I am the female lead. Yet, I had a past romance with the villain and even bore him a child. After the male lead appeared, the system wiped my memories, faked my death, changed my appearance, and forcibly removed me from the villain’s side. But barely two years later, I crossed paths with the widowed villain holding a child at a banquet. Meeting the villain’s cold, distant gaze, I inexplicably stared at them with reddened eyes. Comments floated across my vision at that moment— [Wait… isn’t the villain supposed to be gloomy and cold-blooded?] [Since when did he have a kid?] [He treats the kid like his life, won’t even let others look.] [Is this kid his? Who gave birth to it? Who dared to?] [Wait, why is our female lead staring at the villain like that!] 1 Half a year after marrying Julian Sterling, I still flinched at his touch. On a Saturday night, he blocked me at the bedroom door again. “I’ve given you six months to adjust. Are you still unwilling to share a room with me?” Julian was handsome, wealthy, and my childhood sweetheart whom I knew inside out. Even now, his voice remained exceptionally gentle. But meeting his serious gaze, I instinctively took a step back. “I’m sorry—” This was the phrase I said most to Julian in our six months of marriage. As expected, Julian closed his eyes briefly. He whispered, “You know that’s not what I want to hear.” He looked at me again. “You have to give me a reason.” I avoided his gaze, staring at the pattern of the floor tiles. “I might… still need some time.” 2 Four years ago, I went abroad to study. On my return trip, I was in a plane crash. I was in a coma for a whole year. Julian never left my side. So as soon as I woke up, I was rushed into marrying him. In the six months since our marriage, Julian treated me with the utmost care. We had a shared history. Everyone told me he loved me. Everyone took it for granted that I loved him deeply too. They said Julian was the only man in my long life. Our marriage was the envy of countless people. I leaned against the headboard, looking at the cold crescent moon outside the window, unconsciously touching my heart. But inside, there was always a heavy emptiness. Since opening my eyes in that hospital bed six months ago, I felt I had lost something very important. But no matter how hard I thought or tried to recall, I didn’t know what I had lost. 3 Julian left in anger again. He would suppress his temper and not show it in front of me. But behind my back, he often drank himself into a stupor late at night. His assistant called me, stammering that Julian was drunk again and didn’t recognize anyone. Said they couldn’t move him. He asked tentatively, “Mr. Sterling has a meeting tomorrow morning… Madam, what do you think?” I sighed softly. “Give me the address. I’ll come right over.” After parking in the underground garage downtown, I checked the club’s address again before opening the door to get out. As soon as I stepped out, I noticed a gaze lingering on me. I instinctively looked towards the source and met the eyes of a little boy, about two or three years old. Opposite my parking spot was a low-key black luxury van. The boy was cleanly dressed with a beautiful face. He was leaning on the half-open car door, staring at me. He seemed curious, tilting his head slightly to look at my face. The gaze was innocent, direct, and soft. 4 My footsteps paused. A strange parking lot late at night, a tender child. I instinctively wanted to move towards him, even wanted to pick him up. But before I could act, a bodyguard in black got out of the half-open door. The bodyguard gave me a wary look, then quickly picked the little boy up and put him back in the car. The door closed tight. I only heard the child’s indistinct voice: “…Where’s Daddy?” Then the bodyguard’s low response: “Mr. Thorne will be down soon.” I couldn’t hear anything else. 5 As I left, I felt an inexplicable reluctance. I even looked back at the van, only to meet the driver’s warning gaze through the windshield. The driver had muscular arms and looked fierce. It seemed if I looked one more time, he would get out and deal with me. They guarded that child tightly and strictly, not even allowing others a glance. This must be an order from the boy’s parents. They treasured him too much to be so sensitively defensive. I finally withdrew my gaze and walked slowly out of this quiet underground parking lot. 6 On the weekend, Julian took me to his parents’ house for dinner. He was the perfect husband in everyone’s eyes. Even after marriage, he often took me to visit both sets of parents. At the dinner table, my mom intentionally mentioned the neighbor’s little granddaughter. Her hint was too obvious. She said I was already twenty-six and couldn’t delay any longer. Julian smoothed things over for me. I stared at the plate in front of me, dazing. A pair of black, bright, child’s eyes abruptly appeared in my mind. I often thought of the child I met in the parking lot that night. Perhaps he was too beautiful. Perhaps his gaze was too serious. I even dreamed of him occasionally at night. A hand suddenly rested intimately on my right shoulder. I snapped back to reality, looking into Julian’s smiling eyes. I didn’t hear what he said, but he was clearly waiting for my answer. Julian tilted his head slightly, looking at me. His gaze was focused, containing only me. But I dared not look at such eyes more and more. I dared not meet his gaze. So I turned my head, pushed the bowl and chopsticks away, and stood up. “I’m full.” Julian’s hand dropped from my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him lightly clench his empty palm. Going upstairs, I heard my mom complaining to Julian behind me. She said my personality had completely changed since waking up from that accident. Then came Julian’s faint explanation: “Maybe she was traumatized then.”

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On the eve of our wedding, Lucas Sterling fell to his death. Everyone assumed I, deeply in love as I was, would follow him to the grave. But I didn’t shed a single tear. Three years later, I met him again. He had not only returned from the dead but also lost his memory. “Are you my former fiancée? Haven’t seen you in years; why do you look so shabby? For old times’ sake, I can spare one day a week for you to serve me.” I didn’t even spare him a glance. Lucas didn’t know that on the night of his “death,” I received a video recording. He also didn’t know that during the three years he spent feigning amnesia and traveling the world with Sophia, I had gotten married. And my husband was his own brother. Chapter 1 In the private room, the crowd hadn’t noticed me standing at the door yet. Someone suddenly brought up a topic. “Lucas, it’s been three years. What are you planning to do about Isla?” Lucas replied nonchalantly, “Three years have passed; there’s no rush. Let’s wait until I marry Sophia.” The crowd laughed and chimed in. “I have to say, Isla is pretty thick-skinned. Seeing Lucas again after three years, she’ll probably be shocked silly!” “I heard she’s been living miserably these past three years. Without Lucas, her life is just crap.” The room was filled with merriment, the mockery in everyone’s words impossible to suppress. I was about to leave when someone spotted me and shouted, “Isla!?” I was exposed to everyone’s gaze. The guy who was laughing the loudest just now scratched his head awkwardly, trying to smooth things over. “Isla, Lucas is alive. We didn’t tell you because he lost his memory, and we were afraid of agitating you.” I glanced at them with disgust. Before I could speak, Lucas looked me up and down. “So you’re my fiancée? Why do you look so shabby? They said your standard of living plummeted without me these past three years.” Lucas was as arrogant as ever. But I no longer had the tolerance I once did. Facing him now, I felt only endless disgust. Seeing my silence, Lucas didn’t get angry. He lazily embraced Sophia, tracing her lips with his index finger. Sophia smiled, holding Lucas’s wandering hand, and pressed her provocative gaze on me. “Isla, haven’t seen you in three years. How did you end up like this? No wonder Lucas forgot you. Looking like this, who would remember you?” I frowned, clenching my fists unconsciously, disgusted by their loose behavior. Lucas, however, mistook my reaction for jealousy and looked somewhat pleased. “Alright, don’t be so jealous. If you still want to be with me, you have to get used to this relationship. Don’t worry, I’ll save one day a week for you.” As soon as he finished speaking, the people around immediately surrounded me, jeering, their words full of gloating and belittlement. “Oh Isla, look, Lucas still has feelings for you. Even with amnesia, he keeps you in his heart, saving one day a week for you!” “As long as you serve Lucas and Sophia well, won’t your life be better than before? Look at your shabby state; had enough of the hard life? You have to seize this opportunity!” Sophia leaned back on the sofa, her beautiful legs casually resting on the coffee table, her body pressed tightly against Lucas. She tutted. “No choice, Isla. You’ll just have to suffer a bit for now. After all, the person Lucas loves most right now is me.” Lucas chuckled at this. He admired Sophia’s new manicure and glanced at me indifferently. “What does she have to complain about? Loving me to death as she does, she should be secretly thrilled to have one day with me.” Hearing this, something in my heart clenched painfully. Lucas was so strange now that I dared not recognize him. Years ago, he loved me so much. Once, when I had a high fever of 104 degrees that wouldn’t break, he not only dropped all his work to watch over me day and night but also personally went to Wuling Mountain, climbing 9,999 steps, kowtowing every step, to pray for a safety charm for me. At that time, looking at his swollen, bleeding forehead and bloody knees, I was too heartbroken to speak, scolding him for being silly. But he held my face lovingly with both hands. “As long as you are safe and healthy, it’s worth it even if it costs me my life.” Everything from the past was vivid in my mind, but reality had long since changed. Chapter 2 It turns out a person can change so much. I suppressed the surging emotions, met Lucas’s eyes, showed the wedding ring on my hand, and tried to keep my tone calm. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else.” “Also, I’m already married.” The room fell instantly silent. Everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances, and then suddenly burst into laughter. Lucas raised an eyebrow indifferently, glancing carelessly at the wedding ring on my hand. “Married? To which delivery guy?” “Look at your poor state; that ring looks like it came from a dollar store! What, think this will trigger my memory of you?” With that, he quickly stood up and yanked the ring off my ring finger. I had been exhausted from project work these past few days and couldn’t dodge in time. Sophia stepped forward to examine the ring closely, then suddenly laughed. “Lucas, doesn’t this ring look like the Heart of Eternity wedding rings your brother bid for in France three years ago?” “Don’t tell me Isla claims she married your brother, Julian?” Sophia looked at me askance, playing with the wedding ring, making the room even livelier. This was too absurd for them. After all, Julian was now the primary heir of the Sterling family. Ruthless and decisive, he was the ice-cold tycoon no one dared to offend in the business world. Yet such a man suddenly had a flash marriage three years ago, marrying a mysterious woman and loving her to the bone. For three years, no matter how much the media dug, they couldn’t find a single piece of information about his wife and son. “Isla, you’re not going to say you’re that mysterious woman no one has been able to dig up for three years, are you?” Sophia tossed the ring up and caught it, the ring flashing dazzlingly under the lights. “Oh, gotta say, the craftsmanship on this fake is pretty good. Which factory did you find to make it?” Their successive mockery made me impatient. “Don’t touch my ring, it’s real—” Before I could finish, Lucas slapped me, turning my head to the side, my face instantly burning with pain. “Isla, have you lost your mind? Daring to spread rumors about my brother! Everyone knows he loves my sister-in-law to the bone. Even I haven’t seen her face, and you dare to impersonate her. Who gave you the nerve?!” I licked my dry lips, slowly turning my head to meet Lucas’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too terrifying; Lucas frowned. Seeing this, Sophia immediately got upset. She pointed at my nose and scolded: “Isla, how can you be so ungrateful? Lucas already promised to spend one day a week with you. Not only do you not cherish it, but now you dare to impersonate his sister-in-law. Everyone in the elite circle knows Lucas’s brother’s trigger is his mysterious wife. Are you doing this to make his brother take it out on Lucas? How vicious can you be!” Hearing this, I felt a sense of realization. Once, Sophia couldn’t tolerate me anywhere, always trying to outdo me. To break up Lucas and me, she smeared my name in front of him every day. But back then, Lucas didn’t believe her at all and even punished Sophia severely for her malicious slander. But now, the person who used to protect me the most stood with Sophia. He held Sophia’s hand and threw a stack of bills hard at my face. “Fine, stop pretending. For old times’ sake, I won’t pursue this. Look at your poor state; this money is enough for you to enjoy for a month.” The sharp corner cut my face, oozing tiny drops of blood. I ignored it, just lifting my eyes to stare dead at Lucas. A flash of inexplicable guilt and panic crossed his face. Seeing this, I scoffed and bent down. The guilt and panic on Lucas’s face faded, replaced by mockery again. “Thought you had some backbone…” The next second, his words halted. Under Lucas’s stunned gaze, I found the ring among the pile of red bills. Lucas froze, stopping me before I could leave the private room. “Still pretending even now? Any single bill on the floor could buy dozens of your broken rings!” His expression was complex, with a hint of annoyance upon closer look. I ignored his emotional changes and slapped his hand away hard. Lucas’s hand froze in mid-air, his teeth grinding audibly. “Fine, you’ve got some nerve now. As expected, poverty breeds temper. Three days from now is my wedding with Sophia. My brother returns to the country that day too and will attend with my mysterious sister-in-law. If you have the guts, come!” Chapter 3 Hearing the word “wedding,” Sophia’s eyes lit up, and she added: “Maybe she’s afraid of being exposed and won’t dare to come.” I didn’t want to tangle with them anymore, turned and strode away, leaving a sentence before I left. “I’ll be there in three days. Hope you’re still this confident then.” Walking out of the club quickly, breathing fresh air, the nausea churning in my stomach subsided a lot. I took out my phone and looked at the video I received three years ago again. In the video, the man intimately held Sophia, smiling lazily and recklessly. “Isla is too boring. Although I love her, she can’t give me the feeling I want.” “This time I’m faking my death. I’ll go back when I’ve had enough fun. She’s suitable for settling down with, but with my stunt, given her personality, she might want to die for love. You guys keep an eye on her.” The day I got the death certificate, I did think about ending it all. His friends kept stopping me from doing anything foolish. Thinking back now, their distorted crying was clearly them trying hard to hold back laughter. I put away my phone and looked at the dim streetlights. Regardless of whether Lucas was dead or alive, there had been