I was rushed to the hospital after passing out from morning sickness, and my attending physician was my ex-boyfriend. He gave me a cold smirk: “Severe morning sickness is usually because the man’s quality sucks. Of all the guys you could pick, you chose some weak sauce dude.” I secretly grumbled in my head: “You got that right, you weak sauce bastard!” The words had barely left my mind when the look in his eyes changed completely. “Who did you just call weak sauce?” Me: … Wait, how did he hear my thoughts?! Chapter 1 Three in the morning. I had just sent the revised proposal to the client when a wave of acid reflux hit my stomach. By the fifth time I was convulsing over the toilet, I finally realized this bout of morning sickness was seriously messed up. The ringing in my ears was getting louder, and I quickly fumbled for my phone to dial my emergency contact. “Cece, I…” Before I could get to the point, another jet of sour bile erupted from my throat. A dizzying, spinning sensation suddenly overwhelmed me. Before I blacked out, I only heard Cece’s booming voice screaming. When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a gurney. Cece’s face suddenly popped into my vision, and she started sobbing. “My queen, you’re finally awake! You almost scared me to death!” I tried to talk, but my throat was painfully raw. The ambulance took a sharp turn, and my stomach immediately churned again. The nurse quickly handed me an emesis bag, and I grabbed it and started throwing up. “Hyperemesis Gravidarum. She’s already dehydrated. Contact the ER, prepare for IV fluids.” Hearing the nurse’s words, my hand trembled uncontrollably. Looking at the nurse’s uniform, it was from St. Jude’s Hospital. He worked at St. Jude’s. I had deliberately detoured to St. Mary’s—the one farther from home—for all my check-ups. Just to avoid running into him. There’s no way… I couldn’t be that unlucky to run into him, could I? I instinctively reached a hand to my lower abdomen, filled with deep regret. I wish I hadn’t drunk so much that night two months ago. Now I was paying for it. By the time the ambulance stopped, I had thrown up twice more. Cece half-carried, half-dragged me out of the vehicle. The harsh light of the emergency room made me squint uncomfortably. A nurse wheeled over a chair, and I sank onto it, feeling limp and useless, like a waterlogged biscuit. In my fuzzy state, I heard a nurse tell her colleague: “Did you notify Dr. Chen?” The surname hit me like a jolt, instantly clearing my chaotic mind. There’s no way this is happening… No, no, no, it can’t be, Chen is a common surname. But wait, at that reception, didn’t someone introduce him as an OB-GYN at St. Jude’s… I sucked in a cold breath and reached out to grab the nurse’s sleeve, about to ask. A pair of long, lean hands took the chart from the nurse and quickly flipped through the pages. The hands had defined knuckles, and the nails were meticulously manicured. These were the very hands that, just two months ago, had ruined my rented dress! Not only did it cost me a fortune to replace, but it also led to this entire ordeal. I lifted my head and met Ethan Chen’s gaze. His eyes, behind the wire-rimmed glasses, were still as cold as frost. His entire demeanor radiated a powerful Stay Away vibe. He looked at me as if he didn’t know me, yet calmly spoke my name. “Sophie Li?” Chapter 2 My heart stuttered. This was utterly excruciating… I worked overtime on a project, and now I was sent to the hospital because of morning sickness. And the doctor treating me was the ex-boyfriend I’d had a one-night stand with two months ago! Why does everything bad happen to me! Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I suddenly felt terribly wronged. My nose stung, and tears began to fall. The nurse, thinking I was scared, kindly tried to comfort me: “Don’t worry, this is very common. Dr. Chen is back from his fellowship abroad and he’s excellent. He’ll make sure both you and the baby are safe.” Of course, I knew he was excellent. Back in college, he was the highly admired academic superstar. Not only was he brilliant in school, but in other aspects… he was perfect. Ethan didn’t say anything, his eyes quickly moving between me and the medical record. “Hyperemesis Gravidarum?” I nodded awkwardly, my throat too dry to speak. My stomach cramped again. I quickly doubled over, dry-heaving into the emesis bag. A cold sweat instantly drenched my back. “Get an IV line started. Fluids first.” “Check blood ketones and electrolytes.” When Ethan’s fingers landed on my wrist, I flinched uncontrollably. He frowned, his tone firm. “Don’t move.” His breathing was right there, close, and he smelled faintly of mint. I froze, but my heart was pounding furiously. The intimacy two months ago could be dismissed as an alcohol-fueled mistake. But now… Fortunately, Ethan quickly pulled his hand back and took the newly arrived lab report. “Nine weeks pregnant. Ketones three-plus. Electrolyte imbalance.” He let out a cold snort, his voice precise like a surgical cut. “Throwing up this badly. Her partner didn’t come with her?” I bit my bottom lip, not daring to answer. He suddenly gave a short, cynical laugh, loud enough for the nurses around to hear: “Severe morning sickness is often due to poor sperm quality from the partner.” He looked up, his eyes sharp as a razor behind the glasses, his voice edged with anger. “Of all the guys you could pick, you had to choose a weak sauce dude.” The nausea surged again. Hearing Ethan’s comment just then made me feel even more miserable. But I couldn’t talk, so I just vented in my head. “Oh, yeah, exactly, you’re so right! You weak sauce bastard!” Ethan instantly looked up, his eyes widening in a strange, intense way. “Who did you just call weak sauce?” The chaotic emergency room instantly fell silent. The nurses all turned to look. I was startled. Wait, I didn’t speak! I clearly cursed him in my head! Did I… somehow say it out loud? Chapter 3 A nurse smoothly broke the deadlock, walking over with the IV bag. “The line is ready.” Ethan immediately returned to his collected, professional doctor demeanor. “Observe for four hours. Recheck blood ketones after the fluids are done.” “If it’s still positive, we’ll consider admission.” Admitted! I wanted to cry. “If I’m admitted, I’ll have to face Ethan Chen on his rounds every single day?!” “No, please, can I request a different doctor?!” Ethan, who had turned to leave, suddenly stopped and walked back to me. He leaned close to my ear, his voice a devilish whisper: “A hospital isn’t a restaurant, you can’t order off a menu. Besides—” The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile devoid of warmth. “Ms. Li, you’re high-risk for hyperemesis. As your attending physician, I have a responsibility to personally follow up.” He deliberately emphasized “personally,” making me feel vaguely that he was asserting some kind of ownership. “Get some rest. We’ll have a… proper chat later.” Ethan paused, then looked up slightly. “Don’t even think about running away again.” My jaw dropped. He really can hear me! I was absolutely certain I didn’t speak that time! My God, how can he hear my inner thoughts? Does that mean he already knows the baby is… And this “proper chat” of his, is he going to try to convince me to get an abortion? But this is my baby. I’ll give birth to it and raise it myself. Even if the sperm is his, we have no relationship now. He can’t stop my decision! At that thought, I had only one idea in mind. RUN! The moment the IV finished, I practically scrambled up. I grabbed Cece and fled the hospital without looking back. Once in the car, Cece worriedly wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. “What happened? You look terrified… Oh my God! Ethan is at this hospital. You didn’t…?” Tearfully, I nodded and recounted everything that happened in the emergency room. “Cece, he… can he really hear my thoughts…?” Cece immediately burst into loud laughter. “Are you sick to the point of brain damage? Mind reading? Seriously? But only you would dare call Ethan Chen weak sauce. Do you realize he’s the star OB-GYN at St. Jude’s now? How many pregnant women are clawing their way to get an appointment with him…” Cece’s eyes were alarmingly bright with amusement. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. The cold-as-ice campus god ended up being tamed by you into a perfect boyfriend… Hey, wait a minute! Forget the mind reading. Nine weeks pregnant! The night two months ago… do you think he figured it out?!” I shook my head, exhausted. It didn’t matter if he knew or not. This city was huge; as long as I made an effort, it would be hard to run into him again. Cece sighed, her voice full of concern. “Why don’t you just tell him? You’ve gotten so thin from the morning sickness. If you have him, a professional and the baby’s father, it would be so much easier on you.” My fingertips trembled slightly as I silently watched the neon lights flash past the car window. How could I? He must hate my guts. Ethan was one year ahead of me. So when I graduated, he, the med student, also finished his undergrad. The beautiful, wealthy girl and the excellent, devoted, handsome academic—it looked like a fairy-tale ending. I thought so too, initially. Until graduation neared. My family went bankrupt, my dad took his own life, and my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. Meanwhile, he held an offer from Johns Hopkins Medical School; his future was boundless. A massive gulf opened up between us. I couldn’t stand the thought of becoming a heavy anchor dragging down his brilliant career, and I was terrified he would give up his dreams for me. So I chose to escape. Before leaving, I staged a performance. At our graduation party, I borrowed Cece’s then-boyfriend and showed up in front of Ethan, publicly accepting the guy’s “confession.” Ethan looked at me with raw disbelief, demanding an explanation. In front of all his friends, I sneered at him. “You’re leaving the country. You honestly think I’m going to wait for you? Ethan Chen, you can’t give me the stability I want.” “We’re over. Don’t you ever contact me again.” Block, disappear. I made a clean break. A month later, I happened to overhear his friends talking at the restaurant where I was waitressing. They mentioned he had left for his program abroad. His friend asked the others if they had my contact information. “What a pity. Ethan entrusted me with a message for Miss Sophie Li.” Curious, I listened in. “What else? She messed with my brother’s heart for four whole years. He told me to pass on three words to Sophie if I ever had the chance.” Three words. There were so many combinations that could be loaded with meaning. But when I heard those three words, I couldn’t stop crying. [Go to hell.] I didn’t die, but I certainly got my retribution. My mother passed away in less than a year. This accidentally conceived baby was now my only family. Ethan, who hated me enough to damn me, would never tolerate this child. Chapter 5 Cece drove me home, her face etched with worry. “Are you really not going to stay at my place? What if you start…” I quickly cut her off. “Knock on wood! Don’t jinx me! I’m just exhausted from working all night. Once this project is done, I’ll ask for time off and rest.” I paused, still bothered by the ER incident. Since I wasn’t sure if Ethan knew about the baby, I needed to preempt him. “Cece, you have to help me create a baby daddy persona! The kind that would make Ethan Chen absolutely furious!” Cece’s eyes lit up. “A 6’3” jock? A six-pack, golden retriever type? Or a DILF CEO?” I couldn’t help but smile viciously. “All of the above! Starting today, the baby’s dad is a 6’3”, 25-year-old, eight-pack wolf cub!” After Cece left, I had just settled down when my phone rang abruptly. It was an unknown number. I hesitated for a long time before answering. Ethan’s cold voice came through the receiver: “Sophie Li, who gave you permission to run? Are you suicidal?” I felt inexplicably guilty. “It was an emergency… I… my records are at St. Mary’s. I’ll follow up with the doctor there…” Ethan’s cold voice cut me off. “The ER chart lists you as my patient. Hyperemesis Gravidarum requires strict follow-up. 11 AM tomorrow, OB-GYN Clinic 3, for your check-up.” “I’m not…” He gave a harsh scoff, interrupting again: “That’s a doctor’s order. Don’t make me come and get you myself.” He hung up immediately. I stared at the phone, my hand shaking with anger. This was a world away from the Ethan who used to hang on my every word! But a moment later, Cece called me back. “My friend just said Ethan contacted their department chair, asking about your medical files. What did you two do now?” I gritted my teeth and repeated Ethan’s words to her. Cece laughed out loud. “Then go! It’s the perfect chance to test if he can truly hear your thoughts.” I… Fine. The next morning, I reluctantly went to St. Jude’s. Clinic 3 was crowded. I hid in a corner until the screen flashed my name repeatedly, then slowly dragged myself in. Ethan was sitting behind his desk, reviewing a chart. He didn’t look up, only pointing to a chair. “Sit.”

