During a class reunion, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind: “Welcome to Alice’s Castle.” “Only by successfully wooing the Red Queen can you survive.” In the blink of an eye, the surroundings shifted. The Red Queen was scouring the city for the person who stole her tarts, and the sketch of the suspect looked exactly like us. As more and more Card Soldiers gathered, the voice returned: “Those wearing red can escape suspicion.” The next second, everyone scrambled to find red paint. 1 Penny, our class president and the girl who always seemed to have the devil’s own luck, was the first to find a bucket of red paint. She dragged it over to us. “Quick! Find brushes! There’s not enough paint to go around if we don’t use brushes!” “Paint your clothes red, and we might just survive this!” Everyone got the message. But before we could even take a few steps, dozens of Card Soldiers and a massive hound found our hiding spot. The hound spoke, its voice deep and guttural. “Take them all to the castle. Her Majesty said dead or alive.” It seemed to sense our urge to run. “If anyone disobeys, bring back their corpses.” We exchanged terrified glances. We all knew the Red Queen’s temper. Going to the castle like this meant risking decapitation before we even started the mission. Painting ourselves red was the priority. Just as the thought crossed my mind, Bella, the class beauty, lifted the heavy paint bucket. Pinching her nose, she dumped the contents over her head. She was drenched in red instantly, coughing and sputtering. “Cough… cough… this isn’t paint! It’s blood! It’s blood!” So that explained the metallic stench. Penny rushed over to confront Bella for wasting the “paint,” but the Card Soldiers pinned her down and shackled her. I signaled Penny not to resist. She sighed, defeated. We were all marched to the castle. The moment the Red Queen saw us, she roared, “Speak! Who stole my tarts?!” Bella, covered head to toe in blood, stepped forward. “Your Majesty, it wasn’t me. You’ve misunderstood.” “I love the color red too. If it pleases you, I’d like to stay in the palace and paint your white roses red.” The Red Queen looked Bella up and down. “Hmm. Card Soldiers, unchain her.” “And bring me my paint bucket.” We all looked at Bella with envy. The system wasn’t lying. Wearing red really did clear suspicion. If she could stay here, she’d have plenty of chances to complete the wooing mission. Bella turned to us, a smug look on her face. The paint bucket was placed in front of her. She picked it up, ready to leave. “Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.” But as she passed me, I realized something was wrong. The bucket was empty. Why would she send her to paint roses with an empty bucket? Before I could warn her, the Red Queen stopped Bella. A shrill scream made me shudder. “You dare steal my paint! A mere commoner! Daring to like the same color as me!” Bella froze, kneeling to beg for mercy. But it was too late. The Red Queen sat on her throne, voice calm. “Off with her head.” Bella was bled dry right in front of us. Her blood filled the paint bucket. A chill ran down my spine. Did the system give us a false hint to mess with us? 2 I swallowed hard and looked around at my classmates. Some were paralyzed with fear; a few had even wet themselves. But the bolder ones were whispering: “What do we do? If the system lies, how are we supposed to survive?” “Who the hell drew our portraits?” “Shh, keep it down. From the Queen’s question, she doesn’t actually know who ate the tarts.” “So, if we push someone forward as a scapegoat, can we save ourselves?” … The Queen’s voice boomed again: “Who stole my tarts!” “If no one clears their suspicion, you’ll all become red paint for my white roses!” I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. To survive, I had to pretend I didn’t hear my classmates’ plotting. Sure enough, someone stood up abruptly. “Your Majesty, I know who ate the tarts.” His gaze landed on a corner. I followed his line of sight. It was Sarah. She was often bullied by the guys in class because of a large black birthmark on her face and neck. My heart pounded. The Red Queen waved her hand, and Sarah was dragged to the front. She was sobbing with fear. “Your… Your Majesty, I’m innocent!” “I didn’t eat your tarts, please spare me.” “I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty!” The Red Queen pointed a finger lazily. The guy who accused Sarah was immediately dragged away. His fate was the same as Bella’s. I broke out in a cold sweat. What was going on? Why did the accuser die? I watched the Red Queen nervously, only to see her order Sarah’s release. “Hmm, I like ugly people. I hate liars.” Sarah was saved by her “flaw.” Not only did she clear her name, but she also got to stay. I realized the system’s hint was correct. Bella died because she lied. She didn’t like red; she just said it to curry favor. Then I realized Sarah wasn’t wearing red. Did that mean there was another way to survive? Honesty. “And you? Did you steal my tarts?” “Hmph, guilty silence! “Guards! Off with their heads!” Her words snapped me back to reality. As the Card Soldiers advanced, our Class Monitor slammed his head on the floor before I could. “Your Majesty, I’ve never even entered your castle before! I swear I didn’t eat them!” I followed suit instantly, tears streaming down my face. “I swear on my family’s life, I didn’t eat them!” Everyone caught on and started swearing their innocence. Just when we thought we were safe. The Red Queen stood up abruptly. “I like your honesty, but I hate your faces!” “My patience has run out!” “Off with their heads!” 3 My eyes widened. So looks mattered too! The castle erupted into chaos. Waiting for death now would be idiotic! The system’s voice chimed in: [The White Rabbit often lends a helping hand.] I looked around frantically. Everyone was scrambling out of the main hall. Several Card Soldiers were chasing me. I sprinted through corridors and rooms. I couldn’t stop. The thought of their spears piercing me was enough to keep my legs moving! “Mr. White Rabbit! Mr. White Rabbit, where are you?” I whispered as I ran. Suddenly, someone pulled me into a room around a corner. It was Penny. She pointed to the floor. “You really are lucky! You found the White Rabbit!” I gasped. The White Rabbit bowed to us. “Oh my, how may I help you?” Penny said anxiously, “See? He says he’ll help, but we have to choose how. I asked him to take me out of the castle, but he said he couldn’t.” The footsteps outside were getting louder and closer. I asked quickly, “Is there any way to clear us of suspicion?” The Rabbit replied, “I cannot.” How the hell were we supposed to use him? Penny and I paced the room. A familiar voice boomed outside the door. “They’re in here! Break it down! Seize them!” It was the hound. The door shook under heavy blows. Just as it was about to give way, I saw the Monitor running into the garden outside the window. His head had swollen to a massive size. It clicked. The cakes! “Mr. White Rabbit, do you have the cakes that make you grow?” The Rabbit produced a cake and vanished. Penny and I split it. Instantly, we started to grow. The Red Queen spotted us. She ordered the soldiers to stop. Her rage turned into a smile. “So you’re Big-Headed Dolls too! I love it! Stay in the castle and work for me.” “I need Big-Headed Dolls for my amusement.” Turns out there was more than one White Rabbit. Around thirty of us had survived. Finally, a moment to breathe. Night fell quickly, and the Red Queen sent us to rest. But as I tried to sleep, I felt eyes on me. I opened my eyes a sliver and saw a grotesque face grinning at me. 4 I lay there, paralyzed with fear. Who was staring at me? I closed my eyes again and pretended to turn over. [The Mad Hatter has gone mad. He sews hats onto people’s heads at night.] The system’s message jolted my brain awake. I felt someone trying different hats on my head. This world was full of traps. If he sewed a hat onto my head… Calm down. I forced myself to stop imagining the worst. I turned over again. The Mad Hatter was still there. I took a deep breath and peeked again. Something was wrong with him. The hat on his own head was missing. But I couldn’t find it in the dark. “This hat suits you.” “Best to sew it on.” The Mad Hatter spoke suddenly. I sat up in terror. I turned on the light, but it was Penny I saw. Looking around, the Mad Hatter was gone. I patted my chest, letting out a breath. Penny, seeing my pale face, squeezed into my bed. “I heard the system voice and got scared, so I came to find you.” “Why was your door open?” “Did you meet the Mad Hatter?” I didn’t want to scare her, so I shook my head. We slept together, terrified. Thankfully, the Mad Hatter didn’t return. The next morning, the survivors discussed strategy while painting white roses. “So how do we woo the Red Queen? She’s so moody; she might chop our heads off on a whim.” “Does playing ugly work? Sarah is her favorite now. Her progress must be higher than ours.” “Shh, she’s coming.” We bowed to the Red Queen. She looked at our oversized heads with satisfaction. “Hmm, go to the kitchen and get some tarts.” “Follow the soldiers and help me feed my new pet.” Eager to gain favor and progress, we rushed to obey. Each holding a large tray of tarts, we followed the Card Soldiers. The path grew darker and gloomier. At the end was a small dungeon cell. The soldiers opened the door. Penny went in first, and I followed. But before I could enter, screams erupted from inside. I ran forward. Inside, tarts were scattered everywhere, surrounding a grotesquely obese White Queen.

