After divorcing the top-tier idol, my interview where we dissed each other went trending. A popular starlet posted sarcastically: “A toad lusting after swan meat.” While the whole internet was waiting to laugh at me, the noble and cold Movie King posted late at night to support me: “Sister is so good, how could anyone be blind enough to look down on her?” Netizens exploded: [Is this still our noble and cold Movie King? Why does he feel a bit… bitchy?] 1 I had been secretly married to the top-tier idol, Caleb, for three years. We spent little time together. On the day I finished filming, it happened to be our wedding anniversary. I packed up early, planning to rush home overnight to spend some quality time with Caleb during my break and give him a surprise. But when I opened the door, I saw men’s and women’s clothes scattered all over the floor. There was an indescribable scent in the air, mixed with a perfume that wasn’t mine—seductive and pungent, yet strangely familiar. The candles on the dining table hadn’t burned out yet. The bedroom door was ajar, a sliver of light seeping out, along with the faint, ambiguous whispers of a woman. It was obvious what was happening. I took out my phone and started recording. 2 I dragged my suitcase to a hotel and stayed awake all night. The sweeter the old memories, the more nauseating Caleb’s betrayal felt. I drafted a divorce agreement overnight and sent it to Caleb via express delivery. Whether it was because of the video in my hand or because he had long intended to do so, Caleb signed it readily. But we both chose to keep the divorce a secret. Perhaps unable to bear seeing me devastated, my agent handed me a variety show notice: “A slow-paced travel variety show that’s very popular recently. Consider it early promotion for your drama, and a chance to relax.” “I’ve checked the guest list. They are basically acquaintances you’ve met before. There’s also the young Movie King, Liam, who is in the limelight, and the starlet, Bella.” After skimming through the contract, I agreed readily. Relaxing while making money, why not? But coincidences make stories. On the day of the pre-recording interview for the variety show. The guests arrived early. Besides the ones I already knew, there was a familiar figure: Caleb. I froze on the spot and turned to my agent: “He’s in this show too?” My agent was obviously confused as well: “I didn’t hear about this.” Seeing me arrive, the staff surrounded me: “Teacher Nancy, let’s go to the dressing room first. The livestream will start soon.” I suppressed the dissatisfaction in my heart. Having signed the contract, backing out now would mean paying a sky-high penalty fee. For me, love is never as important as bread and butter. Sitting in the waiting room, I began to familiarize myself with the script. To warm up for the variety show, this pre-recording used a livestream format, allowing viewers to interact with guests in the chat room. Although called an interview, the show’s writers had already listed the questions and standard answers. I just needed to improvise reasonably based on them. The first few interview questions went smoothly, but the last question wasn’t in the script. With a polite smile, the director slowly asked: “It is understood that this variety show is the second on-screen collaboration between Teacher Nancy and Teacher Caleb. What are your impressions of each other?” Caleb and I had a hidden marriage and a hidden divorce. His single persona was marketed to perfection, while my resources were downgraded, so almost no one knew about this short marriage. Taking a deep breath, I smiled: “Fake abs, padded butt, insoles at least two inches thick.” The director froze on the spot. Caleb turned his head to look at me, his face full of surprise, his eyes filled with unconcealed anger, gritting his teeth: “Hypocritical, nice face but cruel heart.” Comments densely covered the screen in an instant: [Who is this? A D-list celebrity dares to scold Caleb?] [Finally invited a top-tier star, and Nancy really dares to leech off anyone’s fame. She dares to say anything!] [Stabbing each other in the lungs during the pre-recording stage? Something’s wrong with these two. Let’s watch.] [Fam, who understands? I smell a breakup. Did these two date?] 3 The next day, #Caleb Nancy Livestream Diss Battle# #Good Morning World Guests Caleb Nancy# Both topics topped the trending search list. My account gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight. Of course, mostly haters. Just as my agent was ecstatic, the popular starlet Bella posted sarcastically under the topic: “A toad lusting after swan meat.” In no time, this post was sent to the trending search by bots. Endless insults poured in: [Bella is right. Nancy, have some shame. Is Caleb’s fame that easy to leech off?] [Always a leech. Hard to comment on this.] Out of ten thousand comments, more than half were negative. My reputation hit rock bottom instantly. But at this moment, Movie King Liam posted late at night: “Sister is so good, how could anyone be blind enough to look down on her?” Five minutes later, it topped the trending search list, and the top comment exploded: [Is this still our noble and cold Movie King? Why does he feel a bit… bitchy?] Liam’s post was like a heavy bomb dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples one after another. Netizens asked curiously: [What is the relationship between Liam and Nancy? Daring to support Nancy at this time?] Solo fans explained: [Our brother is soft-hearted. After all, they are on the same variety show; it’s not good to make things too awkward.] There were also dissatisfied ones: [Nancy is too manipulative. Knowing there are a top-tier star and a Movie King in the show, she deliberately leeched off the heat.] [Our Movie King is beautiful alone. Please don’t be sentimental. Flops stay away, thanks.] Having been in the industry for so many years, I was used to hearing insults. After all, this contributed to my traffic. It was just Liam’s support that surprised me. Even my agent called specifically to ask: “Nancy, did you have a friendship with Liam before?” “I don’t think so?” Liam’s perfectly sculpted face was unforgettable. If I had to mention it… a memory suddenly surfaced in my mind. It was the third day after Caleb signed the divorce agreement. Seeing me depressed, a friend took me to a bar, claiming: “Instead of languishing over a scumbag, let’s go look at handsome guys.” “The next one is better, the next one is more obedient!” Unable to resist her, I agreed. But I forgot that when I get drunk, my personality changes drastically, and I act crazy. After three rounds of drinks, I started getting tipsy, picked up my phone, walked straight to a handsome guy in a booth not far away, and opened my QR code: “Hello, handsome. Wanna kiss?” The man turned his head, high nose bridge, indifferent eyes. Cruelly rejected, I squatted down hugging my legs and screamed: “I thought we had a chance. Didn’t expect it to be my monologue.” Perhaps seeing this for the first time, the man was shaken, extended his phone, and showed his QR code. I added him on WeChat and casually noted him as “Chat Guy.” After all, ordering a guy in a bar, if not for chatting, what else could it be for? Opening the chat box, I bombarded him: “Sister has five apartments in Beverly Hills. Brother, wanna consider?” “Be my boyfriend, only profit, no loss.” … Thinking about it now, this “Chat Guy” looked exactly like Liam! I covered my head. “Then how did he…?” My agent hesitated to speak, but I understood her implication. But with just a one-time encounter in a bar, Liam shouldn’t remember me. Seeing me silent, she quickly changed the subject: “Don’t think about it. Filming starts in two days. Adjust your state.” I nodded: “Okay.” 4 “Good Morning, World” is positioned as a slow-paced travel variety show. The seven guests travel to destinations arranged by the program team in turn. For each destination, different guests prepare guides and plan the itinerary in advance. The first stop is Hawaii. The guides are Caleb and Bella. Due to the unprecedented heat of the pre-recording, the pilot episode received a huge wave of comments as soon as it aired: [Top-tier star × popular starlet, I love this guide configuration.] [Anyone like me wanting to see the frenemy CP? Caleb and Nancy dissing each other is also refreshing!] [Only a pilot episode? One person’s blood letter asking for the first episode to be edited and aired quickly!!] On the day of official recording, I arrived at the airport early. Liam was already in the waiting hall. As the youngest Movie King in the entertainment industry, Liam’s outstanding appearance has won a large number of fangirls. Black bucket hat paired with a baseball jacket and boots, distinct profile, smooth jawline. The whole person was casual yet exuded a sense of alienation warning strangers away. Where was the “bitchy” look from the trending search? Suppressing the doubts in my heart, I walked over slowly. Liam noticed me, his cold eyes softened a bit, corners of his mouth curved up, and he reached out to greet me: “Liam.” I shook his hand, a light grip then release: “Nancy.” “Are they not here yet?” “Still a while. Should be soon.” Pausing, he added: “Caleb is already on his way.” Liam stood almost a head taller than me. When speaking, he specifically bent down to get close to me. The fresh sea salt scent on him caught me off guard, filling my nose. Unexpected close contact. Liam leaned into my ear, lowering his voice: “Sister, didn’t you say you’d buy me apartments in Beverly Hills?” Me: !!! My intuition was right. That night’s “Chat Guy” was Liam! My heart trembled, and I took half a step back calmly. Seduction by beauty, who can withstand this? Liam and Caleb are two completely opposite people. Caleb has always been lazy. When we just got married, we agreed to travel to another city together. Almost missed the flight because he slept in. Arriving at the destination, he often canceled the itinerary last minute due to a whim. I didn’t expect him to be the same even on a variety show. Immersed in my own memories, I didn’t notice Liam’s slightly disappointed look beside me. Seeing this scene, netizens commented frantically: [Liam is the King of Charm! He even bent down to listen to Nancy! This kind of detail really kills me boohoo] [Don’t say it, the CP feeling is really mysterious. Nancy and Liam look so good together! The vibes of older sister and puppy dog are there.] [Disclaimer first, I’m Liam’s solo fan, but when he mentioned Caleb, his tone felt weird, and his face wasn’t quite right. Any family members feel the same?] [Agree with the above! Clearly said they were almost here, but insisted on mentioning Caleb. Connecting to the trending search, is Liam planning to announce officially with Nancy?] Netizens discussed enthusiastically, and the other guests also hurried into the waiting hall. The two guides were the last to arrive at the gathering place. Bella panted, her small face flushed, apologizing repeatedly: “Sorry, sorry, didn’t expect everyone to come so early. It’s my first time being a guide, I thought arriving at the gathering time was fine.” Caleb had a cold face, his gaze patrolling back and forth between me and Liam, emotions indistinguishable. Several guests expressed they didn’t mind. The group, led by Caleb, went to check in. Walking past me, Caleb stopped: “In the group chat, you said you arrived very early.” “Looking forward to the Hawaii trip that much?” He spoke to me, but his eyes looked at Liam. He must have seen Liam’s post and the top comment. He didn’t avoid suspicion with Bella, yet was dissatisfied with my contact with Liam. Back when we were together, I interpreted it as Caleb being possessive and jealous. Looking at it now, it was just making trouble out of nothing. I laughed in anger. Just as I wanted to retort, Liam spoke with a smile: “Very much looking forward to it.” “Especially knowing Sister is also participating in this variety show, I was so excited I didn’t sleep all night.” I froze. Was this meant for me? But Liam didn’t care at all, wearing a polite smile on his face. Looking at Caleb, his face was so dark water could drip from it. Secretly delighted, I glanced at the gloomy Caleb, followed Liam’s steps, and hurried to check in. The interaction between us also sparked speculation among netizens: [Is it my illusion? Did Liam and Nancy know each other before?] [Movie King Liam is too good at this, right? Tea Dog (scheming puppy) yyds (eternal god)! Nancy-Liam CP, I’m shipping first out of respect.] [Seems like a huge Shuraba (battlefield)! Ex and current meeting, war is imminent! Sister Nancy has got something.] [Hard to comment [doge face]. Movie King Liam isn’t like this in other variety shows! The green tea scent is too strong, I like it!]

