I logged into the wrong alt account on an e-sports variety show and received a message from my gaming “CP” (Couple Partner). [Bad girl, you finally logged on?] [Only remembered me when you wanted to rank up in the new season?] [Fine, call me ‘Oppa’ and I’ll carry you.] [Ignoring me? Found another wild man? Who is he?] [Does he have more National Badges than me? Is his Peak Tournament score higher than mine? Has he won the National Championship?] Sharp-eyed netizens recognized the sender as the recently retired pro player, Silas Lin, and let out a collective screech. Me: Who is Silas Lin? Isn’t my gaming CP a 6’1″, eight-pack college jock? 1 Because my skills in Honor of Kings improved by leaps and bounds, my manager, Wendy, packed me up and threw me onto the e-sports variety show Clash of Kings. During the live broadcast, the host asked about my most memorable gaming experience. I blurted out: “Once, I got destroyed in a 1v1 and cried.” Not only was the live audience stunned, but the bullet screen (live comments) was filled with question marks. [Who?! Who dared to make my baby girl cry!] [Hahahaha, Xinyi is so honest.] [Does he know he made the top star Xinyi Jiang cry?] Of course he didn’t know, because I lied and told him I was a college student. At that time, I was filming at A University. During a break in the middle of the night, I wanted a quick game. I picked Xiao Qiao, but encountered an opposing Lanling Wang who not only ganked me into a 0/20 record but chased me into the fountain to kill me. After the game, seeing my credit score drop due to eight reports, I was furious. So I angrily added Lanling Wang as a friend and challenged him: [Dare to 1v1?] The result of overestimating myself was a crushing defeat. After my crystal exploded, the crew told me to prepare early; the next scene was a crying scene. Thinking about working hard until 3 AM only to slack off with a game and lose so miserably, I felt more and more aggrieved and burst into tears. So when Lanling Wang clicked into my team lobby, he heard me wailing, “What a trash game, trash Lanling Wang, I’m gonna kill you all.” That crying scene was my best performance. One take, the director called it professional, and I won Best Actress for that role. The next day when I opened the game, I received his team invite. As soon as I entered the room, I heard his slightly apologetic voice: “Sorry about yesterday. To make up for it, I’ll carry you to rank up.” While playing, the noisy background noise caught his attention: “Are you still in school?” I glanced at the script by my hand, “Yeah, junior year.” 2 The host’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts: “The production team has everyone’s phones and logged into your game accounts. Let’s take a look at everyone’s game profile one by one.” My rival, Clara Lu’s game account interface was displayed on the big screen. King rank every season, City Badges for Yao, Cai Wenji, and Angela—pretty impressive so far. Until the host, stirring up trouble, clicked into her game relationships. The “BFF” and “Bestie” slots were filled with male accounts. The bullet screen boiled over: [So many ‘oppas’.] [What are you saying? Can’t she play games with guys?] [Only one boyfriend, but many ‘brothers’.] [It’s not dating, what’s wrong with just bonding?] I was happily eating popcorn on the side, secretly glad I had cleared the intimate relationships on my account in advance. Host: “I heard Xinyi has become very skilled recently, reaching King rank in five days solo last season. Let’s see what secrets are on her account.” The big screen quickly switched to my account profile. Seeing the avatar, I was confused. Why is it my alt account? [If I’m not mistaken, that’s a couple avatar, right?] [No way, no way, Xinyi is online dating?] [You can use couple avatars alone, I do it myself.] I looked off-stage at my manager, Wendy. She was waving a phone that looked exactly like the one in the host’s hand. Damn, wrong phone. These fruit phones, prices go up every generation, but they look the same. I’m changing it after the show! Watching the host’s finger gradually move towards [Intimate Relationships], it seemed there was no way to stop him other than rushing over and biting his finger off. While I was gritting my teeth preparing to pounce, a message popping up in the chat channel interrupted the host. GingerLover: [Bad girl, you finally logged on?] 3 Seeing no reply, the other party sent several more messages: [Only remembered me when you wanted to rank up in the new season?] [Fine, call me ‘Oppa’ and I’ll carry you.] [Ignoring me? Found another wild man? Who is he?] [Does he have more National Badges than me? Is his Peak Tournament score higher than mine? Has he won the National Championship? Did he ever make you cry in a 1v1?] I turned my head mechanically, looking at the bullet screen with the resignation of death. [?????] [Good boy, so it was you.] [Our girl is in love!!!] [Wait, I just dug up this guy’s account, he seems to be Silas Lin.] [The retired e-sports god Silas Lin? And Xinyi? E-sports god x Top star, power couple, I ship it.] I was stunned. Silas Lin? Who is that? My gaming CP was clearly just an ordinary 6’1″, eight-pack, handsome college student. The host, enjoying the drama, said, “It seems Xinyi and Silas have quite a special relationship.” Under Wendy’s murderous gaze, I swallowed hard, “Actually, it’s a misunderstanding.” “We broke up long ago, just haven’t had time to unbind the CP.” Instantly, the bullet screen exploded. [Coming from Silas’s stream next door.] [Brother Silas is going crazy on stream.] [Silas is so pitiful hahaha, dumped on live TV.] [I just started shipping, and you feed me glass shards?] [Liar, tell me it’s fake!] It was true. The day after reaching King rank on my alt, I sent him a breakup message and never logged on again. 4 #Xinyi Jiang Silas Lin CP #Xinyi Jiang Bad Woman #Silas Lin Dumped on Live Stream #Xinyi Jiang Alt Account #Clash of Kings Xinyi My manager Wendy tapped her phone with a cold face, “The last time you dominated the trending list was when you won Best Actress, right?” I didn’t dare look, lowering my head and picking at my fingers, whispering: “I just got heartbroken. The company won’t ask for breach of contract fees, right? That would be too pitiful. You know, I left my mom when I was young…” “Shut up.” I started as a child star. After my mom passed away, I spent most of my time with my manager. Since Aunt Nan, who used to manage me, was promoted to Vice President, Wendy has been managing me. In recent years, whenever I made a mistake, as long as I acted pitiful, she would forgive me eight times out of ten. Late at night, I clicked into Silas’s live stream. He was fiercely ganking the opposing Xiao Qiao with Lanling Wang. Even without seeing his face, I could feel his bloodlust. [Brother Silas turned dark for love.] [The former jungle king has become a bush camper.] [Isn’t Xinyi a classic ‘rank-up bitch’? Breaks up after hitting King.] [Don’t blindly hate. I’ve seen Xinyi’s main account; she ranks up solo. Her Zhu Bajie is top-tier.] [Hahahaha, dying. Which female star mains Zhu Bajie?] That’s right, my best hero is Zhu Bajie (Piggie). When I duo-queued with Silas for a few days, he pointed out my problem: “You’re not suitable for mages. Too stubborn and won’t accept defeat. Try the EXP lane.” So, this flower-like girl put down Xiao Qiao’s fan, picked up Piggie’s rake, and braved the EXP lane. Silas was puzzled: “Why Piggie?” Me: “Because his skill 1 stuns, skill 2 wall-slams (kabedon), skill 3 pens them in. Looks just like a domineering CEO forcing love on the heroine in novels.” Silas: ?

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To attend the same college as my rich second-generation boyfriend, I filled my college entrance exam answer sheet with wrong answers. But half an hour before the exam ended, several bullet screen comments (danmu) suddenly appeared before my eyes. [This idiot supporting character. She has the brains for an Ivy League school but insists on playing the ‘devoted to community college’ role. Did a donkey kick her in the head?] [She really latched onto the male lead, huh? Too bad he’s just been using her for amusement from start to finish. Does she really think she has a shot at being a wealthy young mistress?] [Just a gold digger. If she knew she isn’t even in Caleb’s future plans, would she go crazy on the spot?] [Caleb must be tired pretending to be a slacker. He’s really going all out just to win a bet.] My hand holding the eraser paused. Then, I erased all the wrong answers on the answer sheet. 1 After writing the last word of my essay, I looked up at the clock. Thirty minutes left until the exam ended. This was a high-scoring essay, smooth and profound. Under normal circumstances, it would deserve a near-perfect score. But right now, it was like gold thrown into a dumpster— Because I had carefully filled in wrong answers for all the multiple-choice questions on this exam, and deliberately left one-third of the subjective questions blank. Yes, I was intentionally tanking my score. For Caleb. The rich second-generation boyfriend who secretly held my hand under the desk during evening study sessions and used his deep voice to describe “simple happiness in an ordinary college.” He said he was dumb and could only scrape into a second-tier college even if he tried his best. He said he couldn’t live without me, that campus life would be meaningless without me. He even imagined wedding cannons and white veils with me, as if happiness was within reach as long as we settled for mediocrity. So I played along, sinking with him, personally strangling the opportunity I had earned through ten years of hard study. But just as I was about to cap my pen and pack up, a light flashed before my eyes, and several lines of semi-transparent text floated across my answer sheet like bullet screen comments on a video. [This idiot supporting character. She has the brains for an Ivy League school but insists on playing the ‘devoted to community college’ role. Did a donkey kick her in the head?] My breath hitched, and I froze. Hallucination? Or hysteria from exam stress? Before I could sort out my thoughts, the second and third lines followed, dripping with sharper sarcasm: [She really latched onto the male lead, huh? Too bad he’s just been using her for amusement from start to finish. Does she really think she has a shot at being a wealthy young mistress?] [Just a gold digger. If she knew she isn’t even in Caleb’s future plans, would she go crazy on the spot?] [Caleb must be tired pretending to be a slacker. He’s really going all out just to win a bet.] Amusement? Bet? Pretending to be a slacker? My mind went blank for a second. Then, Caleb’s deeply affectionate eyes surfaced before me, twisted, and finally turned into the wrong options on the answer sheet in front of me. I looked up in confusion, staring at the powerful conclusion of my essay, “A bright future,” and actually started to hesitate. Even if these words were fake, was I really going to hand over my last card to Caleb with both hands? But as soon as I closed my eyes, I could recall Caleb standing before me with a huge bouquet of roses, swearing, “Tingting, I will definitely marry you.” Twenty-five minutes left. Time was tight, allowing no room for thought or verification. I gripped the eraser in my hand without hesitation and began to scrub the answer sheet furiously. Twenty-five minutes was enough to change all the multiple-choice answers and flesh out the key points for the subjective questions. … The bell finally rang. The answer sheets were collected in order, but the text on the desk continued to scroll. [What is the supporting character doing? Cold feet at the last minute? Too late.] [She’s erasing hard, but unfortunately, life doesn’t have an eraser. Her brain must be rusty after all these years.] [Exactly. Caleb burns the midnight oil studying after hanging out with her. How could a love-struck fool like her possibly outscore him?] I stopped my trembling hands. Looking at these comments again, my eyes turned cold. How did they know that Caleb wasn’t the only one burning the midnight oil? 2 It’s true that I like Caleb. But my feelings for him are seven parts affection, three parts rationality. After all, the day I met Caleb, I had just ranked first in the city and was being kicked out of my house. “First in the city? Xie Ting, are you crazy? How much money did you steal from home to pay tuition?!” My mom screamed, spit flying onto my face. “I earned it from part-time jobs.” I clutched the report card, knuckles white. “That little money is useless! The neighbor Old Wang’s daughter married a factory owner before finishing high school. Now she wears gold and silver and owns three houses! And you? Did reading books turn into gold for you?” My dad squatted in the corner smoking, the cheap tobacco smoke hiding his expression. “Get out! You’re an eyesore! Don’t stand here blocking the way.” Bang! The heavy slam of the security door triggered the hallway lights. I was swept