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Is your childhood memory actually real? Some people swear Tom and Jerry had a banned episode where they ended it all on train tracks. Others insist they saw a version of SpongeBob where the sky turned red and the audio cut to screaming. There are even threads discussing a sequel to Beetlejuice that never existed. I never believed in that Mandela Effect nonsense. Until last month, when someone asked me: “Do you remember the twisted version of the Thunder Titan?” In an instant, the terrifying memories of that summer came flooding back. 1 It was 2005. I was in the third grade. Back then, entertainment was scarce. For my neighbor Sam and me, our only escape was the daily after-school broadcast of the cartoon Thunder Titans. The plot was cliché—heroes beating up villains—but for us boys, it was everything. Especially for Sam. He was born with a clubfoot and spent his life wishing he could run like a superhero. That day, we were glued to the TV set as usual. We tore open a bag of Hot Cheetos, bouncing on the couch, screaming the theme song: “Thunder Titans, charge! Doom to the villains!” But right then, the screen started to glitch. Static hissed, accompanied by a screeching, dissonant noise. The familiar opening sequence didn’t play. Instead, a row of distorted text flashed on the screen: [Thunder Titans: Special Edition] I looked at Sam, confused. “Wasn’t today supposed to be the ‘Space Adventure’ episode?” “Why is it a special edition?” Sam shook his head. “Maybe they changed the schedule last minute? Who cares! Special editions are usually cooler!” The screen lit up again, but the scene was incredibly dark. The Thunder Titan appeared, but… something was wrong. He looked like he’d just been in a brutal fight. His suit was stained dark red, slick with what looked like blood. The plot was weird, too. Instead of going to space, he was walking into a dense, dark forest. His helmet was cracked. Blood-red tears were streaming from his eyes, and low, guttural sobbing came from the speakers. The antenna on his back was flashing a red warning light. He was crying. The Thunder Titan is a robot. How can a robot cry? The whole vibe was deeply unsettling. “This art style is so weird…” I whispered to Sam. Sam grabbed my arm, his grip tight. He pointed at the screen. “Look at his body!” I looked closer. The Thunder Titan’s body was beginning to twist. His limbs bent at impossible angles, contorting like a writhing worm. The camera zoomed in for a close-up! “That’s not right!” “That’s not the Thunder Titan!” “Luke, change the channel!” Sam was scared now. He grabbed the remote. But just then, the Thunder Titan on TV made a sickening crack sound. His head rotated 180 degrees, looking straight at us. His mouth split open, stretching into a horrifying, ear-to-ear grin. “Join us…” “Come play with us…” The voice wasn’t his usual heroic baritone. It was heavy, raspy, and seemed to float towards us from every corner of the room. Then, he reached out a twisted hand, walking toward the screen. The TV speakers filled with mournful wailing. Sam and I screamed at the same time. Sam mashed the power button, killing the TV. 2 The screen went black. The “wrong” Thunder Titan was gone. Sam was shaking. “What the hell was that?” “Why did the Thunder Titan look like that?” I shook my head. “maybe the station played the wrong tape? Like a horror movie by mistake?” Building up our courage, we turned the TV back on to check. Thunder Titans was over. It was just commercials now. Sam said, “That was too scary. Tomorrow at school, let’s ask the others. Someone else must have seen this ‘Special Episode’.” I nodded. Seeing the sky getting dark, I grabbed my backpack and went home. The next morning, as soon as we got to school, we asked every kid we knew. But what sent a chill down my spine was their answer. No one had seen a “Special Edition.” Yesterday’s episode was the Space Adventure, just like the schedule said. “You guys probably tuned into the wrong channel. Since when is Thunder Titans a horror show?” My desk mate, Leo, laughed at us. Sam and I looked at each other, unable to explain it. After the second period, we went to the corner store near the school to look at the Thunder Titans sticker album. Inside, the hero was posing in his sleek armor, smiling confidently. “See, that’s the real Thunder Titan.” “What we saw yesterday must have been fake.” I relaxed a little, thinking maybe we really had just imagined it or seen a glitch. However, things were far from that simple. 3 That night, I had a nightmare. I dreamt I was standing in a pitch-black forest. In the distance, a dark figure stood with its back to me. I walked closer, and it suddenly turned around. It was the Thunder Titan. He had no facial features, just two bleeding hollows for eyes. I woke up screaming, drenched in cold sweat. The next morning, I waited in the stairwell for Sam to walk to school. But it was getting late, and he hadn’t come down. I went upstairs to knock on his door. His mom answered. She told me Sam was sick and couldn’t go to school today. “He was crying all night, talking nonsense,” she said, looking exhausted. “He kept saying the ‘Thunder Titan’ was outside the window, inviting him to play.” My heart sank. I suffered through the school day, unable to focus. My mind was filled with that nightmare and Sam’s condition. After school, I ran to check on him. Sam was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. I leaned in. “Sam, I heard you were sick. I came to see you.” Sam didn’t ignore me. He just kept staring. The TV wasn’t on. The black screen reflected his dull, lifeless face. I asked, “Sam, what are you looking at?” Sam whispered, “I saw the Thunder Titan.” “He invited me to go play inside the TV.” I interrupted him, terrified. “Sam, you had a nightmare. There is no Thunder Titan. Just rest and stop thinking crazy stuff.” Suddenly, Sam started laughing. It was a bizarre laugh. The corners of his mouth stretched almost to his ears. “He found me.” “He found me…” Terrified, I backed away. For a second, his face looked exactly like the twisted Thunder Titan on TV. “Sam, get some rest. I’ll come back tomorrow.” I grabbed my bag and ran downstairs. 4 Sam didn’t come to school for several days. His mental state was deteriorating, but the doctors couldn’t find anything physically wrong. The old ladies in the building whispered that the boy was possessed. Our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Higgins, was concerned. Knowing we were neighbors, she asked me to visit him every day after school and write a journal about it for extra credit. I didn’t care about extra credit. I just didn’t want my best friend to die. He looked worse every day, muttering nonsense in his room. At night, unable to sleep, I’d press my ear against the wall to listen to the apartment upstairs. I could hear Sam crying faintly, then laughing, then talking as if chatting with someone. I distinctly heard him say: “I’ll come find you tonight.” “Wait for me.” I don’t know when I fell asleep. In a daze, I heard the faint sound of a TV coming from my living room. I looked at the clock. 2:47 AM. “Dad, are you still up?” I called out. No answer. I put on my slippers and opened my bedroom door. The living room lights were off, and the couch was empty. But the TV was on, emitting a blinding white light. The screen was filled with jumping static, making a harsh hissing noise. A figure stood in front of the TV, back to me. It looked like Sam. I called out tentatively: “Sam?” Weird. Why would Sam be in my apartment in the middle of the night? Sam didn’t respond. His body was trembling slightly. I took a step forward and realized it wasn’t trembling. It was a weird, rhythmic twitching. Like something was controlling him. Just then, the static on the TV changed. It wasn’t random white noise anymore. It formed a face. Twisted features, hollow eye sockets, a mouth grinning to the ears. It was looking right at Sam. It was that creepy Thunder Titan! A chill shot straight to my brain. The face seemed to be laughing—a soundless, hysterical laugh. “Luke…” Sam spoke, his voice monotone. “Listen, he’s calling me to go.” He raised his arm toward the TV. His fingertips touched the screen, and the glass rippled like water. “I’m coming.” I watched in horror as his hand went into the screen, followed by his arm. The TV had become a portal, swallowing Sam whole. “Sam! Stop!” I screamed. This time, he finally reacted. He slowly turned his head. I almost threw up. Sam’s eyes had turned into two bottomless black holes. The corners of his mouth lifted, mimicking the horrific smile on the screen. “Luke…” His voice came from the TV speakers now, distorted and glitchy. “You come too. It’s nice in here…” I fell backward onto the floor, my heart hammering against my ribs. The next second, a red light flooded in from the window. I turned to look. A giant Thunder Titan, with glowing red eyes, was staring dead at me through the living room window. That thing could come out of the TV!

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I hate socializing. I specifically moved to Solitude Town and bought the villa furthest back in the Solitude Estates. Number 111. But one day, the peace was broken. Many people arrived in Solitude Town. At the same time, I heard a mechanical, static-filled voice: [Solitude World Dungeon Mission: Gain Acceptance from the BOSS.] I don’t want a challenge! But the static voice returned: [Location: Solitude Estates, No. 111; Target: Aria Lane.] Wait, I’m the BOSS? 1 “Delivery!” Followed by urgent knocking. I thought I forgot to add the note “Don’t knock, just leave at the door” to my order. I checked my phone in distress. Confirmed the order again. The note “Don’t knock, just leave at the door” was written three times. I messaged the driver: [Please just leave it at the door.] The knocking didn’t stop. I reluctantly called the driver. A deep voice rang from the door and my phone simultaneously. “Ms. Lane, your delivery is here. Please come out and get it.” I tried to be polite, turning on the faucet to fake it. “I’m in the shower, just leave it at the door.” Water rushed, knocking stopped. Five minutes later, I opened the door and peeked out to grab the food. I saw a handsome guy with sharp brows and starry eyes, lean waist and long legs, leaning against a Mercedes G-Wagon. Seeing me, he flashed what he thought was a charming smile, his voice lowered like a bullfrog chorus on a summer night, which I hated. “Ms. Lane, your delivery.” Are delivery guy standards this high now? And he doesn’t understand English. While confused, a bullet screen (danmu) appeared before my eyes: [Player 8 is so hot! With that face and body, I don’t believe the BOSS won’t yield.] What hot? So annoying! I was rotting here comfortably alone, why come to conquer me? Why livestream my life? I looked at the big bag in “Player 8’s” hand with annoyance and said: “You got the wrong order. I only ordered spicy snail noodles.” Player 8 curled his lips: “Snail noodles aren’t healthy. I switched it to a seafood set for you. “There’s Australian lobster, King crab…” I rolled my eyes. The man in front of me spoke for almost 300 words without stopping, paused, then continued: “You need to take care of your body, can’t just eat junk food. I also brought some imported fruits and premium bird’s nest…” The bullet screen was going wild: [So thoughtful!] [I think he can definitely take down the big BOSS this time.] [This level is too easy.] [Ahhh! Please give me a boyfriend like this!] Ugh! What does junk food have to do with him? What kind of familiar, patronizing poser is this? People like this? Based on my good upbringing, I didn’t explode on the spot. I suppressed my anger, glancing at the big bag: “Thanks, but I’m allergic to seafood. Can’t eat it. “Is my snail noodles still there?” Player 8 wasn’t angry, continuing his oily gentle offensive: “Threw it away. Since you’re allergic to seafood, I’ll switch it to New Zealand lamb chops…” What lobster? What lamb chops? I don’t want them! I only care about my spicy snail noodles with extra fried egg and sausage that I waited an hour for! And my ice-cold Coke. Thrown away! I couldn’t pretend for another second. Slammed the door. Filed a complaint on the delivery app. The static sound buzzed again. [Player 8 failed to conquer, forcibly exited the game.] I opened the door, outside was clean, as if everything just now was a hallucination. But the complaint on the order was still there, and I was starving with no noodles. Can’t explain what happened. Don’t know how to handle it. Too lazy to handle it. Just hoping this was a hallucination from living alone too long. Sleep it off. 2 Peace had long been broken. Solitude Estates, with the lowest occupancy rate, was suddenly flooded with residents. Someone got a goose that honked all morning. The goose’s enthusiasm ignited the dogs. Geese honking, dogs barking. Driving people crazy. But I really didn’t have the energy to pick a new house. Thought I’d just endure it. I endured a long time when “Cream” first came home too. Cream is an energetic tuxedo cat. Speaking of cat. Where’s my cat? I searched the villa up and down twice, even the yard. Didn’t see Cream chasing his tail. Normally, with few people around, Cream would run out and come back himself. But the world is different now. The language of house cats is: if the owner isn’t around, treat as a stray. And the language of strays is: snooze, you lose. I forced myself to go out. There were so many people in the complex garden. They smiled at me, enthusiastically gave directions, and invited me to their homes. I was forced into social interaction. Bullet screen floated in the air again: [These players are disguising as neighbors to conquer?] [Maybe inspired by ‘distant relatives are not as good as near neighbors’.] [Doesn’t look good, look at the BOSS’s favorability, it’s negative.] [Need to look at favorability? The BOSS looks like she’s about to shatter.] [People who hate socializing see this, scalp tingling.] [Why hate socializing? I think communication between people is the most interesting.] [I say the gap between people is bigger than between people and dogs. You extroverts will never understand the pain of us introverts!] [First time seeing such a noob BOSS, kinda interesting.] This person talks trash. But luckily I found Cream. Cream, as a neutered male cat, couldn’t move his legs next to a calico. Called him, ignored. The “cat self-soothing plush balls” I hung on Cream trembled in the wind. Trembling for the calico. The calico’s owner was right there, watching everything gently. A sunny college boy. One look, full of vitality. Completely out of place with a low-energy person like me. Even so, the college boy spoke enthusiastically: “Sister, you raise this tuxedo cat so well. “So cute, plays super well with my Rue. “Sister, want to bring him to my place?” I looked down at the love-struck, 15-pound “semi-truck” Cream, and the overly beautiful calico written all over with rejection. Fell into thought. The college boy didn’t seem to notice. I think “Beyoncé’s” parents wouldn’t welcome a chubby otaku with designs on their daughter to play at their house. Unless there’s a catch. The bullet screen gossiped at this moment: [How does Player 13 have this god-tier item? Is it because he’s handsome?] [(Sweating emoji) This was exchanged with points from the last world.] [It’s in the bag, that’s a calico. BOSS can refuse, but BOSS’s cat can’t.] 3 They were right. I don’t want to interact with people. But Cream wants to interact with the calico. Even if he has no balls. Cream runs out every morning. And is brought back by the college boy at night. The college boy dressed increasingly skimpy. Return times got later and later. I looked at the boy’s clothes, the collar plunging to his navel. Speechless sigh. The boy didn’t notice, busy talking nonsense, while subtly showing off his abs. I wasn’t interested. Just felt he was squeezing my favorite time of lying in bed reading novels at night. Other players seeing the boy visit, also couldn’t wait to visit. Bringing all sorts of things. From morning to night! Even at 7 AM, someone knocked to bring me two steamed buns. No soy milk. Pure choking hazard. I looked out from the iron gate. Felt like I was in prison. And the opposite side was visiting hours. [Hahahaha, this is the most miserable BOSS I’ve ever seen.] [Empathized! Are we introverts just toys for you extroverts?] [This BOSS looks more ill-fated than me? Does she have any skills?] [None! That’s why this level is called “The Mildest Dungeon”.] Hints to leave were ignored time and again. And mocked by the bullet screen. I tried to reason with the instigator—the college boy. “Thank you for taking care of Cream these days. “Actually, you don’t need to trouble yourself bringing him back every day, he knows the way home.” The boy continued to flash his idol smile: “Sister, it’s no trouble, I’m happy.” Communication between people is sometimes difficult. Or maybe, he pretended not to understand. He kept coming. Lemon mint body wash. Like summer sunshine in novels. But I just want to crawl in the dark. And crawl some more. Don’t know whose beagle finally stopped howling at 2 AM. 4 AM, knocking again. The college boy calling me outside: “Let’s go, Sister, I’ll take you to see the sunrise. “Didn’t you post on Moments yesterday that you like this feeling of freedom the most?” Sunrise or sunset, under sudden passion, hitting it off with someone familiar, leaving immediately. Most beautiful. But I was lazy last night and didn’t shower, sporting a super greasy head. Plus sleep deprivation. Asking me to go out now? Flip the table! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I’ve really had enough! But only dared to rage in my room. “They are so annoying! Can they all disappear!” The world went quiet instantly. Something’s wrong. I sneakily opened the door. Solitude Estates restored to solitude. Only the system voice remained: [BOSS resentment effective, players failed to conquer, forcibly exited the game.] The system read nearly two hundred numbers, until the electronic voice sounded tired. I couldn’t sleep, climbed onto the roof to watch the sunrise. The sun tore open the cage bit by bit. The world, finally clean. 4 So good. Sleeping now won’t be disturbed, right? I lived a few good days. But didn’t dare go out much. Humans nowadays have too big an imagination. Sure enough, went out today and a handsome guy feigned injury, lying at my door. I saw it was bad. Is security bad in Solitude Town? Or trying to trick me into a redemption arc heroine route? How many heroines in those stories end well? I won’t fall for this. Called the police immediately, let them handle this broken flower boy. When the police arrived, the bullet screen boiled over. [???] [No way, sir? Police in a horror game dungeon?] [Is this right?] [I’m laughing my head off.] [Please BOSS, don’t always be so unexpected.] System prompted again: [Player 250 failed to conquer, forcibly exited the game.] The bullet screen laughed even more rampantly: [Hahahahaha! What’s going on? The system treats our handsome player like this, I strongly demand a number change!] [Does it matter? Change what! He’s offline.] [You don’t understand. Live as a hero, die as a ghost hero. Die with a good reputation!] As for the later destitute young masters, handsome beggars, stray boys… I packed them all off to the police station. 5 Living alone, how can you not stay up late? Stayed up until the horizon turned white, finally felt sleepy. Finally wrapped in the quilt entering dreamland. Less than half an hour later, phone rang suddenly. Scary as the grim reaper calling. It was my distant aunt. Even less dare to answer. The thing I understand least in this life— Can’t you text on WeChat? Why must you call? After the third ring, I had to answer. My aunt’s always entitled voice came from the other side: “Aria, Auntie is coming to play in Solitude Town with your cousin recently. “Heard from your mom, you bought a house in Solitude Town. “We are family, there are so many empty rooms in the villa, let us stay for a few days.” Annoying! Why does my mom tell everyone everything! I covered the mic, muttering a wish: “Hope Auntie’s family changes their itinerary.” The bullet screen burst my bubble: [Player 26 and Player 27, those are the BOSS’s real relatives, damage immune.] [No way? Can play like this?] [Oh my god! Joker card! Is there any Asian who can refuse relatives?] [Me! I’d refuse directly! Fight and cut ties!] Envious of that personality! I want to do that too. But my mom would nag me to death! Although I hate socializing, I’ve always been a social pushover. Inexplicably becoming a BOSS felt more like a plaything of fate. I really didn’t want them to come, but didn’t dare refuse directly. Had to tell many lies. Lying requires psychological preparation. And a clear brain to ensure logic holds up. I twisted my fingers making excuses: “Auntie, really sorry, I have a business trip these days, I’ll book a hotel outside for you, it’s convenient.” Auntie scoffed: “Didn’t your mom say you don’t have a job?” Tsk, is that the point? I continued: “Just found one.” Auntie: “It’s okay, we’ll go stay first, can also help you take care of the plants in the villa, right, and your big fat cat.” [These two players are gods!] [Cream: Politeness, do you have it?] Cream’s face is a small matter now, refusing them entry is the most important. I continued finding excuses: “Cream is afraid of strangers. And it’s too remote here, transportation is inconvenient, I’ll book a hotel for you.” Auntie: “Afraid of what? Let it stay upstairs, we won’t bother it.” … Blah blah for twenty minutes. Every excuse, the other side countered. Pros at being relatives. I tried a last struggle: “But I might be on a business trip for a long time, really no one home.” Auntie: “Then you need someone to take care of the house even more.” Me: “Really no trouble, I already hired someone.” Auntie: “Why spend that money? We are family, I watched you grow up.” Here we go again. Classic rhetoric. Just watched me grow up. Occasional social exchanges, not close, but too embarrassed to fall out. Although the bullet screen was just text, I could see the schadenfreude behind it. [BOSS is anxious!] [This family card played the BOSS into a corner.] [Worthy of being relatives, shamelessness described so freshly.] [Didn’t expect to see such a realistic scene in a game stream one day!] [This dialogue is like me and my relatives, reasonably requesting to remove the camera in my room.]

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In my daughter’s class group chat, a mother named Karen suddenly tagged me: “I heard you signed Lily up for a $10,000 summer camp?” “Are you crazy? Wasting my son’s money like that? That’s enough for my family’s living expenses for a whole year!” I was baffled. I replied directly: “Who are you? What business is it of yours?” She immediately sent a voice message: “I’m your daughter’s future mother-in-law. She’s going to marry my son.” “If you spend so recklessly on her now, how will they live in the future? You’re ruining my son’s life!” “Transfer all your family’s money to me for safekeeping right now! Immediately!” What a psycho. I gripped my phone and fired back: “I don’t even know you. My daughter is 5! If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll rip that mouth off your face.” 1 Seeing that I wasn’t giving her any face, Karen cursed even harder: “You cheap b*tch, I’m reminding you out of kindness and you curse at me?” “Unbelievable! Just thinking about being in-laws with someone like you makes me sick.” “I’m telling you, if you don’t teach Lily correct spending habits now, my son will dump her later.” Is she insane? What is she even talking about? I didn’t know her, but I knew her son, Kevin. He was the class bully. Every day, someone complained about him hitting or cursing at other kids. He even tried to pull girls’ pants down. Lily told me once he hugged her and kissed her face. I told her to stay away from him immediately. I thought only Kevin was weird, but it turns out his mother is even worse. She kept ranting in the group chat: “I’m warning you, all your family’s money belongs to my son in the future. You have no right to waste it!” “Cancel that $10,000 camp right now! Spending that much on a little girl is insane.” “Don’t you know my family doesn’t even turn on the AC to save money?” Idiot! I dismissed her as a lunatic and ignored her. But she kept DMing me: “I’m your in-law, accept my request!” I rejected it without hesitation. She tried again: “You can’t raise a child properly, I’ll help you. Accept!” I rejected again and blocked her. Left with no choice, she tagged me in the group again: “Why are you so stubborn? Send me your address right now. I’m coming over to discipline my daughter-in-law.” Before I could speak, other parents jumped in: “Kevin’s mom, what are you doing? The kids are in kindergarten. What’s this about in-laws and daughters-in-law?” “Exactly, it’s bizarre. They need you to educate their kid? Manage your own little devil first. Stop being a nuisance in the class!” “Seriously, how many complaints has he gotten? As a mother, you should reflect on yourself.” Seeing everyone against her, Karen exploded: “What do you idiots know? Last month my son kissed Lily’s face. She belongs to him now.” “What’s wrong with me disciplining and nurturing her in advance?” 2 Damn it! She was getting more ridiculous by the second. I privately messaged the teacher to kick her out. But it was summer break, and the teacher was busy. Karen went even crazier, constantly tagging me: “Location! Send me your location! I’m coming over right now to teach you a lesson.” “I’ll teach you how to save and spend money properly!” Other parents lined up to curse her: “Psycho, did you eat too many magic mushrooms?” “With your attitude, your son is destined to be single forever.” She ignored them and kept demanding my address: “Send the location now! I’m coming over to teach you correct values!” Fine! Since this crazy woman insists on provoking me, I won’t let her off easy. I have a huge German Shepherd at home. Why should I be afraid of her? She arrived fast. And she brought her son, Kevin. Through the surveillance camera, I saw the shock in their eyes as they stood at my gate. Karen excitedly told Kevin: “Son, you have great taste! You picked a super rich daughter-in-law for me!” “Look at this huge villa and garden. Must cost millions!” “Hahaha, good job, son! Mommy’s going to be a rich lady thanks to you!” What an idiot. Rich lady? She’s not even fit to be a rich family’s servant! The next second, she muttered to herself: “Wait, Lily goes to a public kindergarten with you. She can’t be the young miss here.” “Her mom must be a maid here. Damn, a maid’s daughter going on a $10,000 camp? So wasteful!” “I must teach her a lesson.” She shouted at the gate: “Lily! Come open the door for your boyfriend and mother-in-law!” “No manners at all! When your mother-in-law arrives, you should be kneeling to welcome her! Don’t you know?” “So rude! I’ll tell your boss and get your mom fired!” No one answered. I wanted to see how long they could stand in the 104°F heat. Sure enough, within two minutes, they were sweating buckets. Kevin whined for ice cream. Karen told him: “Don’t rush. Once we find your wife, you can have all the ice cream you want.” 3 She kept banging on the door, screaming: “Lily! Are you trying to kill us with heat?” “Let me tell you, my son is frail. If he gets heatstroke, you’ll be a widow forever!” I still ignored her. I signaled the bodyguard to bring out the German Shepherd. The dog panted, tongue lolling, staring at them like they were snacks. Kevin got scared: “Mom, let’s go! That dog is scary!” Karen was scared too, trembling, but she feigned courage and yelled at the bodyguard: “We are Lily’s in-laws, your maid’s family! Open the gate immediately! I need to go in and educate Lily!” The bodyguard, stone-faced, brought the dog closer. Karen stumbled back several steps: “Are you deaf? If you don’t let me in, call Lily and her maid mother out here!” The dog’s tongue was almost touching Karen’s face. Kevin screamed and ran away. Karen had no choice but to chase after him. Finally, peace. I thought she just had a moment of madness and it was over. Unexpectedly, half an hour later, she tagged me in the group again: “You b*tch, my son has a high fever from your boss’s dog! Bring Lily over to apologize immediately, and take my son to the villa to recover!” What kind of drugs is she on? Hilarious. I dismissed her as a psycho and put it out of my mind to avoid ruining my mood. But just as I was happily packing with my daughter for the camp, the teacher called: “Lily’s mom, are you cancelling Lily’s enrollment?” “Huh?” I was confused. “No, we didn’t cancel. We’re packing right now.” She sounded puzzled: “Oh, we got a call from Lily’s mother-in-law saying to cancel and refund the money.” “We thought since you paid, the refund should go to you, not the grandmother, so we called to confirm.” I laughed in anger. This “mother-in-law” must be Karen. The teachers didn’t know; they thought “mother-in-law” meant grandmother. She’s really something. Not only canceling but wanting the refund for herself? Is her brain filled with pig manure? 4 The camp went ahead as planned. Early in the morning, I took my daughter and luggage to the airport. Surprisingly, Karen and Kevin were there too. Karen looked at me and Lily unkindly. She spoke coldly to my daughter: “Lily, I’m your mother-in-law. When you see me, you should kneel and kowtow. Understand? That’s manners.” “If your mom won’t teach you, I will. Otherwise, you’re not qualified to marry my son.” Absolutely insane. I stepped in front of my daughter and slapped her hard: “If you can’t speak human, shut your mouth and be mute! Get lost!” Slapped by me, she widened her eyes: “You… you dare hit me? Who do you think you are?” One slap wasn’t enough. I gave her another one: “So what if I hit a psycho like you?” This enraged her. She lunged at me, claws out. But before she could reach me, the camp teacher pulled her away. The teacher said patiently: “Parent, let’s talk nicely. No violence please.” Karen exploded: “Talk nicely? No violence?” “Are you blind? Didn’t you see her hit me first? Didn’t you see her slap me twice?” “You biased b*tch! You’re garbage too!” She finished by slapping the teacher. The young teacher had never seen such a shrew. She covered her face, eyes red, tears falling. Karen put her hands on her hips and lectured her: “This is our family matter. Who asked you to interfere?” “You deserved it! Learn a lesson. Mind your own business!” The teacher, furious, called the police. Things just got more interesting!

