered voice, dark and greedy. “Mr. Lee, I’ve handled the inspection report for this batch of steel. So what if they’re sub-standard? Buried in cement pillars, even God won’t see them. As soon as the three million hits my account, I’ll stamp the approval for the new Horizon project.” The seniors who were banging on the car stopped in unison. The air froze. Horizon City was the biggest unfinished construction project in the area, recently revived. Many of the people present had poured their children’s savings, or even their own retirement funds, into those apartments. “Steel… sub-standard?” “What is he saying? Those are our homes!” Fear spread faster than anger, followed by an explosion a hundred times more violent than before. “Caleb? You’re Caleb from Horizon?!” “You bastard! That’s tofu-dreg construction! How many people will you kill?!” If before it was just moral judgment, now it was a matter of life and death. Someone picked up a brick and—SMASH—hurled it at the BMW’s windshield. Spiderweb cracks spread instantly. “Smash his car! Don’t let him run!” “This scum needs to go to jail!” Inside the car, Caleb broke down completely. He leaned on the horn frantically, but amidst the roar of hundreds of people, the honking was insignificant. He couldn’t understand why top-secret evidence of commercial crime was being broadcast over Zumba speakers at this exact moment. Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer. I stood in the shadows, watching the police struggle to push through the angry crowd, dragging a disheveled, bleeding Caleb out of the car. The mistress was paralyzed with fear, curled up under the seat, shivering. As Caleb was handcuffed, his eyes searched the crowd blankly, seeming to look for the mastermind who had ruined him. But he was destined not to find them. 4 I turned and left. Back home, the house was pitch black and terrifyingly quiet. But I knew that tomorrow, this place would be incredibly lively. Police would come for evidence, creditors would block the door, and the home buyers would come for answers. And I, as the sole “unaware victim,” would extract myself cleanly. I would sue for divorce as a victim, take back everything that belonged to me, and more. I walked into the bathroom, poured the swapped “vitamins” into the toilet, and watched the pills swirl and vanish. My phone vibrated. It was a WeChat message from Caleb, probably sent with his one phone call chance before being put in the squad car. Just three words,透ing with bone-chilling coldness and despair: [Was it you?] I poured myself a glass of red wine and toasted the pale but bright-eyed woman in the mirror. Then, I slowly replied: [Hubby, what are you saying? I’ve been home waiting for you to come drink soup! Mrs. Robinson said they caught a pervert in the square. Are you okay?]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389265”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I finally had a day off and was trying to sleep in, but my phone was blowing up with spam calls. “You finally picked up… it wasn’t easy finding you…” My morning grumpiness took over. I grabbed the phone and yelled: “Find your mother, you scammer!” “Don’t let me catch you, or I swear I’ll kill you!” A minute later, my doorbell rang. From outside, the same voice I heard on the phone echoed through the door. “Open the door. It wasn’t easy finding you…” 1 I didn’t dare breathe. I tiptoed to the peephole. But when I pressed my eye against it, I saw no one in the hallway. Did I hear it wrong? Just as I was thinking that, the doorbell rang again. Ding-dong, ding-dong—ding-ding-ding-dong!!!! The ringing got faster and faster, but I still couldn’t see a soul. Was he hiding in the blind spot? I was about to call the police when my phone rang at the worst possible moment. It was that scam number again. My head throbbed. I blocked it immediately. But less than a second later, a new, unfamiliar number called. The structure was similar to the last one, just the last digit was different. I blocked it again. Then another new number. Block. Another new number… Like the doorbell, it rang almost without pause. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up. Before I could start cursing, a man’s arrogant laughter came from the other end: “Heh heh heh… didn’t you say you wanted me dead? Why aren’t you opening the door now that I’m here?” I froze, slowly turning my head toward the door. The doorbell rang even faster, urging me, and the man’s voice on the phone came through the door simultaneously: “Open up… weren’t you going to kill me? Come on, open the door…” 2 I called the police. But there were no cameras in the hallway. Checking the surveillance at the complex entrance and the elevator yielded nothing. Later, they examined my smart lock and suspected the system had been hacked. “You mean, there was no one at my door just now? It was just that guy making sounds through the hacked system?” “But how did he know where I live?” The older officer frowned, fiddling with the lock. “Since these scammers can get your number, finding your personal info isn’t hard.” “Then arrest him!” The officer stared at me for a moment, then shook his head ruthlessly. “Sorry, the other party hasn’t taken any substantial action yet. We can’t file a case.” I was on the verge of tears. “He already knows where I live and hacked my security system! That’s not substantial action?!” “Does he have to break in and kill me for it to count?” Seeing the awkward atmosphere, the younger officer tried to comfort me. “Don’t worry, our colleagues will keep a close watch on your place for the next few days to ensure your safety.” “Don’t be too nervous. The scammer might not even be local. He probably just wanted to scare you because you cursed him out.” I stayed silent. I knew police procedures, and I wanted to be a good citizen. But what just happened was terrifying. What if it happens again? As a single woman living alone in a strange city, I was genuinely scared. What if the scammer is local? What if I provoked him and he breaks in for revenge? Seeing my concern, the older officer handed me a card. “Ms. Parker, call me anytime if anything happens. I’ll come immediately.” I looked down. The card read “Detective Lee,” with a phone number below. Better than nothing. I sighed and took the card. As Detective Lee was leaving, I asked uneasily, “What if he harasses me through the doorbell system again?” “Record it and call me,” Lee said simply. Suddenly, the younger officer who had already stepped out gasped, tugging at Lee’s sleeve. “Sir, come look at this!” Lee stepped out. As soon as his eyes hit the wall outside my apartment, his face went rigid. “What is it?” I chased after them. My photos were plastered all over the wall. Me leaving the complex, me squeezing into the subway, me entering my office… All taken from various angles, secretly! Some photos had an unknown red liquid on the corners. I hid behind Lee. “W-what is this?!” Lee didn’t speak. He just closed the security door. A nauseating smell of blood hit us. On the door covered in photos, a giant word was written in crimson— DIE! 3 The blood was still slowly dripping down the strokes of the word. “He hasn’t gone far!” Lee shouted as he ran downstairs. “Call for backup!” An hour later, a group of officers was photographing and examining my door. They concluded the blood was animal blood. But that wasn’t comforting because Lee hadn’t caught the guy who posted the photos. The culprit was cautious, wearing a helmet. Even within camera range, his face was obscured. Fortunately, this incident was severe enough for the police to open a case. Lee was frustrated. “There were no photos when we arrived. In less than half an hour, and I didn’t hear a thing!” Back at the station, he emphasized repeatedly: “I’ll have tech support try to trace the virtual number.” “Until then, lock your doors and windows. Contact me immediately if anything feels off.” “Remember, do not act on your own!” After they left, I felt dazed. Just a couple of angry sentences from morning grumpiness led to such severe consequences? If I hadn’t cursed at the scammer, if I had just politely declined… would none of this have happened? Living alone with few friends here, I always lived by the principle of keeping the peace. Usually, I’d swallow any grievance. Why did I have to snap this one time? Lost in thought, I arrived at my door. The police had removed the photos, leaving only the slightly coagulated word “DIE.” I wiped away tears circling in my eyes, went inside, and filled a basin with water. When I came back out, the building security guard, Old Wang, was already scrubbing the blood off my door with cleaning supplies. Seeing me, his eyes were full of concern. “Miss Parker, scared you bad, didn’t it?” The police presence was huge; the whole complex knew about my situation. “Management sent me to see if I could help.” Old Wang was always the most helpful guy in the property management team. “Thanks, Mr. Wang. I’ll do it myself. Sorry for the trouble.” But Old Wang insisted on helping. In the tug-of-war, he dropped his rag. His hand grabbed mine without hesitation. Startled, I pulled away quickly. “Sorry, Miss. See? Concern makes for chaos.” Though he said that, his eyes stared hotly at the hand that had touched mine, completely forgetting the rag on the floor. Suddenly, the elevator dinged. My ex-boyfriend, Chris, and my boss, Mr. Zhao, walked out simultaneously. “Riley, heard you were harassed. Are you okay?” “Riley, the company heard what happened. Are you hurt?” 4 Both were surprised by their simultaneous greeting. They looked at each other, then asked me in unison: “Who is he?” After a brief introduction, I noticed Old Wang’s face darken. Without a word, he picked up the rag and continued scrubbing the blood. Chris’s concerned gaze turned cold when he saw Mr. Zhao. “Riley, when did your company hire new people? Why didn’t I know?” Mr. Zhao smiled, but his eyes were humorless. “It’s normal. Since you’re the ex-boyfriend, Riley doesn’t need to report everything to you.” Mr. Zhao emphasized “ex-boyfriend.” Chris’s face looked like he had eaten a thousand maggots. My head hurt. I didn’t have energy to host. So I issued an eviction order. “I’m fine, just didn’t sleep well. Don’t worry.” Saying that, I snatched the rag from Old Wang, rinsed it in the basin, turning the clear water blood-red. Mr. Zhao noticed a spot of blood on my hand. He took out a tissue and gently wiped it for me, his voice soft. “It’s unsafe for you to live alone. I happen to need a roommate. Move in with me.” The air seemed to freeze. Old Wang and Chris stared intently at my hand being held. Mr. Zhao put the bloody tissue in his pocket. Chris grabbed him, voice cold: “Why are you keeping Riley’s blood? Do you have some fetish?” “Security guard, right? Call the cops, arrest this pervert!” I was shocked by Mr. Zhao’s action too, staring at him blankly. Mr. Zhao replied calmly: “There’s no trash can here. I’m keeping the used tissue to throw away downstairs. Is there a problem?” Chris was speechless. Old Wang took over as if to diffuse the tension. “Give me the trash. I take out the trash for this whole floor.” Just then, my phone rang. It was Detective Lee. “Hello, Detective Lee. Any results?” To avoid unnecessary worry from Chris and the others, I went inside to take the call. On the other end, Lee’s voice was urgent. “Riley, tech support just told me they traced the location of that virtual scam number!” I perked up immediately. “Where is that guy?” Lee didn’t answer directly. “Is it convenient for you to talk?” I was confused. “Yes, why?” Lee said: “According to the trace, that guy is less than 10 meters away from you!” Shocked, I turned around instantly, involuntarily stepping back two steps. Those three men were standing at the door. Three pairs of pitch-black eyes stared at me like slimy snakes wrapped around my body.