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My aloof genius classmate suddenly gained the ability to read minds. During class, I stared at him in a daze. Ian is so handsome, I want to kiss him. He glared at me, flustered and annoyed. Behave, the teacher is right there. 1 During the math exam. One second I was lamenting that the questions were too hard and I couldn’t do them. The next second, I heard the voice of the aloof genius, Ian, reciting the steps to solve the problem. I looked up in Ian’s direction. He was sitting to my front right, sitting up straight, head slightly bowed, writing seriously. Draw PM perpendicular to the X-axis at point P. Since quadrilateral F1APQ is an isosceles trapezoid, therefore… choose A for this question. The exam room was quiet; you could hear a pin drop. But the clear and pleasant male voice in my ear was not an hallucination. Could it be! I gained the ability to read minds? I widened my eyes in surprise, suppressing my intense secret joy. As the treasure of our school, Ian has consistently topped the grade rankings for years and is seen by everyone as a prime candidate for Ivy League schools. So, if I just casually copy some of his answers, can I easily pass? Thinking of this, I rubbed my hands together, full of confidence. The math teacher, Mr. Gao, sitting on the podium, gave me a strange look. He told me before the exam that if I failed again, he would have to call my parents. Isn’t this a way out of a desperate situation? I held my breath and focused, trying hard to listen to Ian’s problem-solving steps, finding the right questions, and following along. The small questions at the beginning were fine, but I gradually couldn’t keep up with the big questions later on. Because Ian spoke too fast. It seemed he didn’t need to think; just a glance, and the answer popped into his mind. I lamented inwardly: Big brother, can you slow down a bit? Ian’s hand writing paused. Suddenly, I heard: Idiot, can’t even keep up with copying. Me: ??? Does he have mind-reading abilities too? 2 I listened intently, but heard nothing more. I thought maybe I was hallucinating. No time to dwell on this, I continued to follow Ian’s steps. As I wrote, I looked back at the previous big question. Wait, something’s wrong? Clearly, I stopped halfway through copying the last question, but I actually finished copying this one? I was a bit dumbfounded. I don’t know why, but I felt Ian’s speed seemed to have slowed down a lot. I suddenly remembered that sentence Idiot, can’t even keep up with copying, and an absurd thought popped into my mind. He… couldn’t be waiting for me, right? Hmm, a bit difficult. Ian touched his chin with his hand, looking like he was thinking seriously. I breathed a sigh of relief. So the questions were getting harder. No wonder his speed slowed down too. I smoothed out the test paper, looking left and right with satisfaction. Copying up to here should be enough; I can definitely pass. Mr. Gao won’t have a reason to make me call my parents anymore. Soon, the results came out. Mr. Gao announced the scores in class. “Chloe Zhou, 97 points.” Mr. Gao praised with a smile, “Not bad, just passed. Seems people need a push. Look how much potential you have?” The classmates laughed heartily. Some even jeered: “Teacher, you need to be harsher, maybe Chloe’s math will improve rapidly.” Mr. Gao pretended to realize suddenly: “Seems I was too kind before.” I’m okay at everything, except math, never passed it before. Mr. Gao threatened to call my parents out of frustration. He thought I broke through the bottleneck in a desperate situation. But didn’t know I cheated for the score. I scratched my head guiltily. Glancing around, I found Ian looking at me with a smile on his lips, as if he couldn’t help laughing. I couldn’t believe it. Is the aloof genius teasing me? In the blink of an eye, Ian returned to his normal state. As if the smile just now was my illusion. 3 After class, Mr. Gao called me to the office. She spread out mine and Ian’s papers and asked with a smile: “How come you wrote these few questions exactly the same as Ian?” Oops! I actually forgot about this! Seeing me freeze, she quickly added: “Teacher doesn’t mean to suspect you.” I wanted to cry but had no tears. No need to suspect. I copied it. But I can’t say I have mind-reading abilities. Otherwise, others would think I’m crazy. Thinking quickly, I made an excuse: “Ian taught me. I asked him about similar questions before.” Mr. Gao looked like “I knew it”. “Your relationship is quite good.” I could only nod in agreement. Feeling guilty as hell inside. Ian has an aloof personality; I haven’t seen anyone close to him in class. And I’m even more unrelated to him. Before I thought I escaped a disaster, Mr. Gao said again. “It seems Ian teaching you is more effective than me teaching you. “Since your relationship is not bad, you sit together from now on. “Learn well from him.” I was petrified on the spot, trying hard to make Mr. Gao take back what he just said. But Mr. Gao refused with a smile: “Nothing bad about it, it’s all for learning.” I returned to the classroom with complex feelings. Thinking, karma comes so fast. I just said my relationship with Ian was okay, but sitting together, Ian completely ignored me. To prevent such a situation, I walked hesitantly to Ian’s desk. “Ian…” Ian was writing math multiple-choice questions, filling in answers rapidly. Hearing my voice, he stopped and looked up at me. “Something up?” Looking into his eyes up close, my gaze focused on the small mole between his eyebrows. Stunned into speechlessness for a moment. Ian is overly good-looking, a mole between his eyebrows, cold and holy. Isn’t this the flower on the high peak that makes people want to pull him down from the altar? Mm, want to pull. My thoughts went astray. Ian’s ears turned red, he clenched his fist and coughed lightly. “What’s wrong?” At the same time, I heard his inner voice— Help, can’t handle it. 4 Just as I came back to my senses, hearing this made me want to retreat. Ian is indeed very aloof. He can’t even stand me being around him for a few more seconds. Oh no! Ian thought, and reached out to fan himself. Why is it so hot today. Looking closely, fine beads of sweat were indeed appearing on his forehead. I breathed a sigh of relief instantly. So he wasn’t talking about me. I pulled a tissue from my pocket and handed it to him ingratiatingly. “Ian, Mr. Gao wants me to sit with you. “Don’t worry, I’m very quiet, I won’t disturb you.” I promised while clasping my hands in prayer. “Can you not refuse?” Ian took the tissue and hummed a flat “Mm”. My eyes lit up, quickly praising him: “Ian, you’re so nice.” Back at my seat, I glanced at Ian again. Ian held the tissue I gave him but didn’t wipe his sweat. Instead, he carefully put it in a bag. I felt Ian was even nicer. He clearly disliked me but didn’t say it to my face. He didn’t even directly refuse my tissue he didn’t want, just quietly put it away to throw it out later privately. He really! I’m crying to death! “Ian, your teaching results are better than the teacher’s.” When changing seats, Mr. Gao teased: “Teach Chloe more when you have time.” Although Ian didn’t understand what Mr. Gao was saying, he nodded silently. I had a scare but no danger. Luckily Ian didn’t ask about any teaching results. Otherwise, I would have been exposed. As for really letting Ian teach, I don’t have the guts. Who doesn’t know Ian likes quiet and doesn’t like people troubling him. However, when I was racking my brains over a question, Ian actively asked: “Can I teach you?” I stared wide-eyed in shock. Such a good thing exists? “I…” Ian’s eyes wandered, ears turning red, “I’m quite helpful.” ? Are you talking about yourself?

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Five days before our wedding, my boyfriend died in an accident. As his elder sister-in-law, I promised to raise his younger brother until he graduated from college. I washed his underwear for him. He said: “Sister-in-law, please have some self-respect.” I advised him not to date too early. He cursed me with a cold face: “Stupid woman.” Finally, after enduring until his college graduation, my family introduced him to countless blind dates, but he seemed uninterested in women. Now I had overcorrected. “What kind of girl do you want?” He stared at me intently, “Not too smart.” 1 The first time I saw Kian, it was at my boyfriend’s funeral. His relatives led a teenager in a school uniform to me. “This is Liam’s younger brother.” “This is your sister-in-law.” I tried my best to appear kind and amiable as an elder, forcing a smile, but I probably looked uglier than crying. The teenager stared at me with peach blossom eyes, but there were dark clouds underneath them. I was defeated and silently burned joss paper. Later, I heard Liam’s relatives say that Kian was a straight-A student. “Excellent character and academics, material for a top university.” “It’s a pity he lost his parents and brother overnight; don’t know how he will survive.” “Although you and Liam didn’t have a wedding, they have long treated you as family. As the elder sister-in-law is like a mother, if you are not in a hurry to find someone new, you should take care of him.” … I listened to everyone’s “persuasion,” looking at the thin back of the teenager in front of the coffin, nodding and saying yes. So my 17-year-old brother-in-law moved into my house. 2 After the funeral, I went back to work as usual. Passing by the office, the boss was scolding someone harshly again. “It’s understandable if Chloe’s report is bad, but for you to do it like this, did your boyfriends die too?” In an instant, my face turned crimson. I am Chloe. My colleague quickly pulled me away. “Luckily you haven’t gotten the certificate yet, otherwise your next marriage would be a second one.” I listened, dazed for a while, opened my mouth, and finally just forced a cooperative smile. That night I worked late into the night. My phone rang dozens of times in a row. It was my mom, introducing me to a blind date. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, Liam has been gone for less than a month.” “Tell mom the truth, he’s gone, do you want to follow him?” My mom cried without warning, heartbreakingly. After coaxing my mom for half an hour, I dragged my tired body home. 3 Arriving at the door, key inserted. I leaned against the door in a daze. I remembered the time Liam and I argued during our long-distance relationship. The first time I cooked, I cut my hand, went to the clinic alone for three stitches. Coming out of the clinic, the bus was gone, it was raining outside, couldn’t get a taxi, and I didn’t bring an umbrella. I called him, breaking down. “What’s wrong?” His voice was hoarse, like he had drunk too much again. “Where are you?” I asked worriedly. “Toilet.” He was uncomfortable. “Just threw up, have to go back and continue drinking.” “Then stop drinking!” “How can I do that? If I don’t fight, how can we end the long distance, how can I marry you home?” He comforted me with a smile. “Why did you call me?” My breakdown was suppressed instantly, didn’t speak again. “Suddenly missed you a bit.” “I miss you too.” Hanging up the phone, I chose to walk home in the rain. When I opened the door, he was standing in the hallway, smiling when he saw me. “How did you get here?” I was surprised. He lowered his head to hug me, voice low and hoarse, “I heard your voice wasn’t right on the phone, sobered up instantly.” So just because my voice wasn’t right, this man spent over eight hundred dollars taking a taxi over two hundred kilometers to see me. … Thoughts stayed here, not knowing who I was competing with, I stopped for five minutes before opening the door. As soon as I opened the door, I was shrouded in a large shadow. He came back? I held my breath, couldn’t help reaching out to hug the man at the door. At Liam’s funeral, I didn’t cry. When uninformed friends asked why the wedding was canceled, I didn’t cry. When my mom forced me to move on and introduced blind dates, I didn’t cry either. But the moment I hugged him, tears burst like a dam. I bit my lip, daring not make a sound, afraid if I did, he would disappear. When I cried enough, I looked up and saw a pair of bottomless eyes. “Sister-in-law, please have some self-respect.” He had a contemptuous smile on his lips. 4 I bounced away in shock, wiping tears frantically, standing there. It was Kian. His skin was sickly pale, stature actually slightly taller than his brother, but his frame was thin, the kind of thinness from growing too fast during puberty where muscles couldn’t keep up. How did I mix up the two. “Why are you here?” “Amnesia? You asked me to come.” He glanced at me, turned and walked inside. I took a second to remember, his homeroom teacher called me a few days ago saying Kian’s situation was terrible, so I let him come back here. “His mock exam scores dropped from top of the class to bottom. “Doesn’t sleep at night, sleeps during the day. “Drinking, fighting, dating early with those delinquent students every day, he’ll be ruined if this continues.” … Thinking of what his homeroom teacher said, I decided to act like an elder and talk some sense into him. “You are a student, should focus on studying, dating can wait until college.” “Mm, and then?” He sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette for himself, staring at me quietly. The draft I made in my heart was stunned by his smoking. “Kids shouldn’t smoke.” I reached out reflexively to take his cigarette. “Hot.” He draped his long arm to the side. I didn’t grab the cigarette but fell headlong into his arms. He frowned at my impact, snorted lightly. “Sister-in-law sure you want to lecture me in this position?” He lowered his eyes staring at me. I bounced up from him abruptly, feeling a loss of dignity, cleared my throat, “I know you don’t understand why I’m saying this now, but as your sister-in-law, telling you to study well won’t harm you.” He listened patiently, just didn’t give any reaction. Finally when I finished, his slender hand stubbed out the cigarette on the box, looking up at me, “The day my brother died, why didn’t you answer the phone?” I was stunned by his question, avoiding his pressing gaze, “My phone was on silent.” “Was it silent, or was sister-in-law’s ex-boyfriend here?” His tone didn’t sound like asking, but very certain. Me: ! In an instant, painful memories swept over me. I stood there, the whole room seemed to only have my heartbeat left.