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After the transmigrator who stole my luck finally left, the world returned to normal. Everyone suddenly remembered how much they used to love me. But it was too late. 1 I lay in bed, the familiar pain gnawing at my body. But today, I didn’t reach for the painkillers like I usually did. Because suddenly, rows of bullet comments floated before my eyes. I thought I was hallucinating, but they felt incredibly real. [Is this the female lead of this world? She’s so pitiful.] [So many mini-worlds are being invaded by transmigrators lately. The original protagonists are suffering.] [She’s lucky she still has her organs. I saw a female lead in another world who was drained dry by a transmigrator, even her heart was dug out.] [Sigh, in the original setting, she was supposed to be the beloved princess, adored by everyone.] [Good thing the transmigrator has been cleared out. Her world line is starting to repair.] I stared blankly at these comments, my mind buzzing. So, I was the protagonist of this world? I used to be happy. My parents spoiled me, my brother protected me, my fiancé loved me deeply. I had countless admirers and was the center of attention. Back then, I was confident and radiant, the irreplaceable princess in everyone’s eyes. Everything changed when Chloe appeared. She seemed tough yet pitiful, delicate and moving, quickly earning everyone’s sympathy. My parents sponsored her, adopted her as a goddaughter. My brother took care of her in every way. Even my fiancé started leaning towards her. At first, I wasn’t afraid. I thought it was temporary, that they just pitied her circumstances. I always believed that in their hearts, I was the most important one. Until things spiraled out of control. It was as if they were bewitched, willing to give everything for her, while becoming increasingly cold towards me. The warmth that once surrounded me was stolen by her, bit by bit. I gradually became air, a superfluous person in this world. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t feel even a shred of kindness anymore. 2 Just then, the comments started scrolling again. [Heard the news? After Chloe left, everyone she bewitched woke up.] [Tsk tsk, the female lead’s parents, brother, and that fiancé… they’re all going crazy looking for her now.] [Who would have thought the once pampered princess is now living in this shabby basement?] [So ironic. They were so eager to abuse the female lead back then, now they remember she was good? Too late.] I stared at the comments, feeling nothing. If they were really looking for me, I only hoped they would never find me. I didn’t know how to face them. Not because of resentment, but because… I was just too tired. The cold glares and accusations had long exhausted the last bit of warmth in my heart. Love can disappear, especially after repeated disappointments. Now, I just wanted to live in a quiet corner. Without their disturbance, no matter how destitute, life would be easier. But fate had other plans. The comments started scrolling frantically. [Holy sht! Her fiancé found her! Liam has found the address and is on his way!]* [He’s coming! He’s coming!!] My mind went blank instantly. The first thought was to run. I struggled to get up from the bed, but as soon as I propped myself up, my vision went black, and I fell back heavily. My stomach felt like it was being twisted by knives, my chest tight. It took a while to catch my breath. I clenched my fists, hatred surging. Why wouldn’t he let me go even after driving me to this point? Trembling, I grabbed a fruit knife from the bedside table, hid it under the covers, and stared dead at the door, body tense. [Ex-fiancé has been standing at the door for five minutes. Is he coming in?] [Speaking of which, what identity does he have to see the female lead now? Fiancé? Don’t make me laugh. He was the one who broke off the engagement.] [He despised her so much back then, now he’s shamelessly coming to find her.] I held my breath. The door was locked from the inside. He couldn’t get in. I thought I could relax a little. The next second, BANG! The door was kicked open. I almost jumped out of my skin. I used to be bold, but now the slightest disturbance was enough to give me palpitations for half a day. [? Bro, can’t you knock?] [Aren’t you here to apologize? Why do you look scarier than a debt collector?] [Coming to visit without bringing fruit is one thing, but tearing down the door? Is ex-fiancé here to apologize or to fight?] I couldn’t care less about the comments anymore. Because Liam was standing at the door, locking eyes with me. In that instant, my heart almost stopped. Fear. Terrifying fear. I burrowed under the quilt like an ostrich. As if he couldn’t hurt me if I couldn’t see him. But I still heard his footsteps. Leather shoes on the floor tiles. Step. Step. Heavier with each step. I counted silently, my hand gripping the knife handle under the covers tightly. The moment he approached the bed, I threw off the quilt and stabbed at him viciously! Thud— The dull sound of the blade entering flesh sobered me instantly. Blood gushed from Liam’s shoulder. He didn’t dodge. Red-eyed, he stared at me motionless. As if he knew I would do this, even willing to let me do whatever I wanted. In that moment, I was more scared than before. Because I didn’t know what he wanted to do, nor did I know… what I did wrong. My breathing was rapid, vision darkening. Violent emotions tore at me. I clutched my chest and fell back onto the bed, unable to breathe, feeling like my chest was about to explode. I only heard him shouting my name in panic: “Nora! Nora, what’s wrong?!” His voice was hoarse, urgent, filled with regret and fear. But I only felt nauseous. Don’t call me that. Don’t call me “Nora.” Consciousness fading bit by bit, I completely passed out. 3 When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Looking at the long-lost sunlight, I didn’t feel warmth, only a piercing glare. It was the light I once craved, now a painful spot I couldn’t look at directly. I slowly turned my stiff neck, my gaze landing on the chair beside the bed. Liam was leaning there, eyes closed as if napping, his brow furrowed with exhaustion and loneliness. In this instant, my body began to tremble uncontrollably. Fear grew from my marrow, pressing down until I could barely breathe. I bit my lip hard, trying to suppress the wave of nausea rising within me. But just as I instinctively tried to turn away to escape, the heart rate monitor beside me suddenly blared an urgent alarm. Liam woke up with a start, his face changing color. He threw himself to my side, his voice panicked and rushed. “Nora? You’re awake! How do you feel? Does anything hurt? The doctor said you…” As he spoke, he reached out to touch my face. But in that moment, his approach was like a snake flicking its tongue. His voice, his scent, filled me with utter disgust and terror. Nausea surged, my stomach cramping. I grabbed the edge of the bed and started retching violently. Liam’s hand froze in mid-air, stiff as stone. The color drained from his face completely, leaving only a bewildered, helpless look like he’d been hit by a heavy hammer. [No way, Ex-fiancé, can’t you feel the female lead is physiologically repulsed by you? Why still clinging?] [I’m new here, this plot is suffocating. What exactly did Liam do to make the female lead like this?] [Can’t explain in a few words. It’s mostly trauma. Overnight she was despised by everyone, even the world’s consciousness started rejecting her. It wasn’t easy for her to even survive.] My stomach was empty, nothing came up but dry heaves. I lay back weakly on the bed, gasping for air. In my peripheral vision, Liam was still frozen there like a statue, his face written with regret and fear. There was a glass of water on the table, but I didn’t dare reach for it. No matter how thirsty, I didn’t want any possibility of touching him. Suddenly, thud. Liam knelt down. I froze, turning to look. Liam lowered his head, voice hoarse and incoherent, but every word burned with regret: “Nora, I was wrong, it’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have trusted Chloe… shouldn’t have doubted you… I… I’m a bastard, I failed you, it’s all my fault…” My ears buzzed. His voice was like a fly buzzing around, annoying, piercing, suffocating. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I pulled the quilt over my head, silently resisting everything. 4 After a long time, sensing my resistance, Liam finally quieted down. His kneeling figure remained motionless. Until much later, he stood up, footsteps slow and heavy, walking towards the door step by step. Only when the door clicked shut and the room returned to silence did I quietly breathe a sigh of relief. But not long after, the door was pushed open again. I immediately tensed, pulling the quilt tighter, leaving only a tiny slit to observe the outside. It was a doctor and two nurses, followed by a solemn-looking Liam. The doctor flipped through the chart, tone grave: “Nora’s condition… is very bad.” “She not only has severe chronic gastritis, long-term malnutrition, insomnia, immune system disorders… but also obvious symptoms of PTSD.” “Worse, her spirit has been suppressed for too long. She’s on the verge of a breakdown. If she doesn’t receive systematic treatment soon, organ failure could occur at any time.” Through the slit, I saw Liam’s face turn deathly white under the lights, as if drained of blood. He stood motionless, throat bobbing, finally speaking in a low voice: “Doctor… please, cure her. I beg you, whatever it takes… cure her.” His voice was filled with a pleading that was almost on its knees. The doctor looked at him with a complex expression and sighed: “Mr. Miller, I understand how you feel. But besides medical treatment, we also need her willingness to recover. If she doesn’t cooperate mentally, the treatment’s effectiveness will be greatly reduced.” “Also, the wound on your shoulder needs immediate attention. It’s starting to bleed.” Liam looked down at his blood-soaked shoulder, shaking his head: “It’s fine, I don’t feel pain.” The nurse didn’t give him a choice, insisting on taking him out: “The wound can’t wait. Please cooperate.” As the door closed again, the ward finally returned to silence. My grip on the quilt corner finally loosened, palms sweaty. I closed my eyes silently. I knew my body’s condition well, but having it exposed in front of someone who hurt me felt deeply humiliating. 5 In the short twenty minutes Liam was taken away, the ward door was pushed open again. I curled up instinctively, thinking he was back. But this time, it was two long-lost faces. “Family” I thought I would never see again. My mother, Jane, and my father, Arthur. Before I could react, Jane let out a hoarse cry: “Nora! My precious daughter, Mommy finally found you!” She rushed over, hugging me tightly, almost suffocating me. “Why are you so thin? Your face is so sharp! Oh, Mommy is sorry, Mommy didn’t protect you well. Mommy will never let you suffer again!” Her voice trembled with tears, full of repentance. But in her embrace, I felt no warmth. I lay motionless, letting her hug me like a puppet. Arthur stood by the bed, looking pained, eyes red, whispering: “It’s Daddy’s fault… Nora, Daddy was wrong.” Daddy… Mommy… So I did have parents. Funny how they only remembered me now. Their regret came too late, and too light. I lay stiffly in Jane’s arms, staring blankly at the ceiling, saying nothing, doing nothing. Time passed second by second. The crying gradually subsided. Finally, they noticed something was wrong. I hadn’t responded a single word. Jane froze for a moment, then panic-strickenly touched my forehead, patted my cheek: “Nora? Why aren’t you talking? Are you feeling unwell? Mommy’s here, don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here…” Tears fell from her eyes like broken beads: “Oh my god… how did this happen? My daughter… how did my daughter become like this? This is a sin…” She cried heartbreakingly. But to my ears, it sounded like it came from behind a thick wall—hollow, fake, weightless. Just like when she kicked me out of the house. Same face, same voice. Only then, she said: “Nora, don’t come back and embarrass us!” I withdrew my gaze imperceptibly, letting her cry. I had long lost any illusions about the word “family.” I was no longer the Nora who would humbly cling to them for a rare kind word. Arthur wiped his eyes, voice low: “Where’s the doctor? Doctor! I want to transfer my daughter, right now! To our own hospital!” He walked quickly towards the door. Jane wiped her tears too. “Nora, don’t be afraid. That Liam is too sinister. He found you first and secretly sent you to this hospital without telling us. He doesn’t care about you; he just wants to win your forgiveness while you’re weak!” She stroked my arm gently. “Once Daddy arranges it, we’ll transfer you. Send you to the best doctors, get the best treatment. Mommy will stay with you this time, okay? Nora?” Her fingers brushed over my skin inch by inch. The warm touch felt like crawling insects. Suddenly, I felt a stinging itch on my skin. My pale hand quickly broke out in a large rash. Every place she touched had the same reaction. Jane saw it and screamed: “Doctor! Doctor, come quickly!” The doctor rushed in. After examining me, he frowned: “This is an obvious allergic reaction. Has she come into contact with any allergens?” Jane looked panicked: “No, she wasn’t allergic before, never since she was little… Ah…” She seemed to realize something, her face turning pale. She looked at me, then at the doctor, voice trembling: “Is my daughter… allergic… to me?” The doctor was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: “In cases of extreme psychological trauma, if a patient has strong rejection towards a specific person, psychogenic contact dermatitis can occur. The body rejects the presence she doesn’t want to accept. It’s a defense mechanism.” The room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