out like trash, without mercy. Nowhere to go, didn’t even grab a coat. The report card I was so proud of became waste paper in an instant. —Turns out my hard work, my grades, were worthless. Yet I counted on them to give me a way out. How ridiculous. Caleb appeared at that moment. When I was nearly frozen numb, piercing headlights cut through the darkness. Caleb sat in the back seat of a Porsche, wearing a well-tailored cashmere coat, a dark scarf highlighting his cold, fair skin. “Student,” he said, his voice gentle, “Aren’t you cold?” I looked at him. I watched him drape an expensive scarf over me, saw the inherent ease and superiority that money piled up around him, and contrasted it with my own wretched state. A strong, almost instinctive thought grew wildly. Money. Power. Status. Only by grasping these would my words matter. So, I reached out to Caleb. He was the only driftwood I could see, the closest one to me as I drowned. What happened next followed naturally. He took me to his unused luxury apartment, listened to my grievances, and built a perfect future for me with expensive gifts and sweet words—a blueprint of happiness where I didn’t need to be excellent, just needed to be by his side to have everything. He said his parents didn’t want a daughter-in-law who was too smart, just virtuous enough. And my parents came to the door with fawning smiles and fruit baskets, praising my ability and vision. I could finally be their “daughter” again, bringing more glory to their faces than Old Wang’s daughter next door. Yes, I love Caleb. I love his money, his face, his family background, and the vanity of being his girlfriend that allowed me to crush my past. To marry him, of course I could give up these worthless grades. However, people who have been abandoned don’t gain a sense of security so easily. The despair of the day I met him was like a thorn, stuck deep in my heart. —I was afraid he would break his promise. Caleb’s world was cold and flashy. His kindness was too perfect, too selfless. His friends all looked at me with pity that said “you’ll be dumped sooner or later.” Behind him, there were whispers that “Xie Ting isn’t worthy.” The speaker might not mean it, but the listener takes it to heart. This fear followed me like a shadow during this seemingly stable year. So, in the late nights when I seemed to have given up, I devoured problem sets on scratch paper again and again, comforting myself with full marks on practice tests that I had a trump card. A card I might not need, but must have. Just like in the exam hall, those subjective questions I left blank were the easiest to fill, and the multiple-choice questions were the easiest to change. Was it worth trading a temporary future for a backer? For me, yes. As long as we married, I could share the family assets. Giving up these four years might get me things I couldn’t get with years of hard work. But if it was traded for a false promise and a result of ridicule… Then it wasn’t worth it. 3 Coming out of the exam hall, I saw Caleb immediately. He leaned against that flashy Porsche, his posture lazy and noble. A few girls passing by wanted to strike up a conversation but were deterred by his distant gaze. Standing next to him was his childhood friend, Zhao Lin. They chatted enthusiastically, completely unaware of me submerged in the crowd. “Awesome, bro! A gentleman isn’t afraid to wait!” Zhao Lin’s face was full of schadenfreude. “Once the admission notices come out, you can completely escape this misery.” I paused. From a short distance, I heard Caleb’s voice. —Unlike usual, with his back to me, his tone was full of contempt. “Soon. Just thinking about not having to act in front of that pretentiously noble face makes me feel comfortable all over.” Zhao Lin asked again: “When the time comes, our Young Master Zhou won’t be reluctant to let go, right?” I held my breath, actually expecting Caleb to hesitate. Unfortunately, Caleb barely thought before saying with disgust: “Her? Besides being a bit smart, how can she compare to Xia? Playing with her is already doing her a favor.” Zhao Lin punched his shoulder: “True, you really went all out for Xu Xia. Who would have thought Young Master Zhou would condescend to transfer to this crappy place for her, and even bite the bullet to coax a nerd? Pretending to be deep, pretending to be a slacker, smiling every day… big sacrifice!” Caleb sneered: “This is nothing. Pei Xiao made this bet with me just to keep me away from Xia. I want to see, after the applications are done, who will have to leave Xia.” …Who is Pei Xiao? And who is Xu Xia? So, those comments were all true. I was a gambling chip in Caleb’s hand, his pastime for the year, never part of his future plans. So that’s how it is. My past efforts were worthless to my parents. Now, my willing sacrifice is still worthless in his eyes. Then who allowed this world to treat me so lightly? The disappeared comments reappeared at this moment. [Holy crap, when did the supporting female arrive? Did she hear everything?] [Didn’t she just erase the answer sheet? The script isn’t written like this!] [Small change, it’s normal for the supporting character to struggle a bit. Can’t make big waves anyway~] [Can she go offline already! I really want to see Xu Xia and Caleb together! No more cold war for the Leopard and Cat!] I took a deep breath and walked towards them. Seeing me, Caleb’s face changed. He quickly signaled Zhao Lin. Zhao Lin understood, shouted an exaggerated “Hi sister-in-law,” and disappeared instantly. Caleb took my favorite lemon tea from the back seat and smoothly took the pencil case from my hand, welcoming me into the car. “Hard work, baby. How was the exam? Tired?” I was a bit dispirited, only answering “It was okay” in a muffled voice. The comments that just flashed by were in my mind. “Good is good. I know our Tingting is the best.” He smiled and rubbed my hair, his actions intimate and natural. However, the next sentence added an imperceptible nervousness. “But, Tingting…” His voice became lighter, softer, with a coaxing tone. “Did you really… change the answers as we agreed? Chose the wrong ones for multiple choice?” My heart sank, but soon I adjusted my mood and nodded. “Mmh, I wrote wrong answers even for the ones I knew.” “Really?” His follow-up question came almost immediately. “Left the essay blank too? Didn’t… couldn’t help writing too much?” [Hahahahaha Examiner Zhou: Please confirm again if the candidate has self-destructed their future.] [She wrote it! She even changed the multiple-choice answers back! (Violent Roar!) Don’t believe her!] [Wait, screenwriter are you there? What is she doing! Can someone give a spoiler??] I looked up, my gaze piercing through the comments, meeting Caleb’s eyes directly. “Of course. You said your parents hope their future daughter-in-law isn’t too sharp, should be docile and virtuous, and too high a degree is bad. And…” I tilted my head slightly, leaning shyly into his arms: “And didn’t you say this gives you a sense of security? Proving I really love you, willing to give up better choices for you, to live an ordinary, stable life with you. I remember it all.” Caleb’s body visibly relaxed, as if relieved of a heavy burden. “I knew you were so understanding. Don’t worry, those diplomas people fight for are nothing. I’ll only give you something better.” Better… mockery? I leaned on him docilely, but my gaze went over his shoulder, lingering on a few new comments. [Can’t take it anymore! This supporting female is so tea (fake/manipulative) ahhhhhhh!] [Caleb, if you keep this up, I’m telling Xu Xia! (Hands on hips)] [Reporting +1! Xu Xia come see your Leopard tricking another cat!] [It’s fine! Once the bet is over, Pei Xiao and Xie Ting can both roll far away!] … Xu Xia… Pei Xiao… In other words, this Caleb who spared no “huge sacrifice” to trick me into failing the college entrance exam is a “love brain” (lovesick fool). A love brain? That makes things easier. 4 For the next two days of exams, I dutifully played my role as the “stupid trophy wife.” Facing Caleb’s every seemingly casual but actually scheming probe— “Tingting, that last big question was hard, right? Did you help writing too much again?” My eyes were clear to the bottom, with just the right amount of innocence and dependence: “You said to leave it blank. I remembered, so I just scribbled a bit.” Tone soft, no flaws. Everything seemed to be advancing steadily in the direction Caleb planned. Except, I saw a name mentioned repeatedly in the comments on the list outside the exam hall. Pei Xiao. Coincidentally, sitting diagonally behind me. If the comments were true, then we “protagonists” and “supporting roles” with names would definitely be arranged in close proximity according to plot needs. So, the female lead Xu Xia must be here too. Following this guess, I quickly found Xu Xia’s name in this building. She was arranged in the same corridor as Caleb’s exam room. The female lead is right next to the male lead. How fitting for the plot. So do those comments that follow like shadows, yet fail to notice my late-night studying, only focus on the main plot line? My gaze fell on Pei Xiao’s name again. The last exam ended. I deliberately slowed down packing my stationery, but my gaze locked onto the figure diagonally behind me who had already stood up. He moved swiftly, stuffing his pencil case into his bag, and strode out of the classroom with the flow of people. I stood up quickly, entering the crowd almost at the same time as him. It was crowded. I had to be very close to keep up. Fortunately, he never looked back, just walking steadily through the noisy crowd, disappearing into the stairwell on the other side of the corridor. I quickened my pace, following him into the stairwell. —The stairwell was empty. Footsteps gone. Even Pei Xiao was gone. Discovered. My heart tightened. I instinctively took a step back, looking around alertly. A voice descended from above. “You’re following me.” I looked up sharply. Pei Xiao stood on the platform of the highest step, looking down at me. “Something up?” “Let’s talk.” I looked up, meeting his gaze without flinching. “About you and Caleb betting on me.” “You’re that city-wide first place?” Pei Xiao raised an eyebrow, sneering. “I’m not interested in talking to a love-struck fool with no willpower.” I curled my lips: “A-B-B-B, C-C-C-A, C-C-A.” Pei Xiao stopped in his tracks. “Should I continue? You know, just out of the exam, I haven’t had time to check the answers.” A brief silence filled the empty stairwell. The mockery in his eyes faded, replaced by interest. “I can make Caleb win,” I issued an invitation to him, “Naturally, I can also make you win.” Just as he was about to speak— “Xiao!” A clear female voice came from upstairs. “Waited for you for so long, so you were here!” Almost forgot, the male and female leads’ exam rooms were upstairs. Xu Xia’s figure soon appeared at the top of the stairs, and behind her, Caleb walked out looking unkind. Seeing Pei Xiao, his face was indifferent. But soon, he noticed me in front of Pei Xiao, and frowned: “Tingting? You know each other?” I looked at Pei Xiao. He shrugged, with no intention of explaining. So I stepped forward, familiarly wrapping my arm around Caleb’s, my voice sweetly cloying: “You’re here? I dropped my pencil case just now, thanks to this student for picking it up for me.” As I spoke, I shook the pencil case in my hand, looking at Pei Xiao sincerely: “Didn’t have time to say it just now, thanks student. Want to grab a meal together? My boyfriend is very rich.” After speaking, I seemed to just notice Xu Xia at the top of the stairs: “Eh? Is this pretty sister your friend?” I deliberately emphasized the word “friend,” leaning half my body onto Caleb. Caleb’s body stiffened noticeably, looking at Xu Xia nervously. Xu Xia didn’t look at me. Her gaze first fell on my hand holding Caleb, then moved straight up to meet Caleb’s eyes: “This is your love-struck girlfriend? Very sweet. Bless you two.” ? Did I provoke you? Before anyone could react, Xu Xia walked down the steps, reached out naturally, and gently hooked Pei Xiao’s pinky: “Xiao, I’m a bit tired. Take me home.” Under Caleb’s visibly green face, Xu Xia led Pei Xiao away from the stairwell holding hands. Passing me, I saw Pei Xiao’s left eye wink imperceptibly. [Holy crap holy crap holy crap! Nuclear level Shura field (love triangle chaos)!!!] [Xu · Niu Gulu · Xia: The arm-link kill! Counterattack!] [Female lead scolded well! This supporting female is tea to the max.] [Pei Xiao: Who am I, where am I? Whatever, I’ll just stand here.] [Why do I suddenly feel Caleb and Xu Xia fighting is also exciting? Love to watch!] [Shura field plot over. Next plot is the reconciliation, right! Leopard and Cat, speak your feelings!] The comments appeared again. Countless curses at me, discussions about the leads, discussions about the next plot. But not a word about the confrontation between me and Pei Xiao before Xu Xia and Caleb appeared. Indeed, the plot has blind spots. This plot blind spot is my free zone.