no place for him in my heart for three years. Three days later, I arrived at the wedding venue as promised. Lucas’s tense expression vanished the moment he saw me step into the venue. I withdrew my gaze and was about to take a seat unhurriedly when someone tripped me hard, sending me crashing into the nine-tier cake beside me. Decorations and cream came crashing down. My high-end gown was instantly covered in cream, and I looked utterly pathetic. Wine glasses also fell to the ground, shattering glass cutting my face, blood oozing from my forehead. The venue was instantly in an uproar, everyone’s eyes glued to me. Cream blurred my vision. I struggled to get up, but before I could stand steady, I was pushed down hard again. Sophia’s angry voice came from above. “Isla, what exactly do you mean? We kindly invited you to the wedding. Not only did you not give a gift, but you deliberately caused destruction at our wedding. You just can’t stand seeing us happy, can you?!” Many people came to this wedding, mostly hearing that Julian would attend with his mysterious wife, and were rushing to curry favor with his brother. “There really are all kinds of people these days, daring to bully Julian’s brother and cause a scene at his wedding. Let’s see how she ends this!” “Hey, look at the ring on that woman’s hand. Why does it look so much like the Heart of Eternity Julian bought for a heavy sum three years ago? How bold is this woman!” “Who doesn’t know Julian loves his wife to the bone? Daring to play an imposter openly on such an occasion, she must have a death wish!” Lucas heard these words too. His chest heaved violently with anger, his eyes looking like they were about to spew fire. “Isla, you’re a jinx! I was blind to have liked you. You even dare to wear this fake broken ring. Do you want to wait for my brother to come and deal with you personally?!” With that, he walked straight towards me, then stepped on the ring finger of my left hand, grinding hard. Severe pain shot from the base of my finger. Ten fingers connected to the heart; I felt like thousands of sharp blades were piercing my chest. Seeing me struggle, Sophia immediately yelled for everyone to hold me down. For a moment, I couldn’t move. Cream covered my vision. I wanted to struggle but couldn’t, finally shouting in anger: “Julian is my husband!” Lucas laughed upon hearing this, as if hearing a fantasy. He ground his foot harder, the tip of his leather shoe about to break my ring finger. “Still thinking of being an imposter now. Wait until my brother comes and see how you explain! He loves my sister-in-law so much; you just wait to die!” Seeing Lucas was impervious to reason, I felt despair. I struggled with all my might but was held down firmly by the crowd. I gritted my teeth inwardly. When the time comes, I won’t spare any of these people! Lucas exerted force again, the sound of bone cracking clearly audible. I grunted in pain, but suddenly my body felt light. The crowd ignored me, hurriedly getting up to tidy their appearance, looking forward eagerly. The waiter opened the hall doors, and Julian walked in with his son, surrounded like a star by the moon. Chapter 4 Julian strode forward, holding a little baby in his arms. The child wasn’t old, but his speech was exceptionally clear, shouting for his mother. “Daddy, where’s Mommy? Didn’t you say Mommy would be here today? Why haven’t we seen her yet?” With that, he fussed to get down from the man’s arms. The delicately carved little doll landed on the ground, instantly attracting the attention of everyone in the hall. The bodyguards behind him followed closely, afraid he might fall. Sophia stepped forward at this time, holding a tray of small cakes. “Auntie loves little babies the most. Come here to Auntie. Want a cupcake?” Sophia smiled attentively. Who knew the child would frown and knock the tray out of her hand. “Go away, your smile looks like a bad person’s. My mommy said not to eat things from strangers. And you don’t look like a good person. Stay away from me; I want to find my mommy!” “My mommy said she’s coming to your wedding today. You’re the bride, right? Have you seen a gentle and beautiful woman?” Sophia’s hand holding the tray froze in mid-air. humiliated and mocked by a child, her face turned pale. But because of Julian, she dared not flare up. “Your mommy didn’t come. Everyone is here today; see if your mommy is among them?” As soon as these words came out, the whole venue started whispering. “What! Julian’s wife came this time too? Hidden for three years, is she finally coming out?” “Who is Julian’s wife exactly? There are so many people here, but I don’t feel like any of them are her! No one here has the temperament to match Julian!” “Isla just made a big scene impersonating his wife. Unexpectedly, the real one was present at the time. She must have looked at Isla like a joke. How embarrassing!” I didn’t expect that even at this time, some people still firmly believed I was an imposter. Seeing Julian arrive, Lucas greeted him affectionately. “Brother, you’re finally here. Haven’t seen you in years; missed you to death! By the way, why didn’t sister-in-law come with you?” Julian glanced at Lucas indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion. “I had unfinished business abroad and came back late. She returned three days early. You should have seen her. She said she would come to find you in advance. Didn’t you meet?” Lucas froze, a trace of surprise flashing across his face. “No, no one came to find me in the past three days, and I didn’t see sister-in-law.” Not seeing me for so long, my son started crying. “Boohoo, I want Mommy. I haven’t seen Mommy for three days. Where did you hide my Mommy?” Sophia stepped forward again, smiling gently. “Good baby, your mommy probably got stuck in traffic and will be here soon. But we have a bad woman impersonating your mommy here. Do you want to see her?” A trace of hesitation flashed across my son’s face. Sophia smiled. “This person is just too hateful. Not only did she impersonate your mommy, but she also forged the engagement ring your daddy gave your mommy, using the cheapest materials. She even made a scene at my wedding, ruining a happy event. But don’t worry, Auntie has already punished this bad woman for you and vented your mommy’s anger!” Guests wanting to cling to Julian also chimed in: “Yes, Mr. Sterling. You don’t know how arrogant this woman was. Even knowing you were coming soon, she still claimed to be your wife, holding a broken ring. Did she really think no one here knows quality?” Lucas also stepped forward. “Brother, don’t worry. This person has been severely punished by me. Her fingers were stepped on and broken, and the ring was thrown away by me. No one can impersonate my sister-in-law, rest assured!”

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At my grandmother’s funeral, the ascetic monk was drugged and forced himself on my stepmother. I locked the door for them and called my gangster father. In my past life, worried my father would take revenge on him, I gritted my teeth and offered myself instead. Afterward, under public pressure, Julian renounced his vows and married me. I thought we would live happily ever after, but in seven years of marriage, I suffered the agony of trying to conceive. Ten pregnancies, ten miscarriages. Everyone mocked me, the gangster’s daughter, for my “chaotic” private life. They said it was karma for my family’s sins. Worried I would suffer, my father groomed Julian as his successor early on. He even passed on the token that commanded the underworld to him. Yet, while I was at a prenatal checkup, Julian commanded underworld mercenaries and joined forces with my stepmother to kill my father and blow up our family home. He trapped me in the delivery room, cut open my stomach, and let me bleed to death. “Your father forced himself on Penny back then, and you schemed to make me break my vows and marry you.” “Your family kept Penny and me apart for ten years! This is your karma!” Finally, in front of me, he killed the daughter I had desperately birthed with a single slash. I died with my eyes wide open in rage. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my grandmother’s funeral. In this life, I will make sure you two lovebirds get exactly what you deserve! 1 “Julian… we can’t… not here…” My stepmother’s voice was coquettish and full of lust, drifting to my ears on the wind, turning my hands and feet ice cold. Through the window of the wing room, I saw Julian completely naked. His eyes were red as he pressed my stepmother, Penny, under him, tearing open her white mourning clothes. “Minna, today is your grandmother’s funeral. We can’t let them carry on here.” “Let’s go in and pull them apart!” My best friend, Jade, pale with shock, kept pushing me to go in. I stood rooted to the spot. Watching the two already entangled in the room, then looking at Jade beside me, whose face unconsciously revealed an expression of envy and jealousy. I pushed her hand away, my eyes full of excitement. Save these two animals? I haven’t forgotten what these beasts did. In my past life, one drugged me for years, causing ten miscarriages and leaving me bedridden with illness; the other, worse than a dog, killed my newborn daughter with his own hands. “Minna, Julian is a respected monk. Today, Uncle Gu is holding a grand funeral for his mother. If he finds out Julian slept with his woman, he won’t spare him!” “You’re Uncle Gu’s daughter; only you can save him!” “Besides, Julian once said if Uncle Gu kills again, it will shorten his life!” “If he finds out the monk was drugged and slept with his woman at the funeral, he will definitely go on a killing spree!” Jade spoke faster and faster, more anxious than me, the person involved. She had long liked Julian, waiting for him to return to secular life to marry him. In my past life, when I was trapped in the delivery room by Julian, struggling to make a distress call… It was she who cut off my right hand. She used a scalpel to carve into me, venting her anger: “If you hadn’t schemed, I would have married Julian long ago! You really have a tough life; even with all those drugs, you still won’t die…” I suppressed the hatred in my heart and instructed Jade: “I’ll go in to stop them. You go find a few nuns. Don’t alert the VIP guests who came to pay their respects.” “I’ll go right away.” Jade couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth. She turned and ran, even losing her high heels. I watched her retreating figure coldly, rushing as if to reincarnate. In my past life, I clearly told her to call only a few people to quietly suppress the matter. But she brought the wealthy wives and daughters who came to offer condolences. As a result, everyone saw me naked, pressed under Julian on the floor. My aunt, who treated me like her own daughter, fainted on the spot from the shock. And my reputation was completely ruined for sleeping with a man at my grandmother’s funeral. I was called a shameless slut, and my father was secretly ridiculed! My cousin, already suffering from depression, committed suicide that night after being insulted over this matter. Since Jade harbors malicious intentions… Then in this life, I will use her hands to blow this matter up completely! And completely cut off my “good husband’s” road to riches from my past life! 2 I stood at the door of the wing room, the breeze blowing over my whole body. I felt the vitality in my body and looked down at my hands. The backs of my hands were not covered with bruises from countless injections. My fair skin was intact, without the permanent urticaria left by pregnancy. My lower abdomen was flat and firm, without the pain of egg retrieval and multiple miscarriages, and the skin hadn’t become inelastic and dead. The cool breeze made my mind clearer, reminding me that I had really been reborn, not hallucinating. When I saw figures looming in the distance, I found a sharp stone and cut several bloody wounds on my arms, then slapped myself hard. Touching the wounds, I smiled self-deprecatingly. I used to be most afraid of pain, but after the torture of my past life, my perception of pain had become numb! “Minna, why aren’t you inside?” Jade led several nuns and wealthy ladies over. Seeing me standing at the door intact, panic flashed in her eyes. Looking at the crowd, I rushed out of the small courtyard and slammed the door shut. As I approached, the conspicuous wounds and blood on my body shocked everyone! Who didn’t know I was the only daughter of the underworld boss, Gu Changlin, held in the palm of his hand like a precious jewel? Usually, no one dared to touch a finger of mine, but now I was hurt and bleeding! The abbess standing at the front frowned. Originally, this funeral was held in their temple. If something happened to the guests who came to offer condolences, their reputation would be ruined, and no one would dare to come for rituals in the future. Seeing the abbess wanting to step forward to open the door, I blocked her directly and said calmly: “Jade passed the wrong message. Nothing happened inside. Abbess, you all should leave.” Hearing my words, the already stern abbess’s face turned slightly cold. “Although Miss Gu has a noble status, this is a sacred Buddhist place, not your home to run wild!” Two strong nuns immediately walked over to pull me away. I blocked the door and shouted sternly: “Get back! No one is allowed to approach!” Seeing my fierce expression masking inner weakness, the abbess’s face grew colder, convinced there was something fishy inside and I was an accomplice. “Break the door open!” I was immediately roughly pulled away by the two nuns and fell hard on the ground. My arm hit a protruding stone, cutting a wound more than ten centimeters long. My aunt pulled me up with heartache: “You silly girl, usually it’s fine, but today is your grandmother’s funeral. Is this a day for you to mess around?” Looking at my aunt’s rosy face, not white-haired overnight from my ruined reputation and my cousin’s suicide, tears streamed down my face instantly. “Auntie, don’t let them in!” Saying this, I tried to break free from her hand and rush out. I threw myself on the ground, hugging the abbess’s legs, crying: “Abbess, you really can’t go in. I beg you! Please leave quickly!” The wealthy wives and daughters who were called over looked shocked at me lowering myself like this, whispering among themselves: “Could something big really have happened inside that would affect the funeral? Otherwise, why would the eldest Miss of the Gu family block people regardless of her image?” Looking at my miserable appearance, the abbess was so angry her chest heaved: “My sacred Buddhist ground has become your Gu family’s territory. Do we need your permission to enter a courtyard?” “Miss Gu, I indeed dare not do anything to you! Then go invite Mr. Gu and the abbot!” 