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The lab was exploding, and my childhood sweetheart was begging me to save him. Suddenly, a barrage of bullet comments floated across the sky: [The male lead has been reborn! This explosion wasn’t an accident; he set it up on purpose. Anyway, the female supporting character is such a simp, she’ll definitely rush in to save him like in her past life.] [The male lead is so smart. After the fire started, he even poured some gasoline on it. Only by burning the supporting character to death can he avoid marrying her disfigured face out of gratitude like last time. He made the heroine be his mistress for eight years for nothing!] [Good thing the male lead loves the heroine. After using the supporting character’s dowry to build his empire, he suffocated her with a pillow so he could marry our heroine.] [I remember the heroine is the supporting character’s stepsister, right? She’s already pregnant with the male lead’s child? Tsk tsk, forbidden love between brother-in-law and sister-in-law, so spicy!] [Supporting character, hurry in and save the male lead! We can’t wait to see the sweet romance between the leads!] Save him? I pretended to be frightened, retreated to a safe distance, and then gracefully fainted. My boyfriend’s voice grew weaker. I couldn’t help but smile. “Jason, in this life, I’m going to destroy you!” 1 Flames licked the glass windows of the laboratory, twisting my shadow into grotesque shapes. Jason’s hoarse cries for help rang in my ears. “Sarah! Save me!” But he was clearly certain I would rush in, his tone devoid of panic. I didn’t make a sound, standing still. In my past life, I rushed into the fire and dragged him out, leaving half my face permanently scarred like a centipede. He held me and cried, saying he would be responsible for me for the rest of his life. But then he turned around and complained that I was an embarrassment to take out. He forced me to hand over all the gold bars and property deeds my grandfather left me, claiming it was compensation for the grievance he suffered due to my disfigurement. Bullet comments exploded in my vision again: [Hurry up, the heroine is still waiting outside. Just waiting for the fire to get bigger so she can ‘save’ the supporting character’s corpse. Then she can play the loving sister and trick the grandfather into leaving the inheritance to her!] [Why isn’t she moving? If something happens to the male lead, won’t she die of regret?] In the smoke, Jason coughed incessantly. Seeing no reaction from me for a long time, he finally panicked. “Sarah, I saw you! Why aren’t you coming in to save me!” “My… my leg is pinned, I can’t run! Don’t worry, the fire isn’t big yet, you’ll be fine. Once we’re out, I promise to marry you!” I stared at the anxious face in the sea of fire, suddenly recalling how he suffocated me with a pillow in my past life, his face twisted as he blamed me: “If you hadn’t pestered me and used saving my life to blackmail me, why would I marry an ugly monster like you? You ruined my love with Chloe, you deserve to die!” I curled my lips, my laughter drowned out by the crackling fire. Since Chloe is so great, let her save Jason. I took a sharp step back, ensuring the distance was safe. Then, I let myself fall backward. As I faked fainting, I faintly heard Jason’s screams. Getting weaker… [What’s wrong with the supporting character? Why did she faint? If she doesn’t save him, what about the male lead?] [It’s over, it’s over, the male lead poured gasoline this time! Where’s the heroine? Come save him!] A second before my eyelids closed, I heard the sirens of fire trucks approaching. I covered my nose and mouth, the corners of my lips rising uncontrollably. Jason. Let the games begin. 2 When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a VIP hospital room. I subconsciously touched my cheek. Smooth and perfect as always. The smell of disinfectant was mixed with a familiar, cloyingly sweet citrus perfume. Just like Chloe herself. She was sitting by the bed peeling an apple. Seeing me wake up, her eyes immediately reddened. “Sis, you scared me to death! Jason is still in emergency surgery. The doctor said… his face might be ruined.” The bullet comments were furious: [It’s all Sarah’s fault! If she hadn’t fainted at the critical moment, how would the male lead be hurt so badly? She must take full responsibility!] [Heroine, hurry up and gaslight her! Make her pay for his treatment. She owes you guys anyway!] I ignored these NPC comments, tugged at the IV tube, and looked indifferent. “Is that so? That’s a pity. He cared about that face the most.” Chloe’s knife paused. “Sis, how can you say that? Jason went to the lab to keep you company…” I laughed out loud. “Keep me company? Yesterday he specifically told me he wanted the lab to himself today and told me not to come.” “Then he messaged me ten minutes before the explosion, urging me to go over. Ten minutes, exactly the time it takes to walk from my dorm to the lab.” Chloe’s face paled, her hand holding the knife trembling uncontrollably. A nurse walked in just then. I raised an eyebrow and deliberately asked the nurse: “Nurse, do we have the results of the explosion investigation? I thought I saw a shadow and smelled gasoline.” The nurse paused. “Gasoline? Not sure, but the fire department said there were signs of secondary ignition, like an accelerant was used.” “The police will probably come to question you later. You can tell them.” Clang. The fruit knife dropped to the floor. Chloe gripped the apple, head lowered, expression hidden. The nurse thought she was scared, picked up the knife, and comforted her. But she quickly stood up and grabbed her phone from the table. It rang suddenly, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she made an excuse to leave. I closed my eyes, sneering internally. I saw the caller ID. It was Jason. He’s quite capable, waking up so fast. Well, as his “girlfriend,” I have to go visit him. 3 The doctor checked me over. Confirming I was fine, I could be discharged after the IV finished. When I went to see Jason, his face was wrapped in thick gauze. Seeing me enter, he struggled to sit up, voice choking: “Sarah, I’m so glad you’re okay… I thought I’d never see you again.” “Why did you… suddenly faint?” He seemed suspicious. I took two steps back and sighed: “The fire was too big, the heat suffocated me. Otherwise, I would have definitely saved you.” “By the way, Jason, even if an experiment went wrong, the fire shouldn’t have been that big, right? Did you use some special materials?” Jason’s expression shifted, seemingly annoyed that he poured a bucket of gasoline and burned himself. The bullet comments cared more about his health than he did, filling the screen with demands for money. [The supporting character is shameless, just bringing a fruit basket? Hurry up and pay for his treatment!] [Yeah, I remember she has 30% of the shares, worth about a billion. She should give it all to him as an apology!] Jason reached out, clutching the hem of my shirt. “Don’t worry about the medical bills… I can…” He coughed violently, covering his mouth with a tissue. “I’m just short on the surgery fee, I don’t want you to…” I stifled a laugh, placing the fruit basket on the nightstand. Funny. Even as the “male lead,” he still has to beg me, the “vicious supporting character,” for money. “I asked the doctor. Your follow-up treatment will cost a lot. I contacted Grandpa, but he said my trust fund can’t be touched until I get married.” Jason stiffened, the corner of his mouth twitching under the gauze. “What do you mean?” I shrugged innocently. “Exactly what I said. I have no money right now. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.” In my past life, lying in the hospital bed, before I could say anything… He started complaining about being tight on money and told me to figure out the medical bills myself. I was just returning his words to him, verbatim. He clearly realized this, his eyes under the gauze full of scrutiny. Just as we were at a stalemate, the door opened. A man in a black suit walked in, followed by a lawyer. Tall, sharp-eyed. He nodded slightly upon seeing me: “Miss Shen, I am Ethan He, your grandfather’s legal counsel. He heard about your accident and asked me to check on you.” I paused, seeing the comments pop up: [Who is this guy? Looks tough.] [Is he here to help the supporting character? What about our leads!] Oh~ so these self-proclaimed omniscient NPCs don’t know everything. I remembered Ethan. A ruthless figure in the legal world, managing billions in overseas assets for my grandfather at a young age. In my past life, after I was disfigured, he visited once. Frowned and said Jason wasn’t good enough for me. Never saw him again. Jason recognized him too, his tone instantly polite. “Mr. He, sorry to trouble you.” Ethan ignored him, walking straight to me. “Miss Shen, do you need me to handle the follow-up? Including the liability assessment for the lab.” Seeing the flash of inquiry in his eyes, I looked him over. Black eyes deep as a cold pool, pale skin making him look noble and sharp. Much easier on the eyes than the mummy-faced Jason. I suddenly had a great idea. 4 After leaving the hospital, I met Ethan at a nearby cafe. Stirring my coffee, I spoke first. “Mr. He, I want to propose a partnership.” Ethan looked up, a hint of interest in his eyes. “Please, go ahead.” I looked him in the eye and said clearly: “Jason doesn’t deserve me.” “But it’s inconvenient for me to act right now. So I want to hire you to help me deal with Jason… and my stepsister, Chloe.” “Of course, I won’t ask for free help. The Shen family has a plot of land in the West City, good location. If you help me make them pay, I’ll transfer it to you at cost.” Ethan put down his spoon, leaning forward slightly, tone playful. “Is Miss Shen using me as a tool for revenge?” I smirked. “Don’t put it like that. It’s a win-win. You get the land and make a profit. I get revenge and peace of mind.” He was silent for a few seconds, then laughed: “Miss Shen is quite the calculator. But I’m not interested in that land.” “Then what do you want?” Ethan’s gaze landed on my face, deep eyes pulling me in. “What I want, perhaps, is a favor from you, Miss Shen.” My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my face calm. “A favor is an intangible thing. Doesn’t Mr. He feel he’s losing out?” Slender fingers tapped the table lightly as Ethan spoke slowly: “In my opinion, a favor from Miss Shen is worth much more than a plot of land.” Ethan He was dangerous. But having died once, Sarah Shen feared no danger. I raised an eyebrow and extended my hand with a smile. “Then, here’s to a happy partnership.”