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I kicked the bucket on my eightieth birthday. Outside the door, my kids were wailing like the world was ending. But my consciousness was fading fast. With my last breath, I looked at the woman who had been by my side for decades, her hair now snow-white. I forced a weak smile and asked, “Sarah, tell me the truth. After all these years… did you ever actually love me?” Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, I got my answer. I whispered, “If I could do it all over again, I definitely wouldn’t love you.” I didn’t expect the universe to call my bluff. When I opened my eyes, I was back in my prime. But before I could even process the joy of being young again, Sarah—who was supposed to be getting engaged to someone else—appeared right in front of me. Seeing the look of pure terror on my face, she flashed a massive grin and grabbed me by the collar. “Hugh Sterling, why did you die so fast? I haven’t answered your question yet.” 1 I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling of my childhood bedroom. The stiffness of old age was gone, replaced by a vibrant, youthful energy. I realized this wasn’t a dream. I had been reborn. I was twenty-four again. A rush of euphoria hit my brain, but I forced myself to calm down. In this life, I would stay the hell away from Sarah Vance. In my past life, Sarah was the only daughter of the Vance dynasty, the “It Girl” of our social circle, known for her brilliance. But this brilliant woman fell for a punk from the wrong side of the tracks. She was smart; she hid the relationship for a long time. But in high society, secrets don’t stay secret. When her parents found out, they were furious. They immediately planned a strategic marriage alliance to kill her little romance. Sarah didn’t want to do it, but back then, she didn’t have the power to defy her parents. So, she targeted me. The Sterlings and the Vances were old money friends. Sarah and I grew up together. She told me, “Hugh, pretend to date me. If we’re ‘together,’ my parents won’t force me to marry a stranger.” What she didn’t know was that I had been in love with her for years. I was ecstatic. I used my family’s influence to turn her fake proposal into a real engagement. I thought if we got married, she would eventually fall for me. Decades of a frigid marriage proved me wrong. No matter what I did, she never gave me a genuine smile. It got to the point where, on my deathbed, I had to ask if she ever loved me for even a second. This time, I’m letting go. Checking the date, I realized Sarah’s secret romance hadn’t been exposed yet. I immediately dropped my “rich playboy” persona and threw myself into work. My friends were shocked. “Hugh, did you hit your head? Why are you suddenly grinding at the family company? Did the Sterlings go broke?” I just smiled. “I found a killer business opportunity. I’m taking the Sterling Group international. Watch me.” They laughed it off, but I didn’t care. I had decades of future knowledge in my head. Taking the family business to new heights would be a breeze. But first, I needed to prove my worth to my parents. Just then, the news broke. Sarah’s relationship with the punk was discovered. My parents summoned me home. In my past life, this was when our families discussed the arranged marriage, and when Sarah pulled me aside to ask for the fake dating favor. This time, the answer is no. 2 Walking into the living room, seeing Sarah sitting there… even with a lifetime of memories, I faltered. She was in her prime—young, beautiful, radiating that elegant, icy aura that I used to worship. In my last life, that face hooked me instantly. I said yes without hesitation. But her beauty only stunned me for a second this time. I knew she didn’t love me. She didn’t belong to me. So, no matter what she asked, I wasn’t going to play the hero. My dad saw me and waved me over, feigning annoyance. “I told you to hurry up! Always late. You act like a child!” He raised a hand to smack me playfully, but I dodged with an agility I hadn’t possessed in forty years. Hilarious. I lived to be eighty. My dad right now is only in his forties. I’m not the scared kid I used to be. I laughed. “Dad, you’re a grown man. Watch your image in front of guests.” Everyone froze. In their minds, I was still the immature heir. After a beat, Dad laughed and slapped my back hard. “You brat! Making fun of your old man now?” He turned to the Vances. “My son and I are close. He treats you like family, that’s why he’s not putting on airs.” The awkward tension in the room dissipated. But Sarah… she was staring at me blankly. There was none of the anxiety or panic she had in the last timeline. It was weird. I sat next to her and put on a polite, distant smile. “I came in a rush, didn’t bring a gift. You don’t mind, right?” In the last life, I heard she was in trouble and brought a mountain of gifts to impress her. She didn’t even look at them. Even after we married, I showered her with expensive jewelry and surprises. She never smiled. That’s when I learned: if she doesn’t love you, nothing you do matters. I expected her to ignore me. Instead, she smiled—a genuine, bright smile. “It’s okay, Hugh. I’m just happy to see you.” I froze. In my entire previous life, right up until I flatlined, Sarah Vance never smiled at me like that. Does she get off on being treated coldly? I didn’t dwell on it. Soon, her parents would bring up the “punk” issue and the potential marriage alliance. That would be Sarah’s cue to pull me aside. I was ready to reject her. Let her run off with her bad boy. I was cutting the cord. Sure enough, halfway through dinner, the elders started hinting at marriage. Right on cue, Sarah grabbed my arm, asking me to help her find something in the other room. I looked up, expression flat. “No thanks. Ask the butler. I don’t know where anything is.” The table went silent. Everyone looked at me. Since childhood, I was Sarah’s shadow. I revolved around her. Rejecting her was unprecedented. But Sarah didn’t get mad. She reached out to grab my hand directly. I dodged, my face darkening. I didn’t know what game she was playing, but I wasn’t participating. “Personal space, Sarah,” I said sharply. “Don’t get handsy. I’m not interested in you.” My parents were mortified, apologizing profusely to the Vances, claiming I must be in a bad mood. But Sarah? She wasn’t angry. She looked… thrilled? Her smile got even brighter. She didn’t push it. We finished the meal in silence. Her parents finalized plans to marry her off to someone else. I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally. I broke the cycle. 3 I threw myself into work. I had a second chance at life; I wasn’t wasting it on romance. But on my first day at the office, I saw someone who shouldn’t be there. Sarah. She saw me and grinned. “Hugh! You’re here!” She was stunning, and her shout drew every eye in the lobby. I walked over, scowling. “Sarah, what are you doing here?” She patted a large cardboard box next to her, looking innocent. “I’m starting work here. Can’t you tell?” The room spun. Why? Why can’t I shake her off? My phone buzzed. A text from Dad. Turns out, after Sarah went home that night, she told her parents she and I were secretly in love and insisted on getting engaged to me. The parents conferred, decided we were a perfect match, and set it up without telling me. I saw black spots. The Sarah in front of me felt like a stranger. I took a breath, shaking off her hand. “If you’re working here, do your job. We don’t pay people to sit around.” Sarah was proud. She hated having her competence questioned. Humiliating her publicly should make her angry. I turned to leave. She grabbed my sleeve again. I turned back, and she stood on tiptoes, planting a kiss on my cheek. Her voice was soft, almost spoiling—a tone I hadn’t heard in eighty years. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend, aren’t we? Hugh, you’re so mean.” The lobby went dead silent. Everyone dropped their jaws. Me included. I stared at her, trying to reconcile this woman with my memories. It was the same face, but a completely different soul. But I’m an eighty-year-old man in a twenty-something’s body. I wasn’t going to be played by a little girl. I called the lobby manager over, voice cold. “Where’s HR? How did she get in? Did she go through the process? If she didn’t pass the interview, kick her out.” The manager looked terrified. “The Chairman brought Miss Vance in personally… we can’t…” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Fine. Nepotism looks bad. Make her start from the bottom. Mailroom or something. I’m going to work.” I looked at Sarah, face stone cold. “I didn’t know about the engagement, and I didn’t agree to it. I’ll clear it up with my parents. Please have some self-respect.” I got into the elevator. Knowing Sarah, she’s arrogant. She has sand in her eyes. Me treating her like this in public? She should quit by lunch. I sat in the CEO’s office (well, the VP office for now) and started reviewing files. I needed to show my parents I could run this place so they’d hand over the reins. I had decades of future market trends in my head. I was going to turn Sterling Corp into a global empire. Time flew. Lunchtime. I stretched my aching back and headed to the cafeteria. As soon as I stepped out, I saw her. Sarah was leaning against the wall, holding a bento box. Seeing me, she lit up and ran over. “Hungry? I saw you working so hard you forgot to eat, so I brought this up.” I frowned, pushing the warm box away. “No thanks. We have a cafeteria. And you’re not allowed on this floor. Who let you up?” I glared at the secretary. Before he could stammer an excuse, Sarah laughed. “I demanded to come up. Don’t blame him. I’m your girlfriend; they didn’t dare stop me.” Rage flared up. Before I could snap, she grabbed my hand, eyes watering. “Hugh, you might not believe me, but I really like you. I want to pursue you. Just give me a chance, okay?” In my last life, if she had said this, I would have died of happiness. In this life, it just gave me chills. What the hell happened to her? People in the hallway were staring, envious. I was about to reject the bento again when she threw herself into my arms. I tried to push her away, but she whispered through gritted teeth right into my ear: “Hugh Sterling, don’t think you’re the only one who got reborn. If you give me attitude again, I’m telling your dad you’re bullying your future wife.” 4 I froze. To the onlookers, it looked like I was stunned by a beautiful woman’s embrace. But my brain was short-circuiting. Sarah was reborn too. But why? Why chase me in this life? I dragged her into my office and slammed the door. “You’re hurting me,” she complained, giving me that look. The look that used to make me cave instantly in our past life. Not this time. I took a deep breath. “Sarah, since we’re both re-doers, I’ll be straight. Let’s stay out of each other’s way. No contact.” She looked at me with puppy eyes. “We were married for decades, and you never yelled at me. Now you’re cold, and you hurt my wrist.” I faltered. Letting go of a lifetime of love isn’t easy. But I remembered dying without ever hearing her say “I love you.” I couldn’t do that again. I stepped back. “I’m not joking. I know you don’t love me. I won’t stop you from finding your true love this time. You’re brilliant; you can build the Vance empire without me. Don’t waste time on me.” It was true. In our previous life, Sarah became a business titan, the Iron Lady. People called her Mrs. Vance, not Mrs. Sterling. She was more famous than I ever was. I turned to leave. Her phone rang. Sharp. Sudden. I glanced at the screen. Jax. The punk. The love of her life. The reason my marriage was an ice age. I stopped, watching her coldly. She claimed she loved me sincerely. Let’s see what she does when her “true love” calls. She didn’t hesitate. She picked up. “Okay, I got it. Where are you? I’m coming right now.” She hung up, gave me an apologetic smile, and ran out without a word. I let out a bitter laugh. See? Past life, present life, it doesn’t matter. I’m always the second choice she discards without a second thought. I was stupid to hesitate. I drove straight to my parents’ house. I had to end this engagement. My parents were surprised to see me home so early. “Dad,” I said, cutting off his greeting. “I want to cancel the engagement with Sarah.” Dad looked confused, then angry. “Stop acting out. We already shook hands with the Vances.” In his mind, I was still the kid obsessed with her. “I don’t like her,” I said firmly. “She didn’t ask me. Just forget it. I’d rather find someone I actually love than settle.” Dad saw the exhaustion in my eyes. He hesitated. “Fine,” he sighed. “If you’re sure. I’ll talk to the Vances in a few days. Good thing we haven’t announced it publicly yet.” He looked like he wanted to ask more, but he just closed my bedroom door, letting me rest. I collapsed onto the bed. Both of us reborn. But she’s still chasing the punk while trying to keep me on the hook? I drifted into a deep sleep.