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I heard the inner thoughts of the baby in the next bed. “Mommy is so stupid, I was swapped by the bad lady and she didn’t even notice, still holding the fake one.” Without hesitation, I held the baby in my arms tighter. “Mommy, why are you so dumb! You’re holding the wrong baby! Hurry back!” I turned around and took a deep look at the baby in the next bed. The voice was ecstatic: “Mommy looked at me, did she finally realize!” Then, I walked away without looking back. 1 “Mommy is so stupid, I was swapped by the bad lady and she didn’t even notice, still holding the fake one.” My arms tightened around the baby. This was a double room. The woman in the next bed and I had both just given birth to daughters. At this moment, she was in the bathroom and had asked me to watch her daughter for a moment, leaving me alone with two babies. Just then, my daughter stirred awake, her little mouth opening as if about to cry. I quickly hugged her close, ready to comfort her, when I heard a strange voice. This familiar voice almost brought me to tears. But I ignored the voice completely, focusing on soothing my daughter, feeding her, and humming softly. “Mommy, I’m your real daughter! That fake just knows how to pretend to be pitiful to make your heart ache. I’m so good, I don’t cry or fuss, I’m so easy to raise.” “Mommy, I saw the little clothes you bought for me. It’s a pity I won’t get to wear them, the fake is going to wear them away.” Listening to these inner thoughts, my heart remained unmoved. The daughter in my arms was finally coaxed into drinking milk obediently. The other woman finally came out of the bathroom. Seeing me holding the baby, she looked a bit smug: “When the babies were just born, everyone said your baby was like a kitten, so weak, while mine was lively. Didn’t expect that in just a few days, the two would swap personalities. Do you think they were swapped by mistake?” Hearing her words, I just smiled and didn’t reply. That night, I urged my husband to handle the discharge procedures, preparing to leave the hospital directly for the confinement center. The woman in the next bed was surprised: “Aren’t you staying a few more days? Why leave today?” I still didn’t reply, directing my husband to pack our things. As we were leaving, I heard that voice again. “Mommy, why are you so dumb! You’re holding the wrong baby! Hurry back!” I turned around and took a deep look at the baby in the next bed. The voice was ecstatic: “Mommy looked at me, did she finally realize!” Then, I walked away without looking back. In my past life, I was fooled by this child’s “inner thoughts,” and personally swapped my own daughter for someone else’s child. I thought it was a gift from heaven, but didn’t expect it was a demon. 2 In my previous life, possessed by a moment of madness, I swapped the two children. The woman in the next bed had said almost the same things. We each took a child away. For the next twenty-plus years, I raised the child with care. But that strange inner voice lingered. The voice inadvertently revealed that my best friend’s husband molested her, but she was too afraid to speak. When I saw the wounds on her body, I went straight to my best friend’s house, demanding an apology from the couple. Even though my best friend’s husband insisted he never touched my daughter, I believed the child. The scars on her body couldn’t have appeared out of nowhere, right? That day ended with me falling out with my best friend, never contacting her again. Among the inheritance my parents left me were several precious gems. One day, these gems vanished. The inner voice secretly told me that my mother-in-law had snuck into my room. After finding the gems in my mother-in-law’s bag, I refused to listen to her defense and forced my husband to make her move out. Later, the inner voice told me my husband was cheating. By then, I trusted that inexplicable voice implicitly. Without any investigation, I chose to divorce my husband directly. When signing the divorce papers, my husband sighed: “Anne, I suggest you see a psychiatrist. Don’t you feel that ever since our daughter was born, you’ve become paranoid?” I thought it was his mockery after cheating, and cursed him on the spot, disregarding our past feelings. Because in my eyes, he betrayed me first. I was just protecting myself, venting for myself. My husband shook his head, didn’t argue, but instead said: “If you have any trouble in the future, you can call me. No matter what, I will be there for you. From beginning to end, I never cheated, mentally or physically.” I stared at him blankly. The love in his eyes hadn’t disappeared at all, just like when he passionately confessed to me, and passionately proposed to me. That deep affection made me doubt for the first time—was there something wrong with the inner voice I heard? But soon, I dismissed the thought. My daughter was only three years old, didn’t interact with strange people, and hadn’t even reached the age to attend kindergarten. What could she know? That was her inner voice. She wasn’t speaking aloud; could she still lie to me? As for my husband, he was an adult in his thirties. Maybe he had learned to disguise himself when I wasn’t looking. I raised my three-year-old daughter alone. Because of the inner voice, I never restricted her actions. In my eyes, my daughter was always a well-behaved and sensible child. Without any effort, I knew what she liked to eat, what she liked to do, who she disliked, and which boy was pursuing her recently. Just like that, twenty years flashed by. Watching my daughter grow into a young woman, my health started to deteriorate. I slept nearly twenty hours a day. My daughter took me to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor spoke evasively, unwilling to reveal more. But I learned from my daughter’s inner voice that I had a rare disease, incurable in this lifetime, and my days were numbered. Spending money on treatment would only extend my life by a few months without alleviating any pain. I sat in a daze all night. After dawn, I called a lawyer and transferred all my assets to my daughter’s name. House, car, savings, company. But I was too worried about my daughter. She was so pure, like a blank sheet of paper untouched by the world. So I called my ex-husband, forcing him to give his assets to our daughter as well, and demanding he pay close attention to her. On the phone, my ex-husband sounded tentative: “Anne, our things will be hers sooner or later. Why are you suddenly so anxious?” Perhaps because the years had smoothed my edges, and time was short, I didn’t argue with him. I simply described my condition and my intention to give up treatment. Hearing I had a terminal illness, my ex-husband appeared at my door half an hour later. He dragged me to get a new checkup. I couldn’t resist him, so we went to the hospital together. This wasn’t the hospital from my last checkup, but the procedures were similar. Yet, the new report shocked me. My body indicators were normal, but a large amount of sleeping pill residue was detected in my blood. My ex-husband grabbed my hand, wanting me to call the police. But my heart went cold. I shook my head and told him I needed to go home and clarify this with my daughter. Helpless, he nodded. I refused his request to confront our daughter with me. After sending him away, I sat at home alone, waiting for her return. Recently, the daughter who cooked for me every day came home. Seeing me, she just stared silently. I spoke first: “What exactly are you?” My daughter looked at me and suddenly smiled: “Mom, you know?” Then that familiar voice rang in my ear again. “But so what if you know? Everything of yours is mine now.” I thought she wouldn’t dare hurt me in a society ruled by law. But unexpectedly, she easily strangled my neck, using ruthless force and refusing to let go. I struggled, but couldn’t break free from her hands. When I woke up again, I was back in the hospital room more than twenty years ago. 3 Lying in the confinement center, holding the daughter in my arms, my tears flowed down instantly. Seeing everything settled, my husband was about to hold the baby, but I urged him: “Do a DNA test right now.” My husband looked surprised and a bit troubled: “Honey, won’t this hurt the baby? I never suspected this child wasn’t ours.” Looking at my ignorant husband, I shook my head: “I need to confirm this is my child.” My husband laughed: “This is your child. I haven’t left her side since she was born. But since you have doubts, let’s do a paternity test.” I was truly anxious, wishing to verify immediately, so I used the power of money. In less than twenty-four hours, the paternity test report came out. Seeing that this child was indeed my biological daughter, my tears flowed down again. “What’s wrong, don’t cry. Honey, read fewer novels about real and fake heiresses. Read more sweet stories about CEOs loving their wives… Okay okay, I won’t say it, read whatever you want, little ancestor please stop crying.” In my husband’s arms, I cried uncontrollably. After wiping my tears, I told my husband about hearing the other baby’s inner voice, but hid the fact of my rebirth. Hearing my story, my husband frowned: “Honey, maybe read fewer ‘mind-reading’ novels for a while? Could you be hallucinating from reading too much fiction?” “I’m not joking with you.” Seeing my serious demeanor, my husband put away his playful attitude. He held my hand: “Since you say so, I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t let that child appear in front of you again. And I will absolutely never mistake our daughter.” 4 I spent a peaceful week at the confinement center. But unexpectedly, a week later, when I went downstairs for a walk, that inner voice haunted me again like a ghost. “What a coincidence, seeing Mommy at the same confinement center again. Wonder if Mommy can recognize me this time.” “This fake mommy is so bad, ignores me every day, secretly hits me, pinches me. My body is full of marks from her pinching.” Hearing this voice, I instinctively looked towards the door and saw that woman pushing a stroller. Seeing me, the woman’s eyes lit up: “Oh my, isn’t this Anne from the next bed? What a coincidence, you’re at this center too. Come see my daughter, she’s grown so much in a few days, so pretty.” Saying this, she tried to shove her daughter into my arms. I took a step back. A corner of the little blanket on her daughter revealed the baby’s hand. There were marks one after another, looking like pinches. These marks didn’t look like something a baby could fake. Is this another trick of the inner voice? I couldn’t help but associate it with what happened in my previous life. I dodged the woman’s movement. She continued talking to herself: “Sigh, honestly, now that my daughter has opened up, she looks a bit like you. Do you think we might have swapped babies by mistake?” Simultaneously, the inner voice transmitted. “Of course like, we are mother and daughter connected by blood. Mommy, I’ve been beaten like this by this fake mommy, but don’t be sad. Seeing Mommy living well, I’m relieved.” “Mommy it hurts so much, Mommy…” The calls of “Mommy” were incessant. I suppressed the discomfort in my heart, clutching my stomach: “Ouch, my wound hurts a bit.” Just then, my husband returned from work. Seeing me clutching my stomach, he hurried to my side: “What’s wrong? Honey, let me help you back.” Seeing my husband appear, the woman stopped talking and left with the baby.