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I wasn’t sick, but I chewed an entire box of antacids like jelly beans. It was because, in my previous life, my roommate, Lina Wells, who couldn’t handle a dash of pepper, transferred all the side effects of her extreme spicy food challenges onto me. She would coolly swallow the Hellfire Buldak Ramen, while I writhed in the dorm room with stomach spasms. She rocketed to fame as an “Eating Challenge Queen,” while my tongue was scorched raw and ulcerated; even drinking water felt like swallowing razor blades. I cried, begging my boyfriend, Brad Wilson, to save me, but he angrily shoved my hand away. “I think you’re just jealous she’s famous! You secretly ate spicy chips and messed up your stomach, and now you’re trying to blame her!” After that, Lina became utterly brazen. Right in front of me, she took on challenges involving the Carolina Reaper, tear-gas mustard, demon noodles, and even industrial-grade capsaicin. I instantly hemorrhaged from my orifices and collapsed into a coma. Doctors scoured my reports but could never find the specific pathology, concluding it was a complete physical breakdown due to extreme psychological stress. Later, I died a painful death from massive gastrointestinal bleeding and multi-organ failure. Lina, however, became a food influencer raking in millions a year, and she lived happily ever after with my ex, Brad. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she signed up for her first spicy challenge. Chapter 1 “Girls, the grand prize for this Hellfire Buldak Ramen challenge is fifty thousand bucks!” My roommate, Lina, waved her phone, showing us the fiery red contest poster. She adjusted her hair in the mirror. “Jenna,” she said to me, “what do you think? If I win, I’ll be the first food content creator influencer at our school.” The other roommates laughed. “Lina, come on. Last time we got hot pot, you asked for the broth to be clear water. You want to take on extreme spice?” Lina’s face flushed. She looked at me, seeking affirmation. In the last life, I sincerely warned her that her stomach was sensitive and that eating such intense food would ruin her health. She gave me a grateful smile then, only to transfer the sheer hell of the burning pain entirely onto me during the challenge. This time, looking at her expectant eyes, the smile on my face grew wider. “Go for it! Why wouldn’t you?” I hopped off my bed, walked over, and linked my arm through hers. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ll be famous overnight.” Lina looked stunned, clearly not expecting that reaction. Ignoring her surprise, I pulled her toward the door, speaking loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. “Guys, Lina from our dorm is joining the Spicy King Challenge! She’s going to make our English department proud!” Heads immediately popped out of doorways down the hall, all staring at Lina in surprise. “No way! Lina’s doing it?” “That’s savage! We have to go cheer her on!” I pushed her gently toward the crowd, smiling. “Lina is the hope of our dorm. She’s always been secretly amazing at handling spice, but she’s just modest and doesn’t like to show off.” “This time, for the honor of our department, she’s decided to unleash her full power!” In the crowd, a younger student, who was filming a vlog on her phone, had her eyes light up and immediately turned her camera on us. I subtly clocked the camera. My smile deepened. The cheers and attention made it impossible for Lina to back down. She loved being the center of attention. She straightened her back and stated confidently, “Of course! I always keep my word!” Her calculating eyes focused on me. “After all, Jenna, you’ve helped me so much. This time, I have to achieve something big and not disappoint you.” I just smiled, saying nothing. When she tried to get close, I subtly stepped back half a pace, ensuring no skin-to-skin contact. Chapter 2 The moment I stepped into the classroom, I was shoved against the door. “Jenna, are you crazy?!” My boyfriend, Brad, was furious, his face white. “You know how sensitive Lina’s stomach is, right? She can’t handle any spice!” “As her friend, instead of talking her out of it, you egged her on in front of everyone, putting her on the spot! What are you planning, exactly?!” I shoved him away. “She said she was going, she said she could win. Who are you, an outsider, to lecture me?” “And listen up, Brad, I’m your girlfriend, not Lina!” Clap, clap, clap— A crisp round of applause came from the doorway. Our academic advisor, Professor Hayes, stood there, nodding at me with a smile. “Jenna Li is absolutely right.” Professor Hayes adjusted his glasses, his eyes sharp and shrewd. “This is precisely the time for encouragement. This is not only a fantastic opportunity for Lina, but also a great PR opportunity for our English Department.” Brad’s fists were tightly clenched. “But what if she fails? The entire school will laugh at her! Her reputation will be ruined!” I watched Brad, flushed with anxiety over Lina, and almost burst out laughing at his pathetic loyalty. The advisor sighed with a look of disappointment. “If she fails, we’ll spin it as Lina being brave for taking on a challenge, emphasizing that participation matters most. It’s normal for young people to be impulsive. Either way, our department gets attention, and we gain valuable publicity material for this year’s Outstanding Department evaluation.” “If she succeeds, even better. We’ll have a famous influencer come from our department, which is a massive benefit for recruitment and promotion.” Brad, who had just been yelling at me, was now speechless. The advisor gave him a warning look. “This concerns the honor of our department, Brad. As a student council executive, you need to understand your priorities and not mess things up.” Brad’s attempt to stand up for Lina was extinguished by that bucket of cold water. After the advisor left, Brad looked at me with open disgust. “You know Lina can’t handle it, but you just watched her walk into the fire. You truly disgust me.” “I’m warning you, if anything happens to Lina, I will never let you get away with it!” Watching his spineless reaction, I truly felt blind for loving him in my past life. I sneered, “Let’s break up then.” Brad looked startled. “What? I was just saying that in anger. If Lina…” I couldn’t be bothered to listen to his excuses. I shoved him out of the classroom and slammed the door shut. “Don’t force me to go to your parents!” Outside the door, Brad’s voice instantly cut off, followed by his stomping retreat. His parents were traditional, elderly teachers who prized reputation above all else. If they knew he was causing a scene with me, his official girlfriend, over another girl, they would absolutely ground him for life. Chapter 3 Three days later, the Spicy King Challenge took place as planned. On stage, Lina, under the bright lights, finished an entire bowl of Buldak Ramen drenched in red spicy oil without changing her expression. The audience erupted in thunderous applause. That evening, I was studying in the library when a familiar, agonizing cramp hit my stomach. I bit down hard on my lip, cold sweat immediately soaking my shirt. The pain was identical to what I felt in my previous life. But this time, I hadn’t touched Lina once, hadn’t even taken a sip of water she offered, yet the pain was here. I realized this wasn’t simple contact contagion, but a more bizarre, parasitic “Harm Transfer.” I immediately rushed to the ER and got an emergency appointment. The results came back quickly—acute gastric mucosal lesions with erosive bleeding. My phone rang. It was Brad. He sounded excited: “Lina won! Our whole club is throwing a celebration party for her now. Hurry up and come cover the bill!” I covered my mouth, struggling to suppress a groan of pain. “I have a fever, I’m not well. I can’t make it.” Lina’s smug, gloating voice cut in from the other end. “Jenna, it’s just a little cold, what are you worried about? If anything’s wrong, you have to tell me, okay? I’ll have Brad drive you to the hospital.” She clearly knew I was suffering. I forced back the surging nausea. “I really appreciate your concern, my dear roommate.” “Lina, you’re just too nice!” another girl’s voice chimed in. “If Jenna hadn’t pushed you to do it, you wouldn’t have had to take such a huge risk. If I were you, I’d stop being friends with her!” I didn’t care for their performance. I hung up immediately and turned off my phone. Overnight, Lina, just like in my previous life, became the talk of the campus. She struck while the iron was hot, announcing a month-long “Ultimate Spice Challenge,” taking on the Carolina Reaper, tear-gas mustard, and demon noodles. To make her show even more dramatic, I took a week off school, claiming illness. I went to the hospital every day for endoscopies and medication. My medical reports grew worse by the day, going from mucosal lesions to gastric ulcers, then to a perforated stomach. The doctors and nurses who examined me looked at me with an expression that shifted from sympathy to sheer perplexity. Lying in the hospital bed, I read about strange, worldwide phenomena. Combining the two “transfer” experiences, I gradually pieced together the full picture of this bizarre ability: it was a parasitic form of “Harm Transfer.” When Lina consumed a stimulant, she could transfer the physical pain to me. I tried to concentrate and resist, but my body’s instinctual reaction made it impossible to completely block. I realized that to fully reject the transfer, I needed a much stronger mental anchor. Chapter 4 A week later, I swallowed several painkillers and dragged my weak body back to school. The moment I entered the dorm, Lina gasped at my pale face. “Oh my gosh, Jenna! What happened to you? I haven’t seen you in a week, and you look so run down!” She moved to reach out and touch my forehead. I instinctively took a step back, looking at her warily. A lackey standing behind Lina immediately rolled her eyes at me with disdain. “Psh, she still thinks she’s hot stuff. Lina is the most popular person in school now. Who even remembers her?” “Lina is being nice by worrying about you, and you won’t even accept it. You’re so ungrateful!” She fawned over Lina: “Lina, it’s only been a week, and you already have over 100k followers! I bet you’ll be a million-follower VIP soon!” Lina clearly enjoyed the flattery, smiling with false humility. “Jenna, if you’re uncomfortable, you must tell me. I have some clout now, I can help you contact the best gastroenterologist and get you an expedited appointment.” “Getting her an expedited appointment is just wasting medical resources.” Brad’s voice cut in from the doorway. Seeing my sickly appearance, the disgust in his eyes deepened. “How did you let yourself get into such a mess?” Lina suddenly shrieked, pointing at my lips. “Oh my God! Jenna, what happened to your mouth? It’s covered in sores!” “It looks like canker sores, really severe ones!” Instantly, everyone in the room focused on my face. I subconsciously covered my mouth with my hand and backed away. “I’m fine, don’t come near me!” A hand suddenly reached out and brutally pulled my arm away. My mouth, which was severely ulcerated from chronic acid reflux, was fully exposed to everyone. Lina’s lackey gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. “Aren’t you that girl who was diagnosed with severe oral herpes at the campus clinic a few days ago? Oh my God, you’re Lina’s roommate!” “That’s contagious!” Lina immediately put on a serious face and reprimanded her. “Don’t say that! I forbid you from slandering my roommate!” But the other girl quickly defended herself. “It’s true! My cousin is an intern at the county hospital. She saw your file with her own eyes! It’s her! She’s probably embarrassed and didn’t dare to tell the dorm!” Brad backed away two steps in horror. I was trembling all over, tears welling up in my eyes. I looked helplessly at Lina. “Lina, you’re so successful now, you must be able to help me, right?” “Please, save me. I don’t want to be disfigured.” In my past life, I knelt and begged her to stop, but she showed no mercy. In this life, she wouldn’t either. She smirked triumphantly, about to utter some high-and-mighty rejection. Suddenly, a man in a suit burst into the room and grabbed a handful of Lina’s hair. “You liar! Give me back my company’s reputation!” “Why did you pull this fake publicity stunt?! I want you to compensate us for our losses!” The man was the marketing manager for the sponsor of last week’s Spicy King Challenge—a quick-serve food company. Lina shrieked, struggling. She asked, completely confused, “What are you talking about? Didn’t I help you promote your product?” Slap, slap! The manager slapped Lina across the face, his face crimson with rage. “Promote? My poor company is being dragged online as a scam! They’re saying our product isn’t even spicy, and we hired an actress! We’re being exposed!” In the corner, my lips slowly curled into a smile. Seeing this, Brad grabbed my arm and demanded, “You did this, didn’t you?!”