3 I forcibly suppressed the corners of my mouth turning up. My injuries were not in vain; this time the commotion is bigger than in my past life! Today is my grandmother’s funeral, and almost all the rich people in the city are here! I must make Julian and his childhood sweetheart famous in the capital to avenge my past life! In less than half an hour, the abbot walked over with my father and other guests. My father glared at me and slapped me: “Minna, I spoiled you too much usually, that’s why you are so presumptuous!” “Today is the funeral of your grandmother who loved you most. How can you be so ignorant and make trouble here?” Other rich wives also looked at me with disdain, pointing and whispering. Donating to charity for years, I had a good reputation in the capital. But making a scene at my grandmother’s funeral today was a huge filial impiety! The reputation accumulated over many years was completely destroyed today! My father glanced at me and said coldly: “Abbot, break the door open. I want to see who dares to make trouble at my mother’s funeral!” The abbot nodded slightly, and the monks behind him stepped forward quickly. My aunt hurriedly pulled me up from the ground to make way. It was already summer, and I was only wearing thin mourning clothes. The front of the courtyard was muddy. My clothes were not only torn but also covered in mud mixed with blood. I looked as wretched as a defeated soldier just off the battlefield! But I felt no pain. Looking at the people breaking into the courtyard, I was shaking with excitement and hurriedly followed. The abbot and his people stopped just as they stepped into the courtyard. Everyone clearly heard the ambiguous sounds coming from the wing room. A woman’s moans and a man’s low roars mixed together, making people blush upon hearing. Instantly, everyone knew what was happening inside. The blushing crowd looked at each other with weird expressions. Wondering whose children were fooling around here! Fearing their lives were at stake. “How dare someone do such dirty things at a funeral! Is this showing no respect for the Gu family?” Someone whispered such a sentence. Everyone secretly looked at my father’s face. He was red with anger, eyes bloodshot. I quickly grabbed my father’s arm: “Dad, forget it! What if it’s some family’s daughter inside? Her reputation will be ruined…” But my father was furious. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely: “Doing such beastly things at my mother’s funeral, and afraid of being caught?” “I want to see today! Who is so audacious!” “All get out of the way!” With that, he walked to the door full of murderous intent and kicked the door open! 4 The dilapidated wooden door shattered directly. The sunlight from outside shone into the room, and everyone clearly saw the clothes thrown on the floor. A breeze blew, and the smell of sex rushed to everyone’s nose. Immediately, many rich wives and daughters covered their noses in disgust, and some even retched. “This is simply unsightly…” Anger rushed straight to my father’s head. He snatched the stick from the monk beside him and directly flipped the quilt on the bed! Under the quilt, a woman was kneeling on the bed, face buried in the bedding, her fair skin covered with signs of lovemaking. And Julian was kneeling behind the woman, face full of lust. Instantly, the room was silent, even the sound of wind could be heard clearly. “Mr… Gu…” Julian was so scared his voice cracked. He panicked, grabbing the clothes on the bed to put on, not forgetting to give one to the kneeling woman to cover her head! My father looked at him, anger deepening in his eyes! Julian was a monk. My father admired his profound knowledge of Buddhism, often listened to his sermons, and treated him as an honored guest! He even designated him to chant sutras for my grandmother’s salvation. Yet he engaged in sexual acts at my father’s mother’s funeral. To my father, this was undoubtedly betrayal! “Beast worse than a pig or dog!” My father turned red with rage and swung the stick. Julian hugged the woman and dodged around. Two white bodies appeared brazenly in front of everyone. All the ladies present turned their heads away, looking disgusted. The abbot trembled with anger. Such obscene things happening in Jin’an Temple were a devastating blow to the temple’s reputation! He said coldly: “Someone! Pull that woman with her face covered over here. I want to see who has such guts!” “Seducing men in the temple!” Julian’s expression was pale. He hugged the woman in his arms tightly, covering her face: “Abbot, please let me off this time for my sake…” However, as a monk of the temple, he publicly broke his vows and ruined Jin’an Temple’s reputation. The abbot wanted to kill him; how could he let him go? The abbess’s eyes spewed fire, scolding angrily: “Monk, Jin’an Temple treated you well. Is this how you repay us? Still protecting this vixen now!” “I want to see what kind of beauty bewitched you like this!” Several nuns stepped forward together. The woman covering her head with clothes was easily dragged to the floor. Her white body was exposed to everyone, covered with purple kiss marks. She struggled desperately on the floor but was easily subdued by the nuns. One nun reached out to pull the clothes off her face, tearing the fabric with a rip. Then she grabbed her hair, forcing her to look up, exposing her face to everyone. “Slut! Daring to have an affair, now you know shame?” The nun pulled her hair hard in hatred, tearing out a handful of black hair! “Ah, let go of me!” With a painful scream, a face as beautiful as peach blossoms appeared before everyone. Instantly, everyone gasped, no one daring to speak! My stepmother, Penny Wang, was exposed to everyone just like that.

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On the night of our arranged marriage, I tied Sebastian Thorne to the bed. He gritted his teeth and said, “Lily, even if you have my body, you’ll never have my heart!” Three months later, Sebastian came home on time, lay down obediently, and started unbuttoning his shirt while stubbornly saying, “Actually, I don’t really want to tonight…” “Since you don’t want to, then we won’t do it anymore.” I tossed the pregnancy test into the trash can and said calmly. Sebastian immediately slid to his knees in front of me: “I want to! I want to! I really want to! Wifey, I’ll never be stubborn again, boohoo!” 1 “Seb, aren’t you afraid your wife will be mad if you don’t keep her company on your wedding night?” As soon as I reached the door of the private room, I heard Sebastian’s annoying reply: “Let her be mad. What’s she going to do, tie me up and drag me back?” The room erupted in laughter. Tie him up and drag him back? Not a bad idea. I thought about it for a moment, then pushed the door open. Upon seeing me, the room fell instantly silent. Several men quietly straightened up. Except for Sebastian. He was sunk into a wide, emerald green velvet sofa, slouching bonelessly. His flashy burgundy shirt was eye-catching even in the dim light, the collar unbuttoned to reveal his pale, sexy collarbone. His face, handsome to the point of being sinful, was full of amusement. He drawled, his tone rising slightly with feigned surprise: “Well, well, Mrs. Thorne, you’re out to play too?” “Sebastian, it’s nine o’clock.” My voice was flat, as if I were just reminding him of the time. The provocative smile on Sebastian’s lips froze for a second. He must have remembered the rules I set for him before we got married. One of them was that he couldn’t be home later than ten o’clock. The reason being, I’m used to going to bed early, and we needed to produce an heir as soon as possible. So I required him to come home early, finish the business early, so I could sleep early. “So what?” Under the curious gazes of his friends, Sebastian stiffened his neck and sneered stubbornly. “Nothing.” Seeing Sebastian being stubborn, I curved my lips. “Stand up for a moment.” I smiled harmlessly. Sebastian probably thought I was compromising. His nonchalant expression returned. One hand in his pocket, he stood up annoyingly, “What for…” But before he could finish, I knocked him out with a chop to the neck. Sebastian looked incredulous, then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. “We have things to do today, so we’ll leave first. Dinner’s on me next time.” I cleanly hoisted Sebastian onto my shoulder and nodded to the men in the room who were already huddled together, trembling. With that, I walked out steadily carrying the unconscious Sebastian. Behind me came the sharp gasps of several men. “Holy crap! Did his wife just knock Seb out with one chop?!” “More than that! She hoisted Seb, who’s almost six-three, onto her shoulder! And she looked like it was nothing! Seb works out all the time!” “Terrifying! She looks maybe five-seven? So slender, where does she get that strength!” “Seb is done for tonight!” “Sigh, a moment of silence for him.” 2 I stripped Sebastian and threw him into the bathtub. Drowning in the tub, Sebastian woke up with a start. “Why am I here?” He sat up in the tub, looking bewildered. “Ten minutes. Clean yourself up.” After saying that, I didn’t even look at him, turning to leave. “You, you, you, Lily!” Sebastian looked at his naked self in disbelief, gritting his teeth, “You not only knocked me out but stripped me too?!” Hearing this, I paused, turned to look at the exasperated Sebastian, calmly checked my watch, and offered a friendly reminder: “You have nine and a half minutes left.” Sebastian: ?! “Still not washing?” My tone was waveless as I prepared to take off my watch: “Or should I come in and help you wash?” “You—” Sebastian reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly flushing red. He said aggrievedly and through gritted teeth, “Get out! I’ll wash myself!” “OK.” I turned and left without hesitation. 3 Nine minutes and fifty-five seconds later, Sebastian came out wearing a bathrobe, water dripping from the ends of his hair. “Dry your hair.” I looked at Sebastian, tilting my head back to take my medicine. When Sebastian’s gaze landed on the pill box on the bedside table, he looked at me in disbelief: “You need to take medicine to be with me?!” “What else?” I impatiently took out another box of pills and threw it on the bed. “This box is yours. Hurry up, don’t dawdle, I’m sleepy.” It was almost ten; it was my bedtime. Sebastian looked humiliated: “Does the young master need this stuff?!” The medicine was kicking in, and I lost my patience. I directly hooked Sebastian’s bathrobe belt, pushed him onto the bed, and while he was dazed, handcuffed his wrists to the headboard. Sebastian’s muscles tensed instantly, looking shocked: “Lily, what are you doing?!” I didn’t waste words with him. I pried open his mouth and shoved the pill in. Then I pulled open his bathrobe. Sebastian wasn’t wearing anything underneath. I looked up at Sebastian meaningfully: “Oh, little Mr. Thorne isn’t wearing clothes? Are you naturally averse to wearing them?” Having his little thoughts exposed, Sebastian’s face instantly exploded red. Two flames of anger burned in those beautiful peach blossom eyes, staring at me as if to burn through me: “Lily!” Seeing Sebastian’s angry and embarrassed look, I didn’t tease him anymore, preparing to get straight to the point. But Sebastian was still being stubborn: “Lily, give up. I won’t have feelings for you!” “Then what is this…?” I casually flicked a certain spirited part of Sebastian’s body, scoffing: “The medicine shouldn’t work this fast, right?” Sebastian: ?! “Lily, are you even a woman!” Sebastian was so ashamed and angry that he turned red all over, like a cooked shrimp. “Nonsense, am I a ladyboy?” I endured the pain and sat down. Getting straight to the point, Sebastian was also confused, still stammering: “Lily, even if you have my body, you won’t have my heart…” “Shut up!” I couldn’t bear it anymore and slapped Sebastian, “Who wants your heart!” A sincere heart is the most useless thing in this world. Only money and power are the hard truths. Sebastian suddenly shut up. I looked up subconsciously and saw him looking dazed, narrowing his eyes, seeming to savor the slap just now. Me: ? Did I hit him into pleasure? I paused. Could this dog have some special fetish? Seeing I stopped and looked at him with an indescribable expression, Sebastian shuddered and immediately came back to his senses. He realized his expression just now was wrong, his face instantly red again, forcefully saving face: “Y-you, what right do you have to hit me?” I was in pain, too lazy to say another word to him, gritting my teeth and continuing. “Y-you’ll get hurt like this.” Sebastian’s expression wasn’t very comfortable either. He asked tentatively: “How about I do it?” Slap. I slapped Sebastian again, impatiently saying: “Shut up!” Two slaps later, Sebastian was completely behaved, looking aggrieved, lying there afraid to move. (Ten thousand words omitted here.) After it was over, I unlocked Sebastian’s handcuffs, signaling he could scram. “You use and discard?” Sebastian was confused. I had no strength left, wrapped in the quilt with my back to Sebastian, not wanting to say a word. Sebastian complained for a while about how my behavior of using and discarding was scummy, then realized I was ignoring him completely. Then he exploded, hugging his clothes and huffing out a harsh remark: “Lily, if I let you succeed again, I’m a dog!” then went to sleep in the next room. 4 The next night at nine o’clock. I looked at the clock on the wall and called Sebastian. The first call wasn’t answered. The second rang for almost a minute before Sebastian slowly picked up. After connecting, the blasting music on his end was deafening, showing no sign of restraint because of the call. I frowned, using my last bit of patience to remind him: “Sebastian, it’s nine o’clock.” However, Sebastian on the other end became even more arrogant. He said lazily: “So what?” Hearing Sebastian’s extremely arrogant tone, I didn’t speak, silently getting up to get something from the utility room. On the other end, Sebastian was still provoking: “Lily, let me tell you, being knocked out by you yesterday was because the young master wasn’t prepared. If you dare to come today, I’ll show you my power!” Hearing this, I scoffed, “Three minutes. That is pretty powerful.” After my voice fell, Sebastian exploded. “That was my first time, no experience! Ahhh! Lily, you are not allowed to tell anyone!!!” Sebastian screamed a warning at me, his voice almost breaking. After his voice fell, I heard the music on his end stop abruptly, followed by the shocked voices of the men in the box yesterday— “Seb, you’re that fast?!” “Holy crap, Seb, you can’t do it?!” “Seb, if you really can’t, take some medicine?!” Sebastian: … Beep beep beep. Sebastian hung up the phone. I wasn’t angry either. After stuffing everything into my bag, I grabbed the car keys and drove to “The Duke”. 5 It was the same private room as yesterday. Seeing me, Sebastian subconsciously sat up straight. But then he relaxed again, resting his hands on the sofa, crossing his long legs on the coffee table, looking at me with a reckless attitude. “Out playing again, Mrs. Thorne.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow at me annoyingly. I ignored him, turned around, took out the U-lock from my bag, and locked the room door. Sebastian’s expression froze, and he sat up straight. I then took out a dart from my bag and threw it straight at Sebastian. “Holy crap, Lily, you’re murdering your husband!” Sebastian’s pupils dilated, and he jumped up to dodge the dart. Missed. Regrettably, I took out another dart and threw it at Sebastian again. “Ahhh!” This time it wasn’t just Sebastian screaming, but also his three friends in the room. “Sister-in-law, calm down, we’re innocent!” I turned a deaf ear. Wherever Sebastian dodged, my darts followed, showing no mercy. Four men ran around the room holding their heads. “Seb, apologize quickly!” One of them almost cried after nearly getting hit by a dart. “Apologize my ass! A real man never admits mistakes!” Sebastian’s slicked-back hair was messy from dodging darts, looking quite wretched, but his mouth was still hard. Then a dart flew past his ear. Sebastian: !! “Lily, I was wrong!” Sebastian slid to his knees in front of me, hugging my hand tightly to admit his mistake. My expression was calm. Looking down at the trembling Sebastian, I said gently: “Sebastian, this is the second time.” Implying, there won’t be a third. “I know, I know, boohoo.” Sebastian couldn’t help but howl and cry, obviously truly scared. When we left, Sebastian followed behind me dejectedly. His three friends hugged the door with weak legs, watching us leave with admiration and awe.