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On New Year’s Eve, a strange girl kept asking to borrow things from me. “Hey girl, do you have any tissues?” “Hey girl, I think I got my period. Do you have a pad I can borrow?” The third time, a forum post popped up on my phone. [Fam, my chosen target isn’t cooperating at all. What should I do?] I scrolled up. The OP said she was an ordinary person who could only afford the slow train. Her mom demanded she cough up 200,000 for her brother’s wedding. If she couldn’t, she’d have to marry the cripple at the east end of the village. The top-voted comment suggested this: [This is simple. Find a random unlucky passerby to scam!] [For example, pick a naive-looking college student, preferably a girl. Ask to borrow something—tissues, a pad, or a mask. As soon as she lends it to you, clutch your stomach and fall over. Claim there’s something wrong with the item. Then you decide how much she pays.] 1 ??? My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a thud. My heart skipped a beat. Just three minutes ago, I boarded the slow train home, ready for New Year’s. Unexpectedly, the girl in front of me walked up, saying she had a runny nose and wanted to borrow a pack of tissues. Originally, I wanted to say yes. But reaching for my bag, I remembered the tissues were in my checked luggage, so I could only shake my head apologetically. Next, she asked for a pad. But my period wasn’t due, so I didn’t have any on me. Until the third time. She lowered her head, eyes shifting, asking to borrow a mask. This time, I actually had one. Just as I was about to unzip my backpack and get one for her, this post popped up on my phone. I didn’t want to look at it, but the OP said she was on a slow train, going home for New Year’s. And so was I. But as I read on, something felt wrong. The things the OP borrowed were exactly what that girl just asked me for. Down to the last detail. For a moment, my mind was in chaos. But the girl in front of me looked well-behaved, nothing like the person in the post. Seeing I didn’t answer, the girl tugged lightly at the hem of my clothes. “Hey girl, just lend me a mask. It’s winter, and there are so many people on the slow train. I’m worried the air isn’t clean and I’ll get sick. I… don’t have money to see a doctor.” Before I could answer, an older woman next to me urged, “You girl, come on. We’re all women here. When you’re out and about, you should help each other!” Another older man nodded. “It’s not easy for a young girl. She already asked. How can you have the heart to refuse? Look at you, a student, dressed so well, yet your heart is so black.” “Exactly, exactly. A mask isn’t anything expensive. Why fuss over it with a little girl?” A man in a suit grinned. Originally, I really intended to give it. But right now, my right eyelid was twitching, and I felt panicked. Thinking of the post’s content, I felt uncomfortable. Seeing I didn’t move, the suit guy started cursing. I got angry too. Besides, giving or not giving is my freedom. I zipped up my backpack, picked up my phone, and sat back down. “Little sister, sorry, I used up my masks. You should ask someone else.” The girl bit her lip and left. I planned to close my eyes and rest for a while. Just then, my phone dinged. The post updated. [What to do? The target I chose won’t listen at all. She’s clearly dressed so well, new Chanel from head to toe, Van Cleef & Arpels on her wrist. Obvious she’s not short on money.] [But she won’t take the bait. How can I make her pay me back the 200,000?] 2 My sleepiness vanished instantly. Looking up, I saw the girl from before, head down, brows furrowed, fiddling with her phone. And today, I happened to be wearing the latest Chanel dress. On my wrist was indeed a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet. How could everything coincide so perfectly? I felt my breathing quicken. I immediately scrolled through the post. The OP’s name was Xiang Xiang, and the person helping her was called Little Sprout. Little Sprout’s latest reply: [What are you afraid of? If once or twice doesn’t work, try again. Are you afraid she’ll refuse? There are plenty of ways. If she doesn’t help, force her. Moral kidnapping works wonders.] Xiang Xiang (poking fingers): [But I… I’m afraid she’ll scold me…] Little Sprout: [Do this. Offer to buy it from her for ten bucks. If she doesn’t agree, offer fifty, finally a hundred. Girls are thin-skinned. If she still doesn’t agree, wipe your tears towards the men nearby. Someone will feel sorry and help you.] Xiang Xiang replied with a heart emoji: [Sister Sprout, you’re so nice. I’ll go right now.] Little Sprout (cheering): [Relax, you’ll definitely succeed.] I stared at my phone in horror. Before I could react, I saw the girl who wanted to borrow the mask crossing the seats again, walking over. Head down, biting her lip, she shoved a crumpled ten-dollar bill at me. The money looked like she had saved it for a long time. “Hey girl, my family isn’t well off. Can I… buy a mask for ten dollars?” “I… can give you fifty too…” Seeing I didn’t take it, she turned and pulled another crumpled fifty from her pocket. Now I was certain. She was the OP, Xiang Xiang. And I was the sucker she chose, the scam target. I never expected the first big event of the New Year to be this. My heart raced, fingers trembling. Breathing was difficult. I couldn’t imagine a girl who looked so innocent would plot something like this. If more people got involved, I wouldn’t be able to escape. I immediately stood up, wanting to flee my seat and hide in the bathroom. Xiang Xiang, sharp-eyed, grabbed my hand, raising her voice, eyes brimming with tears as she pointed at my backpack. “Hey girl, I just saw it. You have a pack of Capybara collab masks in your bag, nine left. I’m not greedy, I just want one. Is a hundred dollars really not enough for one?” I trembled as I shook off her hand, voice shaking. “I don’t have any. I won’t sell. I’ve used those masks.” My lips quivered. Xiang Xiang’s voice became even more aggrieved, pretending to wipe tears. “Hey girl, do you look down on poor people’s money? Don’t worry, I earned this through hard work, it’s not dirty.” This directly incited dissatisfaction from the suit guy next to us. He crossed his legs. “What’s wrong with you? Dressed so well but cheating people out of money. You have the nerve to ask a hundred for a mask? I’m afraid these clothes were bought by selling yourself too!” The older women and men rolled their eyes at me. “We thought it was weird just now, hugging the bag so tight. Are you afraid we covet your broken masks? Usually, I wouldn’t take that thing even if given for free.” Xiang Xiang continued to wipe tears. She was young, and her crying looked pitiful. How could the suit guy stand it? He stood up, pointing at me and cursing. “Speak up! Are you giving the mask or not? Believe it or not, I’ll hit you!” Saying that, he tried to snatch my backpack to get the mask. I was anxious. The suit guy was too strong. I reached out several times but couldn’t touch it. Xiang Xiang held her breath, staring at him tightly. Seeing the suit guy unzip the bag and take out the pack of masks, I rushed over with all my might, knocking him away with my back, tearing open the masks, throwing them on the ground, and stomping on them. “Not giving. I bought these myself. I give if I want to give. No one can rob me if I don’t give. If you want to be good people, go buy masks yourselves. It’s not like the conductor doesn’t have any.” “Damn, dog stuff, heart so black.” The suit guy spat in front of me. The older woman waved at Xiang Xiang. “Girl, go buy from the conductor. Only one dollar each. Stay away from this black-hearted person.” Xiang Xiang stared at the suit guy and shook her head. “Gra… Grandma, I’m fine. I don’t want it anymore. I can endure it, won’t trouble others.” She bit her lip, glared at me viciously, and returned to her seat. I sat back down heavily, heart beating faster and faster, wrist trembling uncontrollably. In my panic, I immediately took out my phone, unlocked it, clicked on the post, and pressed special follow. Sure enough, the post updated again. Xiang Xiang: [Sister Sprout, what to do? That person doesn’t have masks anymore. Did she see through me?] Little Sprout: [Impossible. She’s stupid, doesn’t have that kind of brain.] But soon I realized something was wrong. What does this sentence mean? As if the replier knows me. Also, I never took out that pack of masks from my backpack. How did she know I had a pack of masks, and nine left? 3 The more I thought, the colder I felt. My heartbeat accelerated involuntarily. The post continued to update. Little Sprout: [It’s almost noon. Impossible she won’t eat. If she doesn’t give a mask, ask her for food.] Xiang Xiang (heart emoji): [Sister Sprout, you’re so smart.] Little Sprout (waving hand): [Don’t mention it. I don’t need to teach you the rest, right? Finish eating, clutch your stomach and roll on the ground. By then, the five hundred thousand will be in hand. If she doesn’t give food, even better. Grab it directly, eat, fall down. Many ways, as long as you make contact, everything is OK.] Xiang Xiang sent a smiley face. During this time, more and more people were watching the post. Many netizens retorted, saying they were going too far. [Your own business, why let an innocent person take the bullet? If you can’t do it yourself, you want to drag others down.] [Exactly. I sympathized with you before, thinking your parents favored boys over girls, helping you think of ways. Now I wish you’d marry over there immediately. Birds of a feather.] [You guys actually believed it. This post is obviously staged. Trying to build an account, right?] [I don’t think so. Obviously that Little Sprout is jealous and hateful. Maybe she even knows that unlucky person. Otherwise, how could she say exactly nine masks? Miss wearing Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, using Capybara masks on the slow train, be careful. You’re being targeted.] Little Sprout panicked and cursed directly: [Shut up. Who… who said we know each other? What do you know? Besides, I’m happy with money earned by ability. I think you’re just sour grapes.] Xiang Xiang (agreeing): [Sister Sprout is right. Why are there so many rich people and we are poor? They can afford Chanel, use luxury brands, they should take out money and share. That’s fair.] I gripped my phone tighter and tighter. Breathing rapidly. I had no idea what deep hatred that person opposite had for me, wanting to put me to death, and even seeming to know me well. I originally planned to eat a boxed lunch to pad my stomach. After all, I got up late in the morning and hadn’t eaten anything. But now, to avoid everything happening in the post, I had to swallow my saliva and sit there motionless. Anyway, there was still an hour before getting off. At worst, I wouldn’t eat. I hugged my backpack, stomach rumbling. Just then, the slow train stopped. Quite a few people got on and off. Just at this moment, a rider in yellow rushed through the car door, carrying takeout and placing it in front of me. “Li Le Guo, right! This is the Szechuan Pork Slices set you ordered. wish you a pleasant meal and enjoy the ride.” I was completely dumbfounded. My heart went thump thump. What happened! I didn’t order anything at all. I immediately called the rider. He held the delivery slip, blinking at me. “Customer, don’t joke. The person on this slip is Li Le Guo, seat 11 window side, phone tail number 5356. All this matches your information.” “Impossible, I really didn’t order. I don’t even have a food delivery app.” The delivery rider scratched his head. “Customer, I have other deliveries. If really not, ask your friends and family if they ordered.” Finished, the rider ran off the train. Looking up again, I saw Xiang Xiang tilting her head, watching me, grinning proudly. My mind was getting messier. Just then, my best friend Yu Hui Hui sent me a message. [Babe, you’re almost home, right? I specially ordered train takeout for you. Mildly spicy Szechuan Pork Slices, can’t let my babe starve.] 4 Yu Hui Hui? Little Sprout? Could they be the same person? I didn’t even dare to think about the guess in my heart. Yu Hui Hui and I grew up together, went to primary and middle school together, and agreed to go to the same university in the future. However, in the first year of high school, Yu Hui Hui dated a blonde boyfriend, and we had a fight because of this. I threw the fifty-cent bracelet the blonde gave her into the trash can. “Hui Hui, we agreed to take the college entrance exam together, to see a different world. How can you date now? This is senior year, the most important time.” Yu Hui Hui pushed me away with a face full of disgust. “Guo, did you study yourself stupid! What’s the use of learning those things. Look at this guy in my family, elementary school diploma earning thirty thousand a month, a small boss. College students come out and still work for these small bosses.” “But don’t you want to see the outside world anymore? Maybe your thoughts will be different later. Besides, the exam is coming soon. You can study first and talk about these later.” Yu Hui Hui shook me off directly, blowing on the bracelet like a treasure. “Enough. Aren’t you just jealous seeing me find a rich boyfriend? Yes, your family is good, buy whatever you want. Unlike me, I only have myself to rely on. Since our values don’t align, let’s not be friends.” After that day, Yu Hui Hui skipped class every few days, even missed the college entrance exam. The day I walked out of the exam hall, she sat in a BMW, looking at me with disdain. “Heh, what you have, I will have too.” Later I went to university. Yu Hui Hui blocked me, until she added me back not long ago. At that time I was packing my backpack to go home for New Year’s and answered her video call. In the picture, Yu Hui Hui smiled brightly, only showing her face, much thinner than before. I showed her the Capybara collab masks I bought. I opened one and put it in my pocket, leaving nine in the backpack. Yu Hui Hui asked me when I was going home, train number and seat. I told her without reservation. At that time I really thought our friendship could be restored. But now, my mind was in a mess. A thought told me Yu Hui Hui was very likely Little Sprout. Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental, everything matched. But I couldn’t understand why she hated me so much. To find out the truth, I immediately switched to my alt account and questioned under the post. Me: [Sister Sprout, I also think you’re right. Rich people should give us money. They clearly have so much money yet show off. Pity I’m so stupid, surrounded by poor people. I don’t know luxury brands, don’t know who to scam.] [Sister Sprout, I also want big brand bags, five-figure clothes. I’m not convinced. So many rich people, what’s wrong with one more me.] Until I posted ten consecutive comments, Little Sprout liked them and actively added me as a friend. [Sister, don’t rush, let’s chat in detail.]