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389264”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I had been roommates with Asher Hayes for three years. I had met several of his ex-girlfriends. One day, he laughed and said, “Someone confessed to me today.” I wasn’t surprised. He had always been popular. But then he added: “It was a guy.” 1 He was squeezing my knuckles as he said this. My hands were smaller than his, and paler. But they were still a man’s hands—bony knuckles, veins visibly protruding beneath thin skin. I pulled my hand back. Looking at my reddened fingertips, I asked softly: “A guy?” Asher was good-looking. His features were sharp, with a cold, wild edge. But not aloof. He played hard, had tons of friends. He attracted everyone, men and women alike. Men hitting on him wasn’t uncommon. He usually ignored it; this was the first time he brought it up himself. Asher leaned back, looking like he was recalling something. The smoke he exhaled blurred his sharp profile: “Yeah, he looked okay. His eyes… were pretty nice.” Others at the table started jeering: “What? Did Ash finally swing the other way?” Asher tapped the ash off his cigarette, laughing: “How is that possible? No matter how good-looking, it’s still a dude. I’m not into that.” Everyone laughed. I forced a smile along with them. Right. Asher wasn’t into that. He never had been. 2 I was always slow on the uptake when it came to Asher. I couldn’t pinpoint when it started. Maybe it was because he knew I was lactose intolerant. Because he was the only one who called me during holidays. Because he carried me down six flights of stairs when I had a high fever. Always going to class together, eating together. Or maybe just because… He was Asher. Seeds germinate silently in the soil. By the time you notice, the vines have already entangled everything. We left for class together. At the fork in the road, he bumped my shoulder. “Let’s grab dinner tonight.” “With my girlfriend.” There was always someone by his side. I blinked slowly. And nodded. 3 Her name was Chloe. Tall, fair, with beautiful almond eyes. They looked good together. I avoided her watery gaze and ate quietly. When asked, I’d say a few words. Chloe didn’t eat much. Asher was busy chatting. In the end, I ate until I felt sick. Chloe said there was a light show by the riverfront, she wanted to see it. So I said goodbye to them. And walked back to campus alone. December. Winter in the South was just starting to feel chilly. I pulled up the hood of my hoodie. Walked slowly. After a few steps. I squatted down, unable to bear it. Gulped down a few mouthfuls of cold air. Before standing up to continue walking. 4 Morning. Asher knocked on my bunk: “Get up, or we’re gonna be late.” I didn’t have early classes on Wednesdays, but I usually went out with him for breakfast. He went to class; I went to the library. I exposed half my face from the blanket. “I want to sleep a bit longer.” Asher nodded and left first. “Wait for me after class then, we’ll get lunch.” At noon. We weren’t together; he left with Chloe. I only returned to the dorm when the library closing bell rang. Asher wasn’t there. He didn’t come back that night. 5 Time drifted to the end of the semester. Asher finished his exams and saw Chloe off to the airport. He came back to school and stayed an extra day. The next day, he took me to the station. He pushed my luggage, taking long strides. Greeting people intermittently along the way. I followed behind him. Staring at his back. Watching him stop, turn around, and wave at me. Telling me to walk faster. The winter sun shone on his defined face. Handsome, unrestrained. I lowered my head. My pace remained slow. The city had two high-speed rail stations, one near, one far. I chose the far one. Ten miles; with traffic, it could take forty minutes. Soft female vocals played in the car. Asher focused on the road ahead. Lyrics about unrequited love played. Before the next line came out. I skipped to the next song. Traffic was smooth. We arrived in twenty-five minutes. Asher flicked the brim of my hat. Leaning his arms on the steering wheel, he turned to smile at me: “Go on. Remember to miss me.” Every time he said this. I would nod. Hand on the door handle. My hand slipped twice before I pushed the door open. Before entering the station, I looked back. The car was long gone. 6 Second semester of senior year. Asher and Chloe broke up. Drunk, Chloe vomited by the roadside. She squatted on the ground. Face buried in her arms, crying. I hesitated for a few seconds. Went up and placed a bottle of water and tissues by her feet. Found a spot five meters away and sat down. She stifled her sobs. Only faint whimpers blew into my ears with the cold wind. Later, she finished crying and staggered away. I followed, watched her enter the dorm building. Turned and left. Chloe and Asher were over. She would soon forget Asher and find a new boyfriend. Asher would forget Chloe too, and meet a new girlfriend. They would all start over. Keep moving forward. I looked down at my elongated shadow. What about me? 7 The graduation party. Asher got drunk. I carried him to the sofa. Turned him on his side. In case he threw up, so he wouldn’t choke. I sat directly on the carpet. Examined him in the dim light. His eyelashes were neither long nor curled, nose bridge high, cheeks a bit flushed. Lips slightly parted, glistening. I could smell the alcohol on him. I grabbed a cushion and pressed it on my lap, looking away. A few minutes later, I looked up again. Called him softly. “Asher.” He was drunk, sleeping like the dead. Whatever I did, he wouldn’t know. Like a petty thief convincing himself. I slowly leaned in. Called out again: “Asher.” I watched the distance between us shrink. Twelve inches. Eight inches. … The dead-asleep person suddenly turned over. I sat in the darkness. My heart, which had been in my throat, dropped. Dropped into some bottomless abyss.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389263”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Right before the SATs, my “best friend” spiked my drink, causing me to miss my chance at the Ivy League. She deliberately posted in the group chat: “Didn’t everyone say Annie was a shoe-in for Yale? How did she bomb so hard?” I became the laughing stock of the entire school. My parents, who valued sons over daughters, refused to let me repeat the year. They sold me off to an old bachelor in a rural village, chaining me up like an animal to bear him children. While escaping that hellhole, I accidentally fell off a cliff. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before the SATs. This time, holding the video of her drugging me, I smiled and asked my roommate: “What did you just put in my cup?” 1 “Annie, I’m going to get some water. Want me to fill yours too?” When Wendy approached me, I had my bedside lamp on, grinding through past SAT questions. Hearing the exact same words she said in my past life, I couldn’t help but sneer internally. If not for my rebirth, I never would have imagined that Wendy, whom I considered my best friend, was actually a demon. “Sure, thanks, Wendy-bear.” I mimicked my usual way of interacting with her, my tone so affectionate it gave me goosebumps. Wendy took my water bottle from my hand and walked away happily. She didn’t notice that I had put down my pen, picked up my phone, started recording, and quietly followed her. We lived on the second floor. Since it wasn’t peak time, there weren’t many people in the water room. Wendy scanned left and right, then pulled a small paper packet from her pocket and dumped all the powder into my bottle. I recorded her actions clearly with my phone, then dashed forward and patted her shoulder. “Wendy, what did you just put in my cup?” 2 Wendy’s hand trembled, almost dropping the bottle. “N-nothing, Annie, you saw wrong, right?” I shook my head. “How could I see wrong? I was thinking the SATs are tomorrow, and we might not see each other much after graduation.” “Just now you offered to get me water, so I thought I’d record a sweet memory.” “While you were getting water, I was outside, secretly filming you.” “Here, look, I got it crystal clear!” I held up my phone to Wendy. On the screen, her action of pouring the powder was undeniable. The few people in the water room turned their gazes toward us. I struck while the iron was hot, pressing on: “So Wendy, what exactly did you pour? Is it nutritional supplements?” Wendy didn’t dare tell the truth, so she bit the bullet. “Yes, supplements.” “You study so hard, I was afraid your body couldn’t take it.” An outspoken classmate nearby scoffed: “Why so sneaky if it’s just supplements? You wouldn’t say when asked; people might think you’re poisoning her!” I smiled and explained for Wendy: “Oh, Wendy and I are best friends, she definitely wouldn’t harm me.” “But Wendy, I appreciate the thought, but you should drink these supplements yourself.” As I spoke, I took Wendy’s bottle, poured the drugged water from my bottle into hers, and then refilled mine with fresh water. After doing all this, I grabbed Wendy’s hand and shoved her bottle into it. “Lights out soon, let’s go sleep. We have the exam tomorrow.” Wendy looked down at her bottle, her face turning green. 3 Our boarding school cuts power and lights at 10:30 PM. Not long after lights out, my other roommates fell asleep. I lay in bed, closing my eyes. But I wasn’t asleep. I felt that someone as petty as Wendy wouldn’t give up on harming me just because she failed once. Wendy and I were both on the top bunks, and our beds were connected. I didn’t dare sleep too deeply. Sure enough, a while later, I heard Wendy calling my name in a very, very small voice. “Annie, Annie!” She was testing if I was asleep. I adjusted my breathing, slowing it down as much as possible, pretending to be deep in slumber. I kept my eyes shut tight and heard rustling sounds from the head of my bed. Someone lifted my bed curtain and picked up the phone I kept by my pillow. Moments later, my phone was put back. I guessed Wendy had changed my alarm time. 4 I always sleep with earplugs. Wendy knew this habit. During the final sprint for the SATs, everyone installed bed curtains to study late without disturbing others. If she turned off my alarm and I overslept, chances are no one would notice. I thought she was just gambling on me not waking up, but she clearly wasn’t satisfied. She tiptoed down the ladder. The faint sound of water pouring echoed in the dorm. I guessed instantly what she was doing. She must have poured that drugged water back into my cup. Wendy really went to great lengths to ruin me. So many tactics, just because she was afraid I’d perform normally tomorrow. I was angry, but I continued to feign sleep, pretending to know nothing. Only after Wendy climbed back into bed did I open my eyes and reset the alarm she had turned off. As for the cup… It was simply evidence delivered to my doorstep. 5 The next day, everyone got up early. It was the SATs, after all. Everyone was nervous. After washing up, everyone started checking their exam materials. Those who finished checking sat on their beds with flashcards, trying to cram a few more points. Until it was almost time to leave, I still hadn’t appeared. Wendy stopped a roommate who wanted to check my curtain, swearing that I must have left early. That roommate thought Wendy and I were close, so she didn’t suspect anything and went back to packing. When I returned from the cafeteria with a pile of steaming breakfast, Wendy still had a smug smile on her face, thinking her plot had succeeded. Seeing me walk in, her smile froze. “Guys, I bought breakfast! Grab it and eat on the bus. I saw the bus waiting downstairs.” Everyone thanked me, except Wendy, who looked incredulous: “Annie, why are you up so early?” The roommate she stopped earlier looked at her suspiciously: “Wendy, didn’t you just tell me Annie definitely left early?” Wendy’s words contradicted themselves. The other roommates sensed something was off. She could only explain stiffly: “I… I knew Annie was up early, I just didn’t expect her to be early enough to buy breakfast for everyone.” This explanation barely passed. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to let her off the hook. “Yeah, I woke up super early today. Maybe I was nervous.” “But good thing I did, because after I woke up, I found my alarm was turned off for some reason.” “It’s the SATs today. If I was late, I’d be done for.” “Wendy, you didn’t turn off my alarm, did you?” 6 The roommates looked at Wendy with strange expressions. Connecting these two coincidences… it didn’t sound like a coincidence anymore. Wendy wanted to explain, but I interrupted again: “Alright, let’s not dwell on it. Let’s go down quickly.” She had no choice but to follow us downstairs with a dark face. The bus was indeed parked downstairs. One bus fit exactly one class. Several people were already seated. Among them was Caleb, Wendy’s crush. He was looking over his notes, sunlight hitting his profile, making him look like a perfect sculpture. Caleb wasn’t just handsome; he was consistently in the top ten academically and played piano at the talent show. He was the school’s golden boy. Many girls liked him, but he had suddenly confessed to me a while ago. I rejected Caleb, saying I was only focused on studying. I didn’t hide this from Wendy. Wendy told me she didn’t care. But her subsequent actions showed she cared… fatally. In my past life, I avoided Caleb to spare her feelings. Now, I didn’t care. Even if I did nothing, Wendy would only hate me more. So why not make her miserable? I sat right next to Caleb. 7 Wendy’s face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. She angrily sat in the row behind Caleb and me. She could hear what we said and see what we did. But I didn’t intend to chat with Caleb. I took out my review materials and didn’t look up until the bus arrived at the test center. Before getting off, Caleb whispered, “Good luck on the test.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wendy’s face darken even more. After the day’s exams ended. On the bus back to school, Wendy, afraid I’d sit with Caleb again, dragged me to the very back corner. As soon as we sat down, she seemed to forget what she had done earlier and questioned me. “Annie, why did you sit with Caleb this morning?” “Didn’t you tell me you hated him?” We weren’t far from Caleb, and she didn’t lower her voice. She clearly wanted Caleb to hear us. Even if I refuted her, I’d fall into a trap of self-defense. 8 I sighed, looking helpless. “You’re my best friend. You like Caleb, so of course I had to say I hated him to support you.” Wendy’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe I just blurted that out. “I didn’t…” “Okay, okay, I know you’re shy. Let’s just say I hate him then.” “I really can’t with you. Just sitting with him makes you this jealous.” Using magic to defeat magic instantly disarmed Wendy. Her face flushed red. She couldn’t argue, but she looked expectantly at Caleb nearby. Although it wasn’t how she wanted it, my words indirectly confessed for her. What would Caleb’s reaction be? Oh, Caleb’s gentle face was now filled with disgust for Wendy. After all, he had just been rejected by me and was probably pondering the reason. This move did exploit his feelings for me a bit. But I had no choice. In my past life, I was a good person, and look where that got me. In this life, I definitely wouldn’t be a naive doormat waiting to be slaughtered. 9 The bus stopped at the dorm. Wendy ran into the building crying. Because Caleb rejected her directly. He said, “Thanks for the admiration, but I don’t like you.” If his face hadn’t shown annoyance and dislike, Wendy might not have broken down so hard. But he showed it clearly. A girl’s heart shattered. But my mood was excellent. It was just public embarrassment. Compared to losing my future and my life in my past life, this was merely an appetizer. My real revenge was just beginning. When I leisurely returned to the dorm, Wendy was still buried in her blankets, crying over her dead love. High school is a time of hormonal turbulence. Most of my roommates understood the pain of unrequited love. Seeing her cry so miserably, they couldn’t help but sympathize. The roommates couldn’t quite understand why I said those things in front of Caleb. They forgot that initially, it was Wendy who bitchily claimed I hated Caleb, prompting my counterattack. Human nature is like that; whoever looks weaker gets more sympathy. But what use was their sympathy to me? Even receiving a few disapproving glances, I didn’t care. My expressionless face contrasted sharply with Wendy’s tear-streaked one. The dorm monitor couldn’t help but speak up: “Annie, you went a bit too far. Wendy just told us she was only joking…” “Then couldn’t I say I was just joking too?” “A joke requires both parties to find it funny, right?” The monitor fell silent for a moment, then spoke indignantly: “But you were a bit excessive. You guys are supposed to be best friends. Why stab her in the back?” “Although this morning seemed a bit off, it could have been a misunderstanding. You have no proof Wendy turned off your alarm, right?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389262”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After eight years in sales, I was sick of talking. So, I pretended to be mute and set up a street stall selling steamed buns. Customers just had to point. “Miss… I want a meat bun,” a little boy said timidly. I handed him one. He wolfed it down in three bites. When it was time to pay, he said he had no money. I waved my hands frantically: No, no, you can’t just not pay. “Does that wave mean it’s okay? Thanks, Miss!” The boy bolted. I wanted to shout, but I couldn’t break character. The next day, the boy brought a man. “Brother, this is the lady who helped me.” The man pressed his lips together, said nothing, and scanned my Venmo QR code. Ding. You received $10,000. I was stunned. “Brother, her buns are delicious. Can we hire her to make buns at our house?” The man looked cold. “Come make buns at my house. $50,000 a month, room and board included.” I wanted to go, but I couldn’t. My buns were frozen, store-bought. I didn’t even know how to make dough. I waved my hands frantically: I can’t go. “No problem, right? Let’s go!” 1 Just like that, I was whisked away to a massive villa. It had been too dark to see clearly before, but in the light, the man looked exactly like a CEO from a drama. “From now on, you’re responsible for making buns. Salary hits your account on the first of every month.” Before he finished, a wealthy-looking woman came downstairs. “Bringing random people home again? You could have at least told me.” She covered her nose and frowned. “Mom, this is the chef I hired for Leo. She helped him when he ran away last time,” the man explained. The woman wasn’t having it. “What do you mean? Are you blaming me for not knowing how to make buns, so Leo ran away?” “Fine, fine, I know. I’m old and useless. I’m the most useless person in this house.” “I don’t want to live anymore! Ahhh~” She collapsed on the floor, wailing. It reminded me of my grandma’s tantrums back in the village. The man sighed. “Mom, I didn’t mean that. I…” “You’re Mrs. Sterling, act like it! Leo ran away because he couldn’t stand you!” A middle-aged man dressed like a gentleman suddenly appeared from a corner. “Dad, could you not add fuel to the fire?” The younger man looked even more exhausted. “Leo running away is your fault! If you didn’t force him to study endlessly, would he have run?” Mrs. Sterling scrambled up and grabbed Mr. Sterling’s collar. Mr. Sterling tried to pry her fingers off while shouting, “If you didn’t force him to eat your dark cuisine every day, he wouldn’t have run! It’s all your fault!” The two of them started wrestling on the floor. “Wait, there’s an outsider here. Don’t air dirty laundry. Make her leave.” Mrs. Sterling finally remembered me. “She’s mute. She can’t speak,” the younger man said coldly. “Can’t speak? Tsk tsk tsk! That’s perfect. Finally, someone who won’t gossip about me behind my back.” “Fire the other maids. From now on, she’s the only one staying.” 2 I was shocked. Are they trying to work me to death? “Mom, that’s not good. The house is huge; how can she handle it alone?” “Hire a cleaning service for the heavy lifting. Just keep her. Buy some robots for her to use if you have to,” Mrs. Sterling said, fixing her hair as she got up. “Your mom is right. That way, our family matters won’t leak out. We can fight all we want with the door closed and not worry about outsiders laughing,” Mr. Sterling smoothed his collar. Mrs. Sterling raged again. “What do you mean? Who’s fighting? You’re the one starting things!” “Just me? You didn’t start anything? You think you’re so right?” Mr. Sterling shot back fearlessly. The younger man rubbed his temples and signaled for me to follow him to the study. “Those were my parents. That’s how they communicate. You need to get used to it.” I didn’t care. They weren’t my parents; I was here for the money. “From now on, whatever you hear or see, pretend you didn’t. No photos, no spreading rumors, or you’ll face legal consequences.” “Don’t worry about anything outside the kitchen. I’ll hire cleaners twice a day; just supervise them.” “Leo is my little brother, the kid you helped. Your main job is cooking for him. As for those two… good luck.” “Since you’re the only live-in staff, I’ll double your salary. $100,000 a month, paid on the first.” Before he finished, I was nodding so hard my head felt dizzy. Deal, deal! I’m definitely taking this deal. Tonight, I’m going on YouTube to learn how to make buns! 3 I overestimated myself. I watched videos all night under the covers and learned nothing. The next morning, I got up early, bought ten meat buns from a shop, and snuck them back in. “Sister’s buns are so good!” Leo held a bun in each hand, eating happily. “If only Mom’s cooking was this good.” His mood dropped as he ate. “Mom and Dad fight every day. As soon as they meet, they fight. It gives me a headache.” “My brother only cares about business. He doesn’t come home for days.” “Sister, do your parents fight?” Leo looked at me with cheeks full of bun. I nodded. Who doesn’t fight? Just not this dramatically. “Is that so? I envy you.” Leo continued eating. For a moment, I felt like rich people didn’t need reading comprehension skills. “I like that you can’t speak. Unlike Mom and Dad who fight, or my brother who lectures me. And unlike the previous maids who mocked my family behind our backs.” Silly kid, I mock you too. Secretly. After a week, I figured out this family. They were a plastic family. The parents had an arranged marriage. Thirty years of non-stop fighting. The older brother, Ethan, was a workaholic. Only the little brother, Leo, was normal, but he had no voice because he was young. He struggled to survive between fighting parents and an indifferent brother, finally running away. Who knew he’d lose his money immediately and only survive because I gave him a bun. That was the root cause of me becoming their nanny! 4 “Don’t think I don’t know why you dressed up. Today is your ‘White Moonlight’s’ birthday.” “Hmph, I knew you couldn’t forget her.” Mrs. Sterling started yelling early in the morning. “Aren’t you the same? Dressing so revealingly at your age. Do you think I don’t know today is your old flame’s death anniversary?” “Ha, you dressed like this to show him at his grave, right?” Mr. Sterling retorted. “So what if I show off? Can you control me?” “I can’t be bothered to argue with you!” “Of course you can’t. You can’t even be bothered to look at me. Arthur Sterling, you regret it, don’t you? Regret not marrying your ‘White Moonlight’.” Mrs. Sterling gritted her teeth. “Think what you want.” Mr. Sterling stormed out of the house. Leo and I leaned on the railing, staring at each other. “Actually, today is their 30th wedding anniversary. They have a huge fight every year at this time.” Leo looked helpless. At noon, while I was cooking, Mrs. Sterling leaned against the doorframe. “Do you think I’m old? Past my prime?” “He definitely went to see that woman. I wore his favorite dress today, but he didn’t remember at all.” “Even though it was an arranged marriage, after all these years, I’m used to him.” I widened my eyes, spatula in hand. “Usually, I have no one to talk to. Arthur and I can’t talk properly.” “I used to treat the old maid like a confidant, told her everything, even shared my bird’s nest soup. But she treated my words as jokes for the other maids, embarrassing me in my social circle.” “You’re better. You can only listen, not speak. Safe.” Mrs. Sterling helped me pick celery as she spoke. Mr. Sterling didn’t return until evening, holding a bouquet of pink roses. “What, didn’t give the flowers away? Rejected? See, she doesn’t like you that much.” Mrs. Sterling pecked at him like a rooster seeing a centipede. “You!” Mr. Sterling was speechless with anger and threw the flowers in the trash. That night, when I took out the trash, Mr. Sterling stood by the bin talking to me. “Today is our 30th anniversary. Every year I want to celebrate properly, but every year she has to anger me.” “Pink roses are her favorite. Why does she have to say such hurtful things?” “But… she was really beautiful today.” 