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My sister was assaulted by the Mayor’s intellectually disabled son. Unable to bear the humiliation, she drowned herself in the river. To save face—and make a profit—my parents took the hush money and buried her in a rush. But on the seventh day after her death, her grave was dug up. Her body had been stolen by a neighboring family who had just lost their son, intended for a “Spirit Wedding.” My entire family charged over to snatch the body back. The family guarded the coffin, adorned with grotesque wedding symbols, refusing to let go. “I dug up this bride fair and square! She belongs to my son now!” My parents, eyes gleaming with greed, demanded fifty thousand dollars to let them keep my sister’s corpse. What they didn’t know was that the thing sleeping in that coffin… wasn’t my sister. 1 When my sister Sarah’s body was hauled up from the riverbank, the whole village of Blackwood Creek came to watch. Death wasn’t rare in these parts. What was rare was the state of her body. Sarah looked like she was eight months pregnant. Her belly was swollen tight against her wet clothes. It was unnatural. The town’s unlicensed medic, Old Doc, claimed it was pregnancy. He pointed to the dark line on her stomach. He said she must have been hiding it. But I saw the bruises. I saw the marks on her wrists and ankles, like she’d been chained. “If she drowned,” I asked, my voice trembling, “where did those bruises come from?” Old Doc insisted it was drowning. My mother slapped me across the face. “Your sister was a slut! She shamed this family hooking up with men! You want to be just like her?” I covered my stinging mouth, looking down, too scared to speak. The men in the crowd started their whispers, spitting their tobacco and their lies. “Must have been carrying a bastard. Killed herself out of shame.” “Yeah, look at her. Always was a tease.” “The Mayor’s boy is simple-minded; he wouldn’t know how to touch a woman like that.” I stood there, chest tight with rage. Just a week before she went missing, Sarah had her period. She ruined a pair of jeans. My whole family knew she couldn’t be pregnant. But my parents turned a blind eye. No one defended her. They covered my mouth. I knew why. They wanted to use Sarah’s death to extort money. Sure enough, Mom threw herself onto Sarah’s wet corpse, wailing. “My daughter was a pure girl! Who did this to her?! Who got her pregnant?!” Silence. The Mayor, afraid of a scandal, offered money to make it go away. My parents’ attitude flipped instantly. They happily pocketed the blood money, already planning how to use it to buy my little brother a new car or a wife of his own someday. Fearing complications, the Mayor ordered my parents to bury Sarah quickly in a shallow grave in the back woods. That’s when the Stranger passed through. He was a drifter, dressed in dark clothes, claiming to know the occult. He said Sarah didn’t die clean. A simple burial wouldn’t hold back her rage. He walked over, touched Sarah’s distended belly, and his face turned grim. “There is a Corpse Child inside. A malevolent spirit.” “Two lives in one body. You cannot simply bury her. She needs a Ritual of Bones.” My mom rolled her eyes. “What kind of nonsense is this? You trying to scam us?” The Stranger sighed. He took a string of black beads from his wrist and placed them on Sarah’s stomach. In a flash, the swelling collapsed. “Do not remove these beads for seven days,” he warned. “On the seventh day, you must exhume the coffin. Place part of her bones in a clay jar. The beads only suppress the resentment of the infant spirit.” “You must bury the fetal remains in your own yard.” “I will return in seven days.” Before leaving, the Stranger gave a final, chilling warning: If we didn’t follow his instructions, in seven days, Sarah and the thing inside her would return as a Skin-Walker and slaughter the entire village. 2 The seventh day arrived. It was gloomy and overcast. The Stranger returned as promised. My parents thought he was a con artist, but fear of a vengeful ghost kept them compliant. Before dawn, we hiked up the back mountain to dig up the grave. The woods were cold and damp. The trees looked like twisted human figures standing in the mist. It was dead silent. My brother, the golden child, walked leisurely behind my parents. I was the mule, carrying heavy bags of ritual paper money, mud splashing my clothes. The Stranger scattered paper money as we walked, chanting in a language I didn’t understand. Birds flew overhead, their cries sounding like a woman weeping. My brother, cowardly as always, hid in Mom’s arms. “Mom, when can we go home?” Mom stroked his forehead gently. “Soon, baby.” Then she glared at me. “Lily! Watch your brother!” He stuck his tongue out at me. If Sarah were here, she would have protected me. Just then, a voice whispered behind me. “Tired? Let big sis carry that for you.” It wasn’t Sarah’s normal voice. It sounded like it was squeezed through gritted teeth, raspy and hollow. I whipped around. Nothing but darkness. Fear made me walk faster. Ten yards from the grave, the Stranger stopped. He lit incense and candles, sticking them into the mud on both sides of the path. Ten candles in total. My mom put her hands together, muttering nervously, “Sarah, don’t blame mom and dad. Eat well, dress well, and move on. Protect your brother; he’s the only son of our family.” My dad grumbled, “Does this guy’s voodoo actually work?” Mom shushed him. After the ritual, we walked to the simple mound. Everyone’s eyes went wide. The grave had been dug up. Rain had washed the coffin halfway out. But the terrifying part was… the lid was open. Sarah’s body was gone. 3 My parents turned pale. “Where is she?! Where is Sarah?” “Did… did she walk away?” my brother whimpered. The Stranger looked grave. He peered into the empty coffin and pulled out a red cloth packet. “Your daughter was stolen for a Spirit Binding.” He opened the packet. Inside were five old coins and a lock of hair tied with red string. “A ghost marriage,” the Stranger said. “Someone wants her soul for their dead son.” Mom screamed, “Who the hell stole my daughter’s body?! That ungrateful girl, causing trouble even when she’s dead!” Dad asked around the village. Turns out, the Miller family in the next valley had lost their son recently. They sneaked up the mountain to steal Sarah for a posthumous wedding. The Stranger did a quick calculation on his fingers and turned white. “If we don’t perform the Bone Ritual before midnight, hell is going to break loose.” We rushed to the Miller house. They were in the middle of the ceremony. Two red coffins sat in the yard. A rooster and a hen were tied to a table. Suona horns blew a piercing, mournful tune. “Give me back my daughter!” My parents rushed in, stopping them from sealing the coffins. “What are you doing?! This is a wedding!” An old woman with messy gray hair threw herself at my mom. They wrestled on the ground. My mom, strong from years of farm work, pinned the woman down. “You’re bullying us! I dug her up myself! They’re married now! She belongs to our family, dead or alive!” Mom yanked the woman’s hair. “I spit on that! You want a daughter-in-law, you pay the dowry! This is theft! I don’t recognize this marriage!” Seeing my mom’s ferocity, the woman softened. “Fine! Name your price! How much to buy the corpse?” Hearing “price,” Mom stopped fighting and looked at Dad. “Fifty thousand. Not a penny less.” 4 I couldn’t believe it. Sarah couldn’t even find peace in death. The woman’s eyes bulged. “Fifty thousand?! I could get a living girl for that!” “Then go get one! Otherwise, we take the coffin!” They haggled over my sister like she was a side of beef. Eventually, they pulled the red cloth off the coffin to inspect the “goods.” I saw Sarah. She had been dead for days, yet her face was rosy and full. She wore a red dress and a flower in her hair. Cheap makeup couldn’t hide her beauty. The beads were gone from her stomach. Suddenly, I met a cold gaze. The corpse in the coffin turned its head. It opened its eyes. The sockets were empty of eyeballs, filled instead with writhing leeches. Her lips pulled back in a stiff, terrifying grin. “Dad! Sarah opened her eyes!” I screamed, hiding behind him. “Stop talking nonsense!” Dad shoved me away. Mom was still negotiating. To them, Sarah was just an object to squeeze value from. “Wait!” The woman grabbed Mom’s arm. “He was my only son. Let’s compromise.” “Thirty. Final offer.” “Fine! Fifteen now, fifteen tomorrow after the burial!” Mom took the cash, smiling greedily. “Deal.” The Stranger shook his head helplessly. “I guess I can only respect the fate of others. I cannot save those who wish to die.” “The Infant Corpse is born. The Skin-Walker awakes. Your village is doomed.”

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1 I chased the food truck owner for three full blocks. Finally, I got my hands on the legendary Birria Tacos I’d been dreaming of. In my excitement, I snapped a photo and posted it to my Instagram Story: [Finally caught “The One.”] The very next second, my usually stoic, silent husband texted me: [Are you coming home tonight?] The next morning, he made a rare post on his own social media: [I still won.] 2 There’s a food truck on the East Side that makes Birria Tacos so good they should be illegal. I stood in line for an hour. Just as I had my payment app open, a flash of blue lights appeared in the distance—parking enforcement. Before I could react, the truck owner slammed the window shut and peeled out. In the blink of an eye, the bustling street was left with nothing but confused customers and a cloud of exhaust. I stood there, jaw dropped. I looked at the fleeing truck. I gritted my teeth. And I ran. The truck drifted around a corner. I chased after it, lunging forward while yelling, “Hey! Two beef, extra consommé, no onions, extra cilantro! I already sent the money!” After sprinting for ten minutes, I finally saw the truck pull over in a safe alley. Panting like a dog, I walked over. The owner gave me a look that said you need help, but he handed over my tacos. I accepted them with glee. I immediately posted a picture of the steaming food: [Chased “The One” for three blocks. Finally got him.] Just as I finished licking the consommé off my fingers, I received a text from my contract husband—a man who rarely messaged me first. [Where are you?] I paused, finger hovering over the screen. [East Side.] He replied instantly: [Are you coming home tonight?] I stared at the message, surprised. In our three years of marriage, we had maintained a polite, respectful distance. He rarely asked about my schedule, let alone if I was coming home to sleep. After a moment of hesitation, I typed: [Yeah, heading back now.] He sent a simple “Drive safe,” and the conversation ended. Ten minutes later. He sent another message out of the blue: [Were you with “The One” just now?] Confused, but honest, I replied: [Yeah.] [Ok.] That was it. No follow-up. I didn’t know why he was suddenly reaching out, but I didn’t take it to heart. Until I got back to the villa and saw the man sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at his phone in the dark. 3 When I pushed the door open, the living room was pitch black. The only light came from his phone screen, harsh in the darkness. Julian frowned, his finger sliding gently across the screen. I cleared my throat. He snapped his head up, locking his phone screen with the speed of a kid caught stealing cookies. “Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” I reached for the switch. He stood up unnaturally. “I forgot.” Me: …? How do you forget to turn on a light? Maybe my look of disbelief was too obvious. He turned his head away, avoiding my gaze. “You…” We spoke at the same time, then stopped. He spoke first. “Xavier is back in the country?” Xavier? Who is that? I looked blank. “Xavier?” I didn’t notice Julian staring at me intently, trying to read something in my reaction. I searched my brain for the name. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. Xavier. My college roommate’s boyfriend. “Oh! Him!” I realized. “Yeah, he came back a few days ago.” I had seen my roommate’s post recently about ending their five-year long-distance relationship. They came back to get married. But how did Julian know him? Confused, but whatever. That night, Julian was fiercer than usual. He pinned me against the headboard, his warm palm gripping my waist. I tried to push him away, whimpering, but he pinned my wrists with one hand. “It hurts,” I protested quietly. His response was a harder thrust. His kisses landed on my neck, turning into a bite. I arched my back in pain, tears springing to my eyes. “Julian!” I cried his name, but he sealed my lips. In a daze, I heard him ask: “Am I better, or is he better?” Better than who? What is he talking about? My exhausted brain refused to process. “You…” I begged for mercy. I thought I heard him laugh triumphantly. He seemed satisfied with that answer and finally slowed down, gently kissing away my tears. “Remember what you said,” he whispered, biting my earlobe. “You can only ever be mine.” I nodded groggily. Before I slipped into darkness, I vaguely heard him sigh. “Wifey… be mine forever, okay?” 4 When I woke up the next day, Julian was gone. I rubbed my sore waist and cursed him under my breath. Checking my phone, it was already 10 AM. There were a few unread messages. The top one was my best friend telling me to check my feed. I opened it and saw that Julian had actually posted something: [I still won.] The photo was of sunlight filtering through curtains, with the corner of a messy bedsheet visible. I stared at it, bewildered. In three years, Julian’s feed had been cleaner than a desert. And today he posts this? Below it, mutual friends were commenting: [Mr. Sterling, is this…?] [???] [Am I seeing things? Is this Julian?] Just as I was about to comment and ask what was going on, my best friend called. “Hello?” “Did you know Elena is back?” she asked, sounding indignant. I froze. Elena. Julian’s “White Moonlight”—the love of his life. 5 My marriage to Julian was an accident. The day my family went bankrupt, my dad knelt on the floor and begged me. “Zooey, only the Sterling family can save us.” I clenched my fists. “But Julian loves Elena.” Everyone in our circle knew. Julian Sterling, the sole heir, had only one woman in his heart. His college sweetheart, Elena. After Elena went abroad, no one else ever appeared by Julian’s side. “It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t like you,” my dad said, eyes red. “As long as we marry, the Lin family survives.” I closed my eyes and finally nodded. “Okay.” The first time I met Julian was at a dinner arranged by our families. He wore a sharp suit and didn’t look at me once. I stirred my coffee, thinking: As expected, he doesn’t want to marry me. But to my surprise, when the dinner ended, he handed me a pre-nup. “Let’s get married.” I was stunned. “You… are willing?” He glanced at me indifferently. “It’s just a business alliance. We each get what we need.” My chest ached, but I smiled and signed. “Okay.” For three years, we treated each other with polite respect. He never interfered in my life, and I never asked about his schedule. What does it feel like to marry someone who doesn’t love you? If I had to answer, it’s the bitterness swallowed alone late at night, and the gentleness you can never quite touch. Three years of Julian’s impeccable behavior almost made me forget the transactional nature of our marriage. 6 My best friend was still chattering on the phone. “Elena came back to hold a solo art exhibition. I heard Julian even invested in it…” My fingers tightened around the phone, a sourness rising in my chest. So his strange behavior last night… was it because the love of his life returned? “Zooey? Are you listening?” “Yeah…” I forced a light laugh. “I’m fine. We were just a business arrangement anyway.” After hanging up, I stared at Julian’s post. [I still won.] So… who was he competing with? Lost in thought, the bedroom door opened gently. Julian walked in. Seeing me awake, he paused. “Why didn’t you sleep a bit longer?” His voice was raspy. “I made congee.” I quickly turned off my phone screen and forced a smile. “Thanks.” He walked to the bed, his gaze falling on the marks on my neck. His eyes darkened. “Last night…” he started, hesitant. “It’s fine.” I instinctively pulled up my collar to hide the evidence. “I… I’ll go wash up.” I scrambled to get up, but my legs went soft, and I nearly fell. Julian caught me instantly, his warm hand steadying my waist. “Careful.” I looked up into his deep eyes. For a second, I almost drowned in them. But then the news of Elena’s return flashed through my mind, snapping me back to reality. I looked away and pulled out of his embrace. “Thanks.” In the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. My neck was covered in red marks, evidence of last night’s madness. Julian rarely lost control like that. Was I just a substitute because she was back? The thought pierced my heart. When I went downstairs, Julian was waiting at the dining table. There was plain congee, side dishes, and my favorite shrimp dumplings. “I don’t know if it suits your appetite,” he said flatly, pushing the dumplings toward me. I lowered my head and ate. “It’s delicious. Thank you.” The dining room was terrifyingly quiet. “What are your plans for today?” He broke the silence after a long while. I paused. He never asked about my schedule. That was twice in two days. “Shopping with my best friend.” “Okay.” He nodded and didn’t ask more. Silence again. I thought for a moment and asked out of politeness, “And you?” “Company meeting.” He paused. “I might… not be home for dinner.” “Okay.”