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Right after high school graduation, I, the most homebody person I knew, chose a college two thousand miles away. My parents roared in fury, “All this over a single room?!” Yes. I was an only child from a middle-class family that owned three properties. Yet, for eighteen years, I was never allowed to have my own independent room. Chapter 1 At my eighteenth birthday party, I loudly made my wish in front of all our family and friends. “I want my own little room.” The room went silent. A relative looked utterly shocked: “She doesn’t have her own room? A girl her age needs some privacy.” “She’s an only child! My husband and I have two kids, and we gave up the living room just to make three bedrooms.” Ignoring the instant change in my parents’ expressions, I gave a frank smile: “That’s right, I don’t have my own room.” My dad struggled to force out a laugh: “She’s kidding. We only have one daughter and three houses. Would we deny her a room?” My mom desperately tried to signal me with her eyes: “Sunny is just messing with us. Quick, make another wish.” I sighed inwardly and stated solemnly: “Mom and Dad, I’m eighteen now. I genuinely want my own private space.” The room fell silent again. Relatives exchanged glances, then looked at my parents with complicated expressions. Both my parents had stable, respectable government jobs. They projected the image of doting parents who spoiled their only daughter. Yet, their own flesh-and-blood didn’t have a bedroom? My Grandma suddenly started crying, “It’s my fault. I took over my granddaughter’s room. I’m so old, I’ve become a burden to my children and grandchildren.” I felt a pang of guilt. Grandma had always been distant, but living with her for over a decade meant I wasn’t completely devoid of feeling for her. Was I being too extreme? As I hesitated, a stinging slap landed hard across my face. My dad stood there, hand raised, breathing heavily. “You ungrateful kid! You haven’t even done anything, and you’re already blaming your Grandma.” My mom awkwardly rushed to pull my dad away, then worriedly checked my face. “Sunny, let’s talk at home. Your parents would never say no to you.” I stood frozen. I had briefly owned my own room. But when I was six, my grandpa passed away, and Grandma was moved from the countryside to live with us. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment. My parents had one, and Grandma had to share mine. I’ve wanted my own room and have been protesting since I was six. But every time I brought it up, they’d just laugh it off. Or they’d patronize me: “You and your Grandma are the same gender, what’s the big deal about privacy? Besides, if you don’t have enough space for your stuff, we can install two more shelves.” But what I needed was independent space, a room that belonged only to me! Under the stress of studying, I needed a place to decompress. I wanted my room filled with things I liked, not Grandma’s vitamins and drab, dusty clothes. Grandma snored, she ground her teeth, and the elderly wake up often. I was constantly sleep-deprived and dozed off during the day. For the three days of my finals, Grandma was finally picked up by my Uncle Kevin. Chapter 2 I thought it was finally over, that I could finally breathe. I was mentally decorating my room the way I wanted, picturing inviting friends over. But the moment my exams finished, Grandma was brought back. It was a total letdown. I had even humbly suggested to my parents: I could make a small partition in the utility room, the kitchen, or the balcony. Just a private space. Even if it was cramped or smelled a little, I didn’t care. My mom stared at me with the look you give a clueless child, scolding gently: “You’re our only beloved daughter. How could you sleep in the bathroom or kitchen? What would people say? It would be so embarrassing.” My dad chuckled, patting my head. “Silly girl. If my colleagues found out that I, the big head of the department, made my daughter sleep in the bathroom, I’d be drowned in judgment.” Knowing that protesting was futile, I had decided to go all-in today, hoping the relatives’ comments might finally motivate them to get me a room. More than anything, I wanted to remind my parents that I was eighteen, an adult, and I needed physical private space. Was this really such an extravagant request? The hotel restaurant was buzzing, but my dad’s bloodshot eyes were fixed on me. It seemed hitting me once wasn’t enough to satisfy his anger. My mom and the other guests were holding him back, saying something I couldn’t make out. I felt like I couldn’t hear anything. My face was throbbing. I covered my cheek and ran out of the hotel. The evening breeze cleared my dizzy, miserable head. The streetlights cast a dim glow on the surrounding houses, and I felt utterly empty inside. My cousin, Dahlia, with whom I’ve always had a cold relationship, texted me: [I used to envy you when we were kids. Your parents both have government jobs, stable income. Unlike mine, hustling at the market for barely enough to feed and clothe me.] It was true. I always had the newest dresses and went to the most reputable tutoring centers. In terms of education and material possessions, my parents never seemed to hold back. When my peers complained about having to share snacks and toys with younger siblings, I even felt lucky to be an only child, my parents’ only darling. So, facing the fact that I didn’t have a room, I even used to reassure myself that my parents must have their own reasons. After all, with their income and assets, getting me a room would be easy. I didn’t reply. Dahlia’s message continued: [But I stopped envying you a long time ago. Want to know why?] I turned my phone off, ignoring Dahlia’s attempt to rub salt in the wound. I sat on a bridge. The river below was too dark to see the bottom. Just as I suddenly couldn’t see the depth of my parents’ affection for me. After an unknown amount of time, I heard a police siren. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed the crowd gathered on the opposite side of the bridge. My mom was standing out, shouting: “Sunny! We had already decided to move! We just hadn’t told you yet! Please come down!” My dad’s eyes were also red, and he was violently slapping his own face: “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have hit you! It was just impulse!” I looked down at myself. I was sitting so close to the edge of the water. It seemed like if I stretched my leg, I’d fall in. It turned out to be a massive misunderstanding. I apologized to the police and quickly walked off the bridge. My parents hugged me tightly, as if I were some lost treasure they had miraculously recovered. Chapter 3 “Sunny, you are our most precious darling.” “That’s right. We’re going to finalize the new house tomorrow.” I didn’t explain. If I could finally get my own room, I’d let them misunderstand my actions just this once. Putting aside the room issue, they were indeed flawless in every other aspect of my life. My parents took me out for another dinner. It was my favorite, spicy hot pot. My parents couldn’t handle spice, but they watched me eat, their faces smiling and tender. One poured my drink, the other wiped my mouth. We looked like the most loving family of three, with me as the absolute center. A few girls at the next table shot me envious glances. In that moment, I soaked up all their parental affection. Satisfied that I had finally weathered the storm, and with a touch of defiance, I replied to Dahlia: [My parents decided to move to a bigger house. Keep envying me.] Dahlia didn’t reply immediately. I thought I had won. Dahlia should feel ashamed of her words. I even regretted my impulsiveness that day, causing my parents to lose face. They were clearly already planning to move. They were thinking of me. That night, Grandma was picked up by my Uncle Kevin, but her clothes and belongings remained. I knew she would keep staying with us. But it didn’t matter. I could tolerate it a little longer. I had endured so many years; dawn was finally here. I spent the night in my small room for the first time. I binge-watched a TV show, drank soda, and laughed freely. I threw trash wherever I wanted; I could always clean it up in the morning. I wore something skimpy, put my feet up on the desk, not worrying about being seen. I even pulled out old love notes written by boys at school from the bottom of my drawer. I read them out loud, shamelessly enjoying the admiration. The next day, I was more excited than my parents to look at houses. They were looking at a retirement-friendly community, quiet and peaceful, with a community cafeteria nearby. The community had just opened, and because the prices were good and the location was excellent, units were quickly selling out. When we looked, only a few three-bedroom and two-bedroom units were left. One three-bedroom unit wasn’t too high up, and all three rooms were spacious. The only drawback was the connecting corridor, which meant the light might not be great. I carefully watched my parents’ faces. Seeing no obvious dissatisfaction, I completely relaxed. I happily spun around in the smallest room. I imagined placing my small bed here, and a big wardrobe for my beloved Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing). I wouldn’t have to worry about Grandma’s drab clothes mixed in, making them look out of place. I could also put all my figurines on the shelves, without worrying that Grandma’s poor eyesight would cause her to knock them down. The sales agent held up the contract: “Look how much the young lady loves it. You two should put a deposit down quickly.” My parents exchanged a glance, shaking their heads quickly. “We rushed out this morning and forgot our bank cards. We’ll come back this afternoon to sign.” Chapter 4 After viewing the house, our university group chat sent out a message: it was time to finalize our college applications. My dad smiled, asking me, “Your scores are good enough for a top local school. You can even come home on weekends.” My mom squeezed my hand. “That’s right. You’ve never left me. Honestly, I’m not ready to let you go.” I leaned into my mom’s arms. “I’m a Mama’s Girl, a Daddy’s Girl. I told you I wouldn’t go to a school more than twenty miles away.” My parents exchanged proud, hearty laughs. I knew we were all content. The previous day’s bitterness was completely gone. After all, what child holds a grudge against their parents? That evening, I was scrolling through my phone when I saw a new post from the sales agent we met today: [Another unit sold at Building 5! So happy!] My hand froze. Building 5 units were all large two-bedroom units, which the agent had emphasized. When we were viewing the house, the agent, trying to expand his network, had added my WeChat. My parents were whispering about the structure in the hallway and hadn’t noticed. His post was made around 3 or 4 PM, exactly when my parents went to put down the deposit. I had wanted to go with them, but my mom pinched my cheek. “My girl’s skin is too delicate. We can’t let you get a sunburn.” I had whined and asked them to bring me ice cream on the way back. My mom, not knowing which flavor I wanted, bought every flavor. I had happily posted a picture on my social media with the caption: [Love my parents the most.] I tried to stay calm: What if I misheard or misremembered? I suppressed my hammering heart and messaged the agent. The agent was in a great mood and quickly replied. “Your folks picked a great unit for you. Local parents really love their daughters. Even though it only has two bedrooms, it’s a perfect fit for a family of three.” My heart plummeted. My mind went blank. Dahlia’s message popped up at that moment: [Your mom once told my mom to have a son so I wouldn’t envy you anymore.] [I’m a true only child. You’re just a policy-only child. I’m not bragging; I just want you to see the truth, but clearly, you’re very slow.] No, that’s not right! I shook my head violently. What if Grandma doesn’t plan on living with us anymore? Maybe she has other plans? Clutching onto that last shred of hope, I slowly walked out of my room. My parents were sitting on the sofa, calculator in hand, discussing: “The money from selling this apartment can cover the remainder of the new house.” “The new house is move-in ready. We can probably just leave the furniture here.” They saw me and immediately waved me over. “Sunny, come help us with the calculations. Your young brain is much sharper.” I tried to keep my voice as normal and calm as possible. “Will Grandma still be living with us?” Chapter 5 My dad didn’t look up, answering casually: “Of course. I’m the eldest son. I have the responsibility of caring for your Grandma.” My mom frowned slightly but said nothing, continuing to calculate with her pen. Some details I had ignored suddenly became glaringly obvious. My Grandma has two sons. My mom had complained before, wondering why my Grandma didn’t go to my Uncle Kevin’s house. My dad had said, “The nephew is a boy. It’s inappropriate for him to live with my mom.” My mom never brought it up again. My mom isn’t the type to tolerate everything. She once raged at my dad for forgetting to bring her local specialty food from a business trip, forcing him to take a long-distance bus to buy it again before she forgave him. Yet, ever since Grandma moved in, when my uncle came to sponge off us, my dad just turned a blind eye. They rarely fought over their respective families anymore. They seemed to have maintained a delicate balance. And I was the weight that could be sacrificed. “Don’t I deserve my own room? Mom and Dad, we have the means. Why are you specifically making me uncomfortable?” I couldn’t suppress the hurt and anger anymore. After yelling, I was shaking all over, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Facing my breakdown and rage, my parents remained strangely calm. My dad shook his head, sighing. “You found out?” My mom took a tissue to wipe my tears, chiding me gently: “You’ll only be home for a few days when you’re in college. Why waste an entire room? Listen to me, the three-bedroom unit had poor lighting. No sunlight is bad for your health.” “The large two-bedroom unit is south-facing and has a great layout. And let’s be honest, your Grandma is old. Once she’s gone, won’t that room be all yours?” My mom kept rambling, but I only caught one sentence. “Why waste an entire room.” “So, in your hearts, you see me as a daughter who will eventually marry out. I’m an outsider. I don’t deserve a room, or reserving a room for me is a waste. If I were a boy, would you have given him an independent room?” The room was deadly silent. It was only now that I truly understood Dahlia’s words. Ha, a policy-only child. How ironic. My proud status as an only child was merely a necessity forced on my parents. My parents, both working in the public sector, couldn’t risk their careers to have a second child, a son. They only had me, their daughter, but in their hearts, they still cherished an “invisible son.”