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Five years after we broke up, I heard Lucas was getting married. Relieved, I finally flew back home. But as soon as I landed, he cornered me against an airport wall: “Fake news. Planted it just to fish you out.” “But I’m already married!” I flashed my diamond ring, bluffing hard. He stared at the ring, then let out a low, dangerous laugh: “Guess we’re a throuple then.” Me: ??? 1 Lucas was getting married. When I heard the news, I was so happy I couldn’t sleep all night. I booked a flight immediately. “Boohoo, I’m finally back!” As soon as I landed, I called my bestie, crying about how white people food isn’t fit for humans while listing my cravings: “Spicy crawfish, BBQ, hot pot, snail noodles, spicy hot pot, boba…” Just as I was excitedly telling her, “This time, I’m reclaiming all my food rights,” someone grabbed my hand and slammed me against the wall. My phone hit the ground. I stared blankly at the man towering over me. Cold, noble, with bone structure to die for and a face so handsome it was sinful. My mind went blank. From the phone on the floor, my bestie’s frantic voice came through: “Yolanda! Stop listing food! The news about Lucas getting married might be fake! Run!” Me: … Why didn’t you wait until I was dead to tell me?! 2 I wanted to run, but Lucas was freakishly strong. He wasn’t even using much force, but I couldn’t break free. So I could only hang my head like a scolded quail, not daring to speak. Secretly, I scanned for an escape route. After all, when we broke up, Lucas dropped some harsh words: if he ever saw me again, he’d kill me. I just got back. I haven’t even had my spicy crawfish yet. I don’t want to die! “Nothing to say to me?” Seeing my silence, Lucas lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. I was forced to meet his gaze. Looking into those deep, beautiful peach blossom eyes, now glistening with unshed tears, my heart ached suddenly. My throat felt bitter. I swallowed my tears and turned my face away, voice cold: “No.” I tried to push him away again. “No?” Lucas pinned me harder. His voice was hoarse, choking slightly. “Heartless.” Then, ignoring the crowd, he grabbed my chin and kissed me. The moment our lips touched, my eyes widened in shock. His kiss wasn’t gentle. It was punishing, vengeful. I couldn’t escape, and my tongue went numb. Amidst my anger, I spotted someone nearby raising their phone to film us. Reflexively, I bit him. Hard. He wasn’t expecting it. His lip bled, and he paused, stunned. I pushed him away and slapped him. “Are you crazy?!” I glared at him. “You’re getting married!” I slapped him hard enough to turn his head. He poked his cheek with his tongue, touched his face, then pressed his bleeding lip. He chuckled darkly. “Fake news. Just to trick you into coming back.” I was completely dumbfounded. Fake news?! So what am I? Walking into a trap? I was too shocked to notice the flash of enjoyment in his eyes after the slap. I only reacted when he took my hand, kissed my palm tenderly, and asked if it hurt. Me: ? I slapped him, and he asks if my hand hurts?! Something feels wrong here! But I couldn’t dwell on it. My mind was racing: I can’t repeat the mistakes of five years ago. In a flash of inspiration, I saw the diamond ring on my left hand. I steadied myself and spoke again: “But I’m married.” The air froze. Lucas looked down at the ring, silent. Just as a chill ran down my spine, he laughed low. “Guess we’re a throuple then.” He said it calmly, like proposing a viable business plan. I nearly bit my tongue. “Are you insane?!” What throuple?! Does he know what he’s saying?! While I was still in shock, Lucas hoisted me over his shoulder. 3 He threw me into the back of his Maybach and told the driver to go. “Lucas, this is kidnapping!” Watching the privacy partition rise, I panicked. Ignoring the moving car, I tried to open the door to jump. He grabbed my wrist instantly. The car braked hard. Inertia threw me forward, almost hitting the partition, but Lucas pulled me back. “Do you want to die?!” He hugged me tightly, arms trembling. The warm, familiar embrace dazed me for a second. Memories flooded back, followed immediately by his mother’s words. I closed my eyes, suppressed my emotions, took a deep breath, and pushed him away. I sat as far as possible and stabbed him with words: “Don’t hug me so tight. My husband gets jealous!” I deliberately flashed the ring. A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lucas’s eyes but vanished so fast I thought I imagined it. “Where’s he from?” Lucas grabbed a beer from the fridge, downed it, and asked casually. “What?” I didn’t process it. “I asked where your husband is from.” He crushed the can. “Oh.” I thought fast. “France.” “Hmm, nice. How old?” He took off his Buddhist prayer beads and fiddled with them, asking nonchalantly. “29.” I replied absentmindedly. Was it my imagination? I thought I saw scars on his wrist. “Fit? Height, weight?” He asked again. My thoughts snapped back. “Very fit. 6’2″, 180 lbs.” I was still distracted, not noticing his questions speeding up. “How did you meet?” I spun my brain. “He lost his wallet, I lent him money, then…” “Who else is in his family?” He interrupted. “…Parents, a sister…” I started stuttering. His interrogation aura was intense. He asked seven or eight more questions. Favorite food? First date spot? First movie? Favorite hangout? Hobbies? Favorite position? The questions got trickier. Just as I was getting nervous, he asked again: “How old is he?” “28!” I blurted out. “Height and weight?” He asked rapidly. “6’1″! 170 lbs!” As soon as I said it, I saw his fingers stop moving the beads. He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Hmm, nice body.” Me: ? Wait, something’s wrong. While I tried to figure it out, Lucas gently took my hand, removed my ring, and with lightning speed, slid a cushion-cut pink diamond onto my finger. It looked over 10 carats. Before I could react, he rolled down the window and tossed my old ring out. “My ring!” My heart bled. It was only ten grand, but that’s money! Instinctively, I lunged to save it, but it was too late. “Throwing yourself at me?” He smiled, catching me as I lunged. He looked pleased at the pink diamond on my hand. “Hmm, looks good. Wear it for fun. I’ll get you a bigger one next time.” Me: ?? Is he speaking human?! I recognized this ring. It was auctioned in Hong Kong three years ago for $70 million. A mystery buyer took it. It made the news because of the price. I didn’t expect Lucas to be the buyer. Or that he’d tell me to wear a $70 million ring “for fun”! 4 Lucas dragged me back to Royal Bay Villa. This was where we lived together back then. Entering the villa, three years of memories crashed over me. We were young and wild. We’d hooked up in almost every corner of this house. Thinking of those reckless scenes, I turned beet red. “Hungry?” Lucas took off his jacket, bent down, and pulled out a pair of pink bunny slippers. He knelt on one knee to put them on me, then changed into matching grey wolf slippers. I recognized them. We bought these couple slippers at the supermarket years ago. Five years later, they were still here. Mine looked pristine, like new. His were worn and old, proving someone had been wearing them for five years. My eyes stung, chest tight. “Cat got your tongue?” He washed his hands, patted my head, and led me to the sink to wash mine. He washed my hands carefully, just like he used to. My eyes stung more. I reminded him: “Lucas, we broke up.” I pulled my hand back and hid it behind me. “Crawfish for dinner?” He dried my hands with a paper towel, ignoring me. “You just landed, spicy isn’t good. Crawfish today, plus some dishes you like. BBQ, hot pot, spicy soup tomorrow.” He put on a pink apron. I bought that. I bought pink on purpose because I liked it, even though he never let me cook. Memories flooded like a broken dam. Tears fell uncontrollably. I turned to leave. But he was faster. He picked me up and set me on the dining table, trapping me. “No crawfish? Hot pot? Snail noodles?” He wiped my tears gently, but they wouldn’t stop. “I want to leave.” I turned away, cold. “Impossible. Unless I die.” His tone didn’t change, but I knew he was serious. But we can’t be together. I looked at him, stabbing his heart word by word: “Didn’t you ask what position I like with my husband? I’ll tell you. I like being on t…” I wanted to make him angry enough to throw me out. But before I finished, he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me. This kiss was urgent, faster than the airport, desperate to prove something. When I was breathless, he let go slightly. I pushed him and slapped him again. Full force. My fingertips tingled. Five finger marks appeared on his face. Shocking. But he wasn’t angry. He held my hand, kissed my red fingertips, and praised me: “Baby’s got strength.” Watching him apply ointment to my fingers carefully, I thought he was insane. 5 Lucas imprisoned me in the villa, confiscating all my communication devices. I tried everything, but he wouldn’t let me go. So I went on a hunger strike. I dumped his carefully cooked meals into the trash right in front of him. He tried force-feeding me nutrients, but I hurt myself. So he compromised. But if I starved, he starved with me. “It’s fine. If we can’t share a bed in life, we’ll share a coffin in death.” He wiped my hands clean with a warm towel, calmly saying he’d arranged everything. “You’re crazy!” I had no energy to argue. I pushed him away and went upstairs to sleep. He followed, hugging me from behind, chin on my neck. I was weak from hunger, dazed, too lazy to care. I woke up at 3 AM, starving. Lucas wasn’t beside me. Listened carefully. Not in the bathroom either. Joy! I crawled up. Three days without food left me weak. Seeing stars, I spotted chocolate on the nightstand. Ignoring everything, I shoved it in my mouth and tiptoed out. The villa was quiet. I crept toward the study. I remembered there was a spare key there. Reaching the study, the door was ajar. Lucas was inside. Damn. Can’t steal the key. Just as I turned to leave, I heard a faint sound from inside. I glanced back and saw Lucas holding a dagger to his wrist!!! “What are you doing!” I rushed in and grabbed the dagger. And saw his bloodied arm! My blood ran cold. Suddenly, I remembered the scars I saw in the car. So those scars came from this too? He reacted fast, pulling down his sleeve to hide the wound. “You’re hurt!” I panicked, trying to get the first aid kit, but he pulled me back. “Heartache for me?” He lifted me onto the desk with one arm, his waist pressing between my legs, pinning me ambiguously. “Lucas!” The position was too intimate. Through thin clothes, I felt his heat on my inner thighs. My face flamed, but I insisted on getting the kit. “Mmh, listening.” His voice was lazy, raspy. The rising intonation at the end was inexplicably seductive. My ears burned. I took a deep breath, trying to be patient. “Let me down. I’ll get the kit to stop the bleeding.” He cupped my face, eyes shining, corner of his mouth unable to stay down. “See? You still care. You still love me.” Me: …Is that the point?! Seeing I was really getting angry, he turned serious. “I wasn’t hurting myself. The doctor said I need to let blood regularly, or I’ll suffocate.” Me: ? Never heard such nonsense. I couldn’t help it: “Lucas, do you think I’m an idiot?” Hearing this, he chuckled low. “Serious, wifey. You always called me a human teddy bear. Your little teddy has been holding it in for five years. If I don’t let blood, I’ll explode.” “Or…” He looked at me, gaze devouring. “I don’t let blood, I let something else?” I didn’t get it at first. Until he pressed me onto the desk and kissed me. Instantly, memories of hooking up on this very desk flooded back. Me: !!! I pushed him away and fled in terror. Behind me, his laugh was wild and helpless: “Slow down.”

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My period was late for three months, and suddenly, I gave birth to a cute little snow leopard. Looking at my boyfriend’s guilty expression, I smiled gently. “Honey,” I said sweetly, “how many more surprises are you hiding from Daddy?” 1 Staring at the tiny, fluffy ball of a snow leopard curled up in the stroller, I took deep breath after deep breath. Finally, I felt calm enough to speak. I looked at the man hanging his head like a thief caught red-handed. “Leo,” I said, “you better come up with an explanation that earns you a key back into this house.” Leo’s head drooped lower, his two round, white ears twitching nervously. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think the cub would be born without the ability to shapeshift.” My fist clenched. “Is that the point?” “Isn’t it?” Seeing my expression darken, he quickly added, “Only cubs are this dumb! I’m not dumb! I shapeshifted super fast!” I grabbed a throw pillow, ready to smack him. “Don’t you dare tell me our child’s IQ comes from you!” 2 I never thought I’d have a kid this soon. To be precise, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. Can someone explain how a three-month late period turns into a baby? Or, well, a cub? How did I get pregnant? And how did I give birth so fast? 3 Here’s what happened. Last night, my stomach started hurting. I thought, finally, Aunt Flo is here. I was about to make some hot chocolate to celebrate when Leo panicked and rushed me to the hospital. I thought he was being dramatic. Until the doctor didn’t ask questions, didn’t run tests, and wheeled me straight into the delivery room. Seeing Leo locked outside, telling me not to be nervous, I started to panic for real. I kept explaining, “I’m just having cramps! My period is late!” They ignored me completely, methodically preparing for… a delivery. I was changed into a gown, lying on the table with zero dignity, listening to them report “maternal vitals.” I made one last struggle: “No, really, it’s just late…” Wait. Something felt wrong. Was I… actually pregnant?! 4 When I painlessly birthed a kitten-sized snow leopard, my first thought wasn’t to doubt myself or the world. It was to look at the medical staff. I expected screams. Horror. Panic. There was none. Not only were they not scared, they were cooing over the cub, who hadn’t even opened his eyes yet. I vaguely heard their hushed, excited whispers. “Why is the snow leopard cub so cute?” “Way cuter than his dad.” Great. Either I’m dreaming, or the world is ending. Exhausted, I took one last look at the cub surrounded by adoring fans and passed out. Good news: I woke up in a hospital room, not the delivery room. Bad news: I wasn’t dreaming. 5 The more I thought about it, the fishier it got. The past few months, I’d been moody and had no appetite. Leo had been patiently finding all sorts of foods to coax me into eating. It was hard not to suspect he knew I was pregnant all along. I grabbed Leo by his round ears. “You knew I was pregnant, didn’t you?” Leo has a gorgeous face and stands at 6’3″. A walking hormone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been tricked. Only after being tricked did I realize his brain operates on a different frequency than normal humans. Leo covered his other ear, nodding pitifully. You feel wronged? “Then why didn’t you tell me?” Does he know the trauma of being wheeled into a delivery room for period cramps? And then birthing a snow leopard?! Does he know how much I doubted reality?! Leo nuzzled my hand apologetically. “I was afraid you wouldn’t like him. But even though he can’t shapeshift yet, he loves you very much.” I stroked his ear, forcing myself to push him away. “What mother wouldn’t like her own child?” Even if it’s not a human child, but a snow leopard cub. Sleeping on his stomach… he really is cute. If I hadn’t birthed him, I’d love him even more. Seeing the hope in Leo’s eyes, I added, “However, the child’s father is a different story. I like him significantly less right now.” The light in his eyes went out. His ears drooped lifelessly. 6 I reached out and touched his head, expressionless. “So you’re a snow leopard too?” Leo nodded. Great. I need a cookie to calm down. I slept with an endangered species. Is that a crime? Seeing my silence, he added, “But no one else knows. My security measures are excellent…” His voice trailed off. I scoffed. “Excellent? So excellent that your Daddy here—” “Let Uncle see the cute little leopard!” The ward door burst open, and a crowd of people in white coats swarmed in. Their expressions were… a bit perverted. Especially the guy in front, practically diving onto the crib. He looked human enough, but his expression was weird. I looked at Leo. “Your brother?” He shook his head immediately. “He’s a leopard (panther), not as good-looking as me.” I almost choked. What leopard? Was the world I lived in before fake? Suddenly, my head hurt. Was I growing a brain? 7 Leo got nervous. “What’s wrong, Evie? Are you okay? Dr. You, come here!” Wait, that leopard is named Dr. You? Dr. You leaned over the crib. “Don’t panic. She has Postpartum Reality Dysmorphia.” Such a long name. Leo looked dumbfounded. “Is it serious?” He hugged me, choking up. “I’m sorry, Evie. I made you suffer. I’ll stay with you forever…” His crying made my ears ring. My head spun more. Dr. You rolled his eyes. “Loosen your grip. You’re crushing her. It’s not terminal.” “Did you seriously not tell her your true identity before?” A girl in the crowd chimed in, “No wonder she looked like she doubted the world after giving birth yesterday.” I recognized that voice. The one who called the cub cute in the delivery room. Okay. I’m not dreaming. The world has gone mad! I pushed Leo away and met the gaze of the white-coated crowd… staring at Leo. He scratched his head. “I was too happy being with Evie, I forgot…” My eye roll couldn’t be held back. “You’re not a goldfish. How can your memory be that bad?” Someone in the crowd whispered weakly, “Um… us fish actually have pretty good memories.” “…” I almost choked on my spit. Just as I was about to apologize to the fish-bro, someone challenged him. “Good memory? Recite the multiplication table then.” Fish-bro got angry. “Dead toad! Go croak in the field, not in the hospital!” Toad-bro snapped back. “You’re the toad! I’m a Golden Toad!” “I’m not a toad, I’m a Chinese Paddlefish, critically endangered! What are you?” Leo roared, “Quiet! You’re disturbing Evie! Get out, or I’ll eat you one by one!” Silence for a few seconds. The white coats vanished instantly. “Evie, did they disturb you?” I was enjoying the show. I looked at him unhappily. “You disturbed me.” 8 “You like listening to me talk to you.” Leo propped his head on the bed, looking at me. With that face right in front of me, my heart took a critical hit. I sinned. I reached out my sinful hand and rubbed his ears. Leo nuzzled my hand obediently. Oh my god. I want to do unspeakable things to him! Maybe my gaze was too hot. Leo looked up, laughter spilling from his beautiful blue eyes. He leaned in and kissed me. “Hey! Watch the PDA!” Dr. You’s heartbroken voice made me blush. Leo was thick-skinned. He retorted, “Why haven’t you left? Have some shame! Why are you watching this?” I buried my face in Leo’s chest, silently agreeing. “If I don’t come, are you going to cure your mate’s Postpartum Reality Dysmorphia?” Leo was silent for a few seconds, then shouted, “Then cure her quickly! You said you were a great doctor!” “It’s a mental block! Any normal human who finds out demons exist would doubt reality!” I lifted my head. “Demons? Demon what?” Dr. You looked vindicated. “See? The dysmorphia is getting worse.”