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At our engagement party, my twin sister intentionally wore a dress identical to mine. She asked my fiancé to guess which one was me. Lucas smiled confidently: “I could never mistake my baby.” But that night, I saw him and my sister in the wine cellar, kissing passionately. When caught, he knelt before me, crying: “Cynthia, I didn’t mean to. I mistook her for you. You two look too much alike!” My sister calmly picked up her discarded black lace lingerie from the floor. “Sister, don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to test my brother-in-law’s loyalty for you. I felt he really loves you; he almost devoured me.” She even deliberately revealed a fresh hickey on her neck. Three months later, my sister crashed my wedding with a pregnancy test report. My parents looked heartbroken. “Things have come to this; there’s no other way. Let… let your sister have this marriage!” I smiled bitterly, accepting it, then turned to face the seven groomsmen present. “My wedding is missing a groom. Who wants to fill the spot?” 1 As soon as the words left my lips, the seven groomsmen scrambled to raise their hands. Some even stood on chairs, afraid I would overlook them. “Pick me! Pick me!” “Cynthia, I can be your groom!” “And me! I’m the one who suits you best…” Until Ethan stepped forward. “Let’s draw lots.” The wedding scene, which had been awkward and tense, suddenly became lively again. Ethan had someone prepare seven straws and looked around. “There are six long straws and one short one here. Whoever draws the short one gets to be Cynthia’s groom.” I found a seat with interest and watched them draw lots. The guests’ gazes fell on me. “I didn’t expect Cynthia to be so lucky, having so many suitors fighting to marry her.” “I bet Lucas, who just backed out of the marriage, is regretting it now.” My sister, Chloe, clenched her fists in anger. “Lucas, my sister is doing this on purpose to get back at us.” “Mom and Dad clearly said to let us get married first today. Why is she making a scene here? It’s like this has become her show.” Lucas, however, looked lazy and unconcerned. “What are you afraid of? Those groomsmen are my best buddies. I know them best. They’re definitely fighting to marry Cynthia as a prank, just for fun.” “A used shoe like her, how could they treat her like a treasure? They’re just teasing a cat.” His words fell into my ears, and I curled my lips in a cold sneer. He didn’t know yet. The seven groomsmen had been secretly pursuing me behind his back. Three months ago, Lucas complained about me in a VIP room at a bar. “Cynthia is so boring, like a dead fish. Not nearly as sexy as Chloe.” “They’re twins, but Chloe’s eyes are so seductive. I even want to sleep with her to try it out. I won’t be satisfied until I get her.” Two months ago, Lucas bragged in their group chat. “Finally got her. I hooked up with Chloe behind Cynthia’s back several times, even went to hotels, and she had no idea.” And last time, after being caught by me, Lucas thought he had deceived me well and went to the group chat to boast again. “Cynthia, that idiot, I tricked her into thinking I mistook the person and kissed her sister, and she actually believed it.” “In the future, even if she’s sleeping in the bedroom, Chloe and I could make out right under her nose, and she probably wouldn’t notice…” Every time he said these things. Someone would immediately forward them to me. And fight for credit. “Cynthia, I should be the first one to tip you off this time, right?” “Lucas is such a scumbag. You should have kicked him to the curb long ago. Let me take his place, okay?” “Besides, he hooked up with your sister long ago. A jerk like that should have been dumped ages ago.” “I’m different from him. I’ve been loyal from the start, only liking you all these years, even going undercover for you.” “Let me take over, let me take over.” “And me!” … Thinking of this, a light smile appeared on my face. At the same time, the result of the seven groomsmen drawing lots came out. “I drew the short straw.” The corners of Ethan’s mouth turned up. The other six immediately protested, “Ethan, you cheated!” “Exactly, how could it be you? You’re too lucky!” “This round doesn’t count, re-draw!” Ethan ignored them and raised his hand to signal the bodyguards to maintain order. The other six groomsmen instantly wilted. “Damn, knew this would happen. The six of us were delusional. Who can compete with the heir of the Hunt family?” “And Ethan is the most devoted. He’s crazy enough to do anything to chase Cynthia. How could he let this opportunity slip?” “Forget it, forget it. Let’s just be good groomsmen.” Under everyone’s gaze, Ethan walked towards me with a shallow smile and extended his hand. “Come, I am your groom.” 2 I handed my hand to him. Just as I was about to turn and go on stage, Ethan suddenly stopped. “Wait.” He looked at the wedding dress I was wearing, frowned, and took out his phone to call his assistant on the spot. “Air freight that wedding dress I personally designed two years ago immediately.” The moment the phone screen went dark. I saw Ethan’s lock screen wallpaper. It was a very revealing photo of me, revealing enough to make one blush. If I remember correctly, that photo was only sent to Lucas. He always sent my photos to the group chat to show off to his good buddies, boasting about his conquest. And took pride in it. It’s a pity Lucas was stupid enough not to know that these “brothers” were like hungry wolves, all coveting his girlfriend. Ethan was the most frenzied one. Every time Lucas posted a photo of me, he frantically screenshot and saved it. He even set it as his lock screen wallpaper. I heard this from other groomsmen. I thought they were joking, but I didn’t expect it to be true. While waiting for the wedding dress, my parents frowned and tried to drive me away. “Cynthia, marriage is a major life event, not a game. How can you just pick a groom randomly and get married?” “Since you’re not getting married today, give the wedding venue to your sister. Let her and Lucas get married quickly.” I sneered, “Who said I’m not getting married?” In front of everyone, I took Ethan’s arm. “My husband just sent someone to get the dress.” My parents frowned again, lowering their voices to persuade me. “Stop messing around. Your sister is pregnant; she can’t wait.” “If you keep making a scene like this, both you sisters will become a joke. You’re the older sister; be sensible.” My dad also looked stern, scolding me for being ignorant. Self-mockery rose in my eyes. It was precisely because I had been too sensible all these years. Whatever Chloe wanted, she could snatch away smoothly. Even my fiancé. If she wanted to play, she could just crook her finger and lead him to bed. Now she crashed my wedding with a pregnancy test report, kneeling on the ground looking pitiful, begging me. “Sister, I just found out I’m pregnant with Lucas’s child. It was because he got drunk and accidentally mistook me for you.” Lucas also looked pained. “Chloe is pregnant with my child; I have to be responsible. Cynthia, I can’t marry you.” Actually, I knew long ago. He found me rigid and boring and didn’t want to marry me at all. That’s why he staged this drama with Chloe. Now facing my mom’s questioning, I spoke coldly: “What do I have to be afraid of being laughed at? The one who got pregnant out of wedlock is the joke.” Saying this, I looked at Lucas again. “And some people who can’t control their lower body are also jokes.” Fire flashed in Lucas’s eyes. “Cynthia, who are you cursing?” “I said it was just an accident.” He looked me up and down with a sneer. “You couldn’t handle the situation, so you did this on purpose, right? As long as you kneel and beg me, I’ll let my buddy marry you.” A condescending and charitable tone. As if his buddies would listen to him just because he said so. Ethan was about to speak up for me, but I stopped him in time. I gently spat out two words. “Dream on.” Lucas’s face instantly became extremely ugly. He gave a sinister smile and sat back down. “Then I want to see how you end this today.” Ten minutes later, a commotion came from outside the wedding venue. Ethan’s assistant pushed the door open and entered. “Mr. Hunt, the wedding dress you asked for is here!” 3 As soon as the voice fell, everyone looked towards the door with envy. “Oh my god, Mr. Hunt is too generous, actually air freighting it by helicopter.” “Am I seeing this right? Isn’t this the wedding dress that won awards at International Fashion Week two years ago?” “Heard it’s worth millions. Didn’t expect to see it at today’s wedding. Miss Jiang is really lucky.” Ethan personally brought the wedding dress to me and asked me to change into it. His voice was even gentler than the faint smile on his face. “The wedding the Miller family prepared for you is too shabby. Only this set is worthy of you.” I nodded, went to the fitting room to change into the wedding dress, and reappeared in front of everyone. The guests gasped. “Oh my god, this is too beautiful.” “Simply a princess from a fairy tale alive. Sure enough, clothes make the man. This million-dollar wedding dress looks good on anyone!” Chloe stood up in disbelief, clenching her fists, staring at me intently. “This wedding dress must be a fake.” She deceived herself like this. Her voice wasn’t loud, but the groomsmen next to her heard it. Those groomsmen looked her up and down and sneered. “Your shoes are probably fake, even your bracelet is fake. Think everyone is like you?” Although Chloe is my twin sister, her seducing Lucas behind my back made them lose all good will towards her. They even secretly called her a “vixen.” My parents looked at me with jealousy. “How do you deserve to wear such a good wedding dress? Take it off!” “Today is your sister’s wedding, don’t join the fun.” I ignored them and walked past. My mom actually wanted to strip my wedding dress. Before she could touch me, she was stopped by the bodyguards behind Ethan. “If you dare to touch Miss Cynthia again, don’t blame Mr. Hunt for throwing you out.” Complex gazes came from behind, but I turned a blind eye. Now no one blocked the way. Ethan and I held hands and walked up the high platform together, exchanging rings under the host’s guidance. Seeing that we had no intention of joking. The smile on Lucas’s face slowly faded. Until the host asked us to kiss, and people around also cheered, “Kiss, kiss!” Lucas stood up abruptly with a pale face. “Enough!” “Ethan, acting to this point is enough. I know you, my good brother, are venting anger for me. Let’s stop here.” 4 Ethan looked up at him coldly. “You think I’m acting with you?” He sneered. “Marrying Cynthia… for this day, I have waited for five full years.” Lucas was stunned. “What do you mean?” Ethan didn’t explain further. Just then, Chloe stood up with a smile, looking at Ethan with seductive eyes. “You must have mistaken me for someone else, Mr. Hunt. You must be my fan too, right?” “Although my sister Cynthia looks exactly like me, she’s not as interesting as I am.” Chloe looked arrogant, like a little princess. She is a minor influencer with over 200,000 followers. She often posts videos of herself dancing online, occasionally showing some skin in live broadcasts, attracting many straight male fans. Wherever she goes, she thinks men are crazy about her. Even seducing Lucas was to prove her charm. She knew that during the five years Lucas and I dated, I rarely interacted with other men, so she thought Ethan made a mistake and the person he wanted to marry was her. Ethan sneered and didn’t speak. Chloe stood up again, looking around at the several groomsmen. “I know you guys are all qualified extras. Seeing your eyes glued to my sister just now, you must have treated her as my stand-in.” “In your online life, you must be my fans. Since we met today, I can give you an autograph.” “For my sake, don’t embarrass my sister anymore. If you keep coaxing her like this, she’ll take it seriously.” But these words were met with eye rolls from everyone. “Who are you? Such a big tone.” “Exactly, the person we’re chasing is Cynthia. Who has heard of you, Chloe? Like a fox, affected and pretentious.” “There are so many plastic surgery girls imitating Cynthia now. Who knows if you are a perverted scheming plastic surgery girl.” Chloe’s smile froze on her face. “What… what did you say?” She pretended to be calm on the surface, but she was about to explode inside. When had she ever suffered such anger? Her eyes turned red with anger, but she couldn’t swallow this breath. She pointed at Ethan’s phone in public and shouted: “The person Ethan likes must be me.” “If you don’t believe it, you can look at Mr. Hunt’s phone. His wallpaper is set to my photo!” As soon as these words came out, everyone’s eyes turned to Ethan. Even the guests gasped. “Is there another inside story?” “This Chloe really has some tricks. Why do the men Cynthia chooses always fall in love with her?” “Comparisons are odious. This is probably the charm of a woman…” Chloe listened to the discussions around her, becoming arrogant again. She felt there was no man she couldn’t conquer. Ethan was the famous heir of the Hunt family. If she could conquer him, Chloe would definitely kick Lucas away. She revealed a pair of wet doe eyes, looking at Ethan. “Mr. Hunt, do you dare to show your phone wallpaper to everyone?” Ethan turned his head to look at me, his gentle eyes seeming to ask. I nodded. “What’s there to dare?” Ethan took a step forward, took out his phone, and turned on the screen. Chloe, who was still triumphant, froze the moment she saw the wallpaper clearly. She bit her lower lip hard, unwillingness flashing in the corner of her eyes. Even though we twins look exactly the same. Strangers can’t tell, but we know each other too well and can recognize each other at a glance. The person in the photo wasn’t Chloe. It was me. “How is this possible?” Lucas exclaimed and rushed forward. He stared wide-eyed, fixated on the wallpaper on Ethan’s phone screen. “Ethan! Why did you set my wife’s photo as wallpaper?” He rushed up emotionally out of control, suddenly grabbing Ethan’s collar. “Don’t touch a friend’s wife. When did you have thoughts about my wife? Or…” He realized suddenly and looked at me sharply. “This wedding today wasn’t random; you did it on purpose?!”