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I suffered from severe bipolar disorder. In three years, I had attempted suicide countless times. It was Sebastian who held me tight, his voice choked with emotion: “Nina, can you hold on a little longer, just for me?” After enduring countless rounds of electroconvulsive therapy and swallowing bottle after bottle of pills, I was finally able to leave the hospital on my own. But then, I ran into Sebastian, his face dark, watching a girl being embraced by another man. “Chloe, come here.” “No, you’re just using me as a substitute. I hate you, I don’t want to be with you!” He dragged the girl over, biting her lips fiercely and urgently. “Then who do you want to be with? In this life, you can only belong to me!” The iris in my hand fell to the ground and was crushed underfoot. So dirty. Looks like I can’t give it to him. 1 I sat dazedly on the hospital bed. The image of Sebastian coaxing me kept replaying in my mind, refusing to fade. “Nina, I’m late. How are you feeling today? Anything uncomfortable?” Sebastian walked in with a smile, put down the things in his hand, and instinctively held my hand first. Seeming to feel my hand was too cold, he blew warm air onto it and thoughtfully tucked it under his coat. “Chocolate-covered strawberries are really popular lately, a lot of girls love them. I compared several places and found one with great reviews to buy for you.” He opened the box. Several skewers of fruit lay inside, wrapped in a crystal-clear sugar coating. “There are strawberries, blueberries, and hawthorn. Which one do you want to eat first?” He looked at me, his eyes bright. I opened my mouth, but that dull sadness surged from my chest again. In the past, he was busy with work and taking care of me; he would never have paid attention to such things. It must be that she liked them, so he went out of his way to buy them. “This one.” I pointed randomly at a skewer and took a deep breath to relieve the pressure, but it only made tears swirl in my eyes. “What’s wrong?” “Are you feeling emotional again?” He held my hand tightly, his eyes full of worry. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll go get the doctor.” I grabbed the corner of his shirt, making him squat down. Sebastian asked me helplessly. “Is it still very uncomfortable? If it’s hard, we won’t leave the hospital yet, okay?” Looking at his gentle and worried face, I shook my head. I just wondered how a person’s heart could be split in two, so gentle to me while simultaneously possessing such paranoid possessiveness for another woman. 2 Since I was hospitalized, Sebastian had taken meticulous care of me. Spring, summer, autumn, winter, there was always a fresh bouquet of flowers in my ward. No matter how many times I knocked them over during an episode, he would always cup my face and comfort me softly, “It’s okay, Nina. Do you not like chamomile? Shall I bring tulips next time?” To make me feel better, he racked his brains for various methods, bringing me my favorite yogurt, singing my favorite songs even if he was out of tune, and cooking my favorite dishes tirelessly… Afraid I would remember those terrible things from the past, he forbade anyone who visited me from mentioning them. He took care of me wholeheartedly for three years. Some people advised him not to waste his life, to find a good girl and start a family early. Sebastian would always darken his face and scold them coldly. He said, in this life, he only wanted me. The day I got better, we would get married. My condition improved a lot, and the doctor said I could be discharged independently. I could finally marry him. But, the person he wanted to marry probably wasn’t me anymore. I looked at his face and snapped out of my trance. “Leaving the hospital today. It’s your birthday. We agreed to celebrate at home.” He hesitated for a moment, then smiled and patted my head. “Okay, Nina, let’s go home. I’ll handle the paperwork.” 3 I sat in the ward, waiting for a long time, but he didn’t return. Instead, I got a call from the delivery guy. The birthday cake I ordered was delivered downstairs because I forgot to change the address. When I went downstairs, I saw Sebastian arguing with the girl from earlier. He stood in the wind with his hands in the pockets of his brown coat, shielding the angry girl from the wind. “You said you’d come with me, but you went back on your word again!” “Sebastian, you can’t be like this. This makes me feel like I still can’t compare to her, that she will always be more important to you.” Her tone was impulsive but carried a hint of spoiled willfulness. That look made Sebastian curve his lips, scraping the girl’s nose helplessly and fondly. “Who do I like the most? Don’t you know?” “Okay, okay, don’t frown. Frowning causes wrinkles, and if you get wrinkles, you’ll cry again.” The girl was teased until her cheeks were flushed, and she hid shyly in his arms. Sebastian held her, a relaxed and happy smile on his face. I hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. These three years, he was always tired, nervous, and uneasy. Even the smiles he squeezed out to reassure me were stiff. I tightened my grip, my fingernails scraping my skin repeatedly. It seemed that only such soreness could distract from the sourness in my heart, so I wouldn’t want to cry so much. 4 Just as I turned to leave, my eyes met Sebastian’s. Confusion, panic, and guilt intertwined on his face. Sebastian pushed Chloe away abruptly and ran towards me in a panic. “Nina, why did you come out alone? We agreed you’d wait for me to pick you up.” He forced a smile, his voice trembling. I didn’t answer, my gaze falling into his guilty eyes. I clenched my fists involuntarily. “Sebastian!” Chloe, with her hair in a bun, approached unhappily. “You’re abandoning me for her again. What exactly am I to you?” She glared with round eyes, her tone dissatisfied. “Today you must choose between this mental patient and me. If you choose to accompany her… then never come looking for me again.” “Chloe! Watch your mouth.” “You actually yelled at me.” Her voice was aggrieved, and she quickly turned her gaze to me. “You must be Nina.” “Your illness isn’t Sebastian’s fault at all. Why do you have to drag him down like this?” “He’s given enough for you. Why do you have to keep delaying him? He has his own life. What right do you have to be so selfish?” She accused me with dissatisfaction. I stood there, at a loss. “I… I didn’t.” My defense was cut off forcefully by Chloe as soon as it left my mouth. “You say you didn’t. Do you believe it yourself?” She sneered, looking like she felt Sebastian wasn’t worth it. “For you, Sebastian gave up almost everything! To get you better medicine, he sold the company he worked so hard to build. To cook for you, his hands were covered in blisters…” “To make you feel better, Sebastian wronged himself time and again. But he is a person too; he has emotions too.” “You can turn a blind eye, but my heart aches. He is my boyfriend, and I won’t allow you to torture him, to trample on him like this anymore!” Veins popped on Sebastian’s forehead, his fists clenched tight, but he refused to utter a word of rebuke. “Chloe, you go back first.” “No, I still have things to say.” I gritted my teeth, desperately picking at the uneven scar. Only when my fingertips felt the sticky wetness did the dull pain get suppressed. Speaking deeply, Chloe got emotional and grabbed me. “I beg you, let Sebastian go! Stay away from him in the future. I’m really afraid your illness will kill him.” Her fingertips pinched tightly, and her eyes turned red too. Veins popped on Sebastian’s forehead, his hands hanging by his sides clenched into fists, looking at Chloe with forbearance and heartache. His silence was like a sharp knife piercing my chest, bloody and raw. Bitterness spread from the corners of my mouth. Is that what he thinks too? The argument attracted quite a few people. The dark crowd and noisy voices made me just want to flee this place, not letting anyone see me. “Let go of me!” I looked at my hand, scratched bloody by Chloe, and couldn’t control my scream. Chloe pursed her lips, very dissatisfied with me. When her gaze touched my neck, a glint of cunning appeared. She suddenly yanked the jade pendant from my neck. A sting of pain, and the white jade pendant fell into her hand. “No.” “Unless you promise never to pester Sebastian again and apologize to us solemnly, I’ll let you go and return the jade pendant.” People around shouted in support, saying I indeed should apologize. She dangled the jade pendant, a hint of arrogance on her pretty face. I didn’t want to argue more, turning my gaze to Sebastian. That jade pendant was a gift from him the day we defined our relationship. At that time, he was very poor, but he spent all his money to buy this jade pendant at a temple, hoping for my smooth and healthy life. Sebastian’s thin lips were pressed into a tight line. He reached out to grab it back, but froze when he saw the girl’s stubborn, puffed-up cheeks. His slender fingers paused in mid-air, and he sighed helplessly. “Nina doesn’t want it anymore, okay? We’ll go buy another one, pick a white jade with higher purity than this.” My heart skipped a beat, stunned for a long moment. When we were nineteen, he knelt and bowed with a smile, praying to every god to bless me with happiness and joy for a lifetime. Those scenes seemed right before my eyes, yet also like passing clouds. Bitterness spread at the corners of my mouth. I looked at him, tears falling unknowingly. “You said I don’t want it anymore,” I said softly. “Then I don’t want it.” Sebastian froze on the spot. His gaze fell on my pale, tear-streaked face. He struggled, clenching his fists. He spoke, his tone turning cold: “Chloe, give the jade pendant back to Nina.” Chloe bit her lip in disbelief. “Sebastian?” “Give it back to her.” Sebastian lowered his head, daring not look her in the eye. Chloe suddenly laughed. She threw the jade pendant at me angrily. “Fine!” The jade pendant hit the ground, cracking in a few places. Lying on the ground, not shattered. My suspended heart landed. “Sebastian! I just don’t want you to go on like this. Since you side with her, then forget about us. I don’t want to be anyone’s backup forever!” She slammed into me viciously, stomped on the jade pendant, and ran away angrily. The jade pendant shattered along the original cracks. “Chloe!” Sebastian watched her back, his face livid. “You shouldn’t have argued with her.” His words were full of blame. “It’s just a piece of white jade. We can buy another one. Why make it difficult for her?” With that, he chased after her without hesitation. Picking up the fragments of the jade pendant one by one, I held them, letting the sharp pieces pierce my skin bit by bit. I tightened my grip as if I couldn’t feel the pain. Actually, it’s better broken. Unlike Sebastian and me, two people who seem intact but are already riddled with holes. The people watching the drama hadn’t dispersed, staring at me. “Does this girl really have mental problems?” “Doesn’t look like it.” “This kind of illness is all in the brain. It’s scary when they go crazy.” “Psycho.” A child threw a walnut at me. I had endured such malice countless times. The faint sourness in my heart couldn’t help bubbling up. I walked back to the hospital expressionlessly, my palm already red, blood dripping down my hand.

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Recently, Ethan, the school heartthrob, has been getting very close to Lily, the scholarship student who looks like a pure little white flower. Everyone was betting with an attitude of watching a drama: When will his domineering childhood sweetheart, Sophia, snap? After all, it’s an open secret that Sophia likes Ethan. But a whole week passed. Sophia still hasn’t gone to trouble the little white flower. Some people couldn’t hold back and went to investigate. They found that Sophia was actually very busy. Busy doing charity work. Busy getting first place in exams. Busy setting an example for her three-year-old demon sister. 1 My sister, Sophia, is the vicious female supporting character in a novel. Out of jealousy towards the female lead’s pursuit of her childhood sweetheart. She used her status as a wealthy heiress to suppress and bully the female lead in school. In the end, under the halo of the male and female leads, her family was ruined and people died. No way. I’m only three years old. I haven’t even touched a Black Card yet. Is my life as a rich second-generation slacker going to end just like that? To keep my wealth and glory. I decided to find something for my sister to do. The first thing: being called by the teacher to school. Sophia looked at the surveillance footage. Veins popped on her forehead. “Chloe, who let you ride the kindergarten kids like horses!” I puffed out my chest confidently. “I gave them money!” Sophia gritted her teeth in anger. “Does giving money make it okay? Who taught you that?” I looked at her with an innocent face. “Sister, you said it yourself, money is omnipotent. You can pay the gardener to shave his head, why can’t I pay to ride a horse? It’s not fair!” Sophia choked: “……” This was indeed something she had done. She disliked the new gardener’s hairstyle, so she threw a stack of money at him to shave his head. She even blurted out this famous quote. Didn’t expect this scene to be imitated by me. On the way home. She was exceptionally silent. Probably not reflecting on herself. But worrying that my behavior would affect the family. After all, this is an aristocratic kindergarten. The classmates I rode also have money and power at home. Anyway, I can’t be allowed to do this anymore. She thought for a whole night. The next day, she had dark circles under her eyes and preached to me. “Chloe, as the saying goes, when poor, attend to your own virtue in solitude; when wealthy, make the whole world virtuous. We rich people need to restrain our words and deeds even more. We can’t use money to do bad things, we must do more good deeds to help others, understand?” My eyes were clear: “Didn’t understand.” Sophia: “……It’s okay, sister will set an example for you.” Since then, every time she took me out, she would lead by example. Sometimes going to the orphanage to do charity. Sometimes signing up as a community volunteer to pick up trash. Sometimes donating supplies to children in mountainous areas in my name. At first, it was to educate me. Later, she enjoyed it herself. She even developed a good habit of helping old ladies cross the street. 2 I finally stopped riding my classmates like horses. Before she could be relieved for a few days. The second thing came: Still being called by the teacher to school. This is already the fifth English teacher I’ve angered away. I attend a bilingual kindergarten. The school anniversary will organize children to perform programs in English on stage. And my current level belongs to basically not understanding what other kids are saying. Sophia finally realized the seriousness of the matter. Her eyes were dangerous. “Why don’t you study seriously with the teacher?” I said proudly: “Because sister, you said only poor people need to study, rich people just need to eat, drink and have fun!” Sophia’s face turned green with anger, taking a deep breath. “When did I say that?” I made a sound of surprise. “Did you forget? Mom called before asking why you didn’t study hard, and that’s what you told Mom.” “Sister, you are my idol! I remember every sentence you said, amazing right!” Sophia: “……” She blushed with anger. After that day, countless late nights, I could see her figure studying hard. A month later, she put two report cards in front of me. Last monthly exam and this monthly exam. She improved by more than a hundred places. “Chloe, everyone needs to study. If you don’t study, you will become a fool, understand?” “Look, before, sister said those brainless words because she didn’t study. Now that sister studies, she understands that studying can make people smart, increase knowledge, and give people fighting spirit and a sense of achievement.” “Do you want to be a fool forever?” Looking at the dark circles under Sophia’s eyes like a panda. I swallowed my saliva. Studying turns you into this, so scary! Might as well be a fool. Seeing me unmoved, Sophia said faintly: “If you don’t study, you can’t manage the company. If you can’t manage the company, our family will go bankrupt. Do you want to become a beggar sleeping on the street?” I shook my head in horror. Sophia showed a triumphant smile. Hit a snake at its weak point. Studying really makes people smart. 3 The third thing, and the most crucial one. Stop Sophia from sending love letters to Ethan. Because Ethan will reject her without hesitation. Sophia will hate the female lead even more out of humiliation and anger. Childhood sweethearts breaking up here. Planting the root of disaster. But during this time. Sophia’s attention was all on me. She had no time to trouble the female lead at all. Maybe she doesn’t like Ethan anymore? I have to test it properly. “I’m back.” Sophia looked a bit tired today. I glanced into the car. Still no sign of Ethan. Don’t know since when. They stopped going to and from school together. I pounced on her and hugged her leg. Excitedly spread out a piece of paper. “Sister, this is the love letter I wrote for Steven!” Sophia’s face changed, angrily saying: “Writing love letters at such a young age!” Being scolded, I lay on the ground willfully crying and making a fuss. “I don’t care, I just want Steven to be my boyfriend!” Sophia rubbed her forehead. She went to my parent-teacher meeting. Had some impression of this Steven. He is the most handsome and popular kid in kindergarten. It’s just that he only likes playing with his little deskmate. She asked me: “What if Steven likes someone else and doesn’t like you?” I clenched my little fist. “Then I’ll snatch him over!” Sophia laughed in anger. “This is also what I taug-” Before finishing, she thought of something and froze. Her face slightly pale. “Sister?” She came back to her senses, saying toughly: “This kind of behavior is bad.” “And you are still a child, can’t write love letters, confiscated!” She snatched my love letter and went upstairs. I pouted, very unhappy. “Then when can I write?” “When you become an adult at eighteen.” I grabbed the railing and shouted at her. “Then you are not allowed to write either!” Sophia paused slightly. Then she responded to me. “Mm, I won’t write either.” Oh yeah! Sophia never lies to me. She says she won’t write, so she definitely won’t! Sure enough, when I went to her room at night, I saw shredded paper of love letters. She really gave up on Ethan? I went back to my room dizzily. Rich second-generation life, saved! 4 I thought the plot was finally going to change. Didn’t expect an uninvited guest to arrive at home a few days later. Caleb. If nothing unexpected happens. He is Sophia’s future marriage partner. The two families arranged a baby engagement long ago. He transferred here this time because the family arranged it. Let him cultivate feelings with Sophia slowly. But he had no interest in an arrogant young lady like Sophia. Instead, he was attracted by the independent and strong female lead. Childhood sweetheart and future marriage partner both like her. Adding fuel to Sophia’s darkening. Even to the point of paranoia and madness. Readers think she is hateful. But as her sister. I only feel heartache. I clenched my backpack straps. Staring at Caleb very warily. He has a handsome, unruly face. His left ear is adorned with a flamboyant silver stud. He lifted his eyelids. “Yo, Sophia’s sister, what’s your name again?” Tch. Tasteless second male lead. Don’t even think about knowing my name. I hummed and turned my face away, ignoring him. Caleb was a bit surprised. “You look so much like your sister.” My footsteps paused. Heard him continue: “Both so impolite.” My face twisted: “Don’t you dare talk about my sister!” He wanted to say something more. Interrupted by Sophia’s voice from upstairs. “Chloe, go watch cartoons for a while, Auntie Zhang made you dessert.” I looked up and smiled sweetly. “Okay!” Caleb pointed at himself. “What about me?” Sophia glanced at him coldly. “You come to my room.” Caleb looked struck by lightning. Ear tips slightly red, standing there like a fool. I heard him mutter softly. “This… isn’t this too fast?” I rolled my eyes.