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During a post-SAT interview, the school genius confessed his love to me in front of everyone. The reporter asked, “How are you sure she likes you back?” His ears turned pink as he said softly, “Her Instagram background is the ocean, so I posted a picture of a bald cartoon character drowning in the sea.” “It was only visible to her, and she liked it.” Reporter: “…” That night, the video went viral. Netizens commented: “Bro, quit the crush, join the CIA.” 1 I had just finished my last SAT and was about to sleep for a week straight when my childhood bestie woke me up with a barrage of calls. “Aurora, wake up! You’re trending!” I clicked on the video she sent. It was an interview outside the exam center. The reporter held a microphone: “Any thoughts on the exam?” Other students: “Buff Yasuo.” “Buff Lux.” Then it was Liam’s turn. The reporter asked, “Anything you want buffed?” Liam looked cool and indifferent: “Nothing needs buffing. just cancel the $9 delivery fee on DoorDash, thanks.” He was about to leave but turned back. “Can I use this interview to confess?” The reporter agreed immediately: “Of course!” Liam looked straight into the camera, a shy smile playing on his lips. “Aurora Vance, I’ve liked you for three whole years.” “See you at MIT.” The reporter’s gossip radar pinged: “Does she like you back?” Liam blushed furiously, the red spreading to his ears. “I think so.” Reporter: “How are you sure?” Liam’s voice turned incredibly gentle: “Her Instagram background is the ocean, so I posted a picture of a bald cartoon character drowning in the sea.” “It was only visible to her, and she liked it.” “I think it’s mutual.” Reporter: “…” The reporter was speechless. Watching the video, so was I. 2 Mutual crush my ass. Liam and I are rivals, okay? Liam was the transfer student who stole my spot as number one in the grade the moment he arrived. To beat him, I studied until 3 AM every night, only to be triggered by that stupid picture of a drowning bald cartoon character. I thought he was mocking me, saying the new wave pushes the old wave onto the beach to die, drowning me in the sea with no chance of recovery. In a fit of rage, I liked his post, then furiously did two extra sets of physics problems at dawn with tears in my eyes. 3 Liam’s interview video on TikTok got millions of likes and dominated the trending topics. Comments: [Bro, quit the crush, join the CIA.] [LMAO, drowning in the sea means drowning in you? Genius logic is built different.] [Haha, thought it was a mutual crush between geniuses, turns out it’s a one-sided delusional love.] [Stop laughing, even if they don’t date, they’ll see each other at MIT for four years.] [It’s funny but kinda cute. ‘My rival of three years has a crush on me.’ Anyone else shipping this chaotic couple?] [Sister, I ship it. Hard.] TikTok even pinned Liam’s account. He only had a few videos, all about me—our report cards where he was first and I was second, blurry photos of my back. The dates spanned from freshman to senior year, never missing a beat. His comment section was flooded. Liam: [I’ve been so obvious for three years, she must know I like her, right?] Remembering how he crushed me academically year after year, I replied coldly: [I didn’t know. Also, Aurora doesn’t like you.] But Liam recognized my account. Liam: [Then can you try liking me a little bit in the future?] Me: [No.] Liam: [Just try.] Me: [No.] Liam: [Just try it.] … He was stubborn, repeating it dozens of times until I snapped: [Liam, are you a bot?] The comments went wild: [Hahahaha, Mr. Try and Ms. No, they are hilarious.] [Dead. The genius stopped replying, probably crying under his blanket.] [Liam: She called me a bot.] [Bot Liam is currently shutting down.] [Both are persistent, no wonder they’re geniuses. Hehe, shipping harder.] 4 Meanwhile, my dad saw the video too. He kept pestering me about my relationship with Liam. Annoyed, I fled to my mom’s bubble tea shop to help out. “Aurora, what a coincidence!” A familiar voice from above. No way. Even here? I looked up. Liam wore a white shirt, standing tall. His messy black bangs couldn’t hide those beautiful eyes. I pretended not to know him: “What do you want?” His voice was shy, ears pink: “Peach smoothie, please.” Just then, my mom came back. She was thrilled to see him: “You’re Liam, right? Just as handsome as in the video.” Liam scratched his head shyly: “Are you Aurora’s sister? Sorry for the confusion.” “I’m over forty, I’m her mom.” Liam looked shocked: “Auntie, you look so young, not like forty at all.” Seeing my mom grinning ear to ear, I knew she was bought. I handed Liam his smoothie, praying he’d leave. When paying, my mom and I spoke at the same time. Mom: “No need to pay, it’s on the house.” Me: “That’ll be thirteen dollars.” Mom slapped my shoulder: “Classmates don’t pay for a drink.” Liam paid anyway. Don’t know what Mom told him outside, but she left afterward. Liam walked up to me shyly: “Auntie said there’s something at home, asked me to help out here.” Seeing I didn’t refuse, he happily went to the back to help. I have to say, Liam really works. Carrying water, moving tea buckets, cleaning the ice cream machine—he did all the dirty, tiring work. The shop closed at 5 PM. I prepared to lock up. Liam finished wiping the tables: “It’s getting dark, I’ll walk you home.” I looked at the blazing sun outside and stayed silent. 5 On the way home, Liam stopped at a convenience store. He bought two yogurts, one for him, one for me. I stared at the peach yogurt in my hand, stunned. “How did you know I like this flavor?” Liam’s eyes crinkled with a smile: “I’ve been giving you yogurt for three years, how could I not know?” My brain short-circuited. I looked at him in disbelief. “You mean you gave me all those yogurts?” Liam looked confused: “Yeah, why?” Help. I thought my homeroom teacher gave them to encourage me. Thinking it was her, I studied like crazy to make her proud, aiming to be the city’s top student. Now you tell me it was Liam? What were those hundreds of extra test papers for?! I was baffled: “But didn’t the teacher give me the first one?” Liam explained: “I saw her give you peach yogurt and you liked it. After that, I put notes under the yogurt I gave you, and you didn’t refuse.” Notes? I thought they were trash and threw them away. I realized: “So you thought I knew you liked me?” Liam nodded. LOL. I thought he was being delusional in the interview, turns out it was a misunderstanding. And I drank his yogurt for three years. Embarrassing. Seeing my懊恼 (annoyed/regretful) face, Liam tried to hold back laughter. I glared: “Are you laughing at me?” He coughed: “No, just think you’re cute.” My heart skipped a beat. I stood on tiptoes, waving my fist at him awkwardly: “You’re the cute one.” Liam suddenly leaned in, our lips inches apart. The air turned electric. “Okay, I’m cute.” He looked down at me, eyes full of affection, voice husky and alluring: “So Aurora, can you try liking me a little bit?” For some reason, my heart raced. “Let me think about it.” I dropped the sentence and practically fled.

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After failing to win the male lead’s heart n times, I decided to just adopt him as my dad. I burst into the divorce proceedings of the main couple, flying through the air to hug their legs, tears streaming down my face. “Mom! Dad! I’m your daughter from the future!” Male Lead / Female Lead: “Where did this psycho come from?” Me: “Dad, are you sure you want to divorce Mom? She’s already pregnant with me!” The male lead looked at the female lead in shock: “You’re pregnant?” The female lead, whose “run away with the baby” plan had failed, remained silent. I nodded frantically beside her. “Yes, yes, yes! She’s really pregnant! Mom, Dad, I’m born!” 1 I am an awakened vicious supporting female character in an old-school angst novel. The System said that if the male lead’s affection for me reached 100%, I could leave this world and welcome a happy new life. But the male lead only had eyes for the female lead. After reloading the save file four times in a row, I decided to take a different approach and play a big game. I was going to pretend to be the daughter of the main couple. As the fifth attempt began, I stood at the scene of the main couple’s divorce, watching the male lead, Julian Ji, holding a fountain pen and speaking indifferently. “It was a contract marriage to begin with. I injected capital into your family’s company and helped handle your brother’s lawsuit. I’ve done all I can. You don’t need to act like you’ve been so wronged in this marriage.” The female lead, Chloe Zhang, had red eyes and nodded. The female secretary standing aside, Zoe Zhao, smirked. I strode forward, slid to my knees, and hugged the main couple’s legs. Julian Ji / Chloe Zhang: “…” I wept, “Mom! Dad! I finally found you! I’m your daughter who traveled back from the future!” Julian’s eye twitched. “Where did this psycho come from? Secretary Zhao, call security.” Me: “Dad, don’t drive me away! I know you still wet the bed when you were seven. You pretended to be calm on the surface, but secretly cried until you fainted in the closet because of the shame!” Julian’s pupils quaked for a second. Seeing her good deed being ruined, Zoe frowned and looked at Chloe, saying, “Ms. Zhang, is this an actor you hired? You really have many tricks. First getting drunk and sleeping with a man, claiming to be framed, and now hiring an actor to stop the divorce…” Chloe’s thin body trembled slightly. Unable to bear such slander, she immediately picked up the pen to sign the divorce agreement. I looked at the male lead and said, “Dad, are you sure you want to divorce Mom? She’s already pregnant with me!” Julian immediately looked at Chloe. Chloe’s eyelashes trembled as she continued to sign. Julian finally couldn’t help but stand up and hold Chloe’s hand. Zoe got anxious, “President Ji!” Julian ignored her and just looked at Chloe, asking, “Are you really pregnant?” Chloe didn’t speak. I nodded frantically beside them. “Yes, yes, yes! She’s really pregnant! Mom, Dad, I’m born!” 2 Julian took Chloe to the hospital. The results came out quickly; Chloe was indeed pregnant. She sat on a chair, looking at the report in her hand, her eyes filled with tears. Julian looked at Chloe and frowned, “Why are you crying? Is carrying my child so painful for you?” I thought to myself, You know nothing. Do you know how much grievance the female lead has suffered in this marriage! You only know how to act like a cold, domineering CEO, making her think you hate her. She doesn’t dare to tell you when she’s in trouble, and every few days, the evil villain trips her up and throws mud at her. Take the fuse of your divorce, for example. She was drugged and ended up in bed with the villain. Although nothing happened, she must have been scared and aggrieved. And the result? You just pretend to be cold and wait for her to explain herself. When she explains, you don’t listen. So why the hell do you ask! If you want her to hug you and loudly promise, ‘Husband, I only have you in my heart,’ then just say it! Sigh, forget it. After all, it’s an old-school angst novel, with this frustrating, breast-cancer-inducing flavor. Besides, the male lead really spends money on the female lead. So far, he has spent hundreds of millions on her. I can accept him living with her. Chloe wiped the tears from her face and said wearily, “I don’t plan to keep this child.” Julian’s pupils quaked again. Shutterstock The wife is too lazy to run with the ball and wants to abort directly. This is terrifying. But he is an old-school angst novel CEO. He only pretended to be calm and said indifferently, “That’s not up to you. The child isn’t yours alone.” Chloe’s lips were pale, her face bloodless. “We’re divorcing anyway. Do you want to give the child a broken home?” Julian finally decided to say something substantial. He said, “If you can prove that you were indeed innocent in that matter, I can agree not to divorce.” “That matter” Julian referred to was her lying in bed with the male villain after drinking. The CEO thought this counted as bowing his head, but he didn’t expect this to hurt Chloe even more. She casually threw the report into the trash can, stood up, and wanted to leave. I was about to die of anger. “Dad, are you crazy! You’ve known Mom for so many years, can’t you trust her character?” I grabbed Julian’s collar and roared, “You only know how to bully your own wife. What kind of man are you? I’m asking you, what kind of man are you!” Julian: “…” Although his hairstyle was messed up by my shaking, he didn’t lay a hand on me. Heavens, I should have used this move earlier. He didn’t even dare to let security really take me away, just because he didn’t want to offend me, his suspicious-looking future daughter. Zoe came over to pull me, angrily saying, “Miss, if you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.” I said, “Fine, call the police. I want to ask the police how many years you get for hiring someone to drug and attempt date rape? Secretary Zhao, you met that man at the Cloud Top Cafe at 8:35 PM on the 14th of last month. The surveillance footage should still be there. What shady things did you discuss? Also, why did you transfer him twenty thousand dollars? Are you a charity?” Julian and Chloe turned their heads together to look at Zoe. Zoe’s face instantly turned pale. Julian narrowed his eyes slightly and took out his phone, obviously wanting to find someone trustworthy to investigate this matter. Zoe swallowed and said, “President Ji, don’t listen to her nonsense. She must be someone Ms. Zhang hired.” Me: “Hehe, checking surveillance isn’t hard. Let my dad check. If you’re really innocent, what are you afraid of?” With that, I pushed the male lead away, hugged the female lead, and started crying. “Mom, don’t leave. If you leave, Secretary Zhao will find people to frame you in various ways. Your hand will also be injured, and you won’t be able to play the piano to make money anymore. You can’t bear to really hit me. Grandpa threatened suicide to make you take on his debt. We were destitute, living in a basement, hungry and cold, bullied by hooligans, with no money to see a doctor when sick, and…” Male Lead: “Stop, don’t say anymore!” 3 Surveillance and transfer records were retrieved, and the man who fled back to his hometown was also caught. Chloe wasn’t feeling well and was emotionally unstable, so she was sent home to rest first. There were only four of us in the office. The man said, “It… it was Zoe who made me do it. She guaranteed I wouldn’t be in trouble, at most just locked up for a few days. I needed money badly, so I agreed.” The man in front of us was somewhat handsome, which was why Julian was so angry when he caught them. He thought Chloe had hooked up with a toy boy. Julian’s expression was complicated. Regret, heartache. But I felt it wasn’t satisfying enough. Having caught a chance to watch the drama, shouldn’t I stir up bigger waves? I said, “What did Zoe say to you about my mom… ah no, about Chloe? Did she tell you her motive for doing this?” The man quickly said, “She said Chloe wasn’t good enough for President Ji, and that she might be Mrs. Ji in the future. Doing things for her would bring me benefits.” Julian was thoroughly enraged. Zoe had always shown a very professional attitude in front of him, and he trusted her. He had entrusted the task of dealing with this man to Zoe; otherwise, this man couldn’t have appeared before us intact. Zoe stood aside, legs trembling, crying until her makeup ran. “President Ji, President Ji, I’m sorry, please forgive me! I just couldn’t control my feelings. I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me, okay?” She knelt on the ground, hugging Julian’s leg. Julian pushed her away, his expression cold enough to freeze. “I don’t think you deserve my forgiveness.” The male lead of an old-school angst novel really looked scary when angry. Zoe cried even harder, crawled to Julian, and began begging frantically. I found it annoying. “Dad, handle it yourself. You don’t want Mom to know you’re soft-hearted and sympathetic towards your female secretary, pulling and pushing, staging an office play, right?” Julian was angry, “What pulling and pushing? Why do you just make things up? She hurt Chloe, of course I won’t let her off. You don’t need to worry about it here, get out!” I knew the male lead wouldn’t let the villain off. The villains in the later stages all had miserable ends. The male lead is a ruthless man, but I won’t be scared by him. I smiled and said, “You still don’t believe I’m your daughter, right?” Julian: “I’ve already arranged for an emergency paternity test.” Me: “Dad, I transmigrated as a soul. A paternity test proves jack squat. I know everything about you and Mom. Do you want to know what was written in Mom’s diary that was burned?” Julian’s affection value for me instantly became 30%. Speechless. Damn love brain. He looked at me and said in a deep voice, “What was written?” 4 The office was cleared, leaving only me and Julian. I sat; he stood. I said, “Do you really want to know?” Julian was dying of anxiety, but he wouldn’t admit it. He said, “I’m just asking casually. Say it if you want.” Me: “Okay, then I won’t say it. Taking a taxi, bye~” Julian: “…Don’t go.” Me: “So do you want to know or not?” Julian nodded with extreme difficulty. Hehe, mere old-school angst novel male lead. Controlled. I said, “This matter, my mom told me when I was thirteen or fourteen. She was afraid I’d date early and told me to be careful when choosing men, not to be like her.” Julian was unconvinced. “What’s wrong with being like her?” Me: “Being like her, suffering all kinds of grievances. On the wedding night, the groom didn’t come home. You didn’t touch the meal she prepared with care. She was wronged and injured, and still had to be divorced…” Julian said with extreme difficulty, “No, there are misunderstandings in these matters. You mean, she wrote all these things in her diary?” I shook my head. “My mom isn’t that petty. She wrote in her diary that when you ate together, you noticed she didn’t eat eggs, and eggs never appeared on the table again; you noticed she liked blue, and always gave her sapphires; you thought she was asleep and gently touched her face… Anyway, it’s small things like these. She felt happy, so she wrote them all down.” An old-school angst novel male lead was gently healed. His eyes were dazed as he whispered, “Really? She remembers all these small things?” Me: “Yes, but later you two lived like shit. She felt sad seeing those diaries, so she burned them.” An old-school angst novel male lead gently shattered.