5 So these two are roleplaying a tragic romance? Do they care if the bystanders live or die? Like their son! At night, I snuck the flowers out of the trash, cleaned them up, and gave them to Mrs. Sterling, who had just finished using the bathroom. She was about to throw them out when I played my voice recorder. It contained what Mr. Sterling said to me earlier. “Play it again. I’m old, can’t hear well.” After listening to it nine times, Mrs. Sterling happily took the flowers to her room. “Oh right, Arthur is still reading in the study. It’s cold, bring him some honey water.” She added before closing her door. I tinkered in the kitchen for a while, finally brewing a special cup of honey water. When I brought it to the study, Mr. Sterling was staring into space. I put down the water and pressed play. “It’s cold, bring him some honey water.” “It’s cold, bring him some honey water.” “It’s cold, bring him some honey water.” After hearing it three times, Mr. Sterling drank the water in one gulp. An hour later, he opened Mrs. Sterling’s door. Inside, there was bickering, then whimpering, then clatter-bang. Hehe, drank my potion? I guarantee your love will be deep as the ocean. Fight until dawn! At lunch the next day, only Leo was at the table. “Weird, why aren’t Mom and Dad eating?” He poked his chopsticks, looking upstairs. I followed his gaze, suppressing a laugh. Silly boy, maybe you’re going to be a big brother. They slept until sunset. Dinner time. “I peeled the shrimp you like. Eat.” Mr. Sterling stared at Mrs. Sterling with doting eyes. “Oh, you eat too. You’re exhausted.” Mrs. Sterling, face glowing, fed shrimp to her husband. “Mom, Dad, are you possessed?” Leo stood behind me, afraid to sit. “Take him to eat in the kitchen.” Mr. Sterling waved me away. “Ethan, come back quick! Mom and Dad are possessed. Yeah, everything is wrong. I’m scared.” In the kitchen, Leo squatted in the corner calling Ethan. An hour later, Ethan rushed back. The parents were still eating. Seeing his lovey-dovey parents, Ethan looked like he saw a ghost. “What happened?” Ethan looked at me. I waved my hands: I don’t know. “You won’t say?” He asked, surprised. Me: … “Ethan, Leo, your mom and I are going on a second honeymoon. You brothers take care of yourselves for a few months.” Mr. Sterling said smilingly. Ethan was shocked. “But Dad, I’m so busy, how can I take care of Leo?” “That’s your problem! Let’s go upstairs, darling.” Mr. Sterling supported his wife and they minced away. Leaving Ethan standing there in disarray. 6 Leo, however, danced with joy. “Yes! Mom and Dad finally stopped fighting! Hahahaha.” “With them traveling, no one manages me. I can do whatever I want.” Ethan slapped the back of his head. “Dream on.” The old couple left early the next morning, like they were rushing to reincarnate. Ethan moved back home that night. [Leo, hot pot for lunch?] “Yes yes yes!” [Leo, fried rice for lunch?] “Yes yes yes!” [Leo, sweet potato porridge?] “Yes yes yes!” Since the parents left, only Leo and I ate dinner every day. Ethan worked until past 10 PM. [Why do you eat everything? Not picky?] As Leo and I got closer, he bought me a writing tablet for communication. “As long as someone eats with me, anything is fine.” “Mom and Dad fight at the drop of a hat. If they fight, they cold war for a long time. It’s hard to eat together. Ethan is busy with business, takes so many calls during a meal.” “I usually eat alone. So boring. But it’s good now, I have you, Sister.” As Leo finished, the door opened. Ethan came back a bit early tonight. “Brother, did you eat? Sister made sweet potato porridge, it’s so good. She also made pickled radishes. Want a bowl? I’ll get it.” Seeing Ethan, Leo’s face lit up. He took his bag, got his slippers. Ethan looked at the table, corner of his mouth twitching. “No need, I ate. Going up to shower~” He loosened his collar as he went upstairs. So handsome, so cool. Those legs were longer than my life expectancy. I drooled watching him. “I really want to shower and have a water fight with Brother.” Leo mumbled. [Go then!] I held up the tablet. He shook his head. “Brother won’t let me. He never showers with me.” Seeing Leo’s disappointment, I wrote three big words: [Wait for it!] I rushed into the second-floor bathroom. With such a legitimate reason, why not use it? Opening the door, Ethan froze. “Do you need something?” He was wearing only a towel, chest muscles taut. I approached slowly, one eye open, one closed. Hands itching to touch. Ethan’s breath hitched: “What… what are you doing?” In a flash, I opened my eyes, aimed for a corner of the towel, yanked hard, and ran out. “Ahhh… mmh mmh…” I yelled for Leo. Leo rushed into the bathroom holding a swim ring: “Brother, I’m coming!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389261”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After I broke up with him, he cried to his best friend every day. “I dreamed about her again last night.” His best friend was annoyed: “Only dead people visit in dreams.” Jayden sobbed: “Then she must have died for our love.” The response was cold: “Only vengeful ghosts haunt people.” Jayden: “But we made eye contact in the dream.” The friend was exasperated: “Pigs look up before they’re slaughtered.” Later, his best friend met me and froze on the spot. After a while, his ears turned red, and he gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you say she was ugly and bad, a cheater who likes pretty boys?” Jayden giggled: “I was afraid you’d steal her.” His best friend sneered: “Jayden, I’ve had a crush on her for six years.” “You despised her for liking pretty boys, so beat it.” “I’m somewhat attractive; I’ll court her first!” 01 I broke up with Jayden. This trust fund baby truly didn’t know the hardships of life. I borrowed some money from him for my sister’s medical bills, and he just gave me bullshit, saying: “Women should be independent. You can definitely earn enough money yourself!” “Besides, going Dutch is popular in dating now. It’s good enough that I don’t make you split the bills when we eat out.” “I have $50,000, but I don’t want to give it to you. I don’t want our pure love tainted by the smell of money.” “Furthermore, I believe you’re definitely not a gold digger, baby.” Believe my ass. I am a gold digger. A gambling dad, a sick mom, a disabled sister, and miserable me. If I didn’t find a way to get some money, I really couldn’t survive. But speaking of which, I wasn’t really digging for gold. I’d been this rich kid’s on-call nanny for almost six months. At first, he agreed to $2,000 a month. The result was he paid the first month, and then just gave me bullshit about how talking about money hurts feelings. Psycho. Jayden cried pathetically, reaching out to pull me: “Baby, don’t go, I don’t want to break up with you.” I held out my hand for money: “Then lend me $50,000.” Jayden: “That won’t work.” I rolled my eyes, shook him off, and left directly. Wasting my time. With this time, I could have polished shoes for Young Master Luke, brought breakfast for Miss Song, and earned a cool thousand. My sister was still lying in the hospital bed waiting for my money to get a prosthetic limb. 02 I brought brunch for my roommate, the rich girl Sarah Song, and hesitated to ask for a loan. After listening to the reason, Sarah gave it readily. “No rush to pay it back, treating your sister is important.” “We are classmates, I’ll take the IOU, no need for interest, I don’t lack this bit.” I was extremely grateful and took the money to the hospital. Just after paying the fees, I was called by a familiar male voice. Jayden was heartbroken: “Where did your money come from?” “We just broke up, and you are with another man for money?” His brain circuit was abnormal, sensitive and fragile. I didn’t bother to argue with him and said bluntly: “We have already broken up, leave me alone.” He raised his hand to wipe his tears and turned away stubbornly: “You will definitely regret it.” “Only I truly love you, those who give you money are fake.” I looked at the $50,000 displayed on the mobile banking app and couldn’t help but sneer. The stinking rich kid was declaring his love manifesto here again. Fake or not, wouldn’t I know? The saying “where the money is, the love is,” I understood from a young age. When I was little, I remember clearly how my dad got drunk and held all the family’s savings with both hands to give to his mistress. Jayden didn’t even want to lend me money, let alone spend it on me. Now, he even ran to the hospital to step on me. How much does he really like me? 03 Sarah teased me: “Heard you broke up with Jayden?” “You don’t know, he cries to his buddy every day now.” “Yesterday he got dead drunk outside, and the chat records on his phone were photographed and posted.” “I’ll forward them to you, it’s hilarious.” Her family and the Jay family didn’t get along. The more miserable Jayden was, the happier she felt. My phone screen broke yesterday, only half of it was lit. Sarah glanced at it and frowned: “It’s broken like this, and you’re still using it?” Then, she remembered my family situation and sighed. Got out of bed and rummaged through her suitcase. “Here, my old phone that I used before, take it.” I was flattered: “How can I accept this?” She changed phones quickly. Although it was old, it was 90% new. The brand was good, an iPhone worth eight or nine thousand. Sarah didn’t care: “Just consider it my good deed for the day.” “Okay, okay, don’t be touched, quickly look at the chat records and laugh with me.” “By the way, his buddy seems to be from the same high school as you.” “His name is William Wen, do you remember him?” 04 I seem to remember a little bit, but not much. I only knew that he was another existence like a trust fund baby in the capital circle. Sarah said: “William Wen’s grandmother was in poor health, so he went to your small county town to study in order to spend more time with the old lady.” “He’s handsome and has good grades, and is currently studying abroad.” There seemed to be such a person deep in my memory. But it was too far away. People like him, proud sons of heaven, never had any contact with small figures like me. I lowered my head and looked at the chat records. The afternoon before yesterday at 3:00 PM Jayden: “Bro, I still can’t forget her.” “Even though she is so bad to me, greedy for money and lustful, I still can’t forget her, it’s so painful.” William: “Oh.” Last night at ten o’clock Jayden: “Bro…” William: “Get lost.” Jayden: “Boohoo, I got drunk and dreamed of her again.” “Do you think she might also be unable to forget me and is visiting me in dreams?” William: “Only dead people visit in dreams.” Jayden: “Then she must have died for our love.” William: “Can you not be so confident?” “Even if she died for love, could she find you? Is she a vengeful ghost haunting you?” Jayden: “But we made eye contact in the dream, she just looked reluctant to part with me.” William: “…” “Pigs look up before they’re slaughtered. She probably hates you to the bone when she looks at you.” Jayden: “It’s okay if she hates me, it’s better than forgetting each other in the world.” “Bro, what time does your plane land? Can you come drink with me?” William: “Not going.” Jayden: “Please.” “I’ll call you Dad for a month.” William: “Disgusting.” Jayden: “?” 