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On the day of my wedding to my adopted brother, I woke up five years in the past—right back to the day I first confessed my love to him. Standing before me, the younger version of my brother politely rejected me, his voice cool and detached. “I only see you as a sister.” I smiled faintly. “Alright then. But remember, whoever regrets this first has to bark like a dog for the rest of their life.” He looked calm. “I won’t regret it.” If I hadn’t seen you five years later, kneeling on the ground, weeping and begging me to come back, I might have actually believed you. Keep pretending. Let’s see who breaks first, you dramatic hypocrite. 1 [Delete this message. I’ll pretend I never saw it.] I stared at the text from Liam on my screen. I scrolled up to the message I had sent three minutes ago: [Liam, I like you. I don’t want to be just your sister.] I lowered my eyes, typing back nonchalantly. [Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?] Sure enough, a moment later, Liam’s reply came through. It was the exact same polite rejection line from my past life. [I only see you as a sister.] Looking at those words, I couldn’t help but chuckle. How did I respond last time? Oh right, I didn’t. I was too busy crying my eyes out in a corner. Back then, I felt ashamed of my “forbidden” feelings. I felt angry and guilty for crossing a line. But what I didn’t know back then was that I wasn’t the only one harboring these feelings. Liam was just better at hiding them. He was calm, restrained, and obsessed with maintaining the boundaries of a “good brother.” He chose to suppress and ignore the love that shouldn’t exist. My enthusiastic attempts were met with his cold shoulder, time and time again. I was the only one left suffering, whipping myself with moral guilt. Later, when he finally turned around to face his feelings, he realized he shouldn’t have run. So, we ended up getting married. Today was supposed to be that wedding. But instead of walking down the aisle, I woke up five years in the past. It took me exactly ten minutes to accept that I had time-traveled. The current Liam has no idea that I know his secret. He’s still using every trick in the book to push me away, acting cold to make me give up. I figured this must be fate. The pain I once suffered? Liam deserves to feel it too. The text bubble on the screen showed he was typing. I beat him to it. [Fine. Just don’t regret it.] [Whoever regrets this has to be the other person’s puppy for life.] It took a long time before Liam replied. [Never.] I scoffed and tossed my phone onto the pillow. Keep acting tough. No one puts on a show quite like you. 2 When I went downstairs the next morning, Liam was already busy in the kitchen. After his parents died in a car accident, my parents took him in. He’s been with us for over ten years. We share no blood, but our lives are inextricably tied. Like right now. Despite the awkwardness of the rejected confession, he was still up early making me breakfast. I couldn’t help it. I’ve been eating his cooking for a decade; it’s a habit. “I won’t be home for lunch or dinner,” I said, taking a bite of a sandwich while leaning against the doorframe. “I’m hanging out with friends this afternoon.” He kept his head down, frying an egg. I couldn’t tell if he heard me. All morning, he seemed to be avoiding me. He stayed in the kitchen, busy with god knows what. It wasn’t until I was changing my shoes in the entryway that he walked out of the living room holding an umbrella. “The forecast says rain. Take this.” He looked like the perfect, responsible older brother again. As if yesterday’s cold rejection was just my hallucination. I smiled at him. “Okay.” I pushed the door open, then turned back. “By the way, Brother.” Meeting his gaze, I kept my tone breezy. “I thought about it last night before bed. You’re right.” “I’ve never dated anyone, so I probably confused familial love with romance.” “Sorry for making things awkward, Bro.” Liam’s grip on the umbrella handle tightened visibly. After a long pause, he said flatly, “I’m glad you understand.” I pretended not to notice his tension. I patted his shoulder, leaning in close. My warm breath brushed against his neck. “I need to clear out my desk at school since we graduated. There are still a few boxes of books. I’ll need your help later, okay?” The Karaoke room was deafening. Maya sat next to me, handing me a boba tea. “Why did you come today? You usually hate these loud gatherings.” I chewed on the straw, shaking my head with a smile. “Just felt like it.” Liam was strict with me. Curfews. Reporting my location. If I didn’t reply for a few hours, he’d call. If I was late, his car would be waiting down the street. In my past life, I was afraid of making him angry, so I was obedient. Now that I think about it… that wasn’t brotherly concern. That was possessiveness. And he had the nerve to play the “sibling card.” You don’t know pain until the knife cuts you. “Won’t your brother be mad?” Maya worried. “Last time we stayed out past midnight, his face was terrifying when he picked you up.” I swirled my drink casually. “Why would he be mad?” I put on a faint smile. “He’s not my real brother anyway.” Liam is three years older than me. By the time I turned eighteen, he was already in college. When we were kids, our parents were always traveling for business. The job of raising me basically fell to him and the nanny. In a way, Liam raised me. My feelings for him were obvious to everyone. Yet he insisted on being the untouchable saint. Seems a bit unfair, doesn’t it? 3 When Liam arrived at the high school, it was already evening. The hallways were crowded with parents helping their kids move out. Standing at 6’1″, he stood out in the crowd. Even my homeroom teacher recognized him. “Here to help your sister move?” Liam smiled politely. “Yes.” He had graduated from this same school. Same teacher, too. The teacher led him to my desk. “She’s moved most of her stuff. Just a few boxes of books left.” Liam nodded thanks and crouched down to organize them. The boxes were filled with old test papers and reference books. And my notebook. He flipped it open casually, seeing my handwriting. He could almost picture me sitting in class, taking notes seriously. He flipped a few more pages. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something tucked between the pages. He pulled it out. It was a stack of sticky notes, covered in handwriting. Obviously notes passed during class. Liam frowned slightly. Beside him, the teacher chuckled. “By the way, now that your sister has graduated, dating is allowed, right?” Liam froze. “She’s dating?” The teacher waved a hand, teasing. “You know how kids are during puberty, hiding their crushes. We teachers see it, but we don’t burst their bubble since they need to focus on exams.” “But exams are over. Let them be.” Liam smiled but said nothing. Once the teacher left, he looked down at the notes again. Intuition told him the handwriting wasn’t from a girl. Liam narrowed his eyes. He looked up at the wall where the model essays were posted. He compared the handwriting one by one until his gaze landed on the last sheet. Signed: Josh. He turned to look at the back wall where the class photos from Sports Day were hanging. Second row, first on the left: Josh. He scanned the faces until he found the boy. And standing right next to him, smiling brilliantly, was me—Chloe. After singing a song, my phone vibrated. A text from Liam: [Moved your stuff home.] I replied: [Okay, thanks Bro~ Don’t touch my stuff, or I won’t be able to find anything later~] He replied instantly: [Left it exactly as it was on your desk.] [What time are you coming back?] I sent a voice message: “Dunno. Maybe eleven?” Immediately, Liam called. His voice sounded a bit raspy over the phone. “Send me your location later. I’ll pick you up tonight.” I refused quickly. “No need, that’s too much trouble.” Silence on the other end. Then, a cool voice: “Not trouble. I’m on the way.” On the way? We were twenty miles apart. I didn’t expose his lie. Just then, Josh, our class monitor who organized the party, asked me, “Chloe, what do you want to eat tonight?” I laughed. “Anything works. You pick.” Liam’s voice on the phone suddenly turned strange. “You’re at a party… with boys?” I laughed. “Yeah, it’s a class reunion.” Liam asked casually, “What’s his name?” “You wouldn’t know him, Brother.” “How do you know I won’t know him if you don’t say it?” I waved Josh over and handed him the phone. “Tell my brother your name.” Josh, bless his clueless heart, grinned. He took the phone and announced loudly: “Hello, Big Bro! I’m Josh!” 4 Liam stood downstairs at his dorm, staring at his phone. Why hadn’t Chloe posted on her Instagram Story yet? She usually documented everything when she went out. His roommate, Zack, couldn’t stand it anymore. “Liam, I’m talking to you. Did you hear a word I said?” Liam looked up, frowning. “What?” Zack sighed. “So I was talking to a wall. I said, if you’re sleeping in the dorm tonight, remember to top up the electricity card.” Liam was distracted. “I’m not staying. Just grabbing something.” Seeing him glued to his phone, Zack leaned over and saw the chat with me. “Oh, going home today?” Liam lowered his eyes. “Yeah. My sister is out late. I’m picking her up.” Zack patted his shoulder sympathetically. “You act like her dad and her mom combined.” “If you ask me, you should let her get a boyfriend. Take the load off your shoulders…” Before he could finish, the temperature around them dropped. Zack looked up into Liam’s cold eyes. “I introduce one?” Liam smiled, but his eyes didn’t. “Who? You?” Zack, blind without his glasses, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I mean, it’s not a bad idea. I’ve seen your sister…” Liam scoffed. “You? You’re shorter than me, not as fit as me, failed a class last semester, and probably won’t get into grad school.” “Why would I introduce my sister to you?” Zack almost cried. “Dude! If you don’t want to, just say so. No need for personal attacks!” Liam walked away, his temples throbbing. He felt irritable. Ever since he rejected Chloe, it felt like the whole world was against him. After dinner, we went to a Murder Mystery game. It didn’t end until midnight. Josh, being the class monitor, had been forced to drink a lot. He was wasted. Helping him out of the elevator, someone asked the crucial question. “Does anyone know where he lives?” Silence. Maya sighed. “No choice. Let’s book him a hotel room for the night. Make him reimburse us tomorrow.” Everyone pulled out their phones to check prices. “Book a King Room here. It’s showing $60 for me.” “Damn, mine says $75. Where did you get that coupon?” I checked my app and paused. “Why is it showing $45 for me?” “Use your phone then!” everyone urged. “Stupid dynamic pricing algorithms!” Liam’s car was parked across the street. He watched Chloe and her friends come downstairs. She was standing next to a drunk boy who was being supported by others. Liam frowned. A taxi stopped in front of them. The group stuffed the drunk boy inside. He thought that was it. But then, Chloe opened the door and got in too. Liam: “?” Just as he was about to get out and stop her, his phone vibrated. A system notification text. Reading the words, the blood rushed to his head. [Dear Ms. Li, you have successfully booked 1 Honeymoon Suite.]