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The sister who was switched at birth came back. My idiot college-student brother instantly turned into the fake heir. He hugged my leg, sobbing like a baby. “Sis, my one and only sis, how will I live without you?” Annoyed to death, I kicked him in the chest. “Act normal.” Just then, my new sister walked in and saw everything. She stormed over, furious and indignant. “How dare you bully him?!” Me: “???” Later I found out, she thought I was the one switched at birth. 1 The day I found out my brother was switched at birth, I was working overtime in the living room. My brother, Lucas, came downstairs and slid to my feet like a soccer player. Hugging my leg, he wailed, “Sis, my one and only sis, how will I live without you?!” I frowned in disgust. “What’s wrong with you now?” His voice trembled. “Sis, I’m not your biological brother.” I brushed him off. “Fine, fine, you’re not.” Just then, my dad called. “Cici, Lucas was switched at birth. Your biological sister, Mia, will be home soon.” I paused and looked at Lucas. “You weren’t joking?” He looked at me with mournful eyes. My dad continued, “Your mom and I are traveling and can’t come back right now. Please host her for us.” I refused immediately. “No time.” What’s so special about a biological sister? Is this family ever short of kids? My parents look harmonious now, but they’ve been playing their own games for years. Illegitimate children are everywhere. I have no affection for any of their kids. Plus, taking over the company meant I’d been working overtime for a month. I was in no mood for family bonding. Dad choked and started playing the pity card. “Cici, your parents are getting old…” I scoffed. “Save it. That doesn’t work on me. You won’t even take care of your own kids, why should I wade into this mess?” Seeing his trick fail, the old fox cleared his throat. “What do you want? Name your price.” Now we’re talking. I agreed instantly. “Done. What about Lucas?” Considering Mia’s feelings, shouldn’t Lucas find somewhere else to stay? Dad didn’t even think. “Up to you. I’m fine with whatever.” Me: “…” You really don’t care at all, do you? 2 I stared at the guy picking at the floor. He’s so dumb, if I threw him out, I’d probably get charged with manslaughter. At least he has a good face and body. Maybe send him to a club to be a host? Nah, it would ruin my reputation. I looked down at him. “What do you plan to do?” He thought for a moment, then put on a dramatic, effeminate voice. “Sister, perhaps you need a personal butler?” What kind of abstract art performance is this at a time like this?! I kicked him in the chest. “Get lost.” Lucas let out a “yep” sound and fell back. Tears streaming, he accused, “You’re so cold, so heartless.” I looked at him indifferently. “With that acting, only an idiot would believe you.” The next second, a figure rushed over, arms spread wide to shield him. “How dare you bully him?!” Me: “???” There really is an idiot. Wait, who is this idiot? 3 Silence filled the room. I looked at the girl with red-rimmed eyes, radiating a “resilient white lotus” aura. I was momentarily dazed. This is the switched sister my dad mentioned? She doesn’t look quite right in the head. What business is it of hers to question me right off the bat? I rubbed my temples, regretting taking on this mess. Over there, Mia helped Lucas up. “Brother, are you okay?” Lucas froze, pointing at himself like a fool. “M-me?” Meeting Mia’s concerned gaze, he blushed. “I’m fine. I can take a beating. I’m used to that force.” Mia scrutinized him. “She kicks you often? She does look like she has a bad temper.” Lucas nodded carefully. “She is fierce sometimes. Best not to provoke her, or you’ll suffer.” Mia looked arrogant. “Don’t worry. Ugly people act up for attention. As long as she doesn’t provoke me, I won’t interact with her.” Dissing me to my face, and so harshly? Does she think I won’t get mad? I spoke coldly. “Getting bold, aren’t we? If you don’t want your mouth, I can rip it off. No need to be annoying here.” Lucas shrank back, but Mia looked disdainful. “Don’t play tough with us. I’m not afraid of you.” I stared at her. This was the first time someone dared to provoke me like this. I smirked. “You’re pretty brave.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I kicked her suitcase, bursting it open. Bang! Stuff scattered everywhere. “My suitcase!” Mia screamed, running to pick up her things. I looked down at her. “I’m pretty tough too. Now you know.” Mia looked up at me with hatred. “You’re too much!” Me: “Oh, verbal attacks don’t work on me. I suggest you learn from me: if you’re unhappy, do something about it.” 4 I straightened up and called out, “Lucas, get your ass over here.” He immediately raised his hands in surrender and rolled over quickly. Fawning and eager, “Sis, what’s up?” I pointed at Mia’s suitcase. “Help her pack up this junk and find her a room.” Lucas agreed immediately. “You got it.” He squatted down to help Mia, but she brushed his hand away. She stared straight at me. “You broke it, you should pick it up.” I stared back. “You think I will?” Lucas tried to smooth things over. “I’ll do it, I’ll pick it up for you.” Mia blocked him, looking grim. “Is this how she’s bullied you all these years? Making you take the fall for her mistakes?” Lucas looked at Mia, touched. “After all these years, you’re the first person to speak up for me. You’re so nice.” Mia smiled gently. “It’s nothing, really. I just can’t stand seeing you bullied.” The way she said it made her sound so gentle and kind, and me so violent and evil. Lucas even chimed in, “You really are more understanding than our sister.” Heh. Haven’t been beaten in a few days, getting itchy skin? I cracked my knuckles. Lucas’s ears twitched, and he shut his mouth instantly. Mia was confused. “Why did you stop talking?” Lucas glanced at me cowardly. Mia sensed something and looked at me accusingly. “Are you threatening him?” I met her gaze and denied it flatly. “Of course not. I’m threatening both of you.” Mia’s fair face flushed red with anger. “We are humans, not your slaves. This is bullying.” Lucas looked at her with admiration. “You’re so brave.” I was baffled by her defense of Lucas. It looked more like I was the one switched at birth, and they were the close siblings.