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By day, I am a nondescript corporate drone, buried in spreadsheets and coffee runs. By night, I am a hacker known only as “Owl,” a legend in the dark web. Today, my boss, Asher Sterling, trashed my project proposal for the 1,001st time. I decided to exact a little petty revenge. I breached his personal firewall and hacked into his private laptop. I expected dirty financial secrets or maybe an illicit affair. Instead, I found a folder gigabytes deep. It was full of photos of me. Later, he cornered me against the office wall, his voice a low, dangerous rumble: “You think you’re so clever with code? Why don’t you hack into my brain right now… And tell me exactly what I want to do to you?” 1 I was currently standing in Asher Sterling’s office, ostensibly to give a report. In reality, it was a standoff. He held the card that he knew I was a hacker. I held the card that I knew he was a creep who secretly photographed his employees. We stared at each other in a heavy, suffocating silence, waiting for the other to blink. Asher was the quintessential CEO—young, devastatingly handsome, and the heir to the Sterling Group empire. He was known for his ruthless efficiency and impossible standards. While half the office swooned over his sharp jawline and tailored suits, I, sitting directly across from his glass-walled office, only knew the pain of his nitpicking. Yesterday, he shredded my marketing plan in front of the team. So, I went home and shredded his digital privacy. It took me less than ten minutes to bypass his encryption. But the contents of that hidden folder were like a bomb going off in my face. Photos. Hundreds of them. Me at my desk. Me waiting for the subway. Me eating with friends. Even photos of me on a disastrous blind date last week. I had slammed his laptop shut, terrified. Who knew the polished, icy CEO was actually a stalker? “Riley, you seem distracted today.” Asher’s voice was calm, but it carried an underlying pressure that snapped me back to the present. “Was I too harsh yesterday? I just expect perfection.” Stop acting, you psycho, I thought. “No, sir. It’s my own issue.” I tried to keep my voice steady. I can face down government firewalls and cyber-terrorists without sweating, but this pervert boss had me trembling. He suddenly stood up and walked around his massive oak desk, stopping right in front of me. He leaned down, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If only you applied the same dedication to your marketing proposals as you do to your extracurricular activities. Isn’t that right… Owl?” The shame of having my handle spoken aloud in a corporate office was paralyzing. I stepped back, my eyes darting to the door. It was closed. Asher usually kept the door open during meetings with female staff to maintain propriety. Today, the latch had clicked shut, extinguishing my last hope of escape. He stepped closer. The scent of sandalwood and expensive cologne filled my senses. “You hacked me,” he stated, not asking. There was no point in denying it. He held my employment contract and my year-end bonus in his hand. My brain was running a mile a minute, calculating escape routes, when he spoke again, his tone unhurried. “Cancel your blind date this weekend. We need to talk. Consider it a short business trip.” Great. My CPU just fried. I was too terrified to even ask if I’d get paid overtime. 2 The weekend arrived, and Asher was punctual. A sleek, silver sports car pulled up in front of my rinky-dink apartment building, looking violently out of place. This was our first meeting outside the office. I was awkward; he was transformed. Gone was the three-piece suit. He wore a grey hoodie under a denim jacket. Stripped of his corporate armor, he looked younger, almost approachable. The morning sun hit the sharp angles of his face, softening his usual glare. He was unfairly good-looking. I got in, and he broke the silence. “Let’s go. I’m taking you to meet someone.” “Okay.” A good subordinate follows orders. A terrified subordinate doesn’t ask questions to avoid being murdered in the woods. The car wound its way out of the city and up into the mountains. My internal cinema was playing a horror movie: The CEO’s Dungeon. Just as I was preparing to tuck and roll out of the moving vehicle, a magnificent building appeared through the trees. It wasn’t a dungeon. It was a high-end wellness facility. Asher parked and led me toward a garden. In the distance, a nurse was pushing a wheelchair. In it sat a girl, pale and delicate as a porcelain doll. Asher’s demeanor changed instantly. He rushed over, taking a blanket from the nurse and gently tucking it around the girl’s legs. His face was filled with a tenderness I didn’t know he possessed. “Asher, you came,” the girl said. Her voice was weak but sweet. “I promised, didn’t I? Whenever I’m not busy.” Before he could finish, the girl, Lily, saw me standing a few feet away. Her eyes widened in panic. “Asher! Who is she? Why did you bring a stranger?!” She shrank back into her chair, trembling. “Mr. Sterling, we discussed this,” the nurse chided gently. “Lily isn’t ready for visitors.” Asher patted my arm, signaling me to step forward. “Lily, she’s not a stranger. She’s…” “NO! Get her away! I don’t want her here!” Lily screamed, tears instantly streaming down her face. Asher didn’t leave. He hugged his sister tightly, signaling me with his eyes to give them space. I felt like I was walking on needles. I turned and ran out of the garden. Was this his secret girlfriend? Was he showing me his “collection”? I ran until I was outside the main gate. The sign read: Sterling Hill Sanctuary. I wandered aimlessly into the nearby woods, trying to process the scene. The trees were dense, the air fresh, but my mind was a mess. I realized too late that I had left my phone in Asher’s car. I had walked off the main path and now, with the sun setting and the temperature dropping, I was completely lost. Fear and frustration bubbled up. My boss is a stalker, he has a secret girl in a mental facility, and now I’m going to freeze to death in the woods without even getting overtime pay. I squatted down and burst into tears. “I’m sorry. Are you done crying? It was my fault, I rushed things.” A gentle voice sounded behind me. I jumped. “You’re a CEO, not a ninja! Why do you walk so silently?!” Asher handed me a tissue and my phone. “Wipe your face. Let’s go back. I couldn’t reach you; I was worried.” He took off his denim jacket and draped it over my shoulders. It was warm and smelled like him. “It’s cold in the mountains.” He held the edge of the sleeve, guiding me back to the path like a lost child. We walked in silence until we reached the car. He turned on the heater and buckled my seatbelt. As his arm brushed past me, I smelled the faint scent of floral shampoo—Lily’s scent. My heart sank a little. “Riley,” he said, staring out the windshield. “Do you remember a user named ‘SakuraRain’?” 3 My brain buzzed. SakuraRain. The name dragged me back to my college days. Before I was “Owl,” I was just a lonely nerd online. I had a small group of gaming friends. We never met, but we talked about everything. My closest friend was SakuraRain. She was sweet, naive, and clearly wealthy based on the limited-edition merchandise she posted photos of. But the internet is a cruel place. One day, our private chat logs were leaked. Netizens saw a teenage girl spending thousands on anime figures and “useless junk.” The hate train arrived instantly. They called her a spoiled brat, a waste of space, undeserving of wealth. They doxxed her. They posted her school, her photos, her address. They sent death threats. The girl in the photos had a sweet, chubby face and a smile like a crescent moon. The internet turned her into a monster. The group chat went silent. SakuraRain never spoke again. She just quietly left the group. A week later, I received a package. It was a box of rare collectibles I had admired. A note inside read: I don’t know why, but I feel like it wasn’t you who leaked it. But I’m sorry, I can’t face this world anymore. I want to start over. I tried to reply: You did nothing wrong. But I only got a red exclamation mark. User not found. That was the day I stopped being a gamer and started learning code. I became Owl. I hunted down the leaker—another girl in the group, a minor who did it out of jealousy. The law couldn’t touch her. So I became a vigilante. I nuked the hate accounts, scrubbed the doxxing info, and terrified the trolls. But SakuraRain never came back online. I sat in the passenger seat, tears streaming down my face again as the memory hit me. Asher didn’t look at me, but I saw his knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. “Lily is my sister,” he said softly. “Our parents separated. She lived with our mother and changed her name. That’s why you didn’t connect her to the Sterling family.” “She was so bright. But the cyberbullying broke her. She attempted… she tried to leave us.” “We sent her abroad for treatment, gave her a new identity. But she still relapses. She reads the old comments. She hurts herself.” He took a breath. “I investigated the old accounts involved in the bullying. I found that someone had systematically destroyed them years ago. All the trails led back to a single, anonymous IP.” “You were careful, Riley. It took my security team two years to identify ‘Owl’ as my quiet marketing assistant.” He turned to me, his eyes red. “Those photos on my laptop? They weren’t me stalking you. They were from the private investigator I hired to confirm your identity. I wanted to know who had protected my sister when I couldn’t.” He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper. “Your attention to detail as a hacker is much better than your marketing plans.” I laughed through my tears. Even now, he was roasting my work. “Riley, thank you. When Lily is better, I want to introduce you properly. She needs her friend back.” “Okay,” I sniffled. That night, my heart wouldn’t stop racing. The photos weren’t a perversion; they were proof of gratitude. The terrifying boss was just a brother trying to save his sister. And damn it, he looked really good when he wasn’t scowling. 4 I thought our relationship would remain professional, perhaps slightly warmer. But a crisis threw us together. A month before the launch of our flagship product, the blueprints were stolen. A rival company had bypassed our firewall. Asher was furious, the tech team was panicked. If this leaked, Sterling Corp would lose millions. As a marketing employee, I should have been worried about brochures. As Owl, I took it as a personal insult. I went to Asher’s office and locked the door. “Let me handle it.” He looked at me, silent for a moment, then nodded. “Do it.” The opponent was good. They bypassed the national firewall and went straight for the core data. It was a war. Lines of code cascaded down my screen. My fingers flew across the mechanical keyboard. Honeypot set. Traffic analyzed. Counter-measures deployed. I wasn’t the meek Riley anymore. In the ocean of binary, I was a god. Asher sat nearby, silent, watching me. Hours passed. I forgot to eat. When I finally blinked, a warm cup of coffee and a slice of cake appeared next to my hand. No words, just support. By 3 AM, I had them. I not only blocked the attack but traced their IP, broke into their system, and planted a trojan that would corrupt their stolen files. “Got them,” I whispered, leaning back in my chair, exhausted. Asher stood up. His eyes were shining. He grabbed my hands. “You are incredible, Riley. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” Realizing he was holding my hands, he quickly let go, reverting to his cool demeanor. I smirked. “Mr. Sterling, I checked the logs. You hired an external white-hat team too, didn’t you? They were good, but I was faster.” He shrugged, unashamed. “A CEO always has a backup plan. But you won.” The product launch was a success. Asher kept my identity secret, crediting an “external security consultant.” That night, he invited me to dinner to celebrate. I dressed up—heels, makeup, the works. I expected a team dinner. When I walked into the VIP room, it was just him. Candlelight flickered. He stood up, looking like he stepped out of GQ. The suit fit perfectly. He pulled out my chair. “Thank you,” he said, raising a glass of wine. “For everything. I wish I could tell the world it was you.” “It’s better this way,” I said. “Owl likes the dark.” The wine flowed. We talked about everything—Lily, coding, movies, life. The alcohol made me bold. We moved to the balcony to look at the city skyline. He put his jacket over my shoulders again. “Riley,” he said, turning to face me. The city lights reflected in his eyes. “I started investigating you because of Lily. I thought I was just curious. But the more I learned, the more I couldn’t look away.” “You live such a simple life by day, and save the world by night. It drove me crazy watching you go on those blind dates.” He stepped closer. “That doesn’t excuse you being a jerk about my marketing plans,” I teased, my heart hammering. “I know. I’m sorry.” He gazed at me, intense and vulnerable. “Can you forgive me? Can I… take care of you? Be my girlfriend, Riley.” I looked at his lips. “You’re the boss,” I whispered. “You make the decisions.” He didn’t need to be told twice. He kissed me, and the scent of sandalwood and wine wrapped around us.