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When I was ten, I threw a tantrum, demanding my brother come home for my birthday. He died in a plane crash that day, his body never recovered. From that moment on, I became a thorn in my parents’ side. They resented me for causing his death. Every year on the anniversary, they forced me to kneel at his grave and repent. This went on for eight years. I thought I would spend my life atoning, but on my eighteenth birthday, I was stalked and murdered by a serial killer. Before I died, I tried everything to message my mom for help, but she only scolded me. “I see you just don’t want to repent for your brother, lying like this! If you hadn’t forced him to come back, my son wouldn’t have died. This is the karma you deserve!” She hung up without hesitation. I stared blankly at the dark screen, my will to live suddenly gone. Yeah, what right did a jinx like me have to live? But later, when my brother, dead for eight years, returned with a pregnant wife… And they learned of my death… They all broke down. Chapter 1 On my tenth birthday, I made a fatal mistake. I killed my own brother. I grew up in a happy family. Loving parents, an excellent brother. I was the apple of everyone’s eye. But all that was shattered by a single phone call. That day was my birthday. I called my brother, begging him to come home and celebrate with me. As a result, he lost his life. A plane crash. No remains were ever found. Since then, my parents hated me to the bone. More than once, they told me: “Why did you have to force him to come back? Why wasn’t it you who died?” In that accident, not only did my brother die, but a part of me died too. Guilt, regret, and my parents’ accusations pushed me further into the abyss. I asked myself countless times why I made him come back, why I killed him, why God took him. If I hadn’t called him that day, would he still be alive? Unfortunately, there are no “ifs” in this world. And no one was willing to give me an answer. From the age of ten, my life was defined by one word: Atonement. Every year on the anniversary of his death—my birthday—my parents made me go to the cemetery, kneel before his empty grave, and apologize. This kneeling lasted for eight years. Just when I thought my life was withered enough, I was found by the “Rainy Night Butcher” and brutally murdered. Actually, I tried desperately to survive. I took out the stun gun my dad had given me. It was shaped like a cute white sheep keychain. Once, because of Dad’s job as a forensic pathologist, he offended some dangerous people. Mom and I were kidnapped. Mom was dragged by a car for meters trying to save me. Dad took a knife to the chest for us. We only survived thanks to the police. After that, Dad gave me this keychain for my safety. It was a high-voltage stun gun. He taught me how to use it and told me: “Dad can’t be by your side forever. You must protect yourself.” But somehow, when the killer grabbed me and I tried to jam the device into him… It didn’t work. I lost my last chance at survival. Even now, I remember everything vividly. Wrench, pliers, axe. Each tool used on me without mercy. My terrified expression was his stimulant. It hurt. It hurt so much I cried, losing control of my bodily functions. I never knew the sound of bones breaking could be so loud, echoing so clearly in my ears. Skin separated from flesh. My vision turned red. I fell into a coma. Chapter 2 When I opened my eyes again, I was a spirit. I was shocked to find myself in the police station. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Dad was wearing his work uniform, his eyes full of sorrow. Around him were several young forensic assistants. On the metal table lay a bag of dismembered body parts. This was the corpse bag Captain Xu and his team had struggled to find, the one not washed away by the heavy rain. I never imagined my death would be discovered so quickly. Perhaps God took pity on my pathetic life. A homeless man scavenging for food found the bag. He thought he’d struck gold with a bag of meat. Who knew he would see human fingers? A heavy rain raised the curtain on a brutal dismemberment case. Lightning and thunder raged outside, rain pouring down. The entire police force and K-9 units were searching the city. Captain Xu’s face was full of rage. He couldn’t control his emotions. The brutal MO was identical to the Rainy Night Butcher from seven or eight years ago. “Old Zhou, don’t you think this case looks like the Rainy Night Butcher’s handy work?” Dad’s face changed. The Rainy Night Butcher was a killer who specifically chose rainy days to strike, delighting in torturing and killing young women. He destroyed countless happy families. Back then, Dad had finally found evidence to arrest him. But the butcher realized it and fled. For revenge, he tampered with the plane my brother was on. Dragging my brother to die in that accident. Neither of their bodies was ever found. So Captain Xu immediately thought of that madman. If he wasn’t dead, he would definitely come back for revenge. He couldn’t help reminding Dad: “Old Zhou, if it really is him, you must tell your wife and Chloe not to go out. Especially Chloe, she fits his target profile!” But hearing my name, Dad’s anxious face instantly turned cold. “She should have died long ago.” Hearing that sentence, my heart ached. Yes, I should have died long ago. These eight years were a stolen life. Captain Xu knew about the past. He wanted to comfort Dad but could only frown. Back then, after learning of my brother’s death, my parents searched the mountain where the plane crashed for three days and three nights. Finally, with bloodshot eyes, they knelt by the road, begging the heavens to return their son. The pain of losing a child in middle age was something my parents could never get over. Thinking of this, Captain Xu sighed. “Old Zhou, don’t think too much. The bureau is pressing hard. The higher-ups are taking this case very seriously!” Dad knew the stakes, so he started working. He carefully took the pieces of flesh out of the bag. But in that instant, he couldn’t help cursing. “F*ck his ancestors.” “Is this even human?” A young forensic doctor, seeing such a corpse for the first time, also had red eyes. But right now, the most important thing was to identify the victim. After the officers brought back all the body fragments they could find, Dad began to piece together the shape of the body. I floated beside him, watching him spend a day piecing together a skinless torso. I felt somewhat relieved. I knew my death was ugly, and I was worried Dad would be scared if he recognized me. I was also relieved that this life full of guilt was finally over. Captain Xu looked at the red corpse on the table. Even with his years of experience, his face was extremely pale. He asked Dad if the killer did this to destroy evidence or out of pure psychopathy. Dad’s face was dark. After a long while, he said hoarsely: “It wasn’t to destroy evidence. Our tests show the victim was skinned alive.” He clenched his fists, restraining himself. “This was purely to vent anger!” He pointed at my body. “Look, there are even traces of salt corrosion on this body! The killer tortured the victim, cutting off her flesh piece by piece!” Speaking of this, Dad’s face was full of unbearable pain. He said sorrowfully: “And this is just a girl between 16 and 20! What kind of hatred could justify this!” Floating beside Dad, I couldn’t help but applaud him. He truly was the city’s best forensic pathologist, able to accurately determine my cause of death. Captain Xu’s eyes grew colder. “What a f*cking psycho! Bastard with no parents!” His chest heaved with anger, then he asked again: “We are currently searching for women aged 16 to 20 who went missing in the last two days, hoping to find the victim’s information soon.” Chapter 3 Hearing this, Dad seemed to remember something and spoke again. “By the way, the bag where the killer stored the body is missing the right leg bone. It’s very likely the victim’s leg bone has congenital or acquired injuries, deformities, or surgical marks that could prove her identity.” “And because the victim’s face was destroyed by acid, facial reconstruction will take time.” He sighed and took off his gloves. Beside Dad’s hand lay that bloodstained little sheep keychain. Obviously, he had also forgotten that this was the tool he gave me for protection. After finishing the work at hand, Dad glanced at his phone. But upon seeing the content, he furiously called Mom. “Did you see the message from Chloe? That liar, how could she say something like that? I think she did it on purpose to provoke us!” Dad was clearly furious. “Doesn’t she know that if she hadn’t insisted on her brother coming back, Connor wouldn’t have been killed by the Rainy Night Butcher? And now, Chloe actually claims she’s being followed!” Watching Dad’s face turn red with anger, I felt sad. Dad, I really didn’t lie. I really died. How could I use the person who killed my brother to provoke you? How could I do such a thing? I was truly helpless and desperate when I sent that message asking for help. But Dad couldn’t see me. Neither could Mom. I heard her on the other end of the phone, equally angry. “I saw her message too. I pretended not to see it. She must be trying to skive off. That damn girl doesn’t know how to atone for her sins at all!” I listened to their denunciation of me. Sadly, I covered my ears. Just when I thought they would never know about my death, my best friend, Sarah, rushed into the police station. She said I had been missing for two days. However, just as the officer was about to register the name, Dad stopped them. “No need. Chloe is my daughter. She isn’t missing; she’s just doing this to threaten me and her mother…” Hearing this, the officer looked at Sarah awkwardly. Knowing Dad’s identity, he could only turn away. I watched Sarah leave the station in despair, tears streaming down my face. I wanted to chase after her, but I was bound to Dad. Watching him process my skull, following him home after work. On the dinner table, there were always braised fish, spicy crab, and oil-braised prawns. Mom remembered Brother’s favorites but was stingy about remembering my seafood allergy. Once, when Dad asked why I wasn’t eating, I thought he was finally going to love me. I gripped my chopsticks, summoning my courage. “Dad, I’m allergic to seafood…” Mom slammed her chopsticks down and pointed at my nose, cursing. “What sin did I commit to give birth to such an ungrateful thing! I worked hard to make a table full of food, and now it’s a crime?” I looked helplessly at Dad, the hero who used to stand up for me when I upset Mom. This time, the hero just put a large piece of crab in my bowl. “Eat properly. Don’t make your mom angry.” Their gazes pressured me, as if not eating would make me a sinner. In the end, that plate of drunken crab went into my stomach. That day, my throat swelled until I could barely breathe, my eyes were so swollen I couldn’t see, and my whole body itched and hurt. “Help… help me…” My voice was hoarse. I stumbled to the door, trying to open it, but the handle wouldn’t turn. Panic engulfed me. I pounded on the door, trying to make a sound. “Help, help me… Dad, Mom… help me… I don’t want to die…” Vaguely, I heard Mom’s voice from the living room. “It’s just an allergy; she won’t die. Good thing I locked the door. She just knows how to act pitiful, disgusting! Last night Connor visited me in a dream and said he wanted the latest game console. Let’s go, the mall will close if we’re late.” No! Mom, Dad, don’t leave me! I don’t want to die, save me… The living room door slammed shut. I was completely abandoned. Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe dying won’t hurt so much. I curled up in the corner, waiting for death. From downstairs, the laughter of a father and daughter drifted into my one good ear. “You silly girl, didn’t you know you’re allergic to peanuts? You ate it anyway, almost lost your life!” “Sorry Dad, I didn’t mean to. Don’t tell Mom.” “Your mom already knows. She twisted her waist in worry but still made a table of your favorite dishes waiting for you. As long as you’re okay, how can parents really hold a grudge against their child?” I felt like a sewer rat coveting someone else’s happiness, greedily and masochistically peeping at joy that didn’t belong to me. In that moment, I felt ashamed, nowhere to hide. I also wanted Mom and Dad to love me, to care about my food allergies, to cook my favorite meals, to nag me with concern. But I was just a bad child who killed her brother, unworthy of love. But Mom, Dad, I don’t want to die, I really don’t want to die… Chapter 4 I didn’t die that day. In the final moments, I jumped out the window and was taken to the hospital by a passerby. The doctor said it was fortunate I arrived in time; any later and my life would have been in danger. The lady in the next bed peeled an orange for her daughter and said to me, “It’s good you’re okay, otherwise how worried your parents would be!” I looked enviously at the lady feeding her daughter orange segments. My reflection in the glass was lonely and solitary. Comforting myself, and as if announcing to everyone, I laughed loudly, “Yes, Mom and Dad love me very, very much.” Suddenly, the ward door was pushed open violently. I saw Mom and Dad rushing towards me. A wave of grievance spread from my heart. Enduring the pain, I struggled to sit up, tears falling like rain. “Dad, Mom…” I was so scared, I was really scared I would die… Would you hug me? Just once, just once is enough… Mom grabbed my collar and yanked me off the hospital bed onto the floor. The IV needle was ripped out, blood spurting. “Damn bitch! Pretending to be pitiful, eating yourself into an allergic state and jumping off a building to make a scene known to everyone! You want to tell the world your dad and I mistreat you, ruining our reputation, right? Why didn’t you just die from the jump!” I curled up, holding my head, my body kicked again and again. I didn’t mean to hurt Mom and Dad, I just didn’t want to die… I won the gamble against the three-story height, but I lost against the depth of my parents’ hatred. I saw Dad on the glass reflection, leaning against the wall watching coldly as Mom scratched me with her nails. I saw the lady in the next bed hugging her frightened daughter, coaxing her gently. The crowd gathering at the door looked at me with disdain and contempt, as if I were a vicious child. The illusion of my parents’ love I had just mustered the courage to build was torn to shreds in front of everyone. I lied to you all. Mom and Dad don’t love me. They… love me the least… After that, my parents cut off my living expenses, and I applied to live at school. Eating one-dollar steamed buns and free vegetable soup in the cafeteria. Sleeping in a sixteen-person dorm on a straw mat with a thin quilt. The accommodation fee of a few hundred dollars used up my scholarship every semester. As I went to middle school and high school, the fees increased. I could only study day and night, hoping to score a few more points each time to win scholarships to sustain my life. I always thought that as long as I became more excellent, Mom and Dad would love me again. The reality was when I went home with a nearly perfect test paper and was praised by visiting relatives, Mom refuted without thinking. “She’s dumb as a rock, not even half as smart as Connor, how could she score so well?” Then, her round slap landed on my face. “Speak, who did you copy from?” My face burned with pain, and my heart hurt too, wishing I could disappear. Later, when the homeroom teacher called to confirm my grades, Mom just glanced at the torn test paper in the trash can and curled her lip. “What’s there to show off about such a score? Your brother got full marks in every subject back then. Unlike you, so useless, not even ashamed of this score!” Along with that test paper, my heart shattered. Mom and Dad liked smart children like my brother, so I tried hard to erase myself and become like him. I studied even harder. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Heat rash, chilblains, mosquito bites always found me repeatedly in specific seasons. Walking out of the college entrance exam hall, I finally had the chance to prove I was an excellent child like my brother. Mom and Dad would start loving me, right… But I died on the eve of the results being released. Until death, I couldn’t become the excellent child loved by my parents like my brother. I watched my parents fill my brother’s empty bowl with rice, silently putting dishes into it. This scene repeated day after day for eight years. Wasn’t it me, the one who killed my brother, who made them like this? Did I not deserve to die too? A knock on the door, a voice from memory came. “Mom, Dad, open the door, I brought your daughter-in-law back!” I saw Dad, who was always cautious, stand up and break a bowl. Mom, always vigorous, collapsed in the chair, tears streaming down, asking Dad repeatedly, “Is it him? Is it him?” Dad walked to the door almost with same arm and leg movements, holding the handle for a long time before opening it. The wide-open door revealed a tall man standing outside. I saw him. It was my biological brother whom I had killed for eight years…

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All because my sister, while sponsoring a student in need, casually remarked: “What a coincidence. You and my brother were born on the same day, even at the same time.” The student then deluded himself into believing he was the real scion who was switched at birth. He brought two thugs and kidnapped me, plotting to kill me and swap our identities back. In a moment of crisis, I called my fiancée for help, but she answered impatiently: “Lucas, you stole Chase’s life. This is the price you have to pay.” When I was pushed into the river, my fiancée’s friend suddenly appeared, jumping in to save me. But exhausted, we both sank to the bottom. When I woke up again, I was back on the day I was kidnapped. This time, before the imposter could kill me, he mockingly asked me to choose someone to leave my last words to. I decisively called my sister. 1 “Lucas, you disgusting parasite! You’ve stolen twenty years of my life. Today, you’re going to pay for it!” Chase signaled the thugs, and they immediately started beating me. Seeing my panic, Chase smiled triumphantly and kicked my phone towards me. “You’re not leaving here alive today. But, I can give you a chance to leave your last words.” I looked up. Chase was staring at me with eyes full of malice. I knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to call my fiancée, Chloe, so he could watch her humiliate me one last time before I died. After all, that’s what happened in my past life. But in this life, I decisively dialed my sister’s number. I never imagined that a casual remark my sister made while sponsoring a student in need would lead Chase to such a ridiculous misunderstanding. I tried desperately to explain, but Chase was hell-bent on believing he was the true heir of the Sterling family. Even my fiancée, Chloe, believed his nonsense. If my sister knew how Chloe treated me, she wouldn’t even need me to lift a finger—she had plenty of ways to make them suffer. However, as soon as the call connected, I only had time to shout, “East River Bay, sister save me!” Chase snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it to pieces. “You didn’t call Chloe?” He looked at me in disbelief, then laughed with contempt. “Even if you called your sister, she wouldn’t care about a fake like you.” “Alright, hurry up. Tie him up and throw him in the river. Then clean up the scene to make it look like a suicide.” I knew my sister would rush over as fast as possible, but panic still gripped me. I tried everything to stall for time. “Let me go! This is a crime. I’ve already called for help. If something happens to me, none of you will get away with it. Aren’t you afraid?” The thugs didn’t care at all. As we got closer to the riverbank, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the distance. She shoved one of the thugs aside and stood in front of me. “Lucas, I’m here. Don’t worry.” Hearing Sarah’s voice, my heart instantly settled. Although she was Chloe’s friend, I had rarely interacted with her. Yet in my past life, she protected me just like this, regardless of her own safety. When I was pushed into the river, she held onto me tightly, trying desperately to save me. Unfortunately, neither of us survived in the end. Since fate gave me a second chance, this time, let me protect you, Sarah. Looking at her pale face, my heart ached. “Sarah, you go first. I can handle this myself.” She had been frail since childhood, rarely leaving the house, let alone fighting two thugs. As expected, Sarah was quickly pushed to the ground by the recovered thugs. Chase frowned. “Where did this crazy woman come from? Deal with her too.” Seeing Sarah struggling to protect me even while on the ground, I couldn’t help but shout: “Chase! She’s Chloe’s friend. If you dare hurt her, aren’t you afraid the Miller family will come after you?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Chase’s face, then he dismissed it. “I’ve never heard Chloe mention a friend like her. Even if she is, looking at this sickly state, she’s probably not favored.” “Would Chloe really trouble me, the true Sterling heir, over someone like her? Don’t make me laugh. Besides, if you both die together, how you died is up to me to say.” Sarah was beaten until she was barely breathing, and I was tied up, unable to move. I glared at Chase, hatred burning in my eyes. “Chase, I don’t know why you think I stole your identity, but I am undeniably a child of the Sterling family. I can overlook what you did before, but if anything happens to Sarah, I swear I’ll make you wish you were dead!” Chase suddenly put on a pitying expression and laughed loudly. “Lucas, you really won’t give up until the end, will you? It makes sense; having enjoyed wealth and luxury for so long, how could you easily admit you were switched at birth?” “But no matter how much you deny it, it’s useless. I’ve already done a DNA test. I am definitely the Sterling heir!” I looked at him in disbelief. A DNA test? How is that possible? My parents passed away years ago. The Sterling family only has my sister and me. How could Chase be a Sterling? But there was no time to ask for details. The two thugs dragged Sarah and me to the riverbank. The river was deep; falling in meant certain death. While worrying about why my sister hadn’t arrived yet, I looked around for a chance to escape. Chase saw through my thoughts and laughed loudly. “Still thinking of running at a time like this? You really are disobedient. Go, break his legs before throwing him in.” A thug picked up an iron rod and walked towards me. Sarah used all her strength to grab the thug’s leg. “Lucas, I’ll hold them back, run!” “I’ll kill you, you troublesome woman!” The thug was thoroughly enraged, raising the iron rod high, about to strike Sarah. Just then, a car screeched to a halt in front of us. “Stop if you don’t want to die!” Seeing the familiar face of the butler getting out of the car, my suspended heart finally landed. The Sterlings had arrived. The thugs were immediately subdued. Chase screamed, “Who are you? What do you want? I am the true Sterling heir!” As soon as he finished speaking, the butler’s men knocked him out with a chop to the neck. The butler said the people who bullied me would be taken to the warehouse, and their fate was entirely up to me. Sarah and I were sent to the hospital. The doctor said I only had superficial injuries, nothing serious. Sarah was much worse. She suffered a heavy blow to the head and needed hospitalization. It wasn’t until she came out of the emergency room and was moved to a ward that I could relax a little. I borrowed a nurse’s phone to tell my sister I was safe. Hearing that someone slandered me about not being a Sterling and tried to harm me, my sister was furious: “If I didn’t have an important meeting I couldn’t leave, I would have gone with the butler to personally vent your anger.” I quickly comforted her. “Sis, let the butler go back. You need someone by your side. A few bodyguards here are enough.” “Also, sis, I don’t want to marry Chloe anymore. I like her friend.” My sister was shocked at first, then laughed. “It’s great you think so. I’ve always disliked that Chloe.” “Since you don’t like her anymore, starting today, I’ll withdraw all the resources our family gave them. I’ll let her know the consequences of offending my brother.” After discussing with my sister, we hung up. Whether in my past life or this one, Chloe disappointed me thoroughly. She only had eyes for her childhood friend Chase, ignoring our years of relationship and humiliating me wantonly. Reborn, I won’t let Chloe off easily. But unexpectedly, before I could settle the score with her, she came to me first. Her face twisted with anger, she raised her hand and slapped me hard. “Lucas, you’re insane! Occupying Chase’s life for twenty years isn’t enough, you actually hired people to beat him! When the Sterlings find out the truth, they won’t spare you! You being unlucky is one thing, but don’t drag me down!” This slap brought the taste of blood to my mouth. I slapped her back immediately, a sarcastic smile curling on my lips. “He said he’s the real Sterling heir, and you believed him? You grew up with him; does he look even a little bit like my sister?” Chloe frowned, impatient. “Stop quibbling. Chase has already done a DNA test.” Pausing, she said hypocritically, “I know you can’t bear to part with the Sterling family’s wealth. How about this? As long as you obediently return the identity to Chase, I can support you. Although I can’t give you status, I guarantee your life won’t be worse than in the Sterling family.” Chase really did a DNA test with my sister? But how on earth did he get my sister’s sample? Full of doubts, just as I was about to ask in detail, Chase’s voice rang out. “Lucas!” Chloe shook her head helplessly and said, “You hired someone to beat Chase, it’s normal for him to want revenge. In my opinion, you should kneel and apologize quickly. Considering our past relationship, I can put in a good word for you.” I was shocked to see Chase, and even more shocked to see the bodyguard following him. I subconsciously asked, “Who let you release him?” As a result, the bodyguard walked up to me and kicked me in the shin. I was kicked to my knees, and he didn’t stop, slapping my face hard several times. “You fake, still daring to act like the young master in front of me? I think you have a death wish!” My head buzzed from the beating. The look in the bodyguard’s eyes was full of disgust, as if he really believed I was a fake heir. I opened my mouth with difficulty. “Didn’t the butler tell you when he came? What Chase said is all lies.” The bodyguard scoffed. “Young Master Chase is the genuine Sterling heir. You fake, are you addicted to pretending?” Chase waved his hand, and the bodyguard immediately stood respectfully to the side. He glanced expressionlessly at the wounds on my face and turned to Chloe. “Chloe, your boyfriend not only stole my life but also hired two thugs to beat me. Fortunately, my family’s bodyguard arrived in time.” “I just want to ask, as his girlfriend, how do you plan to handle this?” Chase twisted the truth, his words full of holes. But Chloe believed his nonsense without thinking. She stepped hard on my fingers, saying viciously, “I didn’t expect you to be so vicious. Apologize to Chase immediately!” I struggled to resist but was pressed down harder. “Chloe, our engagement hasn’t been annulled yet. Treating me like this, aren’t you afraid…” “Ah!” Chloe applied more force, increasing the pressure. “You fake, worthy of marrying me? To tell you the truth, Chase is going to marry me. I know you want to marry me, that’s why you caused all this trouble, but stop dreaming now. As long as you are willing to kowtow and admit your mistake to Chase, he is magnanimous and will leave you a way to live.” Pain distorted my face. Angry and disgusted, I gritted my teeth. “Only you would treat a cuckoo occupying the nest as a treasure. You just wait and see the day you fall from the clouds!” The phrase “cuckoo occupying the nest” seemed to poke Chase’s sore spot. He instantly went crazy, scratching and hitting me, and finally snatched an electric baton from the bodyguard. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!”