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After my SAT scores came out, my friend and I were on the subway heading to our hotel. When we tried to exit the station, my phone showed “insufficient funds.” Stuck at the turnstile, I called my mom: “Mom, why can’t I pay for anything all of a sudden?” A cold voice replied from the other end: “I cancelled the family plan.” “I thought you’d definitely score a 1550, so I paid for your trip. You only got a 1540. What face do you have to be out playing?” Just then, text notifications started popping up on my phone. [Your hotel reservation has been cancelled.] [Your flight booking has been cancelled.] [Your ticket purchase has been refunded.] 1 I panicked and tried to explain: “Mom, I checked, 1540 is enough for my target college.” “When we checked the scores this morning, you didn’t say I couldn’t go.” “Mom, please unblock it first, I’m stuck inside the subway station.” Outside the turnstile, my friend Chloe waved at me. I pointed at the phone, and she nodded in understanding. Mom scoffed: “Sierra, remember this. My condition for this trip was you scoring 1550.” “You never said that beforehand.” “I estimated around 1550 back then. I said I might not hit 1550, and you said it was fine, go have fun.” Mom suddenly raised her voice: “You didn’t have the ability to get those extra 10 points, so don’t blame me for changing my mind.” “I worked hard to put you through school, and now you want to negotiate with me? Do you know how hard it is to make money?” “Consider this your first life lesson. In society, only those who work hard and produce results deserve to enjoy themselves.” “Otherwise, you get nothing. Understand?” People rushed past in the subway. Standing in the corner, my eyes welled up: “Mom, please. I’ll get a job when I’m back and pay you back.” “Playing the victim won’t work.” Click. She hung up. More notifications popped up. [Your hotel reservation has been cancelled.] [Your flight booking has been cancelled.] [Your ticket purchase has been refunded.] 2 Seeing my pale face, Chloe walked over: “What’s wrong, Sierra?” My hands wouldn’t stop shaking: “Chloe, my mom cancelled the family payment plan.” I remembered my savings card with my red envelope money (lucky money) was taken by my mom before I left. Her excuse was: “I’m paying for the trip. Don’t touch your savings. I’ll keep it safe for you.” “Wait, I can use my savings.” I switched payment methods, but it still declined. I checked my banking app. Balance: $0.00. Furious, I called my mom again. No answer. I texted her. [Mom, at least give me back my savings.] Chloe actually looked relieved and smiled: “Is that all? I have money. We can just pay at the service counter.” Apologetic, I held up my phone: “No, my mom cancelled our hotel and tickets too.” We left the subway and went to the hotel. The receptionist asked politely: “I see your three-day, two-night reservation has been cancelled. Would you like to rebook?” Holding onto a shred of hope, I asked: “Can we rebook at the original price?” The receptionist’s smile froze for a second: “Sorry, prices fluctuate dynamically. I can’t do that.” When Mom booked a month ago, this star-rated hotel was $200 a night. Now it’s peak season, and the price has jumped to $600. Chloe and I exchanged awkward glances. Chloe said: “Let’s find another hotel.” I felt terrible, repeating “I’m sorry” over and over. Chloe covered my mouth: “Stop apologizing.” “But… my money can only cover a cheap motel and food. What about your flight home?” 3 We searched online for ages before finding a cheap but remote motel. After all this hassle, I lost all mood for fun, filled with anger and guilt. Chloe didn’t mind, but if this hadn’t happened, we would have been happily exploring all morning. Mom still didn’t reply or answer calls, so I called my dad. At home, Mom wore the pants, and Dad listened to her. But surely he’d help his daughter this time? Dad answered, his voice cautious: “Hello, Sierra.” “Dad, Mom cancelled all the bookings. Can you send me some money? Or give me my savings back.” Dad sighed: “You almost gave your mom a heart attack. Of course she cancelled it.” From Dad, I learned the reason for Mom’s sudden change. Turns out, Mom’s coworker, Auntie Wang, was her nemesis. Her daughter took the SATs this year too. Mom swore her daughter had good grades and often used scores to taunt Auntie Wang about not knowing how to educate her kid, saying her daughter would have to rely on marriage to climb the social ladder. Auntie Wang, having a short fuse, made a bet with Mom. The whole office knew. Results came out. Auntie Wang’s daughter scored 1550. That 10-point difference made Mom lose face at work. I didn’t know my scores were betting chips for adults. No wonder when we checked scores at midnight, Mom wasn’t thrilled but still told me to take lots of photos. Dad continued: “Sierra, I can’t help you this time, or I’m done for too.” “Borrow some money from your friend and come back to apologize to your mom ASAP.” 4 So that’s why Mom was posting on Facebook these past few days, bragging about sending me on a trip. She was just putting up a front to provoke Auntie Wang. It all made sense now. Chloe was indignant: “That’s too much. What kind of mom is so utilitarian?” “If I scored 1540, my mom would be grinning from ear to ear.” “She’d brag to everyone, even the neighborhood dogs would know how well I did.” Her words made me laugh through my tears. She picked up her phone: “How about this, I’ll ask my parents to buy you a ticket. We’ll be frugal these few days and deal with it when we get back.” I stopped her hand: “No, Chloe. Your parents work hard too.” Chloe’s family wasn’t as well-off as mine. I really didn’t want to burden them. “I’ll ask other relatives.” Just then, my phone buzzed with messages. In the “Happy Family” group chat, Mom posted a screenshot of my score. Auntie (Dad’s sister): [Sierra is amazing, such a high score!] Mom: [@Everyone Sierra’s performance this time is very disappointing.] [She’s traveling with a friend now. I’ve cut off her allowance.] [If I find out anyone gives her money, we’re cutting ties.] [@Auntie Don’t spoil the child.] Mom always had the final say in the extended family. She had a stable job and connections. Relatives often asked her for favors, so no one dared offend her easily. I typed quickly, posting the screenshot of Mom promising the trip. Me: [Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, I did my best. This score is the result of my hard work.] [Mom proposed this trip. Now she cancelled my hotel and flight without warning. I’m stranded.] Fingers still typing, suddenly, a message popped up. You have been removed from the group chat. 5 Tears of grievance fell. I wanted my grandma. She would help me unconditionally. But she didn’t have a smartphone. Chloe threw a pillow on the bed in anger: “What kind of mom is that? Failing to get 1550 gets you the death penalty in your house?” Outside, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. Sitting here wouldn’t solve anything. I wiped my tears and stood up. “Forget it. Let’s go out. Walking around sightseeing is free anyway.” We wandered through historic alleys, looked at old architecture, and walked by the quiet river. Tired, we sat by the riverbank. My stomach growled. Chloe laughed: “Hungry? Come on, lunch is on me.” While I hesitated, a message popped up. Cousin Rain: [So mad!! How could Auntie do this!!] [Sis has money. Sending you $200 first.] [Venmo transfer: $200.] I held my phone, almost jumping up in excitement. [Love you, Cousin! But do you have enough for yourself?] [Relax, your cousin is a corporate slave now. I have this much.] [Thanks Cousin, I’ll pay you back after my summer job.] [Hehe, take it. Just between us.] [Also, don’t listen to Auntie. I only got 1350, didn’t stop me from being a corporate drone alongside master’s grads.] [Our future isn’t defined by a test score. Besides, you’re the best scorer in our family’s history.] I accepted the transfer and hugged Chloe: “I have money! Lunch is on me.”

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I woke up one morning to find my husband had turned back into his seventeen-year-old self. He refused to believe we were married. Blushing furiously, he gritted his teeth and said: “I’d rather die than marry a… trashy woman like you.” But before he could finish, a man who looked exactly like him walked in, his face dark as a storm cloud. I looked at the newcomer and said softly, “Hubby, hug.” 1 Waking up in the morning, I sensed something weird beside me on the pillow. Exhausted from last night’s activities, I wasn’t fully awake yet, so I just whined in protest. Habitually, I hugged the person next to me, nuzzling into his embrace like a clingy koala. “Hubby, let’s sleep a bit longer.” Unexpectedly, my usually gentle and considerate husband yanked his arm away and pushed me off. “Hubby?” I opened my eyes, confused. Only to realize the person beside me wasn’t Caleb. No, wait. He was Caleb. Just a carbon copy, shrunk down to a younger version. Sunlight danced on the ends of his messy hair. Unlike his usual sharp, cool demeanor, his youthful, fair face was flushed with the rosiness of just waking up. He frowned, radiating low pressure. Meeting my gaze, a flicker of darkness passed through his cold eyes. His voice was raspy. “Who are you?” “Why are you dressed like that… in my bed?” I didn’t speak, rubbing my sleepy eyes. Am I still dreaming? The Caleb in front of me was at least ten years younger. He looked like a high school student who hadn’t yet been tainted by the world. I wrapped the blanket tighter around my chest, leaning in curiously to examine him. “Hubby, you seem to have shrunk.” Hearing my address. His long eyelashes trembled slightly. He pursed his lips, dodging my touch as if avoiding a virus. Then, he looked at me with a gaze that could only be described as cold. “Don’t talk to me in that disgusting tone. I’m not your hubby.” Something was wrong. Very wrong. I propped up my weak body slowly. Habitually, like countless times before, I opened my arms for a hug. My oversized T-shirt slipped off one shoulder, revealing a patch of pale skin. Despite having seen similar scenes countless times, Caleb reacted like it was his first. He jerked back as if electrocuted, his back hitting the wall with a soft thud. The tips of his ears turned red instantly, but his eyes were fixed on me. His face remained icy, but his eyes clearly betrayed panic and shyness, along with a trace of curiosity he didn’t even notice himself. It was completely different from the mature, steady man in my memory. “Indecent!” “Stay away from me!” I was a bit dazed. I vaguely remembered last night, when I was half-asleep, he was the one who put this shirt on me, saying something about wrapping me in his scent. Everything was fine then. Why was he acting like a different person today? Before I could speak. He sneered, his gaze turning colder. “Did the old man send you?” “What, kicking me out of the house wasn’t enough? He has to ruin my reputation too?” He paused, hatred pouring out from his trembling fingertips. Then, word by word, he said with loathing: “You people are disgusting.” Caleb would never speak to me like that. And he would never look at me with such cold eyes. He looked exactly like Caleb, but the ruthlessness and despair seeping from his bones made me realize clearly—this was absolutely not the man I spent five years desperately redeeming. My sleepiness vanished completely. 2 My mission in this world was to save the villain, Caleb. In the original book, he was the most vicious, gloomy villain. Abused by his family since childhood, his personality became extremely twisted. After reaching adulthood, he would turn dark for various reasons. Not only would he kidnap and imprison the female lead, but he would also destroy the male lead’s career and orchestrate a car accident to cripple him. And I was the wealthy fiancée forced to marry him. To prevent him from turning dark, the System tasked me with teaching him what love is. But all I knew how to do was act cute, spend money, and be clingy. Since arriving in this world. I followed him around all day, calling him “hubby” non-stop. Our families had arranged our marriage since we were kids, so calling him hubby seemed justified. But he always reacted strongly, covering my mouth as if he couldn’t stand it. “Don’t call me hubby.” “Just tell me what you want.” I blinked, cleverly changing my tune: “Brother Caleb, I want to buy a bag.” He opened a supplementary card for me decisively, his attitude impatient: “Don’t appear in front of me in the future. I don’t like materialistic women like you.” I agreed readily, then turned around and moved into his house. Not only did I bring my luggage, but I also went on a shopping spree with his card. Every day, I dressed up like a little cupcake and barged into his black-and-white world. He was gloomy and sullen; I was lively and cheerful. Whenever he resisted me, I cried. The System mocked ruthlessly: “The villain is cold by nature. He was indifferent even when his own mother died. He’s an emotionless monster.” “Do you really think shedding a few crocodile tears will move him?” Is that so? Then what was that thing poking me from behind when he got drunk before? And who was the one stealing kisses while I was asleep? I said nothing, just cried. Tears streamed from my big, watery eyes. I didn’t make a sound, just looked at him with a pouting, aggrieved face. One second. Two seconds. He sighed helplessly, resignedly picked up a tissue to wipe my tears, and coaxed in a low voice: “Why are you crying again?” “So delicate.” “Didn’t you like that new bag at Ginza the other day? Ask Uncle Li to take you to buy it. And that mochi ice cream you were crying for yesterday, I bought it and put it in the fridge. Ask Auntie Qiu to thaw it for you later.” “Stop crying, okay? You’ll blame me if your eyes hurt later.” The System was dumbfounded. “I thought he was a gloomy villain? How did you train him into a sugar daddy boyfriend?” Who knows? Maybe spoiled women really do have the best lives. Two years passed. Not only was I not kicked out of the Caleb household, but I also married Caleb and became his reason for living in this world. The System announced his darkness value was cleared and he wouldn’t disturb the protagonists’ lives anymore, then disappeared. Now, I had to summon the System again. “System, what’s going on?” It arrived late, reacting slowly: “Sorry, host. There was a problem with the villain in the previous timeline, causing him to turn dark prematurely. If left unchecked, the whole world would collapse, so I had to temporarily send him to this timeline.” “What you see now is seventeen-year-old Caleb. His darkness value has reached 99%.” “If possible, please save him again. Please.” 