05 Sarah urged me to scroll down. “There’s more, there’s more.” I scrolled to the bottom, the last picture was full of the word “please”. Four o’clock in the morning. Jayden: “I still want to get back together with her.” William: “She was a pig in her past life, I wasted a whole night persuading you.” Jayden: “Bro, help me think of a way to pursue her.” “Really begging you, this time I won’t put on airs, even if she asks me to be a simp, a backup, I’ll accept it.” “I really can’t leave her.” William: “Get lost.” Jayden: “Bro, come beg her with me.” “We’ll kneel downstairs at her dorm for three days and three nights, she will definitely be moved, and will definitely be willing to get back together with me.” “I want her to see my determination.” William: “?” “Are you typing in English? How come I can’t understand?” Jayden: “Please bro, help me beg her together boohoo.” William: “Wait, I’m contacting a mental hospital for you right now.” 06 I hissed, feeling a bit tricky. It was just a normal breakup. Now that Jayden has made such a fuss, everyone in his circle knows about it. How can I make money in the future? This guy really has no morals. A qualified ex should be like dead. What is the point of making it known to everyone? The phone ding-donged, a new message popped up. Jayden requested to add you as a friend. In the verification message, it was his request. “Baby, can you meet me tonight?” “I’ll wait for you downstairs at your dorm.” “I also brought my bro…” A new friend request was sent again, the verification message filled in was: “Ah… the message above is ambiguous, I didn’t mean to threaten you.” “I brought my bro because I wanted him to help me translate.” “I have low EQ, and I always make you angry when I speak, “My bro has high EQ, you will definitely like to hear what he translates for me.” 07 I didn’t want to go to the appointment. I was also afraid that Jayden would really kneel downstairs at the dorm. After much hesitation, I still dawdled downstairs. The cold wind whistled, and some light snow floated. From a distance, I saw two people standing under the street lamp. One’s knees were bent downwards, as if about to kneel. While kneeling, he was also pulling the other one: “Please bro, just kneel with me.” “If she comes out and sees the two of us kneeling together, she will definitely soften her heart, and once she softens her heart, she will definitely be willing to get back together with me.” The other person’s face was dark, and he lifted his foot to kick him away: “I think there is something wrong with your brain.” “Never seen anyone as cheap as you, rushing to be a simp.” I stopped. What if it’s awkward to go out now? As if sensing my gaze, the person standing lifted his eyes and looked towards me. His lips were slightly pursed, his brows and eyes were cold, and the glance he looked over seemed to carry the chill of frost and snow. Cold into people’s hearts. After seeing my face clearly, he frowned, took two steps forward, and then paused on the spot. Jayden sensed his movement, raised his head, and looked over along with him. Then, he was ecstatic. “Baby, I knew you would come out!” “Are you reluctant to part with me, distressed for me?” “It’s okay, I’m not cold, my knees don’t hurt either, it hasn’t even been a minute since I knelt.” I was annoyed with him in my heart, and was about to speak. A male voice got ahead of me, containing anger: “Didn’t you say she was fat and ugly, and greedy for money and lustful?” Me: “?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389260”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I went to pick up my wedding dress, only to find the new nurse, Daphne, trying one on too. The man kneeling on one knee to help her put on her shoes was Nathan, my boyfriend of seven years. He stood up and turned around. Our eyes met. There wasn’t a trace of panic on his face. Instead, Daphne smiled and asked me, “Dr. Hart, would you like to be my bridesmaid?” I shook my head. “Can’t. I’m in mourning.” “My fiancé just died. He’s not even cold yet.” 1 I pushed open the door and immediately saw Daphne, beaming with joy, wearing a puffy wedding gown. Her hand rested on the shoulder of the man kneeling before her, watching him carefully help her with her shoes. Even from the back, I recognized him. Nathan. My boyfriend of seven years. He was wearing the pink checkered shirt I had taken out of the closet and handed to him this morning. A few hours ago, I asked him if he had time. He hastily kissed my cheek, his tone full of apology. “Harper, can we do it another day? An emergency surgery got added to my schedule.” As a fellow doctor, I understood the demands of the job. I didn’t say anything, just urged him to get to the hospital. Now I see. The “emergency surgery” added to his schedule was Daphne, with her dimpled smile. She obviously saw me. Her lips curled up, her expression full of triumph. No one at the hospital knew about my relationship with Nathan. About two weeks ago, Daphne accidentally saw a photo in my gallery. During a break, she came over to chat. “I was wondering what kind of man could match Dr. Hart. No wonder.” She added, “If any man treated me half as well as Dr. Chen treats you, I’d die of happiness.” I changed the subject casually, but suspicion grew in my heart. I didn’t understand where she got the idea that he treated me well. A couple of days later, a joke from a nurse in our department made me realize something. “The new girl, Daphne, calls everyone ‘bro,’ but she only calls Nathan ‘Nathan.’ One word difference, think about it.” I blame myself for not looking into it sooner, leading to today’s awkward situation. “All done, let me see.” Nathan clapped his hands, stood up, and turned sideways. Our eyes met. He froze for a second, his thin lips pressing into a tight line. His expression remained calm, as if he had expected this day would come eventually. Daphne glanced at him, her smile unwavering, and reached out to link her arm with his. “What a coincidence, Dr. Hart.” Coincidence? I remembered she had asked me not long ago when I planned to get married. She even recommended this bridal shop. Because I saw the ring box in Nathan’s coat pocket, I secretly ordered a wedding dress, thinking I’d surprise him and tell him I was ready too. It turned out the person he wanted to marry wasn’t me. 2 My heart felt like it was being pierced by thousands of needles. I dug my nails into my palm to stop myself from crying on the spot. Daphne suddenly smiled and asked, “Dr. Hart, would you like to be my bridesmaid?” Before she finished, Nathan looked at me too, frowning slightly. Before I could speak, he said quietly, “Dr. Hart is so busy, where would she find the time? Stop teasing.” Hearing the hint of complaint in his tone, my heart spasmed again. From med school to residency, over seven years, we both became busier and busier. Dates for normal couples were always replaced by surgeries and emergencies. Six months ago, I got promoted. Nathan seemed to hold a grudge, working even harder than before, writing papers and performing high-difficulty surgeries without missing a beat. In med school, we were top competitors. I knew he hated losing. Last time his parents called to urge us to get married, he said he was too busy to get away. So when I saw the ring box in his jacket, I thought he was secretly planning something and felt touched for a long time. I ordered the dress myself, planning to surprise him on our seventh anniversary. Seeing I hadn’t spoken for a long time, Daphne asked again, “Dr. Hart?” I glanced at her. “Dr. Hart, we have a deal, okay? You be my bridesmaid, maybe some of my luck will rub off on you.” I shook my head. “Can’t. I’m in mourning.” Nathan smirked slightly, looking at me. He knew my parents were alive and well. I sneered. “My fiancé just died. He’s not even cold yet.” Nathan’s face darkened, his lips pressed tight. The shop assistant, who was happily carrying my wedding dress out, heard this and froze in her tracks, dumbfounded. 3 This might be the biggest crisis she had encountered in her career. The assistant looked at me hesitantly. “Would you like to try it on?” I shook my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nathan staring at the tulle peeking out of the bag. I remembered the year we graduated from med school. He pointed at a wedding dress in a window and asked me when I would marry him. “Tomorrow?” I teased him with a smile. The light in his eyes instantly shone like stars in a dark night, then quickly dimmed. “Harper, I don’t want you to suffer. I want to give you everything others have.” His parents both got cancer one after another. Treatment costs had left his family deep in debt. The burden on his shoulders was heavy. That wasn’t a suitable time to discuss marriage. Later, we interviewed at the hospital together. The Chief of Surgery asked him casually, “Young man, do you have a girlfriend?” He answered quickly, “No, I’m still single.” Standing next to him, I froze on the spot. But he explained later. “Dr. Zhao intends to cultivate new doctors. I just didn’t want him to worry that dating would distract me from work.” Although I felt uncomfortable, I didn’t say much more. He had his considerations and worries. I wanted to try to understand. Not going public at the beginning might have had a reason, but later it seemed unnecessary to go public. Every time I brought it up, he would smile and kiss my forehead. “Just send them invitations when we get married.” “If we go public now, a bunch of people will ask questions.” He was afraid of trouble, so I comforted myself that he just didn’t want people to pay too much attention to his private life. In the past, he helped me blow-dry my hair, ate fast food with me, and would always tell me when we parted ways at the intersection. “Wait a bit longer, I’m going to marry you soon.” Since he suddenly took back the salary card he let me keep over half a month ago, he hadn’t said it again. Now I know why he said he had a big matter to deal with. A big life event indeed. My fiancé was going to marry someone else, and I wasn’t even deemed necessary to be informed. 3 I carried the wedding dress out. When I reached the intersection, I looked back. Nathan didn’t chase after me. Our chat history stopped many days ago. I asked him what time he would be back, and he replied with two words: [Busy.] Clicking into his profile, his feed was just a line. I didn’t know when he blocked me. I called to cancel the restaurant reservation, threw the wedding dress in the car, and rushed back to work. The department director was a bit surprised to see me. “You stayed up for several nights to apply for a day off, and you’re back after half a day?” Perhaps seeing my face looked bad, he asked if something happened. Explaining a secret relationship and being cheated on was too troublesome, so I just said I didn’t sleep well. He excitedly pulled me aside. “Then let’s gossip.” The more you don’t want to hear a name, the more it comes up. The director whispered mysteriously, “Nathan hooked up with a little nurse from their department. People caught them several times, staying in the office for half a day. The nurse came out adjusting her clothes. Bold.” He looked me up and down, looking disappointed. “I was thinking of setting you two up before. Classmates and colleagues, knowing each other well. Nathan is confused.” I couldn’t smile. “Not really suitable, right?” The director added that Daphne said she wanted to marry a doctor as soon as she joined the hospital. Someone in the hospital even made a list to see which unlucky guy would be conquered. “You know how hard it is to get into our hospital, right? She got in right after graduation. Heard she has a good dad.” This reminded me of the nurses in the department mocking her every time she was mentioned. “Never heard of her working a night shift. Having a shareholder for a backer is incomparable.” I guess Nathan heard these words too. When I got home after work, all his things in the room were gone. A key was left on the table, with a note pressed under it. The handwriting that copied notes for me and wrote love letters to me was still neat. [Deep affection cannot defeat time. Consider it my debt to you.] Seven years of time, summarized in one stroke. I casually tapped redial on a string of missed calls. It connected quickly. “The exchange study you mentioned last time, I want to go.” The voice on the other end said okay repeatedly. I didn’t say anything else and hung up directly. I think Nathan’s recent active performance and urgency to marry Daphne were mostly for this matter. A few months ago, there were rumors that the hospital would cooperate with a high-end overseas research institute and send one person for exchange study. Returning meant doubling one’s value, not to mention the vacant Deputy Director position was reserved for this person. Looking down at Daphne’s official announcement on her feed, I felt much better. [Just right, describing today.] The picture showed two tightly clasped hands. I recognized the one with distinct knuckles. 