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I chased Justin for three years. After he stood me up yet again, I stumbled upon a forum post. [Started dating my best friend’s crush. Should I tell her?] The most popular comment had just been posted: [My best friend chased him for three years, and his best friend chased me for three years, but we ended up together.] [I won’t tell them. Watching them worry about us and run around for us is actually pretty fun.] The attached photo showed the profiles of a handsome man and a beautiful woman. The girl smiled mischievously at the camera, while the man looked at her with doting affection. He looked handsome and painfully familiar. My eyes instantly reddened, but I was pulled aside by Chase, who had rushed over. He gritted his teeth, “They’re playing us like this. Can you tolerate it?” “You’re beautiful, and I’m not bad myself. Why don’t we become a couple and slap them in the face?” Later, on the day they were having fun announcing their relationship, Chase and I announced our engagement. But the usually aloof Justin blocked my path, his eyes red. “Back then, when you brought me water, was it just to catch a glimpse of him across the field?” 1 The comment section under that hot post exploded. [Fun??? Is the OP brain-dead? Trampling on others’ feelings like this, aren’t you afraid of karma?] [Maybe it’s a regional thing, but where I’m from, we don’t call this ‘best friends’ and ‘bros’, we call them toxic snakes.] [IP is in New York. Everyone come take a look. Having friends like this is really eight lifetimes of bad luck. Scammed by a pair!] [I feel bad for those two. They really are the Jokers in the deck.] The original poster retorted quickly. [What’s wrong with friends playing a joke? A true friend would want the best for you and bless you. If she can’t even do that, she doesn’t deserve to be my friend!] [My sister chased him for three years and couldn’t get him. I got him for her. Shouldn’t I be praised?] [Besides, rich kids like them, what do they know about true love? Once they get it, they probably just play around.] I stood at the theater entrance, the two tickets in my hand crumpled. My eyes were glued to the comments and the photo on my phone. The girl looked mischievous and lively, wearing the expensive hair clip I gave her. My best friend, Sarah, standing next to the man I had chased for three years. Even this morning, Sarah helped me with my exquisite makeup, picked out a beautiful dress, and sent me off with a smile. “If I were Justin, I’d die of love. It’s his honor to be chased by such a beauty!” I was a bit embarrassed but grinned anyway. “He must like me a little, right? Otherwise, why hasn’t he rejected me for three years? He agreed to watch the play with me this time. I’ll definitely win him over!” “What about you? Chase has been pursuing you for so long. When do you plan to get together with him?” Sarah rested her chin on her hand, looking at me with a half-smile. “I don’t know. Let’s see.” When did they get together? My eyes stung. A sense of humiliation and anger from betrayal overshadowed my sadness. Until Chase hurried over and grabbed me just as I was about to break down. “You saw it too? They’re playing us like this. Can you tolerate it?” I pouted, and tears fell instantly. If it were anyone else, I would have already called Sarah to curse Justin together. But it had to be her. “Why?” Chase stared at me for a while, his voice softening, but still tinged with mockery. “Didn’t you see? For fun.” “Summer, you’re beautiful, and I’m not bad myself. Why don’t we become a couple and slap them in the face?” “If they want to play, we’ll play with them.” I was speechless for a long time. Suddenly, my phone rang. Looking down, it was a message from Sarah. [Having fun with Justin? You look so pretty today, he must be dying of happiness!] I suddenly felt the person in front of me was a stranger. Sarah and I had been best friends who talked about everything since high school, even longer than I had known Justin. She knew how much I liked Justin, and how much I looked forward to dates with him. Every time before I went out, she would help me with my outfit and encourage me to confess my feelings. But there were always times when Justin stood me up. Just when I was about to give up, he would show a little concern, making me anxious about gain and loss. I used to think it was just his personality. Now I finally understood that on those days he stood me up… He was with my best friend. In her eyes, am I as ridiculous as a clown? I looked at Chase and said hoarsely. “Okay.” Chase’s eyes were deep, his fists clenched. “We’ll wait for the day they go public and give them a good show. Until then, you can do whatever you want.” “People who betray friends deserve to be punished.” 2 My family is well-off. After graduating from college, I bought a small condo and found a job in the city. Sarah’s family wasn’t doing well. Her parents divorced when she was in high school, and she was isolated by classmates until I transferred there. Only then was she not alone. At that time, she was terrified every day, afraid I wouldn’t eat or chat with her. My heart ached for her situation. I often listened patiently to her troubles. Over time, we became best friends. Later, we went to the same university. I fell for Justin, the “campus crush” from her department. After several “accidental” encounters, I added him on social media and also met Chase. Chase fell in love with Sarah at first sight, saying he liked her “broken” vibe, which made people want to protect her. At first, I didn’t like Chase much. I thought his face looked too much like a playboy’s, and I was afraid Sarah would get hurt. It wasn’t until he did a lot of homework earnestly that I approved of him. I promised to help him chase Sarah, and he helped me chase Justin. In college, the four of us always ate and hung out together. I shared with her the whole process from meeting Justin by chance to falling for this aloof guy bit by bit. Sarah always listened seriously and then smiled to encourage me. “You’re beautiful and have a good family background. No one wouldn’t like you. Even the fortune teller said your life would be smooth. If you like him, be brave and chase him!” She was right. I haven’t encountered many setbacks growing up. Justin was the first one. I wanted to give up countless times, but Sarah persuaded me back. She said Justin just couldn’t let go of his pride and couldn’t see his own heart clearly. But she never said Justin liked her. They got together quietly in a place I couldn’t see. Chase drove me back. We were very quiet on the way, not mentioning those two. It wasn’t until I got out of the car that Chase spoke dully. “I treat Justin as a true brother. He knows I like Sarah. Why did he do this?” “I don’t care about her that much. I just feel… if he had said earlier that he and Sarah liked each other, why would I continue to chase her? Is watching us make fools of ourselves that fun?” I couldn’t answer. “The reason isn’t important anymore. What matters is they never considered our feelings.” Now Chase stopped talking too. I went upstairs and replied to Sarah’s message. [He didn’t come.] [My relative is staying with me recently. It’s inconvenient for you to come back. You should rent a place yourself…] Before I finished typing, Sarah replied instantly. [It’s okay, baby. He probably had something to do. Don’t overthink it. Just reschedule next time. Brave girls enjoy love first.] [By the way, I won’t be back today. I’m dating someone. I’ll introduce him to you when I have time.] 3 I opened that forum post. The heat was even higher than before, but the photo had been deleted. Only Sarah’s alt account was arguing with netizens. [How did I not consider her feelings? When we got together, I didn’t tell her because I was afraid she’d be sad. I’m tired of acting for so long too.] [Don’t you think it’s torture for me to watch her chase my boyfriend? But don’t worry, my boyfriend loves me and won’t let anything happen with her.] [Today she asked my boyfriend out for dinner and got stood up. She’s probably unhappy, but he’s been with me the whole time. Afraid I’d be angry, he took me to a concert. How can I not like someone like this?] … She said a lot. I read every single one. Sarah was sure I wouldn’t be mad at her. No matter what netizens said, she retorted one by one. I suddenly doubted myself. Why did she think I would be this pushover? Not long after, Justin sent a message. [I had something to do today, so I didn’t go. Summer, let’s meet another day when we’re free.] I suddenly felt nauseous. Physically. Back when I was doing photography for a club, I fell for the handsome boy at first glance. He was feeding stray cats seriously. I subconsciously felt such a person couldn’t be bad. Later, the more we interacted, the more I liked him. I almost couldn’t see anyone else. Even if someone confessed to me, I would generously tell them I already liked someone. But now, I suddenly understood. He had been stringing me along for three years. He obviously didn’t like me, but he didn’t refuse my invitations, and even took time to perfunctorily deal with me. [Oh, no need.] I blocked him directly. I opened the chat with Chase. [Justin messaged me. He still hasn’t mentioned him and Sarah. He even just made a random excuse for standing me up. I really don’t want to have contact with him anymore.] Chase replied almost instantly. [Sarah too. I originally asked her out for a movie today. I specifically asked if she had time, she said yes, then turned around and went to a concert with Justin. I suddenly doubt what kind of thing I liked these past few years?] [Screw her ‘broken vibe,’ I’m the one who’s broken!] Reading his message, I almost laughed out loud. Sure enough, when unhappy, having someone as unlucky as yourself makes you feel much better. He sent a few screenshots of Sarah’s alt account’s social updates. Before when Chase chased her, Sarah always refused on the grounds that her family situation didn’t allow her to date. At that time, we both felt bad for her. Chase tried every way to help Sarah. Turns out, she started dating right away, and even posted pictures of the food she cooked for Justin. Looking at the lemon chicken in the picture, I was a bit dazed. I had told Sarah before about Justin’s preferences, including his love for Yunnan cuisine. [By the way, I booked a restaurant for tomorrow. It’s quite expensive. Can’t let it go to waste… How about we go?] [Okay.] 4 The next day at noon, I dressed up and went out. When I messaged Chase that I was leaving, he replied quickly. [I’m downstairs. Just come down.] Chase was driving downstairs. Seeing me come out, he smiled. Fine light haloed his brows and eyes, gentle and peaceful. Justin was always cold and distant, seeming within reach but far away. Chase, however, had a pair of peach blossom eyes and thin lips. When he looked at people, there was always a feeling of deep affection. Before, deceived by his face, I thought Chase was a playboy. After getting to know him, I realized he was actually a very sincere person. “Waited long?” Chase opened the car door and got in after I sat in the passenger seat. Hearing this, he turned to look at me: “Not long. Making a girl wait isn’t very gentlemanly. My mom would beat me if she knew.” I couldn’t help laughing. He laughed too. The atmosphere was much more relaxed. Chase told me about the restaurant we were going to today. “I did a lot of research online. Always wanted to eat there. Originally it was a mid-to-high-end brand, but unexpectedly on opening day, it accidentally matched a couple.” “It spread online and became a must-visit spot for couples. Hard to book.” I looked at him excitedly. “I think I know which one you’re talking about! I’ve always wanted to go too! If nothing else, that crab roe pastry looks amazing…” Chase’s voice suddenly rose, surprised: “Right? I wanted to try that too.” “One of life’s great joys, eating, drinking, and having fun.” I nodded with emotion. The first time I asked Justin out for dinner, he was reluctant. Justin said time should be spent on meaningful things. I was a bit embarrassed then, but Sarah helped me out. She pointed at Justin angrily. “How is eating not meaningful? I don’t care, you must eat with Summer today. I’ll watch you eat!” At that time, Justin was confused by the scolding and followed us in a daze. I even thanked Sarah specifically after returning. If not for her, I might not have been able to step down. Later while eating, Justin suddenly said: “I apologize for what I said that day. Eating is indeed meaningful, especially with interesting people.” At that time, I thought he meant me and blushed. Thinking about it now, Justin’s gaze didn’t seem to fall on me. He didn’t dislike eating, he just disliked eating with me. Two people on different frequencies probably won’t be happy together. Chase saw I stopped talking and talked about his embarrassing incident doing extreme sports with friends. “They all laughed at me, but I’m really afraid of heights! Who understands? Later Sarah knew I was afraid of heights and said I was an arrogant rich kid, useless and temperamental. Good Lord, I’m wronged!” I nodded seriously, drank a mouthful of the mineral water he placed next to my seat, and then spoke. “Fear of heights is normal. I’m afraid of the dark too. Listened to too many ghost stories when I was little. Now I have to sleep with a night light on!” Chatting along, we arrived at the place. Getting out of the car and walking into a garden restaurant, just as we stepped in, we saw Sarah with a brilliant smile, standing next to a doting Justin. “Heard this place is delicious, I booked it specifically in advance.” Chase’s face instantly became very ugly. I frowned, “Sarah, Justin?” Sarah turned around and saw us. Her smile froze, and she subconsciously moved away from Justin. Then she looked at me and Chase, her expression subtle, slowly pursing her lips. “Why are you here?” An accusatory tone. A nameless fire rose in my heart. Looking at this best friend since childhood, I suddenly felt it was extremely meaningless. So I said lightly. “You can be here, why can’t Chase and I be here?”

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