3 I transmigrated to this world five years ago. At that time, Caleb had already become the tyrannical CEO feared by everyone in the capital. The Little Caleb in front of me had the makings of a villain, but was clearly much greener. He didn’t believe me, even sneering: “Married? Me and you?” His gaze swept over me, his expression changing from unnatural to extremely unnatural. Still not daring to look at the key areas, he forced an imposing air and snorted coldly: “I’d rather die than marry a frivolous woman like you!” Before he could finish, the door was violently kicked open. A man who looked exactly like him strode into the room, a dark aura instantly filling the space. It was the real Caleb. System: “Crap, I forgot your husband is still here.” Surprised and delighted, I called out in my usual sweet, soft voice: “Hubby!” Seventeen-year-old Caleb’s ears turned red instantly. Blushing, he retorted impatiently in a low voice: “I told you I’m not your hubby!” “She was calling me.” Caleb picked me up with a dark face, his low, raspy voice wrapped in undeniable authority and unconcealable anger. “Who called you? Flattering yourself.” In the shadows, his gaze clashed with the teenage Caleb’s. Invisible sparks seemed to fly. I obediently wrapped my legs around his waist, buried my face in his neck, and hooked my arms around him. But I could feel the two burning gazes clashing. The smell of gunpowder in the air made breathing tense. “Baby, go to the next room and put some clothes on.” Caleb patted my butt lightly, planted a gentle kiss on my forehead, then looked at Little Caleb with a flash of hostility in his eyes. “Let’s chat alone.” 4 I don’t know what Caleb talked about with him. When he came out, the boy looked disgruntled. But the strange scene before him forced him to believe he had really traveled ten years into the future. After all, there was no second person in the world who looked exactly like him. And this “frivolous” woman really was his wife. I looked at the two Calebs, one big and one small. I poked the big one secretly. Then, thinking I was whispering, I said: “Hubby, he’s so small. Still a little baby.” But I underestimated the sensitivity of a teenager in puberty. The already low-pressure person exploded at the slightest touch. His face was terrifyingly dark, with “I’m very upset, apologize to me” written all over it. His displeasure lasted until noon. While eating, he frowned and clicked his tongue, throwing his chopsticks on the table irritably. “Enough, you two. Do you have to be like this even when eating?” “Disgusting.” Caleb was deboning fish for me. Ever since a small bone got stuck in my throat last time, he never let me eat fish by myself. Seeing this, he glanced at him indifferently. “If you don’t like it, get out.” So he really got out. His face was blacker than the bottom of a pot when he left, slamming the door angrily. Once he left, I sighed in relief: “Hubby, you had such a bad temper when you were seventeen.” Caleb put the deboned fish in my bowl. “Don’t treat him as me.” I wanted to say more, but he blocked my mouth himself. “Mmph…” After a long while, he stopped. His gaze was dark as he rubbed my lips vigorously. “Baby, shouldn’t you explain to me?” I wanted to cry but had no tears. How do I explain this? It’s all the System’s fault! Caleb knew about the System. I never thought of hiding it from him and confessed everything after we got married. Seeing my expression, he guessed most of it. Pausing, he asked: “Is it the System?” I nodded quickly, hugging him and chattering about my grievances. Hearing the word “redemption,” his eyebrows raised. “I’ll figure this out. Don’t listen to the System.” When mentioning others, Caleb was always indifferent. Including himself. I hesitated: “But, that’s you after all…” “No, baby.” “I can’t let you do risky things. Besides, I know very well that only pain can make a person strong. How can he take revenge later without experiencing this? He’s not that fragile.” “I’m going abroad for a business trip soon, for at least a month. During this time, ensure your own safety first, can you do that?” I nodded. Caleb smiled with satisfaction. He reached into my clothes, felt the slight bulge of my tummy, and picked me up to carry me to the bedroom. I hugged his neck, trying to salvage the situation. “But hubby, he really looks so pitiful.” His eyes were obscure. He lowered his head and bit my shoulder. “I’m more pitiful than him. Touch if you don’t believe me.” Me: … I knew this man had no good intentions. Turning every topic into something dirty. “Caleb! Didn’t we just… yesterday!” I grabbed his hair, speaking urgently. “Don’t bite!” A chuckle. It was as if he had returned to that villain with a terrible personality. He looked up slowly, his lazy voice mixed with huskiness, carrying a low trailing note that made my heart tingle. “Why keep mentioning him? This is punishment for a disobedient baby.” I wanted to cry. How can someone be jealous of themselves? 5 When I woke up, Caleb was gone. The System urged me to hurry up with the mission. “Hurry, hurry! While your husband is away, take down this Little Hubby!” …What Little Hubby, Big Hubby. It made me feel guilty, like I was having an affair. … Afraid of others noticing something wrong. Before leaving, Caleb gave everyone in the house a long vacation. He also ordered a month’s worth of home-delivered meals from the best restaurant in town, ensuring I wouldn’t starve. I called Little Caleb downstairs to eat. He waited for ages, only to see a table of exquisite takeout. His face stiffened instantly: “Just eating this?” “Yeah.” I looked at him innocently and shrugged. “I can’t cook.” Since marrying Caleb, I hadn’t even entered the kitchen. The only time I tried to bake egg tarts following an online recipe, I barely did anything and the air fryer exploded. Since then, I was strictly forbidden from approaching the kitchen. “You can’t even cook?” Little Caleb was incredulous. He couldn’t understand how an adult couldn’t even manage basic survival skills. But my matter-of-fact expression suddenly reminded him of something, and his face turned ugly. Obviously, the person who spoiled me to the point of not lifting a finger was himself. What made him collapse was far more than this. Everything in the house was in pairs. The walls were covered with photos of me and Caleb. He stared blankly at the toothbrush on the sink, unable to believe that with his aesthetic, he would use baby blue toiletries. Seeing him looking like his soul had left his body, I didn’t have the heart to tell him. Baby blue was mine; baby pink was his. He muttered: “Impossible… how could I marry a woman like her…” I couldn’t help but find it funny. If he knew he was the one kneeling and begging me to marry him back then, wouldn’t he collapse even more? But I didn’t say that. Seventeen-year-old Caleb seemed less steady than the Caleb I first met, but more irritable.

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After marrying my childhood friend, we treated each other with polite respect. He was a man of few words, and I was cold. We hadn’t even consummated our marriage yet. What I didn’t know was that my childhood friend could hear my thoughts. In the bedroom, I looked at him, freshly showered, with a blank expression. But inside, I was thinking: [Will I faint if we “make pancakes” together?] 1 [It would definitely feel amazing. How did that book Peach showed me describe it… something about losing focus.] [I think it was even “pan-fried with water.”] Caleb slipped and almost fell. I stepped forward to steady him: “Are you okay?” [Why doesn’t the towel fall off? Why wrap it so tight? One look won’t kill me.] [He’s got great muscles, and long fingers too.] “I’m fine.” Caleb spoke quickly, as if urgently trying to stop something. He tugged at his towel: “Sorry, I couldn’t find my bathrobe, only this towel…” [Of course you couldn’t find it.] [I threw it away.] [It should be getting shredded at the dump right about now.] [Tomorrow, I’m tossing the towel too.] I let go and said calmly: “Be careful next time.” “…Okay.” 2 Caleb changed into pajamas and got into bed. I flipped through my book, my peripheral vision drifting towards him. He was wearing dark pajamas, long sleeves and pants. [Tank tops are better, easier to cop a feel. Pity I only dare to touch a little, afraid he’ll wake up.] [Sigh, I really want to drug him with sleeping pills.] [Then I could do whatever I want.] I stared blankly at the words on the page. Just as he sat on the bed, Caleb lifted the covers and got out again. I was puzzled: “Aren’t you sleeping?” “Haven’t been sleeping well lately. Going to take a sleeping pill.” I didn’t think much of it and continued reading. When Caleb returned, he had changed clothes. He was wearing that tank top. He explained: “Too hot.” I replied indifferently: “Mmh.” Caleb lay down. Maybe it really was too hot; the blanket only covered his navel. One arm rested under his head, his broad chest and defined muscles impossible to ignore. Better than a manga protagonist. He fell asleep quickly. Thoughtfully, I turned down the AC. After reading a bit more, I turned off the light and went to sleep. In the dark, Caleb silently opened his eyes, looking at Lily beside him with a complex expression. She was fast asleep, eyes closed tight, breathing shallowly. No copping a feel, no “pan-frying.” Just Caleb staring until dawn. The next day, I walked out of the bedroom bleary-eyed. Auntie Wang was making breakfast. The delicious smell woke up my appetite. I sat down obediently. Today it was sweet potato pancakes and soy milk. Auntie Wang asked with a smile: “Is it good?” My mouth was too busy to answer, so I nodded vigorously. “Don’t choke.” She brought me a cup of soy milk. “My kids don’t like my cooking.” Talking about her children, Auntie Wang couldn’t help but sigh. I comforted her: “They don’t know what’s good.” Auntie Wang genuinely liked Lily. Although she looked cold, every time she ate something delicious, her eyes would light up instantly. It gave her a sense of accomplishment. “By the way, where’s Caleb? He’s not up yet?” “He took a sleeping pill last night.” Sleeping pill? Auntie Wang recalled cleaning up this morning. The sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet didn’t look touched. But the lid on the instant coffee wasn’t screwed on tight. 3 I didn’t expect Caleb to sleep until the afternoon. Sleeping so long, yet he still had dark circles under his eyes. [His sleep quality really sucks. Good thing I didn’t touch him last night, or he would have slept even worse. I better behave in the future.] Caleb, who had his back to me, suddenly turned around, staring at me darkly for a long time: “I slept very well.” “?” [What’s it to me?] Caleb ignored me. [Men are so complicated. Annoying.] Caleb slammed the door shut. Bang. In the evening, the high school group chat became active. The class monitor was organizing a reunion. My best friend Peach called: “Lily, you’re going, right?” “Yeah, I happen to have time.” Peach and I met in high school and coincidentally went to the same college. We’ve always been close. “What about your husband? Is he coming?” The phone volume was loud. I looked up at Caleb opposite me. He opened his mouth. [Don’t say yes. I don’t want to bring him.] Caleb closed his mouth. He shook his head gently. I replied to Peach with satisfaction: “He’s not going.” Peach seemed relieved on the other end. “Good that he’s not coming. Jake is coming too. You remember him, right? Your high school boyfriend. He’s been single since you broke up. Heard he still wears the bracelet you gave him.” Peach’s voice came through clearly. “…It’s fine.” I replied dryly. “Okay then, next Tuesday at 7 PM. Be there or be square.” The call ended. Seeing Caleb calm and composed, the faint unease in my heart vanished. [What am I worrying about? Even if I really cheated, he wouldn’t care. How could he get upset over such a small…] “No!” Caleb’s face suddenly turned cold. Startled, I stared at him blankly. [What’s his problem?!] Meeting my gaze, Caleb’s brow twitched, and his expression relaxed: “I meant Auntie Wang’s cooking isn’t good today.” Auntie Wang, rushing over with a spatula: “?” 4 Before leaving on Tuesday. Caleb spent forever preening in front of the mirror. From head to toe, everything was exquisite. He was already good-looking with a model’s figure. Dressed up like this, he was even more eye-catching. [Peach says when men dress up, 80% chance they’re cheating.] Caleb paused, hairspray in hand. He awkwardly put down the spray. Turning back, his gaze fell gloomily on my bare shoulders. “It’ll be cold tonight. Take a shawl.” “It’s 85 degrees tonight.” “…Drive safe.” When I arrived at the reunion, the private room was full. Peach waved me over. I sat next to her. She nudged me, signaling me to look sideways, whispering: “Look at his hand.” Jake had shed some of his youthful awkwardness, chatting confidently with others. As he raised his glass, his sleeve slipped, revealing that worn bracelet. It was a trinket I bought across the street from our school years ago. In high school, Caleb was in the class next door. Our relationship was average, barely maintaining the bond of growing up together. We hardly interacted at school. But Caleb’s mom often asked him to bring me things, and he waited for me outside my class every day. Eventually, everyone knew about us. And misunderstood our relationship. I explained a few times, but no one listened, so I stopped bothering. Later, those rumors disappeared. Because of Jake. He clarified for me whenever he could, more actively than I did. Under his incessant nagging, classmates got annoyed or bored and gradually stopped gossiping about me and Caleb. After school, to thank Jake, I treated him to bubble tea across the street. That was the first time I didn’t go home with Caleb. Hearing my words, Caleb didn’t say much, just nodded slightly and left. Jake and Caleb were complete opposites. He was enthusiastic and outgoing, never hiding his emotions. Happy was happy, unhappy was unhappy. At eighteen, he confessed to me. I didn’t really understand what liking was or wasn’t. But on his thirty-fifth confession, I said yes. Jake pestered me to say I liked him. Worn down, I said: “Yeah, I like you.” After saying it, I saw Caleb. He stood against the light at the door, his handsome features shadowed. His black hair looked fluffy and soft in the sunset, gilded with gold. His expression was indifferent, unreadable. I felt a bit embarrassed. Jake stood with one hand in his pocket, holding my bag with the other—the bag had a bunny plushie Caleb gave me. He smiled brightly and recklessly: “Caleb, Lily and I are together now. I’ll walk her home from now on. Thanks for before. Lunch is on me sometime.” Caleb stared unblinkingly at Jake, lips pressed into a straight line. Even someone as dense as me sensed the tension. I walked over, took Jake’s hand, and said to Caleb: “Caleb, I’ll be home late. Tell my parents.” “…Okay.” After that, I never went home with Caleb again.