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I had been keeping a high-minded, poor “puppy dog” boyfriend for three years. One day, he looked at me with red eyes and said: “I will no longer allow you to trample on my dignity.” I nodded. “Okay, then this ends here.” The next day, I walked into an advertising agency to select models. Abs, long legs, and suits lined up in a row. My assistant asked me, “How many do you want?” I wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth— “No need for handsome guys to fight. One for the company, and one for me.” As for his dignity? Sorry, from now on, I only treat one person well. Love you, myself. See you tomorrow. 1 “Serena, I will no longer allow you to trample on my dignity.” He stood in the center of the living room, wearing the white shirt I bought him, sleeves rolled up casually to his elbows, revealing a nice forearm. Those were the arm lines I fell for at first glance—clean, youthful, with a bit of a boyish leanness. At this moment, those hands were clenched into fists, veins bulging, trembling violently. Liam, twenty-three years old, a college senior. A high-minded puppy dog I had kept for three years. Now, he wanted to talk to me about dignity. I sat on the sofa, lazily closing my laptop, and looked up at him. “Oh? Say that again.” He took a deep breath, his voice strained. “I said, I will no longer allow you to trample on my dignity.” His eyes were red, his emotions clearly agitated. But that agitation wasn’t about having a fight with me; it was about—mustering up the courage to reason with me. I hate it when people try to reason with me. “Fine,” I nodded, my tone incredibly flat. “Then let’s end this here.” He froze for a moment. “…What?” I stood up, picking up my briefcase casually. “We’re done, Student Liam. You want dignity, I give you freedom. Fair trade.” Liam looked like someone was choking him. “You just… just like that—break up?” “What, you want a formal procedure?” I smiled. “The agreement period is up. You’re graduating soon. I was planning to find a time to tell you anyway. Since you brought it up, perfect. Saves me the trouble.” His face turned pale instantly. “You wanted to dump me a long time ago?” “Don’t make it sound so ugly.” I picked up the car keys from the console table. “Contract expired, we go our separate ways. Isn’t that nice?” “But we—it’s not just a contract!” He panicked, rushing a few steps to block the door in front of me. “Serena, we’ve been together for three years! Have you never treated me as a boyfriend?” “Liam.” I looked up at him, my tone very serious. “The first time we met, your mother was critically ill, and you urgently needed money for surgery. You said yourself, ‘anything goes,’ and asked me to name my conditions.” His face flushed red. “I paid for your mother’s surgery and let you continue school. I bought you a condo, clothes, a computer, gave you living expenses.” I listed them one by one. “I didn’t check your phone, didn’t interfere with your friends, didn’t interfere with your classes. You wanted to play ball, wanted to stay up all night gaming, I didn’t say a word.” “Did I force you to call me baby?” “Did I force you to say good morning and good night, to report your whereabouts?” “Did I force you to admit to your friends that you were kept by me?” I looked at him slowly, my eyes not gentle at all. “Student Liam, the freedom I gave you is more than your parents ever gave you.” The air sank for a moment. He was rendered speechless by me, breathing rapidly several times before forcing a rebuttal. “So you can just throw money at me? Treat me as—as a pet, a toy? You have dignity, don’t I need it?” “So you’re standing up now.” I nodded. “Great. Then stand firm, don’t wobble.” I pulled his hand away and opened the door. “I wish you intact dignity and a bright future.” One sentence, crisp and clean. He stared for two seconds before reacting. “You’re just leaving like this? You’re not sad at all?” I laughed. “Sad? You overestimate yourself.” I pulled the door shut from the outside. Snap. Clean and decisive, like tearing up a paper contract completely. The moment I walked into the elevator, I slowly let out a breath. Three years. I’ve managed many projects. Few lost money, none wasted time. Liam was probably the first person who made me feel—time was wasted for nothing. It was strange. I looked seriously at my face reflected in the elevator mirror—no red eyes, no trembling, no distraught look. I only saw a twenty-eight-year-old woman with exquisite makeup and a relaxed expression. As the elevator slowly descended, I suddenly wanted to laugh. Dignity? Student Liam’s dignity was something he threw on the ground himself, yet now he blames me for stepping on it. Fine. Starting tonight—your dignity belongs to you, my wallet belongs to me. We owe each other nothing. 2 The next morning, I woke up at 6:30 as usual. No man lying next to me, no one complaining my hands and feet were cold, no one asking me to sleep five more minutes. When the phone alarm rang, I got up briskly, washed, did makeup, changed clothes. Half an hour to get everything done. My name is Serena Lin, founder of Serendipity Communications and creative director. Graduated from one of the top media colleges in the country. In the first few years of my career, I worked like a dog in a 4A agency, getting stomach problems and dark circles, then gritted my teeth to start my own business, struggling to make the company somewhat famous in the industry. “Morning, President Lin!” Entering the company, the receptionist waved at me. I nodded and pushed open the office door. My assistant Lulu followed me with a folder, like a hyperactive squirrel. “President Lin looks so handsome today!” I glanced at her. “Such a sweet mouth, did you stay up late watching handsome guy livestreams again?” “Oops, you caught me.” She giggled. “But seriously, your complexion is especially good today. Is it…” She deliberately lowered her voice and leaned in. “Love life going well?” I smiled. “Breakup going well.” “Huh?” She froze. “What?” “A non-national standard slag has finally been deleted from my life resume.” I took a bite of the bread she bought me, in a great mood. “This is a good thing.” She blinked confusedly. “You… you aren’t really saying you broke up, are you?” “Do I look like I’m heartbroken?” I raised an eyebrow. She looked me up and down seriously. “No. You look like you just landed a few big projects.” That’s right then. “Stop gossiping.” I took the schedule from her hand. “This morning is the Blue Ocean proposal review, afternoon—” Her eyes lit up. “Afternoon is the main event! New beverage ad model selection! I’ve already screened their profiles in advance. President Lin, you really have to take a good look, top-tier quality legs.” I rolled my eyes. “Choosing models based on face results in momentary pleasure; choosing models based on tone results in constant pleasure.” “That’s true,” she nodded like pounding garlic, “but it doesn’t hinder me from appreciating the view along the way.” She couldn’t help gossiping again. “By the way, did you really break up with someone yesterday?” “Mm.” I responded faintly. “Then do we need to go for a drink tonight?” “No need.” She was surprised. “No need to drown sorrows in alcohol? No need for sisters to curse the ex together?” “The kind of breakup that needs drowning sorrows is called heartbreak.” I closed the schedule. “My kind is called taking out the trash.” She stared for two seconds, giving a thumbs up. “Cool. Too cool.” 2 PM, photo studio. A dozen male models lined up. From number one to twelve, the shortest was 5’11”, the tallest almost 6’5″. Long legs, thin waists, broad shoulders, abs visible or hidden, all decorations of youthful hormones. Lulu stood next to me, practically glowing. “Oh my god, this scene is too eye-candy…” I said seriously, “Wipe your drool, this is work.” “But… work is so happy.” I laughed out loud. “Hello, President Lin.” “Hello, President Lin.” “Hard work, President Lin.” The boys greeted one by one, eyes carrying awe and a bit of expectation. Some were already slightly famous, some just entered the industry, some still in college. But in this studio, they all had the same identity—”ad faces” waiting to be chosen. I picked up the list, checked one by one, put the file aside, sat on the high stool next to the camera, and nodded to them: “Don’t be nervous, everyone. Today is just a normal audition. Just relax and show your state.” The audition began, group by group. Running, jumping, drinking beverages, smiling, playing basketball. Everyone had their own flavor. Some looked obedient and soft, like the class monitor next door. Some looked ruffian-like, like they would pull you to the back door for a secret kiss. And some had charming eyes, discharging electricity at the camera. I watched and scored in my heart. —Have to say, being young is great. The muscle lines on the calves could be directly used for sports drink posters. After two rounds of shooting, everyone took a break. Lulu whispered in my ear: “President Lin, seriously asking, how many are you choosing?” “One main male lead for the ad, one backup,” I said. Her eyes lit up slightly. “I mean, besides work.” I looked at her for two seconds, corners of my mouth curling up. “You want the truth?” “Yes.” I put the pen in my hand on the table, stood up, and walked in front of the row of boys drinking water and resting. Seeing me, they instinctively stood a bit straighter. Like the habit of lining up when the morning exercise bell rings since seventeen. “Good work,” I smiled. Originally, I could have just said “Rest for ten minutes, we’ll do a dynamic set later,” which is what a qualified creative director should say. But. Last night I was just lectured by a parasite living off me about “not trampling on his dignity.” Just dumped a high-minded puppy dog who I raised with money but who disliked me for not respecting him. That blocked unhappiness in my heart suddenly wanted an outlet. So— I looked at this row of male models and said slowly: “Handsome guys, don’t fight—” The row of people: “?” I hooked my lips. “One for the company, and one for me.” The air was silent for a full two seconds. Then, Lulu at the other end of the studio burst into laughter, clapping wildly while laughing: “President Lin is awesome!!!” Several photographers held back until their faces were red, eyes full of “those who know, know” laughter. Those boys were stunned for a moment, a bit startled, then all a bit amused. A few quick-witted ones laughed along directly, teasing along with my words: “President Lin, are you planning to work overtime to shoot two ads?” “We are all here, take your pick.” I smiled, hiding that bit of bad intentions. “Just kidding, don’t take it seriously. The ad only needs one male lead, the others—” I pointed to my heart: “Just stay in my heart.” Yes, from now on, anyone can stay in my heart. Beauty, abs, smiles, voices, all can. Except— I will never put my whole wallet, a whole period of life, on a man again. I turned back to the monitor, that bit of secretly held sullenness in my heart dissipated. 3 Returning to the company that day, my phone screen lit up seven or eight times. All from the same person’s name: Liam. Called once, I hung up once. Hung up three times, he finally stopped calling. I thought he gave up, but ten minutes later, WeChat started dinging. [Liam]: Sorry, I was impulsive last night. [Liam]: I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. [Liam]: Can you listen to my explanation? [Liam]: I didn’t mean to break up with you. [Liam]: The words I said last night weren’t what I really wanted to say. I read through it once, clicked on his avatar. Hesitated for a second whether to block or delete. I finally chose— Move to “Restricted List” (Muted/Archived). Not blocking, not deleting, not giving him any illusion of “you still occupy a place in my heart.” Like handling a client file whose cooperation has terminated: don’t throw in the trash can, in case need to check records for rights defense later; But absolutely will not take out to look again. I put away WeChat and continued writing the script. At 10:30 PM, finished revising the draft, I stretched, ready to shower and sleep. Halfway through the shower, the phone rang again. I wiped my hand and picked it up: “Hello?” Silence for a second on that end, then a somewhat cautious and young male voice: “President Lin, this is Tony.” Quite unexpected. “Mm, what’s up?” I turned on speakerphone, continuing to apply skincare products to my face. “That… sorry to disturb you so late.” His voice was a bit nervous. “I just wanted to thank you for your guidance during the shoot today.” “Thanking for just this?” I laughed. “Then my phone would be blowing up every day.” “No, I—” He was anxious. “I’m really grateful to you. I shot one or two small ads before, directors were very fierce, never taught me, only scolded NG. Today you told me ‘natural is good,’ and I suddenly wasn’t nervous anymore.” His tone was sincere to the point of silliness. I suddenly remembered the day I started keeping Liam three years ago— Liam holding the contract, standing in the corner of the coffee shop, eyes just as bright. The difference was that his eyes then only