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I was eight months pregnant when I dropped by Julian’s office to drop off some files. It was a scorching 115°F heatwave. I went to turn on the AC, but his secretary blocked me. “Vivian, my Aunt Flo is in town. I get chills easily. We can’t turn on the AC.” Worried about heatstroke harming my unborn child, I shot her a look and flipped the switch anyway. That evening, Julian came home from a business dinner, furious. “Sienna is on her period! Did you know that 38 minutes and 19 seconds of cold air sent her to the ICU with severe cramps?” “Julian, are you drunk? Do you think I’ve never had a period? If I got heatstroke, you’d lose both me and the baby. Are you insane?” Julian pulled a grim smile and nodded. “I’m confused, am I? You’re right.” That night, he coaxed me to sleep as usual. But when I woke up, I was inside a glass-walled industrial freezer. Surrounding the glass were his rich, sycophantic friends, laughing. Outside the glass, Julian had his arm around Sienna’s waist, smiling at me. “Afraid of heatstroke? Today, I’ll help you cool off.” My heart sank. I calmly pulled out my phone, snapped photos of every single one of them, and dialed a number. “Dad, I don’t want these people to see tomorrow’s sun.” Chapter 1 When I hung up, the crowd outside paused for a second. Then, the room erupted in raucous laughter. “Vivian, your dad was thrown into international waters to feed the sharks six months ago! Did the cold freeze your brain, or were you always this stupid?” “She still thinks she’s the Vance family heiress? Even daydreams shouldn’t be this wild.” Julian listened to his lackeys mock me, a look of smug satisfaction in his eyes. He took off his mink coat and gently draped it over Sienna’s shoulders. Pulling her close, he walked slowly up to the glass wall. He tapped the glass with his index finger. “Vivian, are you cold? Do you know you were wrong yet?” A massive red digital thermometer showed the temperature was dropping rapidly. It was already -58°F. I was wrapped in nothing but the thin silk pajamas I’d worn to bed. I was shivering violently. The skin touching the floor was turning purple and numb, sending sharp, needle-like pains through my body. I stumbled toward Julian and Sienna, slamming my fist against the glass. “Julian, what did I do wrong?! It was 115 degrees inside! Is it a crime to turn on the AC? Pregnant women overheat easily—if I got heatstroke, two lives would be lost!” The sudden burst of anger triggered a cramping pain in my lower abdomen. I clutched my stomach and crouched down, glaring at Julian with bloodshot eyes. “Julian, let me out! You know how much I suffered to keep this baby. I can’t lose him!” A flicker of unreadable emotion passed through Julian’s eyes. He knew the pain better than anyone. Years ago, an accident left Julian with fertility issues. For eight years, I endured needles the length of a forearm piercing my body thousands of times just so we could have this child. Eight months of careful bed rest, guarding this life like a fragile gem. Once, he broke a maid’s arm just because the brown sugar water she brought me wasn’t warm enough. Now, for the sake of Sienna’s “cramps,” he threw me into a freezer without hesitation. Bitterness flooded my mouth. I was about to speak again when Sienna ripped off the mink coat Julian had just given her. She looked at him with teary, puppy-dog eyes. “Julian, let Vivian out. She’s delicate; she can’t handle this. Unlike a poor girl like me… I didn’t even dare complain when I fainted from the cold in that AC room…” Fainted from the cold? I only ran the AC for half an hour. When I left the office, she was giggling on the phone, making plans to go clubbing that night! I opened my mouth to explain, but Julian’s expression darkened instantly. “Someone go in there and strip her coat off! She thinks she’s delicate? Today, I’ll teach her what it feels like to be ‘poor’!” He bent down to pick up the mink coat. While tenderly wrapping it back around Sienna, he looked at me with cold, dead eyes. “You can come out when you admit your mistake! The doctor said my son is perfectly healthy. Don’t use the baby as an excuse to avoid punishment!” He scooped Sienna up into his arms, his voice dripping with affection. “Sienna, you’re on your period, you shouldn’t be standing on the cold floor. Stay in my arms today. Let’s see who dares say a word about it!” Chapter 2 The moment Julian sat down with Sienna in his lap, a group of men rushed in, grinning maliciously. I clutched my pajamas tight, shrinking into the corner. But a pregnant woman is no match for the strength of several men. Riiip. My thin pajamas were torn in half. Instantly, the freezing air invaded every pore of my body. They stripped me down to my underwear, laughing as they walked out. “Julian, you eat well, man! The wife’s got curves in all the right places!” “Thanks for letting us ‘take care’ of the missus, Julian!” I curled into a ball, wearing only my intimates. My warm skin stuck to the freezing floor. Every time I moved, a layer of skin tore off. The stinging pain of ripped flesh pierced my heart. Bright red blood began to ooze from the torn skin, shockingly vibrant against the sterile white of the freezer. Julian noticed. He put Sienna down and walked to the glass. He stared at the trickle of blood slowly reaching the toe of his shoe. Just as he was about to speak, Sienna ran up behind him. She touched the glass where the blood was pooling, her voice trembling. “Vivian… just apologize. Julian has so many friends here. If you don’t apologize, he can’t back down…” I stared daggers at her. “Why should I apologize! I saw you enjoying that AC just fine! You were even planning to go to the club…” Hearing this, Julian looked at Sienna with a flash of suspicion. But before I could finish, Sienna slapped herself hard across the face. Thud. She dropped to her knees. She grabbed Julian’s hand, sobbing. “Julian! I can’t bear to see Vivian suffer like this. If she won’t apologize, I’ll kneel here with her!” Seeing her on her knees, the suspicion in Julian’s eyes vanished. He quickly pulled her up, then looked at me with pure disgust. “Vivian, you are spoiled rotten. All these years, Sienna has swallowed her pride around you. Now, when it’s clearly your fault, she’s suffering for my sake to save face. You don’t deserve her kindness!” “Today, I’m going to fix that princess attitude of yours! If you don’t apologize, don’t even think about coming out!” He waved his hand at the men behind him. “Go get more ice blocks. Wall her in! And pour water over the ice—make sure she’s stuck to it!” Just then, a young girl in the back tugged on his sleeve. “Julian… adding water to ice will glue human skin to it. If she moves, it’ll rip the flesh right off. She’s heavily pregnant… something bad could happen…” Julian’s hand froze in mid-air. Silence fell. Then, a soft whimper came from behind him. “Julian, forget it… the ICU wasn’t as bad as you think…” Sienna’s words hardened his resolve instantly. He dropped his hand and barked: “Do exactly as I said!” Chapter 3 The girl tried to protest again, but Julian waved her off dismissively. “This little bit of suffering is nothing compared to what Sienna went through. I have an ambulance on standby outside. What could go wrong?” Hearing this, the girl didn’t dare speak again. Under orders, the men brought in blocks of ice. They grabbed me by my hair and built a wall of ice around me, boxing me in. Then, a bucket of freezing water was dumped over my head. Instantly, my skin fused to the ice like superglue. The bone-chilling cold seeped into my marrow. I checked the time. I had been in there for at least five hours. My limbs were turning black and purple. Desperate to protect the baby, I tried to shift my position within the ice trap. But every tiny movement tore a patch of skin from my body. The movements inside my belly were getting weaker and weaker. Ignoring the agonizing pain of tearing flesh, I shifted my body, curling around my stomach to keep it in the warmest spot I could find. The clear ice blocks were slowly stained red with my blood. By the time I settled, the ice surrounding me was a gruesome crimson. The laughter outside died down. Even the sycophants were silenced by the bloody scene. I screamed through the red-stained glass at Julian. “Julian! If anything happens to this child, you—his own father—are the murderer! I will pray to his spirit every single day that you die a horrible death!” Julian’s gaze wavered. He stepped closer, trying to see through the blood-smeared glass. Suddenly, a shout broke the silence. “Julian! My dad says a plane just appeared on the Vance family’s private flight path!” Julian’s face went pale. He slammed his fist against the glass, roaring at me. “Vivian, what does this mean?! You think you can use the Vance name to scare me forever?!” Before I could answer, Sienna stepped up, rubbing Julian’s back soothingly. She looked at me, her expression a mix of grievance and accusation. “Vivian, if you don’t want to apologize, fine. But why torture Julian like this? You know how much he suffered when your father was alive. Now that Mr. Vance is gone and the family assets are sold off, what’s the point of this charade?” She took Julian’s hand. “Forget it, Julian. Let her out. If something happens to the baby, we’ll look like the bad guys. It’s clear Vivian never respected people of low status like us anyway…” Her words fueled Julian’s rage. He cursed, then shouted at his men. “Crank the freezer down to -148°F! Now!” The men, terrified of his anger, obeyed without question. A blast of absolute zero wind hit me from the vents. My teeth chattered so hard I couldn’t form words. As my consciousness faded, a sharp, tearing pain exploded in my lower abdomen. Shutterstock I forced my eyes open and looked down. Bright red blood was flowing out from between my legs like a stream. In the freezing air, the blood steamed. It melted the ice around me and flowed out through the cracks in the door. I realized what was happening. Clutching my stomach, I screamed frantically at Julian. “Julian! Let me out! The baby! Save my baby!” Julian was still glaring at me in anger. Until he saw the blood melting the ice and pooling at his feet. Panic finally shattered his arrogance. He grabbed the man next to him, screaming like a madman. “The key! Get the key! You said the doctor cleared this! How did this happen?!” Chapter 4 The man handed the key to Julian. But Julian’s hands were shaking so badly he dropped it. It skittered to Sienna’s feet. Julian grabbed Sienna’s arm. “Sienna! Hurry! Unlock the door! Let her out! Hurry!” Frightened by his state, Sienna ran to the door without even putting her shoes back on. She glanced at Julian, put the key in the hole with her back to him. In that split second as she turned, I saw a smile in her eyes—pure malice and triumph. Snap. A crisp sound echoed. Sienna turned around and dropped to her knees facing Julian. “Julian… the key… it broke…” Julian’s face went deathly white. He stumbled to the door, screaming. “How?! How could it break?! Call a locksmith! Now!” By now, warm blood covered the floor of the freezer. I couldn’t stop moaning in pain. Sienna’s voice drifted in, dripping with poison disguised as concern. “Julian! She still hasn’t apologized! You said you wanted to fix her arrogance. All our friends are watching…” “And what about me suffering in the ICU? You promised you’d get justice for me…” Hearing this, Julian stopped the person running for the locksmith. He turned back, pounding on the glass, shouting at me. His voice held a trace of begging. “Vivian, just apologize, okay? For the sake of the baby?” “Just say you’re sorry, and I’ll let you out immediately! You don’t want the baby to die, right? Please, Vivian, just soften your pride for once!” The massive blood loss was pulling me into darkness. I lay in a pool of blood, looking at Julian, my voice trembling. “Julian! Let me out! Or my father will kill you…” Sienna smiled that hidden, vicious smile again. “Vivian, are you delirious? Your dad died six months ago! The Vance family fell! Apologize quickly, no one is coming to save you!” The crowd outside joined in the mockery. “Miss Vance, keep dreaming. Kill Julian? Your dad is a ghost in hell right now! Who’s he gonna kill?” “Julian, she never learns! She’s faking it. The kid is fine. Leave her in there!” “Yeah, Julian, after how she bullied Sienna, you can’t go easy on her!” The freezer was painted red with my blood. They couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. The heartbeat inside me was almost gone. I began to wail, a guttural sound of pure despair. Julian paced back and forth. When he looked at me again, his eyes were full of helplessness. “Vivian, stop fantasizing about your dad saving you. He’s dead. Just apologize, okay? Say ‘I’m wrong,’ and I’ll open the door!” “Wife, give up. Your dad isn’t coming!” Just as the words left his mouth, the outer door of the warehouse was kicked open. A squad of fully armed mercenaries stormed in. A deep, booming voice echoed from the doorway. “Who says her father isn’t coming?!”

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