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After being reborn, I submitted my resignation, left the medical examiner’s office, and broke away from the Foster family who raised me, bearing the infamy of being an ingrate. Why? Because in my past life, Julian Foster, the police chief’s only son, lost the love of his life, Bella Han—a woman supposedly born with “Yin-Yang Eyes”—in an accident while chasing a suspect. I married him and became the chief’s daughter-in-law. For twenty years, Julian and I fought side by side. I deciphered the dead’s last words; he quelled their grievances. Together, we solved every cold case in Cloud City from the last fifty years. But at my award ceremony, Julian, the man I thought was my soulmate, publicly denounced me for fraud. He claimed all the key clues in the cases I solved came from the notes Bella left behind using her “Yin-Yang Eyes.” “Elara Lin, you stole the life that belonged to Bella.” Even the son I raised looked at me with disdain. “Mom, I can’t believe a medical examiner like you got ahead using superstition.” Under their scornful gazes, I collapsed at the station entrance. Every case I handled was investigated. He found “negligence” everywhere, sending me to prison. There, criminals I helped catch tortured me until I was eventually hanged. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the department was selecting a medical examiner for the Major Crimes Unit. 1 Chief Foster sat in his office, expression grave. “Julian, for the Major Crimes Unit ME spot… Elara or Bella?” Colleagues chimed in teasingly: “Is that even a question? Julian and Elara are childhood sweethearts. Who else but her?” I grew up in the Foster household. I was their designated daughter-in-law, so naturally, this position was mine to lose. But this time, Julian interrupted anxiously. “Dad, let’s keep personal matters private. Selection should be fair. It’s not my call.” I realized instantly: He was reborn too. Since he was still hung up on his unrequited love for Bella, I decided to grant his wish. “Uncle Foster, I know I’m not capable enough. I don’t deserve Julian or the Major Crimes Unit.” I grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled “Resignation Letter” in bold letters. Seeing this, Julian turned and ran out without a word. In our past life, right at this moment, Bella was surrounded by angry family members refusing an autopsy. In the chaos, a frantic relative injured Julian’s wrist, ending his surgical career as he tried to protect her. Reborn, he naturally rushed to take that hit for her again. Chief Foster was furious, pushing my resignation letter back. “Elara Lin, what nonsense is this!” “I taught you everything hand-in-hand, and now you want to quit?” Uncle Foster, who raised me like a father, looked at me with pure disappointment. I met his gaze, wanting to explain, but instead bowed deeply. “Uncle Foster, I’m sorry. I will leave the Foster family. I’ll find a way to repay your kindness later.” “Julian has someone else in his heart. Forced love isn’t sweet. Please let them be. He and I aren’t meant to be.” Chief Foster wanted to argue, but remembering the rumors about his son and Bella, he swallowed his words. I packed my things and moved out of the Foster home completely. The day I left, Julian stood in the yard, glancing at me from afar. Twenty years of past life bonds ended there. Once the handover was done, I’d never have to see them again. News of their engagement spread through the station. Red invitations sat on every desk, piercing my eyes. People whispered in the hallways, glancing at me. Everyone knew I had chased Julian for over a decade. From a teen crush to a forensic expert, everyone thought I’d be the one in the wedding dress. But I just glanced indifferently at the gold-stamped invitations and buried my head in case files. Bella loved to brag in the office lately, voice raised just enough for me to hear. “Julian bought me another necklace yesterday, to match my wedding dress.” “He says after our honeymoon, he’ll let me handle even bigger cases.” I ignored her showing off, focusing entirely on autopsy reports. Until that day, I heard arguing from the Chief’s office. “Dad, Bella should lead the Serial Killer case. You’ve seen her ability.” Chief Foster sounded displeased: “Julian, Elara has been on this case for a long time. Switching now is risky. Bella is new; she lacks experience.” Julian persisted, “But Bella has her unique gift! She can crack this! Dad, you can’t favor Elara just because of personal feelings!” I remembered this case clearly. In my past life, I pieced together tiny clues from the bodies to solve this city-shaking serial murder. The whole department got credit, and I became famous as the “Beauty ME,” my career skyrocketing. Reborn Julian knew this. He just wanted Bella to steal that glory in this life. Thinking this, I pushed open the office door and handed over all the files. “Uncle Foster, here are all the materials and reports.” Chief Foster looked at my calm face, eyes complicated, before hesitantly taking the files. “Elara, the Foster family has wronged you.” My voice was steady. “It’s fine, Uncle. You raised me. Consider this repayment.” Chief Foster looked up, eyes full of guilt. He raised me like a daughter. But I couldn’t compare to his own son. The scale tipped to Julian. 2 Julian’s face flashed with shock when I voluntarily handed over the reports. He probably expected me to fight, to cry. He didn’t expect me to let go so cleanly. These files were my blood and sweat, nights of work. Every page held my expertise. “Elara, don’t think playing hard to get will catch my attention.” Julian quickly recovered his cold mask, tone disdainful. “You’ll never compare to Bella. You should have realized that long ago.” Right. He always believed Bella’s “Yin-Yang Eyes” nonsense. I died never knowing what was in that notebook that made him so sure I rode her coattails. Julian shoved the thick report into Bella’s hands. Bella took it, flipping through eagerly, but her face soured. “Julian, these are just procedure logs. Where are the conclusions?” she asked, panicked. I chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in my voice: “Conclusions? Shouldn’t be hard for Bella, right? With your unique gift and all.” Hearing my tone, both scoffed and left. I watched them go, shaking my head with a smile. Bella was a rookie who hadn’t even done an independent autopsy. How could she analyze complex clues? I waited to see how Julian would make his beloved famous now. At the joint autopsy, as expected, Bella humiliated herself. “ME Han, scalpel for cartilage, please.” Bella handed a cranial saw to my old partner, Dave. “Not that! ME Han, can you not tell a saw from a scalpel? That’s basic!” Bella’s voice trembled: “I… I’m just not familiar with the layout here.” Julian immediately jumped to her defense: “Dave, watch your tone! Bella just took over. You’re all Elara’s old colleagues, biased against her. You haven’t seen her true ability.” Dave sneered like he heard a joke. “Ability? What ability? Is Captain Foster saying she solves cases with superstition? Yin-Yang Eyes? I’ll believe it when she summons my dead mother for a chat!” Other MEs whispered, faces skeptical. Seeing the tension, I walked in, interrupting coolly. “Dave, I’m here to pack my things.” The room went silent. All eyes on me. I packed my desk items one by one. Bella watched, face darkening. When I picked up the photo of me and the Fosters, she knocked the box out of my hands. “Elara, are you proud of yourself now?!” Crash. The box hit the floor. The photo shattered. The ceramic doll Julian gave me for my 18th birthday broke into pieces. A sharp edge cut Bella’s finger. Blood welled up. Julian’s face paled instantly. He blew on it carefully, voice aching: “Bella, are you okay? Let me see! Don’t move, I’ll treat it!” “Elara Lin, face reality! You have nothing to do with the Foster family or the station anymore!” 3 I looked at the shards of my youth on the floor. The last bit of bitterness in my heart vanished. Good riddance. As I turned to leave with my few belongings, Bella grabbed me. “Since you’re not a Foster anymore, shouldn’t you leave Julian’s things behind?” “Julian, isn’t that right?” I looked at the couple. Bella gloating, Julian defending her before I could speak. “Bella is right. Leave the things our family gave you.” I laughed at their shamelessness. Everything I wore was indeed bought by Mrs. Foster. “Julian, what do you want me to leave? Do you plan for me to walk out of here naked today?” Chief Foster rushed over and slapped him. “Bastard! Even if she’s not your wife, she’s your sister! Is this how you treat her?!” Seeing Julian’s gaze full of disgust, I smiled. “Uncle Foster, they’re right. We should settle accounts.” I raised my hand, pointing at Julian from head to toe. “That watch, I bought it with my first bonus. Remember? You said you liked it.” “Your cufflinks, limited edition from Germany. I hunted them down for you.” “Those shoes, I ran across the city to order that color.” “From head to toe, what isn’t bought with my salary?” Julian’s face turned ugly. He gritted his teeth. He actually started unbuttoning his shirt, taking off the watch, kicking off the shoes. Threw them all on the floor. Bella pointed at me triumphantly: “Then return what the Fosters gave you! That necklace, those earrings, your clothes—didn’t the Fosters pay for them?” I ignored her barking, not even looking down. My eyes stayed on Julian, voice calm but heavy. “Three years ago, the West City dismemberment case. I spent ten sleepless days piecing together the victim from a pile of rotten meat. Uncle Foster got promoted to Chief because of that.” “Two years ago, if I hadn’t come back early from my trip, Mrs. Foster would have died from that gas leak…” I stepped closer, staring him down. “Julian, I saved your mother’s life. I paved your father’s career. How do you repay that?” “And now, you want me to strip off these so-called ‘Foster things’?” Julian retreated, eyes darting, unable to meet my gaze. Finally, he squeezed out: “One thing doesn’t cancel another.” I laughed loudly. Laughing at the Fosters’ so-called grace, laughing at my past stupidity. “From now on, I owe the Foster family nothing. We are strangers.” Bella jumped in: “Stop your smooth talk! Take off the clothes!” I started removing the necklace, earrings, bracelet. They hit the floor with crisp clinks, like my once-broken heart. I placed them neatly on the desk, changing into my old, yellowing lab coat. I thought living two lives made me tough. But looking at his familiar face, tears still fell. I wiped them dry and walked to the door without looking back. Whispers followed me out: “Heard she wasn’t resignation, but fired.” “Tsk, head ME falling this low.” “Chief’s son is ruthless, didn’t even spare his childhood friend.” I paused but didn’t stop. Just as I was about to exit the gate, Julian called out: “Elara.” I stopped, not turning. “I’ve made calls. No place in Cloud City will hire you as a medical examiner.” So, not just ruining my name, but cutting off my livelihood. Cruel, Julian. I strode forward, vanishing from his sight. Around the corner, I saw a police car. I opened the door and got in. “Chief Chen, congratulations on finally getting what you wanted.” She turned, shaking my hand with a smile. “Elara Lin, happy cooperation.” 4 I moved to the Capital quickly, joining their ME team as the lead. The office was decorated with a banner: “Warm Welcome to Team Leader Elara Lin.” The whole team gathered, faces excited. “Dr. Lin… is it really you? I read your paper on the West City case. Textbook reconstruction!” “Leader Lin, we’re your soldiers now!” “Been waiting for you!” Chief Chen walked over with tea, smiling satisfied. “Elara, regret it now? Should have come earlier instead of wasting your youth in that backwater Cloud City.” I looked at her, smiling with relief. “You joke, Chief. Better late than never. Now is the perfect time.” In this life, it’s time to live for myself. Soon, I saw news about Bella. She was eloquent in front of the camera. The headline screamed: “Genius ME Emerges, Cloud City Forensics Reaches New Heights.” Talking about her predecessor (me), she hinted heavily that I was “fired” for major errors. “Bullshit!” Chief Chen snatched the phone, furious. “Who does she think she is? Stepping on you isn’t enough, she has to ruin your name? Julian Foster is blind; that woman will ruin him.” I laughed at her anger, taking the phone back and closing the video. “Chief, don’t be mad. Let her be.” “How can I? She’s destroying you!” I shook my head, eyes cold: “She won’t last long. Some people just love digging their own graves.” Sure enough, two days later, comments on Bella’s interview turned. The families of victims I helped became my strongest shield. “Genius ME? Without Dr. Lin’s attention to detail, my daughter’s killer would still be free! What does this Bella know?” “Exactly! Dr. Lin solved my brother’s case! Our family owes her everything! Who is this Han to slander her?” “Heard about the ‘511 Serial Murders’ in Cloud City? The killer is brutal, yet this ‘Genius’ has done nothing? Can she only buy trending topics?” Public opinion backfired. The tricky 511 case pressed on Bella like a mountain. Julian sat in his office, brow furrowed over the 511 files. He desperately tried to recall memories from his past life, but the names escaped him. Bella entered, pale. “Julian, any progress?” Julian put all hope on her. “Bella, your Yin-Yang Eyes…” “Julian, I’m… not in good condition lately. The Eyes need a special trigger. I can’t see the victims’ memories right now…” Chief Foster barged in with a group of leaders. “Five dead! The city is in panic! And you tell me you’re waiting for a trigger? Julian, is this the talent you fought to keep??” Julian’s face shifted colors under his father’s scolding. He knew his dad meant he was blind to drive away Elara, the one who could actually read clues. Under the pitying or mocking gazes of colleagues, Julian stood up, looking his father in the eye. “I take full responsibility.” “If I don’t catch the killer in three days, I, Julian Foster, will strip off this uniform and never be a cop again!” Bella opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word.

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