4 A few days later, I saw wedding candy bags right after surgery. Daphne seemed to have been waiting for me for a long time, greeting me excitedly with a smug smile. “Dr. Hart, I’m personally delivering wedding candy to you. Will you do me the honor?” I changed out of my white coat and glanced at her. “There’s no one else here, what are you pretending for? Are we close?” Her smile froze on her face, and her eyes turned cold. “The one not loved is the extra one. Dr. Hart, I pity you. He never admitted your relationship, but he announced it immediately with me. Can’t you see the difference between loving and not loving?” I pulled out a chair and sat down, laughing. “Something so easily pried away, what’s there to pity? As for loving or not, you know best. I wish you two locked together for life.” Her face paled. “Before marriage, he can choose someone more suitable. If you were abandoned, think about where you fell short.” My smile deepened unconsciously. “Thanks for the advice. I won’t go to the wedding. We have no friendship, so I’ll save the gift money.” I raised my hand to signal her to leave instead of slapping her. I think I have good self-control. I guess they were eager to announce this relationship. Everyone in the hospital received invitations and candy. Otherwise, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Some people were angry on my behalf, so in the afternoon, another notice appeared on the hospital bulletin board. The candidate selected for overseas exchange study has been confirmed. My photo was prominently displayed. It was taken by Nathan in the past.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389259”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I suffered from aphasia. For the first few days after I transferred schools, my classmates only thought I was quiet and shy. That was until I accidentally knocked a classmate’s book to the ground and stepped on it. The scary-looking classmate sitting at that desk glanced up at me. Immediately, a “righteous” classmate pushed me hard. “Are you mute? Don’t you know how to apologize!” My lower back hit the corner of the desk, pain reddening my eyes. I hurriedly signed: I’m sorry, I’ll replace your book with a new one. The noisy classroom instantly fell silent. 1 Ethan froze. A hand flew from behind his head and smacked him, making his head wobble. Realizing what happened, he immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” I waved my hands repeatedly, signaling it was okay. Then I hurriedly walked back to my seat, took my brand-new textbook, and placed it on Caleb’s desk. I figured they probably didn’t understand sign language. So I went back and wrote a small note to hand to Caleb. It read: [I’m sorry, I have some communication issues, I didn’t mean not to apologize. My book is new, take it.] Caleb was the scariest-looking guy in the class. Although scary, he was very handsome. So there were always many people around him. Offending him meant offending a huge group of people. I weighed the pros and cons in my mind. And solemnly signed again: [I’m sorry.] I don’t know why. But after doing this, the gazes of the surrounding classmates suddenly changed. Caleb: “…No, it’s fine.” A girl came over, picked up the book from the ground, and dusted it off. She scoffed: “Young Master is so precious, a book with a little dust is trash now? Hey… the one doing sign language, I want this book. My book is new too, you take mine.” I was flattered and pointed at myself. Mia rolled her eyes at Caleb and Ethan, then came over and put her arm around my shoulder, leading me outside. “Yeah, you. Come on, I saw you stayed in the classroom all lunch and didn’t eat. Sis will take you to buy some food.” As a transfer student, since I didn’t talk much, people generally ignored me. This was the first time someone was so warm to me. My eyes widened. I looked at Mia like she was a saint radiating holy light. Mia blushed inexplicably and coughed twice: “Alright, no need to thank me. What’s your name?” I took a pen from my pocket and wrote stroke by stroke on my hand: [Lily]. 2 Mia treated me to bread and milk. Back in the classroom, she whispered to me: “We don’t sit together, but if anyone bullies you, you must tell me.” Moved, I held her hand back. Class started. The homeroom teacher announced a seat change. Caleb became my desk mate. I subconsciously glanced at him. He happened to look over too. Our eyes met. Caleb hesitated for a moment, then stiffly forced the corners of his mouth upward. I didn’t understand what he meant. Was he threatening me? Sneering at me? Sure enough. When Caleb moved his desk next to mine, there was a loud bang. I jumped. But before I could react, Ethan leaned in: “Was that necessary, Bro?” Caleb: “…I just didn’t hold it steady, it was an accident.” Ethan moved his desk behind mine while staring at Caleb: “Really?” Mia pulled her desk behind Caleb’s, her gaze turning spooky: “Heh.” Annoyed, Caleb turned to me directly: “Did I bully you?” I hadn’t reacted yet. Ethan and Mia’s stares were about to burn a hole through Caleb. After a while, a classmate suddenly said: “Hey, are you guys human? Forcing a mute… no, forcing someone to talk?” Caleb: “…” Mia: “…” Ethan: “…” After a moment of silence, I suddenly smiled. Then I wrote on paper: [Caleb didn’t bully me, thank you guys.] Mia and Ethan sighed in relief and laughed too. Caleb propped his face on his hand lazily, looking at me: “Write faster next time.” I felt a bit embarrassed and nodded. 3 People in the class didn’t understand sign language. So I stuck to the most primitive method—passing notes. Every time, Mia, Ethan, and even Caleb waited patiently for me to finish writing. I was truly touched by this. [Before, no one had the patience to finish reading when I wrote like this.] Mia’s eyes turned red. Ethan, for some reason, slapped himself. Caleb… Caleb had no reaction. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t expect Mia and Ethan to react so strongly. If I knew, I wouldn’t have written it. Because of the seating arrangement, Mia, Caleb, Ethan, and I became a temporary small “clique.” Thanks to them, I met many classmates and made quite a few friends. Everyone was friendly, without being overly sympathetic. My transfer life passed harmoniously for a while. Until that day. A boy slammed something onto my desk, crossing his arms and smiling coldly at me. Thick, sticky liquid flowed out immediately, emitting a strange smell. It was a cup of spoiled bubble tea. “Mute girl, why didn’t you accept the bubble tea I sent?” I remembered. A few days ago, a cup of bubble tea appeared on my desk with a note. It had a guy’s name and contact info. I didn’t think much and returned it. Josh looked me up and down, smiling wider: “Looking up close, you’re just average. You really think you’re some mute beauty…” Before he finished, his head was slammed onto the desk. Caleb appeared out of nowhere, pressing him down with one hand, his face expressionless and cold: “Do you want to die?” Josh struggled, face turning red but unable to break free. “Why do you care if I teach a mute a lesson? Meddling in other people’s business, think you’re some hero saving the beauty? I spit… Ah!” Caleb grabbed his hair and kicked his knee hard. After Josh fell, he immediately jumped up and threw a punch. 4 The two started fighting. Josh’s bros blocking the door all surged in, surrounding Caleb. I wanted to persuade them, but I couldn’t speak. Just then, Ethan came in, cursed loudly, and rushed into the fray. Mia also came over to shield me, asking: “What’s going on?” After a kind classmate explained the situation, Mia immediately rolled up her sleeves to join the fight. Luckily, the homeroom teacher walked in at this moment. A glint flashed in Josh’s eyes, and he immediately clutched his leg screaming: “Teacher, Caleb hit me!” Our group was called to the office. I was a bit worried about Caleb, but unexpectedly, as soon as we entered the office, the teacher glared at me fiercely. Then said: “Classmates told me everything, you caused this, right?” Me: “?” “Everyone else go back and reflect, especially Josh and Caleb, no more fighting.” “Lily, call your parents! This is outrageous! Not studying properly at school, causing trouble like this, what does it look like!” Hearing this, Mia couldn’t hold back first: “Teacher, this has nothing to do with Lily, if anything it’s Josh…” Ethan also couldn’t wait to speak: “Yeah, no matter what, you can’t blame Lily, right?” The teacher raised his eyebrows, shouting angrily: “You still have opinions? Say another word and I’ll call your parents too!” Josh raised his eyebrows triumphantly. I looked at the teacher’s disgusted gaze, somewhat stunned. Caleb looked at me and said lightly: “If we must call parents, notify mine and Josh’s first.” Josh: “Hey!” The teacher froze for a moment, stuttering: “You… just students playing around, no need.” Caleb didn’t speak, nor did he move. In the end, the matter was left unsettled. Mia whispered to me: “Caleb’s family is very rich, the teacher doesn’t want to offend him. Josh’s family sent gifts to the teacher… sigh, don’t take his words to heart.” I blinked and nodded. 5 Back in class, I glanced at Caleb. I found a small, inconspicuous wound on his chin. [Are you okay?] Caleb glanced at it, didn’t respond. I wanted to write more, but the bell rang, class started. The next day, Caleb didn’t come to school. After school, I was blocked by Josh and a group of people in an alley outside the school. He stood in front of me, sneering: “Let’s see who helps you today, little mute.” I pressed my phone behind my back a few times. Josh pressed closer, looking me over with a disgusting gaze. I clenched my fist. The moment he reached out, I punched him hard in the face. “F*ck!” Josh covered his face, cursing: “What are you guys doing! I paid you trash to watch me get hit?” The people behind Josh immediately surrounded me. I learned some Taekwondo before, but only the basics. I was soon subdued by several people. Seeing I was completely harmless, Josh walked towards me step by step. He pinched my cheeks hard with one hand. Staring at me viciously: “Damn, even a dead mute like you dares to hit me?” I glared back without giving in. Josh suddenly smiled, a very ugly smile. “Interesting.” I looked toward the alley entrance. Josh: “Forget it, someone’s guarding there, no one dares to come in. You think Caleb is coming to save you?” He laughed happily again: “You don’t know, right? Caleb was beaten by his dad since he was little. Others don’t know, but I do. You really think he’s some aloof flower? I think he was beaten stupid!” As soon as he finished speaking, the person holding me suddenly shook and let go. Josh frowned: “What are you doing?” He turned around and saw a group of people in suits and sunglasses surging in aggressively. Josh: “!” Behind them followed a petite woman with glasses. “I f*ck his grandfather, beat these smelly idiots to death!” Josh’s face turned pale, he looked at me in disbelief, and turned to run. The well-trained bodyguards immediately controlled those people. Josh was pressed heavily onto the concrete, scraping blood marks on his face. Sister Zhou stepped forward and kicked him, Josh screamed in pain, blood gushing from his nose. “Young Miss, are you okay?” I shook my head. And sighed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389258”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I transmigrated into a post-apocalyptic novel and became the Zombie King’s daughter. However, I awakened a space ability and accidentally teleported myself to the middle of nowhere when I was five. To avoid starving to death, I shamelessly clung to the protagonist team, freeloading off them. Eating popcorn, watching the drama, and leisurely tagging along as they leveled up and fought monsters. Until one day. They encountered the ultimate villain boss— The Zombie King, my dad. Just as everyone was facing a formidable enemy, ready for a battle to the death. The Zombie King grinned at me sinisterly. “Lily, have you had enough fun? If you’re done playing, get your ass over here!!” Protagonists: “?!” Everyone: “?!” Me: “……” 1 “Sis Vi, this little brat has been scamming food and drink ever since she joined our squad. She doesn’t do any work. It’s the apocalypse, not a charity run! I think…” The skinny, rat-faced man spoke in a low voice, but his resentment was hard to hide. The woman addressed as Sis Vi was tall and strikingly beautiful. Her beauty was intense and commanding, making it hard to look away. Her aura was imposing, her eyes sweeping over the rat-faced man with a cold, sharp disdain. “She’s only five. What do you expect her to do? She’s not even enough to fill