had money, while Tony’s eyes now only had opportunity. “Just work hard.” I said lightly. “If you really want to do this line of work, remember not just to look at the lens, but look at the contract.” “Huh?” He didn’t understand. “It’s okay, you’ll understand later.” I laughed. “Sleep early, you have early class tomorrow.” He paused: “How did you know I have early class tomorrow?” “Your profile says you haven’t graduated yet.” “Oh…” He was a little pleasantly surprised. “Right, I’m a senior.” Hanging up the phone, I looked in the mirror, applying the last layer of eye cream. In the mirror, I looked at my own eyes and said softly: “Serena, from now on, we only love one person.” She looked at me in the mirror and curved her lips with me. 4 Liam was actually quiet for a few days. Quiet enough that I almost thought he had rarely respected my decision. Until the weekend, after I finished dinner with the Blue Ocean marketing director, coming out of the restaurant ready to get in the car, I heard someone shouting from afar: “Serena!” My heart thumped. —This tone of calling my name, sounded like trouble. Turning to look, he stood across the street. Black T-shirt, jeans, carrying an old backpack, looking almost exactly like the first time I saw him. The only difference was, the first look was clean poor, this look was fragile poor. He ran over, panting: “I, I’ve been looking for you for many days.” “You are?” The Blue Ocean director looked at him politely. “A friend.” I said coldly. “Student Liam, if you have something, call later. I’m busy now.” I was about to get in the car, his sentence blocked the retreat: “My phone service is cut off.” I mentally applauded him. Excellent, truly excellent. From character to financial status, hanging on me like a chain. “Then go back and pay the bill.” I pulled the car door. “Serena!” He grabbed my wrist abruptly, eyes red and sore. “Can’t you just listen to me for a second?” The Blue Ocean director was extremely sensible: “President Lin, we’ll go ahead. We’ll chat about the draft in detail next week.” Said and left with the team naturally, leaving space for us. Passersby looked over. I didn’t want a scene, so I pulled my hand back: “Speak.” He couldn’t say it. After a long while, he squeezed out a sentence: “I was wrong.” “Mm.” I nodded. “You were indeed wrong.” He thought I would follow with “but I forgive you” or something similar. I didn’t. I just stood there, looking at him quietly. “I said those words that day because I felt too terrible.” His voice trembled. “I just wanted you to see my feelings. I’m not a dog you raise, coming when called, leaving when chased.” “Then what are you doing now?” I raised an eyebrow. “Running back voluntarily to wag your tail?” He choked. I continued: “Liam, when you were high-minded, you treated me as a secret not to be spoken of in front of others; when you were aggrieved, you treated me as a trash can to vent on anytime; when you needed money, you treated me as an ATM.” “Now you tell me you’re not a dog—” I tilted my head to look at him. “Do you think you deserve the word dog?” His face flushed red: “Don’t talk like that, I—” “You what?” I blinked. “Want to educate me on how to be a person, or kneel down to apologize? Have you thought about which face to use first, and what to say to me?” His breathing was chaotic: “How can you be so cruel?” “Your rent, electricity bills, medical bills, pocket money for three years.” I counted lightly. “I have records one by one.” “If you think my money that ‘trampled your dignity’ is too dirty, list a card number for me. I’ll have finance send you a ‘dignity compensation’ bill. You pretend I never appeared from now on, okay?” He opened his mouth, looking like a fish thrown on shore. “I…” He finally broke defense a bit. “I didn’t stay for the money.” “Then what did you stay for?” I was really curious. “For loving me?” He looked up at me: “Yes.” This “Yes” was said with abnormal firmness. “So you love me, but dare not admit our relationship in front of anyone?” I asked. “Because you weren’t willing.” He blurted out. “You never let me post our photos, never let me mention you anywhere. I was afraid you’d be annoyed, afraid you’d think I wanted to borrow your resources—” “Student Liam, you still haven’t figured one thing out until now.” I laughed. “Do you think you hid me because you were afraid I’d think you were borrowing resources?” I stepped forward, lowering my voice. “Or, from beginning to end, you felt that being with a woman who kept you with money was a shameful thing?” His lips trembled, unable to pick up a single sentence. I felt quite tired. When we signed that agreement, him twenty-two, me twenty-five, it was written clearly: “Non-interference in private lives, non-interference in social circles, limited to this relationship only.” It was you who wanted to enshrine this relationship first, then disliked it for not being decent. You ate my money while judging in your heart: “Is she too domineering?” “Is she not gentle enough?” “Is she not respecting me enough?” Then why didn’t you get out earlier? “Liam, your dignity was trampled not because I gave you money.” I reminded him kindly one last time. “It’s because you knelt asking for money while thinking about standing up to be a saint.” “Being a saint is hard. Your waist is too soft, can’t stand straight.” I raised my hand to hail a car: “Don’t come looking for me anymore. We have nothing to say.” Before closing the door, I saw him standing there, eyes lost and broken. At that moment I suddenly realized— His world collapsed. Not because I left. But because for the first time he realized: There are people who can listen to “I love you” and say without changing expression: “Oh, so what?”

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Late one night, I caught my husband French kissing a wealthy heiress from the city’s elite circle. My husband looked panicked. The Heiress looked calm. I walked up and greeted them enthusiastically: “Bro, Sister-in-law, what a coincidence!” The next day, I received a Green Card and a 2,000-square-foot apartment in Manhattan. 1 My husband is incredibly handsome. We were college sweethearts, got married right after graduation, and worked together while squeezing into a tiny apartment in New York. I loved my husband deeply. Looking at his face, no matter how broke we were, I had no complaints. I only hated myself for not knowing how to make big money to give him the good life. I worked myself to the bone. In this economic downturn, just not getting laid off was a blessing. I was a useless woman. My husband and I scrimped and saved, wanting to buy a house. Owning a home is the ultimate dream. But real estate prices in New York are astronomical. Our meager savings were destined to be hopeless. 2 Recently, I noticed my husband getting even more handsome. Because I was poor, I couldn’t distinguish luxury brands. But I knew his clothes and shoes looked amazing and fit him perfectly. His skin was better too. Almost like when we were freshmen in college. My husband had a great personality, very gentle, but fierce and passionate in bed. He was simply the perfect specimen of a man. Seeing him become so good-looking recently, I felt this was what a rose should look like. 3 My boss is a wealthy heir in the city’s business circle. My boss’s sister is “The Heiress”—Victoria. I was just one of thousands of employees in their company. But one day, The Heiress came specifically to see me and said, “Oh, so you’re Nora.” The perfume on The Heiress smelled exactly like the scent on my husband. The necklace The Heiress wore matched the one my husband had recently started wearing—a couple’s set. On the weekend, I said I was going shopping, then staked out our apartment building. Soon, I saw The Heiress driving her Bentley downstairs. The shabby neighborhood environment didn’t match her luxury car at all. My husband got into the Bentley. I cried until I was a mess. 4 I wasn’t angry. I only felt sadness and despair. It was all my fault. I was useless, so my husband was seduced by the glittering world outside. I knew I could make a scene. I could accuse him of betraying me. Betraying my youth. But what use would that be? My husband is a kind man. He is so handsome. He accompanied me through my most beautiful years. Waking up every day to that face, sleeping next to such perfection, I felt so happy. What right did I have to resent him? Moreover, because he was so good, I simply couldn’t bear to blame him. True love forgives everything and only blames oneself. Love is often feeling indebted. I should proactively set him free. A handsome man like him would fly out of my poor nest sooner or later. Like a piece of fine jade, he wouldn’t stay in a straw hut for long. It was fate. 5 But I still couldn’t bear to let go. What if The Heiress got tired of playing with him and abandoned him? If I divorced him, wouldn’t he be lonely? Feeling abandoned by the whole world? So I dragged it out, pretending to know nothing. But one night, I worked overtime until 9 PM. When I got home, right downstairs, I saw my husband and The Heiress tongue-kissing. I didn’t react for a moment. Stunned on the spot. My heart still hurt. My husband, I was destined not to keep you. He saw me too. His eyes were red, looking at me in shock. I remembered I forgot to tell him I was working late. He thought I was already home. Sigh. Didn’t miss it. Sad. The Heiress wasn’t panicked at all. Truly worthy of her status; calm even if the sky collapsed. We are both women; I need to learn from her. 6 I stepped forward and shouted enthusiastically, “Bro! Sister-in-law! You guys are out for a walk too?” The Heiress looked at me in shock. “What did you call him?” I wiped my tears and said with utmost sincerity, “Sister-in-law, this is my big brother.” The Heiress burst out laughing, laughing until tears came out. In this awkward battlefield, she could be so relaxed. Truly enviable. My husband looked at me with tragic eyes. He looked like he was being forced. The Heiress said, “You are truly a wonderful person.” I shook my head and quickly said, “Sister-in-law, I am a poor person.” The Heiress kissed my husband. She was bright and moving. My husband was tall and handsome, truly pleasing to the eye. He was being kissed by someone else now. I felt a faint sense of pride. This is the husband I chose. Sure enough, very popular. The Heiress drove away. Even her car exhaust smelled of money. 7 After returning home, my husband said to me with red eyes, “I’m sorry, Nora. I was vain. I couldn’t resist the temptation of the material world.” Seeing him beat himself up like this, my heart ached. Truly loving someone means planning for their long-term future. I held his hand. His fingers were fair and slender, very warm. I always liked holding hands with him. My husband is perfect. I couldn’t even hate him. We sat on the sofa. I apologized to him, “The one who should say sorry is me. I didn’t make enough money to give you a good life. Marrying me made you suffer.” He shook his head. “I’m useless. I wasn’t ambitious. I said I was preparing for exams but played games every day. I didn’t give you a good life.” “You are so handsome. If you didn’t marry a poor woman like me, why would you need to prepare for exams? It’s because I’m useless.” We blamed ourselves for 10 minutes. I felt if we continued, it would never end. So I took the initiative. “Husband, we need to talk.” 8 When we were young, we thought having love meant having the world. Now we had love, but lived so hard. My worldview had changed. I said to him, “Husband, since The Heiress likes you, just date her properly. She is beautiful. I can see she loves you very much. I am very relieved you are with her.” He shook his head. “The one I truly love is you. She… she… she spent a lot of money on me. Every time I encountered difficulties, she helped me solve them… I just couldn’t withstand the temptation…” He detailed how his father lost $50,000 gambling, and The Heiress gave him money to pay off the debt. His mother’s surgery was also paid for with money lent by her. The Heiress is really kind, never forcing him, just giving blindly. Before, he told me about his parents. I felt the sky was falling then. Not only could I not help, but I also had negative emotions, feeling his parents were a burden. My husband is a kind person who considers others. Our savings were only $36,000. Not only was it a drop in the bucket, but I would be very sad if he gave it to his parents. He didn’t touch that money. After that, I acted like an ostrich, pretending nothing happened. I am truly a cowardly woman. But not long after, he happily told me his family matters were resolved. Unexpectedly, it was The Heiress who helped him. Compared to her, the difference was stark. I was very ashamed. “No need to explain, I understand. I hope you live a good life. Since she can make your life easier, just be with her. I love you, I hope you live well.” He looked at me blankly. My heart ached to death seeing him. I sat on his lap. “Let’s go divorce tomorrow. If she doesn’t want you anymore, you come back to me, we’ll remarry.” “Can we be together one last time tonight?” Husband: …

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