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The day I finally snagged the Best Actress award, The viral sensation Chloe Shen went live, crying about being bullied in college. All fingers pointed straight at me. Furious netizens swarmed my social media. Until I spoke up: “I never went to college.” Chloe quickly changed her story: “Oops, I misremembered! It was high school.” I calmly added: “I never went to high school either.” Furious Netizens: Bruh, seriously? Are you a literal elementary schooler? Chapter 1 After grinding in the industry for a decade, I finally won the Best Actress trophy. I finished my acceptance speech on stage, But when I got back to my seat, my agent didn’t look happy at all. His face was beet red. He shoved his phone at me. “You’re getting roasted.” Over the years, getting dragged online has become a weekly thing, so I barely batted an eye. I took a quick look. Just before the awards show, Chloe Shen had gone live, weeping about being bullied by a college roommate. She was crying crocodile tears on stream, and the netizens were absolutely heartbroken for her. Instantly, the entire awards show buzz was hijacked by Chloe Shen. Her name dominated the trending topics. She didn’t name the bully, but the internet detectives got to work. It didn’t take long for eagle-eyed fans to realize that based on Chloe’s hints, I was the only possible suspect. Same age, currently red hot—it had to be me. The live stream for the awards show was completely overrun by people demanding I apologize. I brushed the phone away, stating flatly, “It’s fine. Just ignore it.” Since debuting, I’ve always been pretty Zen about my career. I take any gig that pays, which earned me ridicule for being “tacky.” As for Chloe Shen, I didn’t think she was talking about me; we’ve literally never crossed paths. After the ceremony, I went straight home. I slept until morning, only to find my phone had blown up. My agent had sent 99+ messages, telling me to call him ASAP. Confused, I called him back. My agent said sternly, “Chloe Shen is claiming you bullied her. How are we going to clean this up?” I told him to hold on and checked my social media first. My DMs were so jammed it took several tries to load. People were calling me a “bully queen” and telling me to get out of Hollywood. The storm from the night before was escalating. Last night, Chloe Shen had posted an ambiguous message, Suggesting her fans shouldn’t make a big deal of it, Which only triggered the well-meaning vigilantes, who flooded my comments with even more anger. I frowned while looking at the comments. Then, my agent said, “Just issue a statement. Tell everyone you didn’t do it.” I replied with a simple “Uh-huh.” But, of course, the internet wasn’t buying it. The mockery intensified. [Everyone knows that [insert name here] won a defamation suit, but still…] [Apologize, Bully Queen.] [Skye Lin, get out of the industry.] The tide had overwhelmingly turned against me. My agent was furious. “I reached out to Chloe Shen’s team. They’re ghosting me.” We both knew the move we had to make. My agent and I both knew I never went to college. But to avoid being judged for my educational background, I’d never publicly mentioned that I hadn’t graduated. After a moment of thought, I logged into my social media account. The feeding frenzy began immediately. [Skye Lin is online.] [Bully Queen couldn’t sit still, could she?] [Remember this day—it’s the height of your career.] [Quit, quit!] Chapter 2 Among the chorus of demands for me to quit, I quickly posted one simple statement. [I sympathize with Chloe Shen’s experience of being bullied. But I never went to college.] Along with the text, I posted a screenshot of my official education records, showing I had no college enrollment history. A beat. The angry netizens suddenly had nowhere to direct their outrage. [Skye Lin says she never went to college, so who bullied Chloe Shen?] [Oop, plot twist.] [Did Chloe Shen lie?] The internet seemed to finally realize they had been played. They immediately swarmed Chloe Shen’s page, demanding an explanation. Perhaps sensing the mood shifting, Chloe immediately reappeared and started another live stream. On screen, Chloe wore a white dress, her long hair draped perfectly. She looked like a delicate, pure flower. She looked on the verge of tears at the camera. “The years I was bullied were very confusing for me, so my memories are often jumbled.” Seeing the audience was still skeptical, she continued, “I misremembered! It was high school when I was bullied.” At the same time, she posted a picture of her medical records, showing she suffered from moderate depression. Chloe cried harder. “Because I was bullied, I choked during my performing arts college audition. But the person who bullied me is now raking in awards. Does the villain really get away with it?” The trending topics exploded again, most tagged with a “Savage” marker. It was a complete circus. Chloe had attended a prestigious art college. Her team had always marketed her as a straight-A student. Now, fans and netizens thought: Chloe still scored so well while being bullied. If she hadn’t been bullied, she would have done even better, right? The cannons of public opinion swung back to me. [Skye Lin, the bully queen, ruined someone’s life and then went to Hollywood to make easy money.] [Thank goodness Chloe had the guts to fight back. Even with a bad audition, she still got into a good school. The bully queen didn’t even make it to college.] I was watching the live stream. I moved my fingers and posted one more update. [I dropped out at fifteen to work and entered the industry at eighteen. I didn’t go to college, but I also didn’t go to high school.] The netizens were stunned. They started hounding Chloe Shen again, asking who exactly bullied her. Chloe once again claimed her mind was too foggy to remember, only that the person’s name had a “Sky/Skye” sound. Towards the end of the stream, she stuck out her tongue. “My bad, Skye Lin! I might have gotten the wrong person.” Her apology was completely insincere. She didn’t even apologize for the online violence I’d endured all day. She just kept claiming she had depression and would have a breakdown if pushed further. Chapter 3 Chloe Shen had always enjoyed excellent public perception. Her fans were still trying their best to defend her. [Stop harassing our Chloe, okay? She’s a victim of bullying. She’s been through enough.] [You’re the ones who attacked Skye Lin. Why are you blaming Chloe now?] The trending topics were a hot mess, like a chaotic marketplace. In the middle of it all, one topic slowly started to climb. [Skye Lin, the Grade-School Dropout.] My agent had always hidden the fact that I never finished high school because he was afraid of this. Once that label sticks, you’re mocked as illiterate. [I always thought Skye Lin was just outspoken. Turns out she’s just uneducated, so she created a ‘straight-shooter’ persona.] [Are they letting just anyone into Hollywood now? Everyone knows there’s easy money in this business, even dropouts.] [Bruh, they used to say she argues like an elementary schooler. Turns out Skye Lin is an elementary schooler.] Sure enough, the moment the controversy hit, everyone started attacking my education. I scrolled through a few comments and logged out. I watered my plants, watched a movie, and cooked myself a meal. Then, I got a call from my agent. “You’ve got a reality show offer.” My agent’s voice was tinged with worry. “At a time like this, they’re definitely trying to use you for clicks. The show might try to push the narrative.” I’ve always taken every gig, as long as it paid, so I happily accepted. But on the day of filming, I found out Chloe Shen was also a guest. Chapter 4 The drama had finally died down in the last few days, thanks to Chloe Shen’s team’s strategic silence. But us appearing on the same show immediately reignited the controversy. I hadn’t kept up with the online noise. I arrived early and dropped off my luggage. As I familiarized myself with the house, I heard movement outside the door. I went out to greet them and ran right into Chloe Shen. Chloe was with another young female idol, tall and thin, carrying two enormous suitcases. They both greeted me. Chloe’s expression was completely normal, as if she hadn’t been bothered by the drama at all. I smiled warmly and offered to help with the bags. The other idol was named Maya. Seeing her huge suitcases, I chose to help her first. However, I hadn’t taken two steps when I heard Chloe start crying for the camera. She bowed her head, saying pitifully, “I’m used to being excluded by other girls. I’ve always been isolated since I was little.” I was carrying Maya’s huge suitcase. Maya and I exchanged a blank look. Wait, who was I excluding? This was a live reality show, so our brief interaction had already been broadcast. [Is Skye Lin seriously not excluding Chloe? She only helped the other girl with her luggage, not Chloe.] [Sure enough, the bully queen is always the bully queen.] [Skye Lin even acted in a bullying scene before, right? She must be method acting.] Chloe had likely already guessed the comments’ direction. She faked embarrassment for the camera. “It’s fine! My luggage isn’t that heavy. I can carry it myself.” With that, she reached for her suitcase and staggered toward the living room. Just then, an anxious and affectionate male voice called out, “Chloe, that bag is too heavy. You can’t lift it. Let me.” The guy who walked in was Ethan Zhou, the leading man who had recently co-starred with Chloe. Their publicized fake romance had recently dominated the trending topics. Just last night, Ethan had posted on social media expressing sympathy for Chloe’s bullying ordeal and promising to protect her from now on. This sent their fandom into a frenzy. They were among the most aggressive people attacking me. Ethan took Chloe’s suitcase, comforted her intensely, and then threw some shade. “It’s okay, Chloe. I’m here. No one’s going to bully you.” [Ethan is protecting Chloe so well! Hope this can heal Chloe’s trauma.] [I can’t believe Skye Lin! Bullying someone right to their face? How brazen!] [Thank goodness for Ethan. Chloe doesn’t have to be bullied anymore.] [Mama Bear is here to defend her baby!] Maya tugged my arm, clearly upset. “Seriously, they are totally twisting this.” I patted her reassuringly. “It’s fine. Let’s go unpack first.”

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My little brother, whose voice was cracking through puberty, came to my room to leach off my Wi-Fi. “Sis, can I just crash your network? I’ll stand right by the door, I won’t come inside.” My childhood best friend and arch-nemesis, on the phone with me, completely misheard the situation. He roared into the phone: “What the hell are you doing? I’m coming to your place right now! Tell that guy not to move!” Chapter 1 What’s the consequence of not coming home from college for a year? Well, you get a life-or-death call from my dearest and most revered mother. “Skylar Li! If you don’t get your butt back here this summer, don’t bother coming back ever!” I had no choice but to pack my bags and head home. When I saw Jamie Li at the station, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I remember him as a little squirt before I left for college, but now he had stretched out and actually looked like a decent human being. Seeing me, his eyes lit up, and he waved sheepishly. “Sis!” I hurried over and reached up to pat his head. “Not bad! A year away, and you’ve shot up so tall. Your voice is deeper, too. Are there a lot of girls at your school who have a crush on you?” He blushed even harder. “Sis, what are you talking about?” He took my luggage and led me out of the station to grab a cab. I blinked twice. “Where are Mom and Dad? Aren’t they here to pick us up?” He blinked twice too. “Mom and Dad went to Miami two days ago. They aren’t back yet.” I was stunned. “Wait, they made me rush home, but they aren’t even here? Is that reasonable?” Jamie was silent for a few seconds, then said, “I have even worse news. Want to hear it?” I sighed. “Spit it out. Nothing can break me now.” Jamie: “Our home Wi-Fi is busted. No internet at home; we have to use data.” Okay, I was too arrogant. I should have said, any slight inconvenience can absolutely break me. The Wi-Fi being broken is pure cruelty for two internet-addicted teens like Jamie and me. It’s like finding a bathroom when you’re desperate but there’s no toilet paper, or pulling out an umbrella in a downpour only to find it’s broken. I asked expressionlessly, “So what now? Let’s crash an internet cafe all night.” He asked, “Do you have any money?” Me: “?” Jamie smiled sweetly, delivering the most brutal truth. “My allowance got cut off because my grades sucked last semester.” The air was quiet for a moment. I stated a painful fact: “Truthfully, mine was, too.” We stared at each other, seeing mutual despair, pity, and the shared agony of not being able to function for the next few days. “Wait a minute!” I suddenly remembered something, and my eyes lit up. I started digging through my bag. I pulled out a small white device and waved it in front of Jamie. His eyes lit up too. “Sis, is that a mobile hotspot?” I nodded. I had bought this mobile hotspot recently, but the signal was so-so, and I was planning to return it. I never expected it to be so useful now. Back home, I immediately set up the mobile hotspot. Seeing the full signal strength, I smiled with relief. Just as I finished fiddling with it, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID, pursed my lips, and answered grumpily. “Caleb Evans, are you sick? Why do you call me every day?” He said smugly, “Just checking to see if my arch-nemesis is still alive and kicking.” I scoffed, continuing to hook up the data cable to my laptop, my butt sticking out. Caleb then asked, “Skylar, what are you doing? Why are you breathing so heavily?” Before I could answer, Jamie lightly knocked on the door, pointed to his phone, and asked pitifully, “Can I just crash your network? Don’t worry, I’ll just leach here. I won’t come inside.” I chuckled. Ah, the awkwardness of a teenage boy. He used to barge right into my room, but now he understood boundaries. I waved him in. “It’s fine. You can come in, I’m just…” “SKYLAR LI!” Caleb’s voice blasted through the phone, straight to my skull. “What are you doing right now?! Who is that dog of a man next to you?! I’m coming to your house right now! You wait there!” Me: “Are you psycho?” Chapter 2 I hung up. Jamie looked at me, full of gossip. “Sis, who was that?” I answered without thinking. “Just a childish punk who still wets the bed at eight years old.” He nodded knowingly. “Oh, right. Caleb.” I froze. “How did you know I was talking about him?” He shrugged, looking slightly exasperated. “Every time you two fight, you bring up Caleb wetting the bed at eight. I’m sick of hearing it.” I looked up at him, suspicion in my eyes. “I do that?” “Yeah, you do. If I didn’t see you two fight so fiercely all the time, I’d actually suspect you had a thing for Caleb.” I narrowed my eyes and ground my teeth. The look of a person plotting murder is hard to hide. But clearly, my sweet, naive little brother didn’t realize his beautiful, kind fairy sister was out for blood. He just kept chattering away. “But I remember after you graduated, you stopped fighting with Caleb so much. He’d look for you, but you wouldn’t go out. I thought you guys had a falling out, but I guess not.” I pursed my lips, lowering my gaze. A fleeting memory flashed—two figures wrapped in an embrace in a dark alleyway that night. I clicked my tongue and said threateningly, “Jamie, if you don’t shut up right now, you will lose your Wi-Fi access.” Before I finished, he immediately stopped and made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut. I nodded in satisfaction and continued connecting the cables. Once everything was set up, I gave Jamie the password and graciously allowed him to play on the beanbag chair in my room. I pulled out my own phone and started scrolling through videos, though my mind was elsewhere. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the front door code being entered and failing downstairs. I nudged Jamie with my foot. “Did you hear a noise downstairs?” He took off his headphones, listened closely, and looked at me. “Yeah, I heard it.” We stared at each other. I heard a dry, strained voice squeeze out of my throat. “Mom and Dad went to Miami, right? Then who is opening the door?” He swallowed, grabbed the small vase from my side table, and eyed the door warily. “Don’t worry, Sis! I’ll protect you!” I heard heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs, and Caleb’s easily recognizable, almost-piercing voice shouting, “Skylar Li! I’m coming in! Put some clothes on!” Me: “?” I didn’t know why he was emphasizing the clothes, but I yelled back, “I am wearing clothes!” As if my response triggered him, my bedroom door was kicked open with a bang. The force was so strong the lock mechanism flew off the frame. I ignored the door, staring at the person standing in the doorway—sweaty, breathing heavily, completely out of breath. I asked in disbelief, “Caleb Evans? What are you doing here?” I hadn’t seen him in a long time. The image of the awkward, young boy from high school was now replaced by the outline of a man. He looked… maybe a little hotter than before. Caleb caught his breath, checked out Jamie for a few seconds, then looked back at me, his voice filled with anger. “Skylar Li, how dare you bring a man home when your aunt and uncle aren’t here?” Me: “?” Perfect. My earlier thought about him being hotter was clearly wrong. He’s the same old jerk. Jamie turned his head, blinking blankly at me. “Sis, Caleb?” I nodded, got out of bed barefoot, gave Caleb a hard flick on the forehead, and gritted my teeth. “What the hell are you rambling about? That’s my brother!” Chapter 3 Speaking of which, Caleb and I grew up together; we were childhood friends. But unlike other childhood friends—who usually end up dating or are like siblings—we were sworn enemies who fought constantly. For instance, we’d argue for three days straight over whether to dip dumplings in vinegar or soy sauce, or whether sweet zongzi (rice dumplings) were better than savory ones. Any contentious topic would trigger an argument between us. But since my mom and his mom have been best friends for decades, and they’re godmothers to both of us, Caleb and I were in the same school and class all the way up. For the first eighteen years of my life (minus the years we couldn’t talk), we had a huge fight every three days until we went to different universities. I watched the outrage on Caleb’s face crack, replaced by confusion. I sighed, stating the facts. “This is Jamie.” He repeated in disbelief, “This is… Jamie?” Jamie nodded. “That would be me.” Caleb gave a dry laugh. “Ah, well, I haven’t seen you in so long. You’ve grown so much. I almost didn’t recognize you.” Jamie said earnestly, “You mean you didn’t recognize me, right?” Silence is the new aesthetic. With a mouth like Jamie’s, I knew he hadn’t dated anyone. Who would want to date a guy who kills a conversation instantly? I sighed, breaking the awkward silence. “Caleb, how did you get our front door code?” He answered righteously, “My godmother gave it to me, of course! She said she was worried about you being home alone and asked me to come take care of you.” Jamie raised his arm, pointing a finger at himself, and interrupted. “Wait, my mom said my sister was home alone? What about me?” Caleb smiled apologetically. “Sorry, she didn’t mention you were here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” Jamie’s heart shattered. He turned and trudged upstairs dramatically. I felt like I’d heard the punchline to the world’s greatest joke. “My mom, asking you to take care of me? Did I hear that right?” He shrugged. “If you don’t believe me, call her.” I immediately grabbed my phone and called my mom. “You made it home?” My mom’s lazy voice came through the phone. I was slightly annoyed. “I sent you the train ticket info. I’ve been home for a long time.” “Oh, I didn’t look. Why are you calling?” I was even more annoyed, asking concisely, “Mom, did you give Caleb our front door code?” She admitted it instantly. “Yes, I gave it to Caleb.” I glanced at Caleb, who gave me a smug look, as if saying: See? I told you so. I covered the phone, whispering, “Mom, how could you give our code to an outsider?” My mom scoffed. “Caleb is my godson. He’s not an outsider. Besides, you’re home alone, and your dad and I were worried. Your godmother and the Evans are with us, so the two of you can look out for each other.” “Jamie is home! I don’t need his help!” “Oh? Jamie’s home? I forgot. Oh well, that’s the deal. Your dad and I are about to go skydiving. Gotta go.” Before I could say anything else, she hung up. Me: Confused-Black-Man.jpg Chapter 4 I stared at the disconnected phone, completely bewildered. I’d never had such a ridiculous day. Caleb stood there, hands in his pockets, saying arrogantly, “Now you know I was telling the truth, right? If my godmother hadn’t begged me, I wouldn’t have come to babysit you.” I rejected him instantly. “No thanks. Ugly alert.” If I had called him ugly before, he would have argued with me for hours. But this time, I watched him open his mouth, swallow his response, and then smirk, hitting me with a soul-crushing question: “Do you two know how to cook?” First blood. “You want to order takeout? I heard your godmother cut off both your cards.” Double kill. “I remember neither of you can cook. Are you planning to blow up the kitchen?” Ace. His barrage of insults completely dazed me. I managed to ask, “You’re being so eager. Are you planning to poison the food and assassinate me?” He looked at me like I was an idiot, subtly asking back, “Did someone pay a hundred million bucks for your brain?” I snapped, “Your brain is the one that’s never been used!” After weighing the options between delicious, home-cooked food, instant ramen, or risking food poisoning by cooking myself, I decided to temporarily bury the hatchet with Caleb. Caleb had suddenly started learning to cook in high school, and I remembered his food was actually pretty good. With that in mind, I sincerely welcomed him. “This household welcomes you. It’s an honor for you to join us.” Caleb: “?” I rubbed my hungry stomach and issued a cooking invitation. “Since you’re here, why don’t you cook before you go?” He twitched, then resignedly turned and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I happily followed, intending to grab a snack from the fridge to tide me over. He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “What, you think I’ll poison you?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m hungry. I’m going to grab a snack from the fridge.” “Eating snacks when dinner is almost ready?” My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to check the message, complaining as I did so. “Caleb, why do you sound like my mom?” “That just proves that your godmother and I are on the same page. Look at your unhealthy diet.” I mumbled, “Uh-huh, Nsdd.” (Not So Damn Disagreed) “What was that?” I ignored him, quickly scanned the message, typed a reply, and sent it off. I locked my phone and smiled at Caleb. “You can just cook for Jamie. I’m going out to eat.” His face instantly changed. “Going out? Why? With who? Boy or girl? Do I know them? What time are you coming back?” I tossed my hair. “Stay out of a beautiful woman’s business.” I turned and walked upstairs. Only when I got back to my room did I remember that Caleb had kicked my door down. Looking at the door, which was hanging precariously on its hinges, my temple started throbbing. How much force did that jerk use to kick my door? I frowned, debating for a moment. I decided to change clothes behind the curtain drawn between the closet and the bed, hidden from the doorway. “No way, Skylar Li, you have to tell me who you’re meeting. Otherwise, what am I supposed to tell my godmother?” I heard Caleb’s voice getting closer. I frantically tried to pull my shirt off, but the clasp snagged in my hair. The more I struggled, the tighter it got. “Wait…” Before I could warn him, he was already in the room. “Why aren’t you talking? You…” Caleb walked in, and we made eye contact. He suddenly choked on his words, his eyes locked on me. My shirt was still snagged at my neck, the bottom hanging down, but offering no real coverage. Even though I instantly spun around, it was too late. My face burned. Seeing him standing there, frozen like a crashed computer, I gritted my teeth and roared, “Caleb Evans! Get the hell out and turn your back!”

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The day I left the Lu mansion, Logan Lu leaned against the doorframe. Watching me pack my bags, he gave a mocking half-smile: “What’s wrong?” “Did you realize that even giving birth to my kid couldn’t force me to marry you?” “So you decided he’s useless now, and you’re not taking him with you?” Before I could speak, Leo Lu, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, walked in. He carefully poured the money from his piggy bank into my hand. “Mom, you need to take good care of yourself.” “And, can you please promise me that you are never coming back?” “Aunt Stella said she’ll only agree to be Leo’s mom if you leave for good.” Chapter 1 Leo finished his plea. His dark, round eyes blinked up at me, practically bursting with hope. Logan lowered his voice, the tone laced with warning. “Leo Lu.” “Is that how your school taught you to speak to your mother?” Leo hung his head, pouting. “But last time, Aunt Stella asked Dad if he was falling for Mom, and you said you weren’t.” “And I don’t really like her either…” “So if Mom wants to leave, just let her go, okay…” His words no longer hurt me. A week ago, on his sixth birthday, he insisted on celebrating with Logan and Stella Song. I realized I was suddenly free of my anxiety and attachment. I didn’t try to stop him at all. Even when I passed that restaurant in the evening. And heard him introduce Stella to the violinist as his mother, my heart remained calm. Chapter 2 Because I was packing, I was squatting. My eyes were level with the small figure of Leo. I accepted his piggy bank money and gave a slight nod. “Okay, I promise you.” I didn’t refer to myself as “Mom” anymore, quietly stating: “I won’t ever come back to this house.” “And I am no longer your mother. Leo, you’re free.” He seemed surprised that I agreed so easily. He stared at me blankly for two seconds. Then he burst into a smile. “Yay!” “Aunt Stella will be my mom now!” He ran out, shouting that he was going to call Stella with the good news. I packed my last item of clothing. I closed the suitcase and stood up. Logan had been silent the whole time. But as I walked past him, he grabbed my arm. His eyes were half-closed, unreadable. “Ava Tang, ‘not loving you’ doesn’t mean ‘hating you.’” “I’m used to you after all these years.” “What’s the point of this dramatic exit?” By the end, his voice was tinged with irritation. I wanted to explain, but it felt pointless and overly sentimental. So I simply pulled my arm back and instructed him: “Take care of Leo.” I dragged my suitcase out of the Lu mansion. It was a long walk out of the gated community. The weather was poor. A cold wind swirled the fallen leaves onto me. It felt easy to let myself look pathetic. But I didn’t look back, not even once. Chapter 3 I had rented an apartment in advance and quickly found a job. Based on my old major, I applied to be an art teacher for an after-school kids’ program. On my first day of work. I walked into the office and saw several female teachers huddled around a little girl. “Chloe, darling, does your Uncle Ace like desserts?” “And, tell me, what kind of girls does he go for?” “Oh, Chloe sweetie, is he picking you up tonight?” The girl was expressionless. “Teachers, you asked me to come here to discuss issues with my painting style, didn’t you?” The teachers exchanged embarrassed glances. “If there are no issues, I’ll head back to class.” The girl turned, saw me. She gave a brief greeting, “Hello, Teacher.” And then walked straight out. Chapter 4 The teachers were very friendly to the new arrival. After showing me the ropes, they brought up the girl again. “You wouldn’t know it, but that kid’s uncle is Ace Harrington.” “He and Logan Lu are known as the city’s most eligible bachelors.” “Oh, wait, I heard Logan Lu is already with his girlfriend, Stella Song, who just got back from overseas.” “So now, it’s just Ace Harrington left.” Hearing Logan’s name again, I felt calm, as if he were a stranger. But Ace Harrington… I sighed silently. He was Logan’s business rival. He always disliked me, and every time we met, I was guaranteed to be the target of his sarcasm. “Pathetic, aren’t you? Logan and Stella’s kissing photo is trending, and you don’t even dare to speak up.” “What did you get from being with Logan? A title? Status?” “Ava, why the hell don’t you look around at other people?” I’d better stay away from the girl named Chloe. If Ace found out I worked here, he might use his connections to get me fired. Chapter 5 Logan called while I was packed into a subway train on my way home. “Hello?” The noise on my end made him pause. After a few seconds, he asked, “Where are you?” “On the subway.” He gave a barely audible laugh. “Riding the subway?” “Ava Tang, this is what you get for being stubborn.” I gripped the overhead bar and only asked, “Do you need something?” The sound of his footsteps, even distorted by the poor connection, was slow and measured. Just like him. I could almost picture him walking from his desk to the floor-to-ceiling window. “Leo has a fever.” He said, “Tell me your address. I’ll come pick you up and bring you home.” “No need.” I looked down. “The Lu family will take good care of him.” “He doesn’t need me.” Logan’s voice deepened slightly. “Are you really going to abandon him?” “Ava Tang.” He sounded incredulous. “Just because he said he prefers Stella?” Logan never seemed to understand my feelings for Leo. Even though I explained countless times. I took the morning-after pill after the accident, but he never believed me. Because I had been in love with him for years. So he was convinced I deliberately got pregnant with Leo to force him to marry me. In his mind, my feelings for Leo weren’t deep. He was just a tool, a bargaining chip. He couldn’t know that my fear of Leo growing to prefer Stella had driven me to countless nights of heartbreak and anxiety. The subway reached the transfer station. The carriage suddenly emptied. “That’s not it, Logan.” I found a seat, my aching legs finally getting a rest. I said softly: “It’s because he genuinely prefers Stella.” “And I don’t want to force myself anymore to try and win him over.” Logan tried to say something else. The next second, Leo’s voice came through the phone, confirming my words. “Dad! Leo’s fever is gone!” “Can we go see Aunt Stella tomorrow?!” Logan cleared his throat. “Ava Tang, listen to me…” I hung up the phone. And got off at the next stop. Shaking off the phone call.

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My carefully cultivated Princess Scarlett roses were all ripped up by a viral reality star during filming. Her tone was utterly innocent, “Such pretty flowers should be made into a wreath. Your owner just doesn’t know how to use them efficiently.” “Let me make sure you reach your highest potential.” On the show, her smile was bright as she showed off her new wreath to her fans. Afterward, she refused to apologize and sicced her fans on me for cyberbullying. Looking at my messy, ruined garden, I smiled, too. “That garden is insured for ten million dollars.” “According to the contract, you owe me one hundred million!” Chapter 1 I was startled awake by the security camera alarm. I threw on a robe and went outside. By all accounts, my little cottage was in a remote location, and the gate was locked. Who would trespass on private property early in the morning? But inside the yard was a swarm of people. A dozen people surrounded my property. The beautiful climbing roses I had trained over the gate for aesthetic purposes had been violently torn down. The branches lay ripped and discarded on the ground, and the wooden gate hung crookedly on the fence posts. A clean path had been crudely trampled right through the middle of the neatly arranged flower beds. A few large men were carrying cameras, filming a beautiful, bright-faced girl standing in the center of the flowers. She was casually tearing off a few blooms, weaving a wreath. “Bae-bies, look how pretty this wreath is! Isn’t it perfect for me!” “If only I had other flowers to mix in, it would be even better.” Her smile was dazzling, with faint dimples. I recognized her: Maya Brooks, the hot new Hollywood “It Girl.” I was actually watching her show. Online, she was praised as a sweet, kind, and graceful angel. I had always liked her, but I never expected my first encounter to be this. Looking at the wreath on her head and the complete devastation in my garden, I was furious. “Who are you people? Who gave you permission to come in here?” The director’s team was startled to see someone emerge. The director paused for a second, then quickly explained, “We’re with a reality show. We’re filming a segment here.” “Can’t you see this is private property? You broke my gate to trespass!” Maya took the wreath off her head. “Oh, please. They’re just flowers. Here, take them back.” She offered the wreath. I didn’t take it. Seeing my refusal, Maya threw the wreath to the ground angrily. She looked me up and down, sizing me up. “Here’s five hundred bucks. Is that enough? For a country woman like you, that’s probably all your flowers are worth.” Her assistant pulled out a five-hundred-dollar bill and tossed it at my feet. “Take the cash and step aside. Don’t interrupt Maya’s filming.” The director’s team tried to usher me away. A few assistants held up blocking screens, attempting to shield me from the camera. Country woman? I genuinely laughed. I might have just thrown on a robe and walked out with messy hair, but I was certainly not some “country woman.” Trespassing, vandalizing someone’s private property, and then trying to buy off the owner with pocket change. You people are truly shameless. Chapter 2 I originally just wanted them to give me a proper apology, and I would have let the matter drop. But given their sheer arrogance, I wasn’t going to be nice anymore. “What show are you with?” The director thought I was backing down, and his voice softened. “Little sister, we’re from the Charming Acres reality show. We just saw this beautiful little yard and wanted to film a segment.” I scoffed. You just wanted to film, so you violently forced entry and destroyed property? The director looked around at the damage and knew he was in the wrong. He tried to negotiate. “Okay, how much compensation do you need? What’s a fair price?” I let out a light laugh. “How much? I doubt you can afford it.” These weren’t just common roses. They were the world’s most expensive variety, the Princess Scarlett Rose (a popular nickname for the Juliet Rose). The Juliet Rose is notoriously difficult to grow. I had invested massive amounts of time and money cultivating them. Moreover, I had insured the entire garden for ten million dollars. Maya, who had been resting nearby, interrupted impatiently. “Director, why are you wasting time arguing with a hillbilly? She just thinks five hundred is too little. Give her two thousand and get rid of her.” I walked straight up to Maya and slapped her across the face. “Hillbilly? Wasn’t your family from the sticks too?” My action was completely unexpected. Maya’s personal assistant didn’t react in time to stop me. Five clear fingerprints swelled on her face. Maya clutched her cheek. Tears streamed down from the pain. “You actually hit me! I’m going to kill you!” She lunged forward to attack me. I sidestepped. She stumbled forward from momentum and fell flat on the ground. Her assistants finally reacted and helped her up. “What are you standing around for? Go hit her!” Maya put her hands on her hips and screamed at the assistants. “You’re all useless! Hit her!” I clicked my tongue in disbelief. Wow. This aggressive, trashy behavior was a far cry from the “graceful angel” persona. A few assistants charged at me. I didn’t panic. I have training in Taekwondo and self-defense. I wasn’t afraid of a few low-level thugs. “Stop!” The director, as if remembering something crucial, made the assistants halt. He then whispered something in Maya’s ear. The group started packing up, preparing to leave. Maya shot me a venomous glare before leaving. “You bitch, you better watch your back!” I glared right back. We’ll see about that. Chapter 3 That afternoon, I was still leisurely drinking coffee when my assistant’s call came through. “Ms. Xu, you’re trending!” “Send me the link.” Liam, my assistant, quickly sent the link. I opened it. It was a video posted by the show’s official account. The video was heavily edited. It only showed me entering the yard and confronting them, the director politely trying to explain, Maya offering the wreath which I refused, the assistant trying to pay me off, and then me slapping her. The video ended right when Maya was holding her cheek, tears welling in her eyes. The video had only been posted for twenty minutes, but it had already dominated the trending topics. The comments numbered in the hundreds of thousands. [Who is this woman? She dared to hit our Maya! People, I need all her info now.] [Look at that handprint! My heart breaks for her.] [Poor Maya. Why didn’t the staff stop her?] [What were the director and staff doing? Why didn’t they protect Maya?] [Staff, hit her back! Hit her!] [Secretary, I need the address ASAP! I’m going to get revenge for Maya!] [Don’t you guys think this is the show’s and Maya’s fault? They trespassed!] [Yeah, the video shows the yard is a mess. They must have destroyed the owner’s property. That’s why she was so mad!] [Maya’s reaction is so catty!] [The person above me: Our Maya offering to use those country flowers was an honor for her.] [Side note: Honestly, this girl is quite pretty, even without makeup.] [… ] A few comments spoke up in my defense, but they were quickly buried. Maya also posted on social media: [Thanks for all the concern, babies. I’m okay now.] She included a photo showing the faint red marks on her face. The comments were immediately filled with support for her and condemnation of me. I didn’t want to look at them anymore. A cropped and edited video is useless. If you want to see it, watch the full version. The production team clearly didn’t realize that my little yard was covered by hidden cameras. Their entire operation had been clearly recorded. Chapter 4 That evening, I uploaded the complete video online. I paid Liam to run a ten-thousand-dollar ad campaign to ensure the video instantly appeared in everyone’s feed. Since I released the video during the peak online activity time, and all the major gossip accounts jumped on the opportunity, reposting it immediately. By the time Maya’s team and the production crew tried to manage the PR disaster, it was too late. A massive wave of new comments appeared under the video. [Reversal! Huge reversal! So this is what Maya is like in private! Unfollowed.] [The production team is shameless! Trespassing and acting like they own the place!] [That beautiful yard was ruined. I’d be furious too.] [I support the young lady! The show and Maya are disgusting.] [That slap was epic! I love her!] [The yard didn’t say ‘No Entry.’ The show and Maya must have entered without knowing it was private property.] [Besides, what’s the big deal about borrowing a location? Why is she so petty? Maya and the show gave her publicity! The country girl should be paying them for the exposure!] [Exactly! Maya even offered five hundred bucks! That’s more than enough for those flowers. She must have been holding out for more cash.] I laughed coldly at the comments. Publicity? Entrance fee? As expected, the dogs followed their master—equally shameless. Just then, I heard shouting outside my yard. “You bitch, come out!” “Come out! How dare you set me up and leak that video online!” I walked out. There were three people outside: Maya in the middle, the assistant who threw the money at me, and a man I hadn’t seen before, probably her manager. Maya was kicking my gate. Seeing me, she started screaming again. “You bitch!” “Ms. Brooks, you know there’s surveillance here. Should I release this footage to your fans?” “You…” Maya glared at me, but didn’t dare to move. “Miss, my client, Maya, was impulsive today. Could you let us in so we can discuss this properly?” the manager said. “No need to come in. Say whatever you need to say right here.” “We’re here to negotiate compensation and the removal of the video.” The manager slipped a contract through the gate. “Please take a look.” I flipped through the contract. It stated that Maya’s team would pay me one hundred thousand dollars, and I, in turn, had to delete the video and publicly explain that I wasn’t the owner of the garden, but a friend watching the property. The explanation would claim that the show had negotiated with the owner, and I, being uninformed, had interfered. “Miss, this hundred thousand is compensation. If you’re not satisfied, we can offer you a job. What do you say?” The manager offered me a stack of cash. “I can delete the video, but I won’t make any public statement. Also, Ms. Brooks needs to apologize to me.” I shook the stack of cash in my hand. “You have no right to demand an apology from me!” Maya yelled defiantly. “Well, Ms. Brooks clearly isn’t willing. In that case, there’s no need for a contract. You’re free to go.” I threw the hundred thousand dollars back at Maya. The bills fluttered around her. Through the gap in the gate, I could see the fury on her face. “Maya, apologize!” the manager commanded, his voice sharp. “No, I’m not accepting any apology now. Let’s just leave it at this.” I cut them off before Maya could speak. “Don’t push your luck! Do you know who my connections are? My boyfriend is the heir to the Latham Group!” “Alex Latham?” I asked, uncertainly. Maya thought I was terrified. Her voice was full of arrogance. “Yes! You’re terrified now, aren’t you? Now, you need to kneel and apologize to me and delete the video, or I’ll make sure you can never show your face in public again!” “What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll see who can’t show their face in public.” I turned and walked back inside, ignoring Maya’s insults. Alex Latham’s girlfriend? She probably doesn’t know that Alex Latham is my…

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When my childhood best friend was surrounded by fire, he calmly looked in my direction. I knew he had reincarnated, too. Suddenly, a stream of comments flashed across my vision. “LOL, the thirsty female side character is going to rescue the male lead again.” “Wait for the female side character to save the male lead, get sixth-degree burns, and be shipped off to the sticks. Then the male lead can introduce the poor female lead as the fake daughter to the side character’s family. Childhood romance trope, so sweet.” “Our pure female lead just wants a home. The reborn male lead definitely won’t let the side character return to threaten her happiness.” Is that so? What if, in this life, the one who gets sixth-degree burns is my childhood friend, not me? Chapter 1 The fire crackled loudly. The hot, scorching smoke made it impossible to breathe. “Coral, don’t worry about me. Run!” That familiar scene and voice made my entire body tense up. I thought I was dead. Dead, after my childhood friend and the fake heiress tormented me. Dead, caught in a once-in-a-century blizzard. “It’s okay, even if I die here, it doesn’t matter. As long as you live, that’s all that counts.” “Coral, you’re the kindest, most innocent girl I’ve ever met. I just wish I had met you sooner in the next life to protect you.” Anyone hearing those passionate, sorrowful words would feel compelled to stay. In my past life, I was fooled by them. But in this life, my heart is colder than a sword forged in the mountains for sixteen years. I looked up and met the flawlessly handsome face of my childhood friend, Henry Wen. His expression seemed fearful, but his eyes held an unsettling calm. With that single glance, I knew he had been reborn, too. I curved my lips, about to speak, when a stream of comments flashed across my vision. “LOL, the thirsty female side character is going to rescue the male lead again.” “Wait for the female side character to save the male lead, get sixth-degree burns, and be shipped off to the sticks. Then the male lead can introduce the poor female lead as the fake daughter to the side character’s family. Childhood romance trope, so sweet.” “Our pure female lead just wants a home. The reborn male lead definitely won’t let the side character return to threaten her happiness.” Oh, how amusing. Not only am I reborn, but I can also see these bizarre comments. This second life is going to be far more entertaining. Chapter 2 Just like in the past life, I said, sounding frantic: “Coco! I won’t let you die!” Henry curved his lips into a mocking smile, but just as his smile peaked, I spoke again. “You wait here! I’m going to call the cops and get help!” “Henry, wait for me!” With that, I turned and ran. I ran so fast I almost stumbled and fell. I wasn’t rushing to save him, but this fire was going to spread rapidly. The area was full of dry brush, and it could easily get out of control. Even though the fire didn’t spread in the previous life, I couldn’t risk it. My life is valuable. I have to stay alive until these scumbags are dead! Henry watched me run until I was far away, realizing I wasn’t joking. He started yelling for help. “Help!—Help me!” “Skylar Li! Come save me! I’m going to burn to death!” Hearing that, I finally stopped. Relief flashed in his eyes, but when he saw me simply standing there, arms crossed, watching lazily, he panicked for real. He tried to save himself, rushing toward the ring of fire, desperate to escape. But the idiot was too busy posing. The fire was much bigger than he anticipated. He even deliberately sent the housekeeper away and told the security guards he was setting off fireworks so they wouldn’t disturb him. He wanted the fire to spread quickly so I would burn. Now he’s getting a taste of his own medicine. The comments section exploded. “Is this side character crazy? Why isn’t she saving the male lead!” “WTF, is the handsome male lead going to die in the first chapter?” “No way! He’s the male lead, the Chosen One! Others might die, but he’ll probably just get burned, then get reconstructive surgery to look even hotter. That’s the standard trope.” I smirked. I don’t know who’s posting these comments, but they’re all idiots. Henry can’t get plastic surgery because he has a tendency to keloid scarring. And the Wen family isn’t as wealthy as mine. He absolutely cannot and will not be reborn as a success. I swear, even Jesus can’t help him! … Five minutes later, a passing neighbor heard his cries for help and frantically called the police and an ambulance. I watched him being carried away on a stretcher from a distance. The white sheet didn’t cover his face, which told me the jerk wasn’t dying yet. Good. Chapter 3 After a night of emergency surgery, Henry woke up. His proudly long legs were amputated, and his handsome face was melted by the flames. The smell of burned flesh permeated the air. Henry’s parents almost passed out from grief. This was their only son. When my parents and I stepped into the hospital room, Henry, numb and despairing from the pain, instantly roared with incandescent fury: “Skylar Li! I was so good to you! How could you just watch me burn?” “Do you know my leg was amputated? I’ll never stand again! I have sixth-degree burns and I’m crippled! You could have just reached out and saved me! Why were you so cruel? Why did you ruin me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Are you happy now that you see me like this?” His desperate accusations sounded like a spiteful woman. He looked nothing like the refined, gentle boy he used to be. I wasn’t this unhinged when he ruined me in the past life. I pursed my lips, feigning innocent distress. “Henry, how could you accuse me? Everyone knows I do whatever you tell me.” “You set the fire! You drew that big circle with gasoline and said you were going to show me a magic trick! I thought you were putting on a show again. And you kept insisting I leave. I thought it was part of the act, so I listened and left!” Henry’s mom wiped her tears, complaining. “You left, but you should have called the police! How could you just watch him burn like that?” I spread my hands, looking even more innocent. “I didn’t leave. I was standing right there, watching Henry’s performance.” Henry’s mom’s face went white with anger. She was about to point at me, but Henry’s dad stopped her, trying to soothe her. “Calm down. It’s over now. Henry did set the fire, and he did tell Skylar to leave. She’s only twelve. It’s normal for her to think it was a magic trick.” My parents had already heard my side of the story on the way over. While I might have been partially involved, they couldn’t blame me entirely. My mom quickly added: “We’re so sorry. We spoiled Coco too much. We truly apologize for this.” “I’ve already spoken to the hospital director. They’re contacting the best specialists globally for Henry’s treatment. Technology is so advanced now, he’ll be able to get prosthetic legs soon and walk again. Please let us know if you need anything at all.” Ha, dream on. My parents spent a fortune in the past life trying to get me back on my feet. It was useless. His injuries were too severe. The amputation went up to his thigh, and he damaged his reproductive organs. He’ll never have children unless he’s getting cheated on. Chapter 4 My dad gently patted Henry’s dad on the shoulder, sighing. “I know our children are our lives. I understand how you feel.” “But life must go on, no matter how hard it is. Once you’ve recovered, let’s start the wind power project together. The approval documents just came through.” Instantly, Henry’s parents’ expressions softened. They were just waiting for my dad to say that. After all, their son was crippled—that’s a fact. And it was his own fault. Blaming me was pointless. Better to exchange the misery for a multi-billion dollar partnership. Henry’s dad nodded. “You’re right. We have to keep living.” Henry expected his parents to demand justice for him, to make me pay a painful price. Instead, he realized they were using him as a tool for business interests. He was so angry his face turned crimson. He was about to curse me, when I leaned in and whispered mockingly in his ear. “Henry, I lied to them just now.” “I knew you weren’t doing a magic trick, and I deliberately didn’t save you. You can forget about advanced prosthetic legs. The scars will be permanent.” “I personally ruined you, but this is just the beginning.” The words were devastating. So devastating that his hysterical screams started only after I pretended to tuck him in. “Skylar Li, you bitch! You devil!” “Mom, Dad, she just admitted it! It was all deliberate! She wanted to ruin me! No, she wanted to kill me!” “Mom, Dad, you have to kill her! Kill her—” He didn’t finish. Henry’s dad angrily yelled at him. “Henry Wen!” “Are you done throwing a fit? You’re still trying to blame Skylar!” “You set the fire yourself, and you told the security guards it was fireworks so they wouldn’t check! Everything that happened is your own damn fault! Be thankful Skylar didn’t get hurt, or your life wouldn’t be enough to pay for it!” Henry was so enraged he started spitting up blood. Doctors and nurses rushed him to the operating room for emergency treatment. The comments section was livid. “WTF, the side character is seriously insane! Absolutely unhinged!” “Did the side character reincarnate too? She’s brutal! Her words are murderous. It’s pathetic how the male lead is being destroyed by her.” “Honestly, this psycho side character is kinda hot. The male lead wanted to kill her, and she reversed the outcome. That’s fair.” “Haha, when you put it that way, it’s actually pretty cool.” I smiled. Of course, it’s cool. Compared to the hypocritical male lead and the weak, fake female lead, a vicious side character like me is much more entertaining. I’m ready to kill them both. Don’t bother trying to bind me with morality. A devil who clawed her way out of hell has no morals whatsoever. Chapter 5 The national wind power project was a massive opportunity. So tempting that Henry’s parents quickly forgot about their son still in the hospital. And I, the vicious side character, used the excuse of taking care of him to visit the hospital every day, just to provoke and disgust him. I read him the love letters I received. I danced the ballet I just learned right in front of him. Dancing alone is boring, so I brought a handsome, gentle boy to dance with me. I frequently brought his former rivals to visit him. I shared good news, like getting first place in the entrance exam… He couldn’t take it anymore and complained to his parents, begging them to keep me away. Henry’s dad was furious, accusing him of being ungrateful. He said I was so busy, yet I made time to visit and even brought friends to cheer him up. He called Henry a spoiled brat. Henry developed full-blown depression. I used the opportunity to suggest: “Maybe the hospital environment isn’t good for Henry’s recovery.” “My family owns a villa in the countryside. The scenery is beautiful, the people are kind, and the food is all organic and healthy. With a private nurse and two caregivers, the recovery results would be much better than here.” “Then we can get Henry the most advanced prosthetic legs, and he can play basketball again.” Henry’s dad instantly agreed. “You’re so thoughtful, Coco. We’re too busy to be with him.” The decision was finalized then and there. He was sent to the countryside that afternoon. He fought and screamed and threatened a hunger strike. But what could he do? They just packed him up and put him in the car. He didn’t even have the strength to fight back. The comments lit up. “The side character is a poison! So cruel! The poor male lead is ruined…” “This plot is familiar. Is the side character planning to do everything the male lead did to her, back to him?” “Who says the side character has to die? This counterattack is so satisfying!” “What if the side character takes a cute guy and trains him to be her submissive boyfriend? That would be so hot.” Even the cutest guy wouldn’t be as handsome as the male lead, right? The male lead is the handsomest. Wait, there’s a major villain, Alec Lin, who’s supposedly just as handsome. But Alec’s ruthlessness matches his good looks. He’s a cold-hearted bastard. “If the side character and the ultimate villain team up, the destruction of the world is basically imminent.”

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My brother hated me for ten years. The last time we fought, I left town alone and was caught in an unexpected earthquake. Just as a hotel chandelier was about to crush me, my brother suddenly appeared, shielding me with his body. “Sunny, run! Don’t look back!” The chandelier crashed down, snapping his spine. Yet, he smiled at me, a look of profound relief on his face. “Mom and Dad’s last wish—that I take care of you—I finally fulfilled it.” “If there’s a next life, I hope you stay far away from our family.” I was held back, forced to watch as my brother was completely buried under the rubble. That night, having lost the last person related to me, I jumped into the river without hesitation. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was found. I saw my brother waiting outside the police station. I walked toward him, brushed past him, and called out to a boy behind him: “Brother.” … “You don’t remember anything at all?” The female officer looked at me, pen in hand, determined not to miss a detail. “Try to think. Like your last name, where you lived, or who was in your family?” “You were seven or eight when you were kidnapped. You should have some memories.” I lowered my eyes, speaking slowly. “I was constantly beaten there. Once, I was hit on the head and passed out. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember much.” The officer’s eyes filled with sympathy. She put down her pen. “It’s okay. If you remember anything later, you can call us anytime.” I walked out of the station, heading toward the temporary shelter they arranged for me. Then, I saw a familiar figure rushing over. My brother? My heart clenched. In the last life, the police contacted the Green family, and Zack Green reluctantly came to pick me up. Why was he here already? Zack saw me, his eyes lighting up. He rushed over in three quick steps. I was about to speak, but he beat me to it. “I’m warning you, don’t try to claim any relation. The Green family already has a daughter.” I understood instantly. Zack had been reborn, too. No wonder… He was afraid I would go back and claim my identity, so he rushed here to stop me. My heart ached, but I looked up, feigning confusion. “Who are you? What are you talking about, the Green family?” Zack looked at me with suspicion. “What trick are you pulling now?” I pointed to my head and said matter-of-factly, “I really don’t know you. I hurt my head before, and I can’t remember much.” Hearing about my injury, a flicker of guilt crossed Zack’s eyes, but it vanished instantly. “I don’t care if you’re faking or not. Just know this: the Green family is not the place for you.” He paused, then continued. “Even though we’re strangers, I’ll give you some money and find you an apartment until you turn eighteen. Just don’t run your mouth to the police or bother my family.” I shook my head. “Thank you, but I don’t need it.” Ignoring his stunned look, I got into the car the police arranged for me. I thought about Zack’s final moments, smiling as he said he could finally reunite with Mom, Dad, and his sister. My heart was heavy and bitter. He saved my life at the cost of his own. But in his heart, his sister was someone else… If their family of four was happy without me, then let them remain happy in this life, too. Chapter 2 At the shelter, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Staring at the dark night sky, memories flooded in. In the last life, the police rescued me from the mountains that same year. I cried, giving them Mom and Dad’s names and address, thinking I was finally going home. But when I was brought back, there was a stranger—a different girl—in my house. Mom and Dad awkwardly explained that they adopted her because they were so heartbroken after I was kidnapped. Her name was Amy. They looked at me with complex eyes, as if I were a stranger who had suddenly intruded. They were warm and affectionate toward Amy, treating her like their true daughter. But… they used to love me the most. I broke down, screaming hysterically. I pointed at the girl, calling her a thief who stole the home that was rightfully mine. Mom and Dad scolded me, calling me selfish. I cried until my throat was raw. “I suffered so much! Why does she get to enjoy the love that belongs to me?!” Mom and Dad stared at me in silence. There was pity in their eyes, but also hesitation. That night, the girl left a note and quietly slipped away. She said she was going back to the orphanage; she didn’t want their family to be torn apart because of her. I was nervous. But Mom and Dad didn’t scold me. They just sighed, saying they would go to the orphanage to bring her back. They stopped my brother from going with them. “You stay with your sister. She just came home. You need to take good care of her.” They never came back. Their car crashed on the way to pick up the girl. All three of them died. From then on, my brother hated me. He hated me for ten long years. The thought made my throat tighten and my eyes burn. I wiped the tears away. Now, since I can’t go back to the Green family, I have to figure out what to do next. I’m under sixteen; I need a guardian. A name suddenly surfaced in my mind. Shane Yu. A skinny boy who always protected me during the beatings. In the last life, if it hadn’t been for him, the village idiot—the son of the family who bought me as a child bride—would have ruined me. When we were locked in the pigpen, shivering, he wrapped his only shirt around me. “I’m your big brother now. I’ll protect you.” We endured countless horrible days together. But later, he was sold to a different village. When I was rescued, the police said the people in his village had been rescued before us. In the last life, I wanted to find him. But the sudden tragedy in my family kept me from going. This time, I decided to find him. The next morning, I went to the police station at dawn. “Officer, I remember where my family is.” After giving my information, I turned to leave the station. But Zack Green suddenly grabbed my wrist, rushing in. “You tricked me again! You were faking it before!” “Why do you insist on going back to the Green family? We don’t want you.” His voice trembled, suppressing massive anger. “Don’t you get it? I already have a sister. Mom and Dad love her to death. They don’t need an extra daughter.” I yanked my hand away and kept walking. Zack was so angry his eyes were red. He suddenly yelled, “You were kidnapped! Why didn’t you just stay in the mountains forever?” His hysterical outburst was identical to when he had pointed at me after our parents died, screaming, “Why didn’t you die instead of them?” I raised my hand and slapped him hard. “Slap!” The loud noise silenced him instantly. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” I stared at him, asking deliberately. “People who get kidnapped deserve to die out there, in your mind?” The slap seemed to wake Zack up. He stumbled back a step, his eyes showing regret. “I’m sorry…” The female officer finally walked over, frowning as she shielded me. “Sir, watch your language. This young lady is looking for her family. Who are you to interfere?” Zack was silent for a while. Finally, he looked at me coldly and grabbed my arm. “You want to go home? Fine. Let’s go.” But I pulled my hand free. To his astonishment, I hid behind the female officer. “I am going home, but what does that have to do with you?” Chapter 3 “My brother’s name is Shane Yu, and he lives in S Province.” I spoke every word clearly to Zack. Zack froze, then looked at me in utter disbelief. “Skylar! You’ve got some nerve!” “Where did you get a brother named Shane?!” The officer immediately pulled me behind her, protecting me. She turned to Zack. “Young lady, do you know him?” I shook my head, my voice quiet. “No. And… my name isn’t Skylar. It’s Shen.” Zack’s expression morphed into pure shock. He suddenly realized something. “You came back too, didn’t you?” I lowered my head, squeezing my skirt hem. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Skylar!” The hatred in Zack’s eyes was intense. “Do you think faking amnesia or playing dumb can erase the fact that you’re a murderer?” “You’re inventing a fake name to trick me.” He sneered. “What, you thought I’d be desperate to claim you?” “I won’t.” He stepped closer, his eyes scornful. “Fine. Your brother is Shane Yu? Go find him.” He stared at me triumphantly, convinced I would panic. “You’re a lunatic!” The officer snapped, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the police car. “Let’s go. Ignore him.” Zack panicked and chased after the car, banging on the window. “Where are you going?!” He only managed to inhale a lungful of exhaust. The car drove for a long time, finally stopping in front of a sprawling, beautiful house. I was surprised. Shane’s family must be wealthy. My confidence in moving in with him increased. We walked up and knocked. After a long wait, the door opened. The man standing there was tall and lean, with handsome features, but a sickly pale complexion. His messy hair partially covered his eyes. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing slender wrists. Seeing us, he froze. “Who are you?” “Brother, I’m your little sister!” I threw myself into his arms. His body went rigid, but he didn’t push me away immediately. “Skylar, are you crazy?” Zack suddenly rushed up the steps, yanking me away. He pointed at Shane, furious. “What are you doing? Do you know who he is? Jumping into his arms? What if he’s some creep?!” Zack looked disheveled and covered in dust, clearly having followed us the entire way. Just like in the last life, when he secretly followed me and then saved my life. I looked at him, my expression unreadable. “He’s my brother. What right do you have to insult him?” Zack laughed, the sound cold and angry. “He’s your brother? Skylar, open your eyes!” I countered, “If he’s not my brother, are you?” I stared at him, and I saw Zack open his mouth. The word “Yes” was practically on his tongue. But he stopped himself. He glared at me, finally scoffing, “You almost trapped me. I told you, I’m not your brother. You don’t deserve to be my sister.” I gave a self-mocking smile. The officer finally intervened, losing patience. “You two! Which one of you is her actual brother?!” Chapter 4 The moment I rushed into Shane’s arms, He recognized me. Seeing the pleading in my eyes, Shane sighed and turned to the officer. “I am her brother. Thank you for finding my sister for me.” Zack’s face was incredulous. “Fine. Great.” He looked at me darkly. “This wasn’t my choice. This is yours. Don’t regret it later.” He turned and walked away. Watching Zack leave, a bitter feeling surged inside me. Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Me staying away from the Green family? But why did he look so betrayed? After everyone left, I whispered to Shane, “I’m sorry for the trouble.” “Was that your biological brother?” Shane asked. “If you’re having family trouble,” Shane advised, “you should make up with them and go home.” I shook my head, the events of the last life flashing in my mind. I couldn’t go back. I was about to speak when my eyes caught the bottle of pills on the table that he hadn’t put away. Seeing the label, my heart sank. Looking at the man who was staring down, his expression unreadable, I grabbed Shane’s hand. “You once told me that if I didn’t have a home, you’d be my brother and take care of me forever.” My voice was shaking. “Does that promise still hold true?” Shane was silent for a very long time, so long that I thought time had stopped. Finally, he nodded. “It does.” I rushed to hug him happily. “Then from today on, you’re my real brother, and I’m your only sister.” I looked up at him. “We’re each other’s family.” “Now… Brother, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day.” Shane looked surprised. “Okay. I’ll go buy groceries. What do you want to eat?” “Scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Anything else is fine.” I said casually. Shane nodded and went out. I took the opportunity to sweep all the pills off the table and into a drawer. I pretended I hadn’t seen anything. But soon, a knock came at the door. “You’re back so fast?” I opened the door, only to see Zack Green standing there, his face stormy. “Why you?” Zack grabbed my hand without a word and pulled me outside. “Come with me.” I pulled my hand away. “Where are you taking me?” “Home! Skylar, stop playing games! Are you really going to stay with a random stranger?” Zack’s voice suddenly sounded tired. “Since we’re both back, let’s forget about the last life. Come home with me, be a good sister, and Mom and Dad won’t mistreat you. Just stop trying to compete with Amy…” I cut Zack off. “If I say the condition for me to come home is for Amy to leave, would you agree?” The air froze. Zack stared at me in disbelief. Then, hatred flared in his eyes. “I knew it! You’re evil by nature! Why do you have to drive Amy away?!” “I’m telling you, keep dreaming. Amy has been with Mom and Dad for years. They treat her like their own daughter!” “See?” I sneered. “I just brought up the possibility, and you reacted this strongly.” “The situation between Amy and me was unfair from the start!” My voice began to shake. “Did any of you ever consider my feelings? Did I choose to be kidnapped? Do you know how much I suffered during those years?” “Why should I just graciously accept having the love that was mine stolen by someone else?” “You were kidnapped because you were playing around!” Zack blurted out, “Who is to blame but yourself?” I looked up sharply, my eyes burning. “Are you sure I was playing around?” I walked toward him slowly. “Zack, you’ve been lying to everyone for so long. Have you started lying to yourself?” His face instantly turned white. I knew he remembered.

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When my childhood crush told me he was breaking up with me because my family was too poor, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God I was just acting broke, not actually broke. He had no idea my mom made me pretend we were poor because she was afraid he would be intimidated by our wealth. It was exhausting playing poor. Now I finally don’t have to anymore. Chapter 1 Jake Chen was destined to be my future husband. My mom spotted him on the street when he was a kid and immediately declared him the most devastatingly handsome child she’d ever seen—he had to be our son-in-law. To ensure I could snag Jake’s heart early, Our entire family moved from our luxurious penthouse downtown to a rundown apartment next door to his house. Jake and I naturally became childhood sweethearts. After befriending Jake’s family, my mom stopped her regular spa appointments, quit mahjong and golf. She spent her days elbowing Jake’s mom at the supermarket, fighting over discounted eggs and clearance produce. She gave up her socialite life, all for this future son-in-law. I told my dad, My mom was so nuts she’d be canceled by the internet. My dad just quietly pocketed the Rolls-Royce keys. He pulled out the scooter keys and drove me to school. Ugh. My dad is just like me. He has no say in this family. I once asked my mom when I could finally be my true self around Jake. She said adolescence is when self-esteem is most fragile. What if Jake found out how rich we were and got insecure? I don’t know about Jake getting insecure. But I was going crazy. One night, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I marched into their bedroom. I confronted my mom: “Is Jake your secret love child?!” “I don’t care if he is! Just let Dad and me move back downtown!” “We’re willing to accept the secret love child!” The answer was a synchronized beating from both my parents. My butt hurt. Fine. I’ll just suck it up a little longer. Chapter 2 Thankfully, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The day Jake fell for someone else. After school today, Jake refused to take the public bus with me. “Stella, my family’s old house was demolished. You know that.” “Do you know how much the payout was?” He gestured with his hand. “Thirty million dollars.” “I won’t be taking the public bus anymore.” “You know what that means, right?” Honestly, I didn’t. I replied blankly: “Sure. Let’s take an Uber then!” Jake sighed dramatically. “It’s not about the Uber fare.” “Then what is it about?” Jake’s tone suddenly felt unfamiliar. “My mom said we’re moving out of the old neighborhood in a few days.” “I mean, I’m basically an A8 family now. What about you?” “What about me?” Jake sighed again. “I didn’t want to be blunt. Why are you so slow?” “I believe everyone has the right to pursue better things. You can’t stop me from moving on to someone better, right?” “So, Stella, you get my point?” After all that rambling, I finally understood Jake’s point. His family just got a massive payout. And I, his girlfriend, was no longer good enough for him. He was dumping me. “Fine.” He looked surprised that I agreed so quickly. I got nosy. “Who’s the ‘someone better’?” “Summer Lei.” “I think she’s the most suitable match for me right now.” Oh, the school beauty, gorgeous and from a good family. “Got it.” I pulled out my phone. “I agree to the breakup, but you have to tell my mom yourself.” Jake frowned. “Stella, we’re adults. Why involve our mothers?” My attitude was firm. “She won’t believe me if you don’t tell her.” He sighed again. “Fine.” “Breaking up with poor people is such a pain.” Poor people? Is he talking about me? I dialed the number. My mom was excited when she heard Jake’s voice. “Jake, sweetie, want to come over for dinner tonight?” “Your mom hasn’t answered my calls or texts all week. I wonder what she’s so busy with.” Jake was silent for two seconds, sounding slightly guilty. “Auntie, I called to tell you something.” “I think we need to focus on our studies right now. We shouldn’t be distracted by romance.” “So, Stella and I have decided to break up peacefully.” “What peaceful breakup?!” I screamed into the phone. “Jake, why don’t you tell the truth!” “Mom! His family got rich, and he thinks I’m not good enough!” “He’s dumping me to chase the school beauty!” Jake hung up the phone. “Stella!” This was the first time he had ever yelled at me. “Can’t you be mature about this?” “Why do you have to leave a bad impression on my aunt?” Me: ??? What a jerk. “Whatever. It’s over now.” “I’m officially pursuing Summer starting tomorrow. Please tell the class we’ve broken up.” I watched Jake walk away. I was suddenly glad my mom made me pretend to be poor. How else would I have seen his true colors? But what made me happiest? I finally didn’t have to pretend anymore. And no more riding the public bus. Chapter 3 Today, I splurged and took a private car home. The moment I walked in, my mom interrogated me frantically. “What happened with you and Jake? Did you fight?” I shrugged helplessly. “Can’t you see? His family got rich, and he thinks we’re too poor for him.” My mom was in denial. “No way. Jake’s not like that.” “Do you think… he has a terminal illness and is breaking up with you so he doesn’t drag you down?” I rolled my eyes. “Stop reading romance novels. They’ve ruined your brain.” She insisted. “We’ll spend everything we have to save Jake!” My mom grabbed my arm, dragging me out the door. Jake’s house was right across the hall. After knocking several times, his door finally opened. Jake’s mom looked awkward seeing us. “Oh, you’re home.” “You promised we’d go fight over discounted eggs this afternoon. Why didn’t you answer my messages?” My mom has an incredibly high tolerance for rejection. She didn’t notice that the other party clearly didn’t want anything to do with her. She continued: “Jake called to say he was breaking up with Stella.” “I wanted to know if something was wrong.” Suddenly, Jake’s mom became incredibly snobby. “What could be wrong? Are you cursing my Jake?” “They broke up because he doesn’t like her anymore. What’s the problem?” She was about to close the door. But she added one more thing. “Oh, right, Stella’s mom.” “I forgot to tell you, our old house was demolished. We got a thirty-million-dollar payout.” “We just picked up a Porsche today and are moving to a place that costs fifty thousand a square foot next week.” “So, this is where our story ends. No need to keep in touch.” The moment the door slammed shut, I swear I heard my mom’s heart break. My mom still couldn’t believe she misjudged him. Until she saw that her chat window with Jake’s mom had a red exclamation mark next to it (Blocked). That night, she shook me awake. “Stella, let’s move back downtown.” “The penthouse, the concierge service, the luxury spa. I miss them.” I bolted upright in bed and nodded, relieved. It took forever, but my mom finally saw the light. My dad and I drove the Rolls-Royce straight back to the penthouse that very night. We finally didn’t have to pretend to be poor anymore. My custom clothes, luxury bags, limited-edition blind boxes. I bet you missed me. I’m home! Chapter 4 The next day, I walked into the classroom wearing my limited-edition sneakers. Summer Lei scoffed loudly. The other students looked over. “Stella and Summer are wearing the same shoes.” “It took me one second to guess who’s wearing the fake ones.” “Stella bought knockoffs? No wonder Jake dumped her. She’s so shallow.” “I heard Stella is still harassing Jake, clinging to him even after his family got rich.” “She was wearing eighty-dollar sneakers yesterday. Now she’s in twenty-thousand-dollar shoes? Who’s going to believe that?” Summer played the generous angel. She pretended to be understanding. “It’s okay. Stella probably just doesn’t know about brands.” I slapped her hand away. “Who the hell doesn’t know about brands?” Summer was embarrassed but couldn’t show it. She forced herself to look hurt. “Why are you so mean?” “If you’re mad because Jake is chasing me,” “I just won’t say yes to him.” ??? Who’s mad about that? Jake swooped in like a hero, protecting his potential girlfriend. “Stella, we’ve known each other for years. Don’t I know exactly who you are?” “You know the most about two-dollar street food and seven-dollar instant noodles. You know anything about designer sneakers?” The class erupted in laughter. “I saw Stella arguing with an old lady over fifty cents! She’s desperate!” “She thinks wearing the same shoes as the school beauty makes her one? Or is she trying to win Jake back?” “No matter how hard she tries, the school beauty’s style is still low-budget on her.” Maybe the thirty-million-dollar payout gave him confidence. Jake decided to test me. “Since you claim you know shoes.” “What’s the name of the founder of this brand? What’s his birthday?” The name and model number were on the tip of my tongue. You don’t ask the brand name? You ask about the founder and his birthday? My face was red with fury. Before I could explode, Jake assumed I was humiliated. “Enough. I know breaking up with me hit you hard.” He pulled a meal card out of his pocket. “There’s five hundred dollars on this. It should last you one semester.” Seeing me refuse, he shoved it into my hand. “Stop pretending. I know you need it.” “Consider it compensation for the breakup.” I rolled my eyes and threw the meal card back at him. I sat back down in my seat, only to realize Jake had moved. He moved next to Summer, claiming he was helping her study. But everyone knew his real motive. Jake was gone. No one wanted to sit next to me. But a poor student in the class, Chloe Xie, took pity on me and silently moved to the empty seat. As Chloe moved, Summer leaned on my desk and sneered: “The whole class hates her now. Moving next to her? You know what that means.” Chloe still moved next to me. I asked her why. She said she couldn’t stand Jake and Summer using their money to bully people. I felt slightly offended. It’s still TBD who’s using money to bully people.

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