a zombie’s tooth gap! Killing zombies, scavenging for supplies, keeping watch—that’s adult work. If you don’t like her, you can get lost!” The rat-faced man choked but still argued stubbornly, “Another person means another share of food. Besides, kids are emotionally unstable. What if she cries and attracts zombies? I’m doing this for the team!” The woman sneered, “When has Lily ever cried or made a fuss? The girl is sensible, obedient, and quiet. How exactly did she offend you? When she first joined, you even praised her for being smart and cute…” A flicker of guilt flashed in the man’s eyes, but he blustered, “Just wait, she’ll drag our team down sooner or later!” I sighed silently in the shadows. In my past life, I read comments online saying that running away from home is never as hard as it seems. Then I found out that in this life, running away almost got me killed by the huge waves of reality. Dad, it’s the seventeenth day I’ve missed you QAQ. 2 Just yesterday evening, this skinny, rat-faced man, Kevin, snuck into my room while the protagonists weren’t around. He looked left and right before closing the door. I already felt something was off, but I asked innocently, “Uncle Kevin, do you need something?” Kevin’s face flushed with an abnormal redness and desire. He said, half-coaxing, half-pretending to be troubled, “Lily, Uncle has a favor to ask you. Would you help me?” I hugged my teddy bear and looked up, my face full of confusion. “What is it?” Kevin’s shadow stretched long on the floor, almost swallowing my small shadow. He gave a reassuring yet greedy smile. “Uncle feels a bit uncomfortable here. Can Lily help Uncle touch it?” Hearing this, my back stiffened instantly. Before I could recover from the shock. Kevin’s breathing became heavy, his expression pained as he frowned and started unbuckling his belt. “…Uncle hurts here. Lily, just touch it and it’ll be better…” Me: “??!” WTF! WTF!! WTF!!! Seeing me stunned, Kevin hid his impatience and softened his voice. “Lily, come help Uncle check. Uncle might have grown something extra here. Help Uncle touch it…” Saying this, he reached out to hold my hand. I stepped back, dodging his hand, almost vomiting from disgust! Oh my god! I ran into a pedophile!!! Leaving aside that I have an adult soul, my Zombie King dad in this life gave me “human” sex education very early on. He told me girls’ private parts shouldn’t be touched by anyone, and I shouldn’t touch others’ private parts either. Dad said darkly, “If any man dares to make you touch his, or if he tries to touch yours…” “I’ll chop off his dick and feed it to the zombies!” … I curled my lips and said innocently, “Uncle Kevin…” “Growing something extra isn’t normal. Lily… has a good way to fix it once and for all.” Kevin paused, interested. “What way?” A bright, cold light reflected in his eyes— I pulled a dagger from the zipper on the back of my teddy bear. Small, but sharp. I smiled like a beautiful yet evil sprite, showing off the dagger, my eyes shining startlingly bright. “Lily will help you cut it off, okay?” “Without that nasty thing causing trouble, Uncle Kevin won’t feel bad anymore.” Kevin: “?!” Kevin: “!!!” Swish! The dagger shot out, instantly pinning into the wooden bed frame between Kevin’s legs, the handle vibrating slightly. Kevin looked down at the dagger buried deep between his legs: “???” Kevin: “!!!” “Oops, my hand slipped. Uncle Kevin, stand still, let me try again!” The confusion in Kevin’s eyes turned into shock and terror as I pulled another dagger from the teddy bear. His lips trembled, and he grabbed a pillow to cover his crotch, forcing a smile. “Lily, don’t move! Uncle… Uncle was just joking with you. Look at you, taking it seriously…” “Joking?” I blinked. “But my dad said that kind of joke isn’t funny at all. People who make those jokes…” My innocent, sweet smile vanished, my voice turning cold as winter ice. “Should have their third leg chopped off.” Kevin stiffened. I pointed the dagger at him and said coldly, “If your healing ability wasn’t somewhat useful, and killing you wouldn’t be easy to explain to Sis Vi, you’d already be a corpse.” “Get out.” 3 I didn’t expect that before I could snitch, this guy would start slandering me first? Looks like I need to find a time to off him. But… The protagonists treat me well, and that creep is a member of the squad. I need to test their attitude towards this guy. 4 The protagonist squad, including me, has six people. Besides the male and female leads and the creep who tried to molest me, there’s a fifteen-year-old boy with lightning powers, and a middle-aged woman with plant powers who was the male lead’s nanny before the apocalypse, Auntie Xu. Kevin is Auntie Xu’s cousin. I sat quietly by the door, reading a cartoon book— Yes, children’s books that no one wants in the apocalypse, but the female lead Violet and the male lead Lucas picked them up one by one from bookstores, tearing off plastic wrapping splattered with dust and blood, stacking them neatly for me to read when bored. “Lily, ta-da! Look what I brought you?” A scrambled 3×3 Rubik’s cube appeared in front of me. Behind it was Violet’s beautiful, smiling face. I took it curiously. “A Rubik’s cube?” Violet took the chance to ruffle my hair, smiling. “Yes, I was afraid you’d be bored…” Three seconds later. The Rubik’s cube was solved in my hands. Violet looked at my innocent eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching. “……” Behind her, a lazy, deep voice sounded. “Vi, I told you, Lily has a high IQ. Giving her this is like making an adult learn 1+1. No need to bring it back…” Then, a face of extreme handsomeness appeared. Eyebrows like ink paintings, lazy smile, fair skin, posture upright like a pine tree, with an aura that made people feel safe. Male lead, Lucas. Violet turned around angrily, pulled a scrambled 5×5 Rubik’s cube from her bag, and threw it at him. “Would you die if you didn’t talk? I give you 5 seconds to solve this, or you sleep alone this month!” 5 seconds to solve a 5×5 Rubik’s cube??! Lucas caught the cube, looking like the sky had fallen, muttering, “…I was wrong. I’d rather kill fifty zombies in five seconds…” I looked at them, hesitated, then lowered my head. Violet was sensitive to children’s mood changes. She squatted down and coaxed, “What’s wrong, Lily? Why do you seem unhappy?” I twisted my fingers, stammering, “Sis Vi, yesterday, yesterday… Uncle Kevin came into my room, said he felt bad down there, took off his pants, and asked me to help him…” Violet: “??!” Lucas: “?!!” The smile on Violet’s face vanished. She suppressed the rage in her eyes, her fingers on my shoulder tightening slightly, but very gently. Her lips moved, as if afraid to startle me. “Lily, you said… Kevin asked you… where did he touch you?!” I looked up, my eyes brimming with tears at just the right moment. Biting my lower lip, my voice grew smaller, tinged with fear and unease: “I didn’t touch him. I thought Uncle Kevin was scary then, so, so I squeezed through the door crack and ran away…” My small body trembled a bit as I leaned into Violet’s arms, crying, “I was scared… Sis Vi, did I do something wrong?” Violet visibly relaxed, her palm stroking my back up and down to comfort me. “No, Lily! You did nothing wrong!” “Even if something happened, it definitely wasn’t your fault!” “It’s that beast’s fault!” “It’s all my fault. I was negligent and didn’t protect you well, letting such a beast into the team!” “I was wondering why Kevin was slandering you so crazily today. So this is why!” Lucas said nothing, just squatted down and ruffled my hair. His tone remained gentle and lazy, even smiling. “Since Lily doesn’t like Uncle Kevin, how about Big Brother makes sure he never appears in front of Lily again?” But the cold, dark look in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. The two exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with thick killing intent. I was slightly stunned. In this apocalypse, Kevin was a rare healer, right? No smoothing things over, no thinking I was joking, no advising me to endure it? Just straight to killing him? While I was thinking, the protagonists started frantically searching through the books they picked up for me. After a long time, they finally found a book on sex education. They grabbed me and spent the afternoon educating me on sex knowledge, and teaching me how to dodge and fight back if I encounter this kind of thing again. Me: “……” Lesson learned. 5 I thought the protagonists would confront Kevin. After all, they should at least understand the cause and effect, or at least have a conflict process. But I didn’t expect them to disdain confronting Kevin at all. Violet and Lucas pretended nothing happened, doing what they needed to do. Kevin thought I didn’t snitch and was secretly delighted. While I wasn’t around (actually I was hiding in a corner), he jumped up and down badmouthing me in front of everyone, trying to get me kicked out of the team. Zap— A thick purple lightning bolt suddenly struck down. If Kevin hadn’t dodged fast, he would have been turned into charcoal. Kevin almost peed himself, eyes wide. “Max, what are you doing?” The teenage boy had an extremely exquisite and beautiful face, skin white as jade, like an angel or an elf who accidentally wandered into the human world. He tilted his head, his voice clear and smiling, but透ing a gloomy chill. “Keep yapping, and believe it or not, I’ll cut out your tongue and shove it up your ass?” Kevin: “……” “Picking on a five-year-old girl, you really have some nerve. The captain hasn’t spoken, so who are you to bark here?” Auntie Xu, the male lead’s former nanny, moved her lips, but didn’t dare speak for her cousin. After all, although Max was only fifteen, his lightning ability was already level five. Not only was he strong, but he was also a moody psycho. He was lawless before the apocalypse, let alone in this world where morals and laws collapsed. If she tried to pressure him with seniority, he might strike her with lightning first. Only the male and female leads could suppress him. Kevin swallowed, knowing this little lunatic did what he said. He shut his mouth, but the venom in his eyes almost spilled over. “What are you looking at? Look again and I’ll dig your eyes out.” Max sneered. “Alright, alright,” Violet said indifferently. “Say less.” Max huffed and turned his head away. 6 Kevin went offline. Unexpectedly. The cause was a large wave of zombies encountered while traveling. Usually, Kevin and I would hide to the side. Kevin was a squishy with zero combat power. Somehow, the team that usually contained zombies perfectly let one slip through. Today, a zombie rushed out of the encirclement and lunged at us. Kevin peed himself, pushed me forward, and turned to run. “Don’t bite me, the kid’s meat is tender, bite her!” I stumbled forward, about to faceplant, but was caught by another gentle force. The zombie’s eyes were dull, as if controlled by something. It didn’t even look at me, jumped over me, and pounced directly onto Kevin. Amidst Kevin’s sharp screams, it bit his neck! His healing ability could only treat normal wounds, helpless against the zombie virus infection. Soon, his body convulsed, bones twisting, skin turning gray-green, becoming a member of the zombies. However, after turning, he didn’t attack me. It looked at me, as if seeing something terrifying, seemed to want to run, but bang, hit a tree and knocked its head off. Me: “……” When the protagonist squad of four finally finished killing zombies and collecting crystals, they came back to see Kevin, whose account on Earth Online had been deleted. Violet looked pained. “Auntie Xu, my condolences.” Lucas looked solemn. “Auntie Xu, sorry.” Max wanted to laugh maniacally but held it in, causing facial distortion. “Auntie Xu, Uncle Kevin he… I, I didn’t know this would happen, please accept my condolences.” Auntie Xu looked at the unharmed me, then at the completely zombified Kevin, corner of her mouth twitching. She seemed to know the protagonists did this to prevent Kevin from moral kidnapping them later. After all, Kevin was Auntie Xu’s cousin. Finally, she blinked, tears welling up. “Sigh, in the apocalypse, the weak are meat for the strong. This is fate… You tried your best, Kevin won’t blame you.” Very sensible. Me: “……” I felt I should express my stance too. So I pretended to be scared and threw myself onto Max. “Brother Max, I’m scared…” Max picked me up in a good mood. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, little Lily, brother will protect you!” 7 In the evening, we arrived at a remote small town. After the adults scouted the terrain and cleared scattered zombies, they picked a house to rest. I sat by the window sighing faintly. Violet was beside me, worriedly touching my hand. “Lily, what’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?” She was afraid Kevin’s molestation left a shadow on me. I sighed again. “I miss my dad.” Haven’t seen my dad for half a month, wonder if he’s worried sick. Violet asked, “Is your dad an ability user?” I said honestly, “No.” He’s the Zombie King. Hearing this, Violet looked even more worried. She coaxed me, “When we get back to the base, I’ll send more people to help find your dad. Maybe we can find him…” I nodded obediently and said sweetly, “Thank you, Sis Vi!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389257”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Caleb Sterling was the city’s most notorious playboy prince. He treated every girlfriend well, giving them whatever they wanted. Except marriage. Everyone knew he had broken up with his first love and was still hung up on her. He couldn’t take that final step with any other girl. In the fifth month of our relationship, my family was pressuring me to settle down. So I bid him farewell: “I heard your first love is coming back. Congratulations.” He smiled. “Yeah.” That night, his friends threw him a “singles again” party. The venue was huge and lively. Someone mentioned me: “Caleb, I think I just saw Harper. She was with a guy, looked pretty handsome.” As soon as the words fell, everyone started gossiping, making a ruckus. But Caleb suddenly exploded. He crushed the cigarette in his hand and sneered: “She said we were together, and she was the one who broke up with me. “Where in the world does such a good thing exist?” 1 When I first started dating Caleb, his friends placed bets. They played big, betting on whether our relationship would last more than a month. With his prominent family background and reputation, when I first met him, my roommate warned me: “The Sterling family in New York isn’t just anyone. They’re not to be trifled with.” “But this Third Young Master Sterling is a bit different. I heard he’s easy to pursue, never loses his temper with girls, and parts amicably with every ex.” This was no lie. But between us, there wasn’t really a question of who pursued whom. I was in my second year of grad school, doing research with my advisor. I needed an out-of-print English monograph that was impossible to find. I posted on many forums, all sinking like stones in the ocean. Just when I thought it was hopeless, someone finally replied. With a tone that was slightly cynical yet quite serious— [My old man seems to have it. Contact me if you want it. Just consider it my good deed for the day.] I contacted him immediately. Later, to thank him, we met twice more. We got along very well. The last time, he stood under a streetlamp, handsome features illuminated, and asked me with a raised eyebrow, “Will we see each other again?” In the future, spring turns to autumn, year after year, would we meet again? The moonlight was cool, the scenery perfect. If I said no, it would inevitably be disappointing. Like a ghost possessed me, I smiled, unwilling to show weakness, and asked him: “I heard you’re easy to pursue. Is it true?” He looked at me, unable to stop smiling: “Why don’t you try?” When you are naive and inexperienced, meeting someone like that—unrestrained, calm, and powerful—you unconsciously want to get closer. Besides, I had seen him long ago. I had just arrived in this city, had my wallet stolen at the station, had nothing on me. After reporting it, I walked out into the rain, looking pathetic and crying hard. He drove past me, speaking slowly: “Where to? I’ll give you a ride.” Naturally, I didn’t dare get in his car. He remained calm, patiently persuading me: “I’m not a bad guy. Trust me this once. Stop crying, okay?” Later, I always wanted to thank him, but we never met again. In a city with so many people, having a chance encounter and exchanging a few words is truly difficult. Not long after this day, we got together. When my roommate found out, she was surprised for a while, finally saying: “Dating someone like him must feel pretty good, right? But I heard he never stays with any girlfriend for more than two weeks. “Just enjoy it while it lasts.” I said, yeah, enjoy it while it lasts. People always have times of naivety. Back then, I thought dating was just following your heart. When I liked him, I didn’t care about his past, only wanted a future with him. But later I discovered, that wasn’t the case. Like that bet. Clearly, Caleb’s girlfriends never lasted more than two weeks. Why did his friends, those rich kids, bet on one month? A long time later. I learned that the extra two weeks were because I looked thirty percent like his first love. 2 Most people lost that bet. Because, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Caleb and I had a great relationship. It was different from his previous ones. He was rarely proactive, but he came to find me every day for lunch or dinner. There was a time when I was extremely busy; he waited at the school gate for me, sometimes for an hour and a half. I felt embarrassed and dragged him saying I’d treat him to a good meal. He tugged my sleeve, suppressing a laugh: “Your boyfriend wants to eat at the cafeteria.” After speaking, he paused, asking for my opinion: “Okay?” Actually, I understood. He didn’t want me to go through the trouble of traveling, because before this, I had heard that when he was in school, he was very precious and never ate at the cafeteria. The young master of the Sterling family had the capital to look down on everything. We didn’t break up. Our relationship was so good it was surprising. In the third month we were together, he moved near my school. We spent more and more time together. He specially set up a home theater, and in our spare time, we curled up on the sofa watching movies. He wasn’t really interested in these things, but I liked them. He would patiently accompany me from beginning to end every time. When we encountered a film I particularly liked, he would seriously take notes and write reviews. His grandfather was a famous painter. He had been influenced for a few years and had some attainments. In those days, he occasionally painted me. There was one painting I remember vividly—a girl standing under a camphor tree, holding a stack of books, with delicate features and a bright smile. But I actually always wanted to ask him, when we first met, I was still very introverted. How could I have smiled so brightly? Later, late one night. That was our first time. My research encountered some problems. After he knew, he patiently guided me through the maze, his fingers tapping lightly on my waist, his posture relaxed: “Understood?” I suddenly realized, then hugged him back in surprise. He looked at me, his gaze slowly deepening, finally pressing forward, thin lips moving slightly, touch cold. He was a little nervous, but on the surface, he was still casual, gripping my hand tightly: “Harper.” “Mm.” Halfway through, he lowered his voice, mentioning that painting, saying: “When we first met, you stood there, and I really wanted to capture it.” I smiled, kissing his neck, pointing out: “Were you like this with your previous girlfriends too?” Whispering in the tender intimacy, recounting the scene of our first meeting. He tsked, pressing against me roguishly: “Go ask around, have I ever gotten to this step with anyone?” Ambiguity flowed silently. By the end, I couldn’t smile anymore, held in his arms, crying softly. September in New York, autumn colors connecting in waves. Online videos of tourists going to pray were everywhere. I pestered him to go with me. He stayed up several nights to finish his work, specially clearing a day to accompany me. Winding mountain roads, he held my hand up hundreds of stone steps, staring at my every move, afraid I would step on air. But after leaving him, I thought again, where in life does one not stumble? At that time, I really liked him. 3 When did things start to change? Probably, starting from seeing that photo. It was the fifth month we were together. Caleb had many friends. For his birthday, everyone was eager to celebrate for him. They started preparing more than ten days in advance. I happened to be on break then, so I joined in the hustle. We interacted a lot, and they never avoided me when chatting. Slowly, I learned that when Caleb treated feelings, he had also put in his heart. He proposed seriously, chose the ring seriously, chose the engagement venue. It was just that in the end, because of a small matter, the girl still felt he didn’t love her enough. After a big fight, both were tired. One left in anger, one didn’t stay, and they broke up just like that. They almost got married. Hearing the end, someone showed me the photo without evasion: “Speaking of which, you look a bit like Sarah. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have started a betting pool because of you.” In the photo, Sarah smiled cheerfully. She looked so similar to the girl standing under the camphor tree in that painting. When I first learned about the bet, I just thought they were bored. Looking back now, I feel the real fool was actually me. Everyone knew he broke up with his first love and was still unwilling to let go. He still paid attention to her updates. Every year on her birthday, he would specially send someone thousands of miles to deliver the most precious jewelry. If she had any trouble there, someone would tell him soon, and no matter what, he would go there, then quietly settle everything for her. Not letting her know, not contacting, but not letting go either. Only I naively thought that I was truly different to him. Finally, someone laughed: “After Sarah left, Caleb has been dating girlfriends continuously, but we all guess he’s doing this to force Sarah back.” After speaking, everyone present laughed. Caleb came back from his call, sat beside me, pinched my palm, and laughed low: “What are you talking about? So happy.” I looked at him, my heart cold, and said woodenly: “Talking about your first love.” He froze, rarely dazed, and didn’t say that name until the end, only speaking lightly: “What’s there to mention?” This was the first time I had the thought of breaking up with him. Actually, I should thank his friends for not keeping me in the dark. Precisely because they didn’t care about my feelings and told me these things, I could wake up and see the situation clearly. Letting me understand, I was just a passerby to Caleb, a means for him to love another person. 4 After this day, I vaguely felt something had changed between Caleb and me. But neither of us actively mentioned Sarah. He didn’t have any intention of explaining to me. He became more and more generous to me. He took me to various auctions. As long as I looked at something a bit longer, someone would soon deliver it to me. I forget who said it. Saying Caleb treated every ex-girlfriend well, never stingy when breaking up. Whatever the other party wanted, he gave, whether it was money or resources. It had a bit of a transactional meaning. The night before his birthday, he had someone send me two transfer contracts. A villa, and a car. When I received them, my fingertips were cold. Then I trembled and called him. He picked up quickly. I pretended nothing was wrong and asked him: “Sending such a big gift for your birthday, don’t you feel it’s a loss?” “What loss? I like you, want to be good to you.” He responded, his tone rising slightly, with a hint of a smile. Like a flirtation when affection is strong. I pinched my palm, forcing myself to calm down. “These things are too expensive, almost catching up to a dowry.” He didn’t speak for a long time. I pursed my lips, tears falling silently. Finally, his tone paused slightly, casually saying: “Harper. “Don’t overthink it. Sleep early, I’ll pick you up tomorrow night.” Should I believe it? He did these things because he liked me, not because he wanted to separate from me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389256”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel