My uncle’s family bound themselves to us with a “Double Effect” system. If my dad earned $10,000, my uncle’s stock account would mysteriously gain $20,000. If my mom got a facial, my aunt’s rough skin would become twice as smooth for no reason. My family scrimped and saved for years to buy a spacious condo. Immediately, my uncle’s family bought a townhouse in the same complex. This continued until the last subject of the college entrance exams. I accidentally drank spiked water. I endured the stomach cramps and finished the test, thinking I was done for. But the next moment, paramedics rushed past, carrying my cousin, who had uncontrollably soiled himself in another exam hall. 1 As soon as I walked out of the exam hall, my parents rushed me to the hospital. They couldn’t understand it. My grades were usually trash, so I never had test anxiety. Why would I suddenly have stomach spasms? Compared to me, my cousin, Brandon, had it much worse. His “incident” was so spectacular that experts at the city’s top hospital were treating him like a lab rat, running every test imaginable. But they couldn’t find a physical cause for why he turned into a human fountain. Finally, the experts concluded that Brandon must have succumbed to immense psychological pressure during the exam. Grandma and Grandpa were wailing in the hospital corridor. “My precious grandson! My poor baby! He’s suffered so much!” “Brandon has always been top of his class! He was Ivy League material! Who knew he was under so much pressure?!” I walked past the emergency room, watching my grandparents howl. You’d think Brandon had died. My parents exchanged glances, unsure whether to approach. The moment Grandma saw me, she charged over like a rabid chicken. “You jinx! What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at your cousin?” So even Grandma thought it was funny. My mom shielded me, her face cold. My dad stepped forward to stop Grandma. “Mom, what are you doing? Roxy is sick too. She just came from another department.” Grandma didn’t show an ounce of concern. Instead, she glared at me with hatred. “She’s sick too? She must have passed her bad luck to Brandon! She did it on purpose so he wouldn’t get into Harvard!” My mom exploded. “My daughter getting sick is bad luck, but your precious grandson getting sick isn’t? Brandon shitting himself in the exam hall and spraying everyone’s papers—now that’s bad luck! Grandma, keep spewing nonsense, and see if karma doesn’t hit your precious grandson right in the ass!” Grandma’s eyes went wide. She looked like she’d been struck by lightning. She opened her mouth to curse but couldn’t get a word out. My mom smiled silently. “Children suffering is usually because the elders committed sins! Keep cursing, keep scolding. My daughter is tough, but your delicate grandson might not survive your bad karma!” Grandma was so angry smoke was coming out of her ears. She clenched her fists, grinding her teeth loud enough for us to hear. I could tell she was cursing us out in her head. Grandpa couldn’t take it anymore and scolded my dad. “Enough! Can’t you say something?” My dad mumbled, “Dad, I’m clumsy with words, just like you. You didn’t say anything just now either.” Grandpa’s face turned red, and he waved his hand, telling us to get lost! 2 So, we got lost. The difference was, my dad and I left with relief, while my mom left triumphantly. My mom used to be gentle. Her sharp tongue was honed over nearly two decades of fighting with Grandma. Being able to shut Grandma up would keep her happy until dinner. For years, my dad stood by my mom. Mostly because Grandma was too much. Misogyny aside, she insisted I was bad luck! Brandon and I were born around the same time, just an hour apart. But Grandma listened to some wandering fortune teller who said our fates clashed. Since Brandon was the “destined genius,” I must be the jinx suppressing him. Grandma wanted to send me away. My parents refused. From then on, Grandma never gave me a kind look. My parents were educated and didn’t believe in such superstitions. Knowing Grandma disliked me, I grew up at my maternal grandma’s house in the city. We thought distance would fade the nonsense about clashing fates. But my uncle’s family had other ideas! When I started elementary school, they moved to the city too. We bought a condo; they bought a townhouse in the same complex. We went to the same school, just different classes. Even my aunt’s boutique opened right across the street from my mom’s office. We couldn’t avoid them! Just now, as we left the hospital, Uncle’s call came in like a debt collector. My dad was driving, so my mom answered on speaker, holding the phone far away. Uncle’s furious voice roared out. “Dave! Did anything happen while you were driving just now?” My dad glanced at the phone with disdain. “No! I’m driving normally. What could happen?” Uncle asked again, “I heard Roxy is sick? Is that true?” My mom rolled her eyes. “Brother, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” “Hey, hey, hey…” My mom hung up and muted the phone. “Gold miners couldn’t dig up a psycho like him! A few years ago he seemed to care, now he’s just like your mom, blaming Roxy for everything that happens to his son.” My dad said quietly, “He didn’t say that… forget it. Let’s not talk about the kids’ exams anymore.” My mom turned to look at me from the passenger seat. “Roxy, you did your best. Don’t stress.” I frowned at the frantic WeChat messages from Uncle. [Roxy, is your dad really okay driving?] Why was Uncle so nervous about my dad driving? When we got to the parking lot, my mom noticed a scratch on the rear bumper. “When did this happen?” My dad slapped a Tom & Jerry sticker over it. “Company finances are tight. Let’s leave it for now.” That night, I scrolled through my friend Lucy’s feed. [So unlucky today! Encountered a bio-weapon in the exam hall, and then got rear-ended leaving the city. Please let the rest of the trip be smooth.] The photo showed a three-car pileup on the highway. The car in front had its rear end smashed. And in the corner of the photo, my uncle was angrily holding his phone. Too much of a coincidence? 3 That night, the news reported on the exam incident with a blurry surveillance video. In the video, Brandon suddenly raised his arms and shouted, “I can’t take it anymore!” As soon as he took a step, his pants fell down. The students near him were the victims. Their exam papers were sprayed with disgusting brown liquid. The news station even thoughtfully mosaicked Brandon’s eruption. We hadn’t watched TV in ages. A friend called my dad to tell him to turn it on. The friend chuckled on the phone. “The station is useless. Why mosaic the butt? They should have mosaicked his face!” My dad was too embarrassed to speak. Even with the blur, anyone who knew Brandon recognized his “robust” figure. 6’2″, 250 pounds. Sitting on the floor, struggling to get up but failing. My mom said “Ew” and changed the channel. My dad hung up. “How could this happen to Brandon? Will it affect his score?” My mom scoffed. “If his score is affected, Grandma will blame Roxy. Even if he does well, she’ll laugh at us first, then blame Roxy. I’d rather worry about Roxy.” My dad sighed. “Everyone knows Brandon is my nephew. Don’t be so harsh…” My mom cut him off. “He’s a giant baby! Your parents spoiled him rotten. Treating the exam hall like a kindergarten potty. People are calling our house; think about how you’ll face your boss tomorrow!” While they argued, I was glued to my phone. From the moment the exam ended, Brandon’s “incident” went viral. It was trending top three on Weibo, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu. Many students in the same hall were affected. One girl vomited on the spot and cried hysterically afterward. Some students were threatening online not to let Brandon off easy. 4 The next day after work, my dad went to visit Brandon in the hospital out of kindness. In the ward, Brandon was playing video games like nothing happened. Grandma was hovering with chicken soup. “Good grandson, come, drink some soup.” Brandon looked at the greasy soup with disgust. “It smells gross! Take it away!” Grandma looked even more loving the more he rejected her. It was like she couldn’t express her love unless she spoon-fed him. “Just one sip, good boy!” Grandma held the spoon with one hand and the bowl with the other. Her long, yellow fingernails were dipping into the soup. Seeing her get closer, Brandon flailed his arm in annoyance. The hot soup splashed all over Grandma’s chest. “Ah!” “Mom!” Brandon was fed up. “I told you to stay away! Look, there’s a feather in the soup! How can I drink that?” My dad walked in and supported Grandma. “Brandon, is that any way to behave?” Brandon wasn’t afraid of my dad at all. He sneered. “Uncle Dave, why aren’t you being a corporate slave at your company? What are you doing here?” My dad was furious. “Is this how you talk to elders? Where are your parents? I need to ask them how they raised you!” Brandon pouted. “Go find them! My parents do big business. They aren’t idle like you, watching over someone else’s son.” Grandma stopped my dad from scolding him. “Brandon just recovered, don’t bully him!” A weird smell wafted from Grandma’s wet, greasy clothes, making my dad step back. Brandon sat on the bed and said, “Uncle Dave, sucking up to me now is useless!” My dad looked like he heard a joke. “Me? Suck up to you?” Brandon was arrogant. “Yeah! There’s no free lunch. My mock exam scores are Ivy League level. Even if I messed up the last subject, I can still pick any top university I want! Uncle, I understand you. You don’t have a son, and Roxy is a loser destined for community college. You’re here being nice because you want to rely on me later! The family’s future depends on me!” My dad was stunned for a second, then exploded. “You little idiot! Mom, this is the kid you spoiled! Spraying shit in the exam hall wasn’t enough, now he’s spewing shit from his mouth!” Hearing “spraying shit,” Brandon’s face turned green. Grandma was even more anxious. “Shut up! Who said you could mention that! Brandon has… Irritable Bowel Syndrome! You’re just jealous because he’s not your son!” 5 My dad got kicked out of the ward. He came home and told my mom. My mom had long lost hope for that family. “So what? Your mom has treated Roxy like this for eighteen years. Your brother and sister-in-law made money in stocks and got cocky. Now that Brandon is going to a top college, your mom doesn’t need you anymore.” My dad let out a bitter laugh. “No son, sucking up to a nephew, family glory… young people don’t talk like that. He must have heard it from my parents and brother. I thought my brother still cared about me. We lived in the same complex, kids went to the same school… I thought he was checking on me out of concern. Now I see it was just comparison and showing off!” My mom was unhappy too. “Years ago, your sister-in-law’s shop was across from my office. My colleagues went in, and she’d ask about my salary and benefits. When they didn’t want to say, she’d give them attitude and call them poor behind their backs. Who cares about relatives like that? It’s obvious: they’re afraid you’ll suffer, but they’re terrified you’ll drive a Range Rover.” I didn’t listen to the rest. Now that I think about it, my uncle’s family did pay a weird amount of attention to us. Normally, they’d ask about our income. If it was high, they looked jealous or competitive. If it was low, they looked smug. That was normal toxic relative behavior. Until Brandon and I started elementary school. I have zero talent for studying. No matter how hard I tried, I was average at best. Brandon played all day but always scored at the top. At first, my parents sent me to cram schools. But after years of effort, we accepted the truth. I am a mediocrity. Brandon is a natural genius. I was mocked for this constantly. Feeling suffocated, I started organizing my old test papers. Most students tear them up to celebrate freedom, but I wanted to sell them for scrap. My grades were worthless anyway. My phone pinged. A notification from the school’s confession wall. A hot post titled: [Don’t idealize geniuses, especially the ones who shit themselves!] Apparently, a junior girl had bid high for Brandon’s notes, hoping for wisdom. Instead, she got blank pages, doodles, and crude ratings of girls’ appearances in each class. Things like “bangable,” “needs to be trained,” “huge tits.” It was disgusting. The girl demanded a refund. Brandon refused and insulted her. “Even if I bombed the last subject, I’m scoring over 700! Worship me and shut up! Just wait for my score to slap your face, bitch!” The girl was furious and posted everything. 700? Brandon had hit that in mocks. But my grades were so bad my parents never compared us. I quickly looked up his past scores. Me: 360. Brandon: 720. Me: 356. Brandon: 712. Me: 345. Brandon: 690. My scores hovered around 350. His were always double mine. Double. Exactly double. That was too coincidental!

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I was born a devil. At three, I killed animals for fun. At seven, I killed a person. Terrified, my family locked me away in a psychiatric hospital. Twelve years later, my gentle, kind-hearted older brother committed suicide. My mother checked me out of the asylum. The moment we stepped outside, her eyes burning with hatred, she said: “If you really are a devil, kill everyone who tormented your brother.” My family has a legend: if twins are born, one is destined to be a devil. In the old days, twins were burned alive together. Luckily, times have changed, so my brother and I were allowed to live. Before we turned three, everything was peaceful. We were cute kids, loved by everyone. But the whispers never stopped. One must be a devil. It was written into the family genealogy, a curse hanging over our heads. Our clan hasn’t seen twins in over three hundred years. When I was three, a goose tried to peck me. I grabbed its neck with both hands and bit its throat out. Blood sprayed everywhere. I dragged the dead goose home, presenting it to my mom like a trophy, saying we should eat it for dinner. My parents were horrified. The story spread through the village like wildfire. Demon child. But since the goose attacked first, and other kids saw it, my parents just thought I was fierce. Not a devil. The village elders agreed. Killing a child over a goose was illegal, after all. They just told my parents to watch me closely. But from then on, any animal that attacked me died a brutal death. My parents paid a lot in damages. When I was five, a group of kids, led by the village bully, cornered me, calling me a monster. I nearly beat the bully to death. If adults hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have made it. After that, I was locked in my room. Only my brother, Jack, would come to play. When he started school, he’d tell me stories and teach me to read. He said once I could read, I could enjoy novels. He shared everything with me. He was my only friend. When I was seven, I heard Mom crying in the yard. I peeked out the window. Jack had been beaten badly by the bully. The bully’s family was powerful; the village chief only gave them a slap on the wrist. But Jack’s right arm was broken. The tendons were severed. The doctor said even if it healed, his hand would never be the same. He’d struggle to hold anything heavier than a bowl. That night, I pried open my window. When my parents found me, I was at the bully’s house. The bully was dead. It wasn’t pretty. I was beaten bloody by his parents, but I was alive. When I saw my parents, I smiled. “I avenged Jack.” But they didn’t smile. The bully’s family didn’t smile. Seeing a blood-soaked seven-year-old grinning sent chills down everyone’s spine. The police came. Because of my age and what I did, I was sent to a psychiatric hospital. 2 For twelve years, Jack visited me every weekend. He brought snacks, taught me more words, and brought me storybooks. But then, a month and a half passed. Jack didn’t come. Mom came instead. I barely recognized her. She looked like a ghost—haggard, hair messy, eyes burning with hate. She had already processed my release. Maybe my twelve years of good behavior helped. She didn’t say a word the whole way home. I just watched. When we entered the yard, the smell of herbal medicine hit me. “Your father is paralyzed,” Mom finally said. “Someone broke his spine. He’s been bedridden for two years.” “Dad? The man who wouldn’t hurt a fly?” I laughed. Mom clenched her fists and walked into Jack’s room without answering. Inside, a white sheet covered a body on the bed. My smile froze. I walked over and lifted the sheet. Jack’s face was blue, peaceful in death. I pulled the sheet back further. Bruises on his neck—strangulation marks. Claw marks. I unbuttoned his shirt. His body was a map of scars. Some old, some new, some festering. Mom stood beside me, dry-eyed. She had no tears left. “If you really are a devil,” she hissed, “kill everyone who hurt your father and brother. If you hate me for sending you away, kill me too.” “Who?” I asked calmly. Mom told me everything through gritted teeth. Because I killed the bully when I was seven, his family held a grudge. They bullied my family relentlessly, rallying the village against us. My dad and Jack were too gentle. They took it. It started with beatings. Tearing Jack’s clothes off, making him walk home naked. Then it got worse. Cigarette burns. Carving humiliating words into his skin with knives. When the wounds healed, they carved them again. The village chief and elders told us to keep the peace. Dad finally snapped and fought back. But the bully’s family was ruthless and outnumbered him. They broke his spine. The elders made the bully’s family pay a small fine. No police involved. They threatened to kick us out of the village if we went to the cops. Because we had twins. Because I was a devil. After Dad was paralyzed, the bullying got worse. Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He drank pesticide. I grinned. “So, I can do whatever I want?” “Yes. I want them dead. All of them.” Mom screamed the last words, eyes wild. I looked at Jack’s body and smiled. “Jack, from today on, I am you. This is going to be fun.” 3 Mom kept Jack’s body in the freezer. I put on his clothes and stepped into his life. Jack had eleven cigarette burns. I took Dad’s cigarettes and burned myself in the exact same spots. I replicated every scar, expressionless. Mom watched. For the first time, she smiled at me. Before, she would have called me a monster. But now, her eyes held relief. Even joy. After the wounds scabbed over, I cut my hair like Jack’s. In his clothes, even Mom couldn’t tell us apart. “Jack,” she whispered, hugging me. “Mom, I’m going to the workshop,” I said, mimicking Jack’s gentle tone. She nodded, staring at me in a daze. I arrived at the carpentry workshop. The scent of sawdust was comforting. The Master was over sixty, the best carpenter in the village. He was one of the few who treated us like normal people. He looked surprised. He took off his glasses and studied me. “Jack, are you okay? I heard Chen the First gave you trouble again. Sigh. It’s a sin.” “I can’t do much besides woodwork, Jack. If you’re hurting, rest. I won’t dock your pay.” I shook my head and smiled. “Master, I’m fine. I want to learn.” I took the plane he offered and started working the wood, moving just like Jack did. Soon, another apprentice, Yang, arrived. He looked shocked to see me. He patted my shoulder. “Jack, heard Chen the First came for you again? That guy is too much. Someone needs to teach him a lesson.” I smiled faintly. “It’s in the past. Let’s work.” Yang wanted to say more but stayed quiet. Thirty minutes later, he made an excuse and left. The village’s best land was a resort, the village’s cash cow. Chen the First and his cronies ran it. It was his family’s business. Yang snuck in like a thief. “Boss Chen, Jack is back. He looks fine.” “Hah, Jack’s tough. Good. Means we can keep playing,” Chen the First laughed. “How about branding? Let’s brand the resort logo on his face. A walking billboard!” someone suggested. “Great idea! Get the blacksmith on it!” Chen the First roared with laughter. He slapped Yang on the back. “Good job. Next time we go drinking, you’re coming. Now go watch Jack.” “Thanks, Boss Chen!” Yang walked back happily, dreaming of booze and women. “Yang, you look happy.” My voice made him jump. He saw me leaning against a tree, whittling a branch with a carving knife. Yang turned pale. “Jack… w-why are you here?” I smiled. “I smell blood. Your blood smells delicious.” Yang’s eyes bulged. He backed away. “W-what do you want?” 4 He turned to run. I threw the knife. It struck his calf, slicing through flesh. He face-planted into the dirt. “Ah! Jack, are you crazy?! Do you know who I work for? I’m Chen the First’s man! You dare—AH!” I interrupted him by driving a sharpened wooden stake through his hand, hammering it into the ground with a rock. “Waaah… Jack! Brother Jack, I’m wrong! I shouldn’t have snitched! I won’t do it again! Please let me go! AH!” Every struggle tore his hand. He had to relax to lessen the pain. But soon, his other hand was nailed down too. He screamed and begged as I crucified him on the ground, spread-eagled. Every strike of the rock made him convulse. When I was done, I picked up a final, foot-long wooden stake and walked to his head. Pain had kept him conscious. He shook his head in terror. “No, no… Grandpa, Ancestor, please! I won’t do it again! Don’t kill me!” I squatted by his head. “Jack had to die for me to come out.” “His kindness was the only thing suppressing my evil. Thank you for releasing me.” Yang stared at me, trembling. “You… you’re… the devil!” I smiled. I positioned the stake over his mouth. A half-scream, then the dull thud of rock on wood. Thirty seconds later, silence. A few crows gathered, eyeing the meal pinned to the ground. I returned to the workshop and kept working. The Master asked nothing. It was my first time doing woodwork, but the Master taught me patiently. Around noon, the village erupted in noise. Cries and shouts. A man ran in. “Master Chen! Your apprentice is dead! On the west mountain path! Come look!” The Master glanced at me, put down his tools, and waved. “Let’s go.” A crowd had gathered on the mountain path. The stakes had been pulled out. Yang’s body was covered with a straw mat. His mother was wailing beside it. Only men were allowed; women were kept away to avoid the shock. Even the men looked green. Everyone speculated, but no one suspected me. Jack was the village punching bag. He never fought back. The elders ordered an investigation and told the Master to make a coffin. We worked through the night. We delivered the coffin to Yang’s house on a cart. As soon as we unloaded it, Yang’s mother slapped the Master. “You old useless thing! I sent my son to learn from you! Why didn’t you watch him?! Why didn’t you die instead?!” Then Yang’s sister kicked me. She pointed a finger in my face. “You devil spawn! When your mom birthed twins, we should have burned you both!” “And your mom… probably slept with a demon! Your whole family deserves to die! Why did my brother have to die?!” I looked at the footprint on my stomach and smiled at her. “How do you want to die?” 5 Her face twisted in fear. She raised her hand to hit me again but hesitated. She stomped back and screamed, “Dad! Jack molested me!” Yang’s father stormed over, eyes blazing. “You little shit! Touching my daughter?!” He slapped me hard across the face. I didn’t dodge. The sound echoed in the quiet night. The Master tried to speak, but Yang’s mother shoved him. “What? You old fool! Siding with the devil spawn? You killed my son, now you want to ruin us all?!” The Master lowered his head. Yang’s family vented all their grief and rage on me. Now I knew how they treated Jack. I took it all silently. Finally, they got tired. “Leave the kid here to work,” Yang’s father barked. “Damn kid is creepy. Doesn’t make a sound.” The Master looked at me with a complicated expression. “Thank you,” he whispered, then left with the empty cart. “Demon spawn! Get over here! Put my son in the coffin!” Yang’s father yelled. I got up and silently lifted Yang’s body into the coffin. They made me stand guard outside alone while they went to sleep. Late at night, I heard rustling from the sister’s room. I crept over. Through the gap in the curtains, I saw Chen the First climbing in through the second-floor window. “Missed me, baby?” He grabbed her immediately, hands roaming. “First… be gentle. My brother just died. You have to find the killer,” she moaned. “Stupid woman. He’s dead, good riddance. No one to fight you for the inheritance now,” Chen the First chuckled, stripping off her clothes. “Idiot. Find the killer, get compensation money, then send him to jail.” She giggled. They didn’t even fully undress before going at it by the window. “Jack was weird today. Didn’t make a sound when we beat him. And the way he looked at me… that smile gave me the creeps,” she said. Chen the First sneered. “My brother was killed by his twin when he was seven. Don’t clean up later. Go seduce Jack. I’ll come through the front door to ‘mourn’ Yang, catch you two, and bury him with your brother.” Her eyes flashed with malice. “Deal.”

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1 Lucas Frost and I were famous in our circle as “The Toxic Exes.” We tortured each other for ten years until we reached a truce. But on the first day he returned from abroad, just to make his new beauty smile, he trashed my bar. I tore into him verbally. “Tsk, breaking your place felt good,” he sneered. “Name your price. I’ll pay whatever you want for damages.” What demands could a dying woman have? After my last checkup, I knew I was out of time. A mother and daughter in the waiting room, both recovered, looked at me with pity. “That poor girl. So young, and in the end, she won’t even have anyone to collect her body.” Sitting in the cold hospital hallway, I dialed that number I’d had saved for ten years. “If you really want to compensate me… collect my body when I’m gone.” … It was a rainy night, and the bar was empty. The TV was playing the news about Lucas Frost’s return. Just as I was about to close up, a young girl walked in. She folded her umbrella and pointed excitedly at the bottles behind the counter. “I’ll take all of these.” Behind her walked Lucas’s best friend, Ethan Cole. When he saw me, he froze. “Uh, maybe we should go somewhere else?” “But I brought this wine to Lucas before, and he loved it! He said it was his favorite.” The girl turned to me, beaming. “Bartender, I’m booking the whole place tonight. Bring out those bottles.” I nodded, my hands trembling slightly as I scooped ice. Not from nerves, or excitement. But because my illness was terminal, and the tremors were getting worse. “Ethan, can you light the candles? Lucas will be so happy when he gets here, right?” Ethan didn’t answer. He knew that seeing me was the last thing that would make Lucas happy. On the TV, Lucas smirked at the cameras. “She’s definitely watching. I’m looking forward to our reunion.” From this angle, the scar on his eyebrow was glaringly obvious. I gave him that scar with a kitchen knife. No reason. I was just in a bad mood, so I cut him. The jagged scar on the webbing of my hand was from when he ripped my skin open with his bare hands. It got infected repeatedly, leaving this mark. “Mr. Frost, where are you headed now? With those roses, are you meeting your girlfriend?” He paused for a beat. “My fiancée.” The girl in my bar was busy setting the mood. Hearing the news report, she turned to look at the TV. “Ethan, have you ever met his first love? The one he dated for ten years?” I kept my head down, shaking the mixer, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan glance at me. “Lucas!” The girl ran out excitedly, forgetting her umbrella. “Zoey.” Lucas tilted his umbrella to cover her. She stood on her tiptoes, planting an excited kiss on the corner of his mouth. Lucas flinched back slightly. Our eyes met through the rain-streaked glass. Zoey tried to turn around to follow his gaze, but he grabbed her chin, tilting her head up for a deep kiss. I looked away and dropped a mint leaf into the glass. Ethan walked up to the counter. He hesitated before speaking. “Please, don’t make trouble for him again.” He thought for a moment, then added. “She’s pretty, right? She looks a bit like you did when you were younger. She’s only nineteen.” I nodded, feeling a bit dazed. “She is pretty.” Two figures walked into the bar. Lucas closed his black umbrella. “Are you guys… praising my fiancée?” With that, his gaze fell heavily on me. It had been a long time. 2 Ethan held his breath, watching me. He wasn’t sure if I’d do something crazy again. But I just slid the glasses toward them. “Drinks are ready. Enjoy.” Zoey rested her chin in her hands, eyes full of joy as she looked at the man across from her. “Lucas, try it. It’s the one you said was your favorite.” Lucas took a sip, his fingers tracing the rim of the glass. “Bitter and astringent. Indeed, my favorite.” Zoey took a suspicious sip. “But this isn’t sweet! You lied to me again!” She didn’t notice his eyes were fixed intensely on me. The bar door was kicked open. “Bro! Welcome back!” A group of guys swaggered in. Their joyous expressions froze the moment they saw me. Their eyes darted between me and Ethan, cautious and probing. I brought over their drinks. As I handed them out, they all flinched, raising their arms to block their faces. During my war with Lucas, they had been caught in the crossfire a few times. Just minor skirmishes, but apparently, they held a grudge. “Ethan, what’s the situation?” one whispered. Ethan shrugged. “Enjoy.” I turned to leave, but Zoey grabbed my hand. “Miss, can you take a picture for us?” “No.” I dusted off my apron and started to walk away. Lucas’s voice stopped me. “You’re running a business. Everything has a price. Name yours.” I didn’t speak. He threw a stack of cash at me. “Enough?” I turned around. The wad of bills hit me square in the face. “Lucas… don’t…” “Sorry, miss, my fiancée is a bit drunk.” I bent down to pick up the money. “With his tolerance, two drinks won’t get him drunk.” A scoff came from above. “Bro, she still loves money this much. Three years later, still a cheap piece of trash.” Maybe I’d been too quiet, giving them the confidence to speak like that. I picked up ten bills, crumpled and dirty with alcohol and mud, and balled them up. I walked calmly up to Lucas. He held out his phone confidently, seeming to enjoy my current temperament. I grabbed his jaw, forcing his mouth open, and shoved the ball of cash inside. Just to make sure it went down, I poured two drinks down his throat along with it. Turning around, I slapped the guy who called me trash. “Run your mouth again, and I’ll sew it shut.” It happened so fast, the only sound left was the rain outside. Only Ethan sighed, leaning back and downing a drink. “Boss, this isn’t how you do business! We were wrong first, hitting you was wrong, but he…” I turned and slapped him too. Lucas wiped his mouth, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Hitting me is fine. But slapping my fiancée’s face? Too far. Zoey, how do you want to vent?” Zoey covered her face, tears welling in her eyes. Lucas scanned the room. “Nice place. Smash it to make Zoey feel better?” As she nodded, bodyguards filed in with bats. Windows, the island, the lights—everything was smashed to pieces. Through the broken window, rain lashed against my face. Lucas pinched my cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, but I need to make Zoey happy. Think about what compensation you want. I’ll agree to anything.” His greedy gaze lingered on my face. I shook him off, coughing uncontrollably, frantically searching through the rubble for my medicine bottle. He glanced at the label with disdain. “Taking six sedatives at once? Trying to kill yourself?” He threw the bottle into a puddle and walked away with his arm around Zoey. I crouched by the puddle, fished out two more pills, and swallowed them. These weren’t just sedatives; they were painkillers. It started with half a pill. Now, eight pills barely took the edge off. The medicine was running out, and so was my life. 3 In the last three years, my mom died. She left me this bar. It was all I had. Suddenly, I didn’t know where to go. Or maybe the pain racking my body made me too lazy to move. I sat in the ruins, soaked by rain all night. By morning, the scandal of Lucas Frost’s revenge on his ex was all over the news in Seacity. As the sun rose, I decided to leave. Before I did, I kowtowed three times to the wreckage. Lucas appeared out of nowhere. He stepped over the debris and lifted me up with one hand. “It’s just a broken bar. Why do this to yourself?” I dusted off my hands, stood steady, and slapped him three times. Hard. “My mom’s memorial tablet was in there. I couldn’t find it, so I kowtowed.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Three slaps for your mom’s tablet. Fair trade.” I ignored him and walked out. He followed, chattering, trying to provoke me. “Jane, I’m talking to you.” I walked like I was deaf. He hurried to catch up. “Stop pretending you don’t care. Do you know how terrible you look right now? Still acting tough.” “Got a little sick, look a little haggard. Do you really think you’re important enough to affect me?” But I was certain of one thing. He came back specifically to torment me. If I were healthy, I wouldn’t mind skinning him alive again. But now, I didn’t have the energy. At the hospital. Several doctors looked at my scans with complicated expressions. “How much medicine do you have left?” “None.” “None?! That was a three-month supply! You finished it in a week?” Dr. Zhang had been managing my case. The moment he faltered, I knew. My time was up. “Where are… your parents?” “Dr. Zhang, you really have a bad memory. After all this time, don’t you know me? Just a few years of torture, then a handful of dirt. I can handle it.” He adjusted his glasses. “Your mood has been stable for three years. Why the sudden change this week?” I looked at the news notification on my phone. Sometimes, the people you care about least become the invisible executioners. “Your condition is very bad. Without medication, it could be seven days, a month, maybe three. Hard to say.” “Take this. Take three pills when it hurts. Remember, maximum three…” Before he finished, I opened the bottle and swallowed a mouthful. Didn’t matter how many. As long as it stopped hurting. Seven days or three months, it was all the same to me. After taking the pills, I squatted in the most inconspicuous corner of the hospital. Leaning against the cold wall, sweat soaked my back over and over again. In ten minutes, I heard every prayer and plea imaginable outside the operating room. “Mommy, is that the big sister from before? Should we say goodbye when we get better?” “She won’t get better. Let’s not upset her. Sigh, poor kid. No parents, serious illness. Probably won’t even have anyone to collect her body when she dies.” The little girl looked up innocently. “Her mom and dad… there must be someone in the world who loves her, right?” I looked at the blurry text on my phone, rubbing my eyes for a long time. It was a text from Lucas. He’d been messaging since last night, asking about compensation. I thought, maybe no one loves me, but I might have found someone to collect my body. I dialed the number I had saved for ten years. He picked up quickly. “Decided?” “If you insist on compensation, Lucas… collect my body when I die.” 4 Silence on the other end for three seconds, followed by a scoff. “People as vicious as you usually live a long time. But if you really do die before me, don’t worry. I’ll give you a grand funeral. I’ll light up the whole city for you!” With that promise, I hung up satisfied. Walking out of the hospital, I saw the mother and daughter from earlier. The little girl patted her chest. “Who says no one loves her? I love her.” “Alright, let’s go. The bus… oh, the bus!” The mother chased after it. I walked to the parking garage. When I drove out, they were still there, so I offered them a ride. “Get in. I’ll drop you off.” I took them to the city center. They thanked me profusely. “Well, look who’s doing charity work? Trying to buy some good karma?” Lucas and his crew stumbled out of a bar nearby. Zoey stared at me intently. I didn’t want to deal with them. I tried to drive away, but Zoey pressed her hand against my window. She smiled, but her eyes were cold. “Sister, I just found out about you and Lucas. Yesterday… I didn’t offend you, did I?” I tried to roll up the window, but she held it down. “Sister, I have something for you. I mean no harm.” “I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Scram.” Zoey suddenly let go. As I started to drive, she pulled a jar from her bag. “I heard your mom’s urn was in the shop. I was afraid you’d have nothing to remember her by, so I went this morning and scooped up some ashes from the site.” She reached into the window and, right in front of my face, poured the ash onto the ground. “Oops! Sister, why didn’t you catch it? You won’t blame me, right?” I watched her performance. Great. She asked for it. The guys behind her didn’t know what was happening; they were praising Zoey’s magnanimity. “Zoey is so thoughtful, talking to her despite the disgust, and even giving a gift.” Zoey turned back confidently, walking toward the car in front of me. She waved the keys, celebrating her victory. I looked at the guy next to my window. “I have a gift for her too.” He smirked. “What could you possibly give her?” I buckled my seatbelt. “A ride to hell.” Before the sentence ended, I slammed the gas pedal. I smashed into the Porsche in front of me. The impact was violent. My car drifted out of control, but I gripped the wheel and didn’t let up on the gas. In the rearview mirror, the drunk guys sobered up instantly. “She’s crazy!” “I told you she was a ticking time bomb! You had to provoke her!” “Relax, she’s a paper tiger. If she wanted to fight, she would have already. Just scaring us to vent.” True, I just needed to vent. But I wasn’t done yet. Zoey stumbled out of the smoking car, playing the victim again. “Lucas… did I do something wrong?” Lucas was bleeding from his head, rushing to the other side of the car to grab Zoey. He seemed to realize my intent. “Jane! Don’t you dare!” Joke’s on him. I dare do anything. I stared at Zoey and floored it. The car roared toward her.

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Chapter 1 At our high school reunion, our former class beauty was basking in the limelight when someone popped the question: “Sophie, we’re all pushing thirty, and most of us are hitched. Why are you still single?” Sophie smiled faintly. “People get stuck on the ones they couldn’t have in their youth and waste their lives. I’m just… not willing to settle.” Her gaze drifted toward Julian, who was sitting right next to me. Her eyes were heavy with meaning. The table instantly erupted in teasing: “You’re talking about Julian, aren’t you?” “You two were my favorite couple back then! I was so bummed when Chloe snatched him up.” “Chloe just took advantage of the situation. You met Julian first.” Amidst the noise, I nudged the man beside me and whispered: “Hubby, they’re saying I stole you. What’s your take?” “Chloe, you and Julian are married?!” Gasps echoed around the table. Sophie jerked her head up, her eyes locking onto Julian with disbelief. A few classmates laughed awkwardly. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? We’re old friends, that’s cold!” “Yeah… unless Julian didn’t want to?” “When Sophie went abroad, he was heartbroken for ages. Heard he almost spiraled into depression.” “So it makes sense he settled for Chloe.” “Why are you defending Chloe? Everyone knows Sophie was just too poor back then, and Chloe took advantage…” I ignored the gossip and put some of Julian’s favorite dishes onto his plate. After all, we dated for three years and have been married for two. Not every high school sweetheart story gets a sequel just because the ex comes back. Besides, Julian and I grew up together. I made him come tonight; otherwise, Sophie wouldn’t even have had the chance to see him. But Julian, sitting beside me, remained silent. I glanced at him. He was staring intensely at Sophie, not touching the food I gave him. The atmosphere cooled. I put down my chopsticks. He couldn’t… still be hung up on her, right? I almost forgot. In high school, Julian’s love for Sophie was legendary. Back then, Sophie was so poor she sometimes couldn’t afford lunch. Julian tried to help, but she pushed him away coldly, pointing at his nose and shouting: “You’re just like them, looking down on people from your high horse!” Eventually, she was moved by his persistence, and they got together. But in our sophomore year of college, Sophie left a breakup letter and went abroad. The letter said: “I don’t deserve you. I don’t want to hold you back.” Julian chased her to the airport, only to see her plane taking off. He cried his heart out and fell into a deep depression. It’s true. I took advantage of his lowest point. I opened the door he had locked and pulled him back from the edge. “She doesn’t want you, but I do. What do you like about her? Being poor? I can change that.” From that day on, I lived as a shadow of Sophie. My family’s business survived only because of the Jiang family’s support. When the Jiang family arranged our marriage, I was ready to step aside. But he hugged me tight. That night, he cried and begged me to love him, not to abandon him too. “If you leave too, I’ll die.” I sighed and touched his face. “Julian, no one dies from a breakup.” “But I love you.” “What about Sophie?” He tightened his grip on my waist and kissed me. “I hate her. From now on, I only want Chloe.” The next morning, the Jiang family accepted me as their daughter-in-law. People whispered behind my back. They called me shameless, a schemer. They said the Wen family was bankrupt and I seduced Julian to save it. They were all waiting for me to get divorced, waiting to laugh at me. But for five years, Julian and I only got better. More in love. Until now—seeing the way he looked at Sophie. My heart clenched. “Hilarious. I don’t dumpster dive.” Julian’s words froze the smile on Sophie’s face. “I married Chloe because I love her. Who hasn’t met a few trashy people in their youth? Don’t throw dirt on my wife.” His tone shifted to mockery: “And Miss Xia, you went abroad and this is it? You opened a company? Do you even have a million in assets? Do you have ten employees?” Sophie’s smile vanished completely. Julian grabbed my hand, his voice softening: “Babe, I told you I didn’t want to come. Why bother with these people?” “You’re right,” I whispered back. “Whoever you scold deserves it.” The room was dead silent. The reunion ended shortly after. The classmates who were gossiping came over to apologize, wishing us a long life together. Sophie sat there, head down, unmoving. But as Julian walked out the door, he looked back. Regret and sadness made that woman look years older in just a few hours. I felt Julian’s hand on my waist tighten. Then he looked forward, smiling as if nothing happened, and got into the car with me. But back home, the incident gnawed at me. I put down my bag, my voice dry. “Julian, if you want to get back with Sophie, we can divorce…” Before I could finish, he pushed me onto the sofa, his hand on my neck. He silenced me with a finger, tracing down my collarbone. His cold, handsome face made my breath hitch. “Stop talking nonsense…” He leaned in, his breath warm. “Let me carry you to the bedroom, okay? I want you.” Chapter 2 He kissed me. We tangled all the way to the bedroom. For a moment, I almost forgot the unhappiness. Just as I smiled, Julian’s phone rang. I answered instinctively. Soft breathing came from the other end. Sophie’s voice was drunk and broken: “Julian… couldn’t you have waited a little longer? It’s only been five years…” “You call me trash, but you don’t know… I’ve always loved only you.” I was silent for a moment. “Sophie, it’s 3 AM.” “My husband just fell asleep from exhaustion. Do you need me to wake him up?” Silence on the other end, then the call cut off. I looked at Julian, sleeping beside me, frowning. His lashes trembled, lips pressed into a thin line, like he was having a nightmare. I lay down in his arms, closed my eyes, and tried not to think. I woke up less than two hours later. The bed beside me was empty. Where did Julian go in the middle of the night? Hearing voices outside, I worried about intruders. I ran to the door barefoot and cracked it open. Seeing the living room, I felt cold, like I was standing on ice. Sophie was sitting on the sofa, looking pitiful, pulling at Julian’s sleeve. “I’m sorry, Julian. I regret it. Can’t you give me another chance?” Julian pulled his sleeve back coldly, calling someone on Sophie’s phone. “Come get your girlfriend. Don’t let her drunkenly harass people at their homes in the middle of the night!” Soon, footsteps approached. I opened the crack wider and recognized the man. It was Ethan Fu—he lived in the same villa district. The only son of Shanghai’s biggest tourism developer. His family was even wealthier than the Jiangs. Seeing his red-rimmed eyes, I sighed. Sophie must have saved a country in her past life. Poor as a teenager, but a rich heir paved her way in high school. Now, a little gilding abroad, and the “Prince of Shanghai” is frantic over her. People really are different. I didn’t go out to witness the drama. I closed the door. My phone buzzed with a message from my best friend: [That bitch Sophie got drunk at a bar and cried about loving Julian to the camera! The video is online!] [Disgusting woman. She’s pushing thirty, her career is failing, and seeing you and Julian happy made her regret it!] I interrupted her rage and sent a photo of my living room: [Sophie seems to have a boyfriend. It’s Ethan Fu.] [WTF! Does that woman have a stupid-ray or something? Is Ethan blind?!] Hearing the noise outside fade, I snuck back into bed. But the next morning, arguing woke me up. I opened the door to find Julian’s parents sitting on the sofa, faces grim. They must have seen the trending topic. “Get Sophie out of Shanghai!” Julian’s father demanded. “That video of her crying in the bar is a disgrace! Shareholders are asking questions!” “She abandoned you to go abroad! Julian, don’t be stupid. She’s using these dirty tricks to ruin your marriage!” “If you don’t handle this cleanly, don’t blame the Jiang Group for blacklisting her officially!” His father stormed out. Julian stood there, fists clenched, eyes red. He turned and saw me. “Wifey?” Panic flashed in his eyes. “The trending topic has nothing to do with me. And Sophie is engaged to Ethan. I don’t know why she’s doing this.” “I’ll handle it.” Julian had gradually taken over the Jiang Group. This incident seemed to spark a rivalry with the Fu family. He dragged me into couple endorsements to boost the company’s image and quietly stole business from the Fu family to force Ethan to send Sophie away. Until a month later. We were leaving a club after a gathering. Julian and I opened the door, and Sophie stumbled out from the end of the hallway. She wore a white dress, disheveled, scratches on her face. “Julian, save me! Help me…” It was déjà vu. It took me back five years. Sophie in high school was like a wild begonia in barren soil, stubborn and proud. That’s why Julian fell for her. She grabbed Julian’s sleeve with all her strength. Seeing me, she stiffened, lowered her head, and backed away. “Ms… Ms. Wen, I didn’t mean to. I’ll leave Shanghai immediately. I’ll never…” A tear fell from her eye. She clenched her fist. “I’ll never appear in front of Julian again.” Then she turned and limped toward the exit. Watching her lonely figure, I was confused. I didn’t expect Sophie to be manipulative enough to stage this scene to frame me. Her acting was so real, as if I really had sent people to teach her a lesson. She seemed to be asking Julian for help, but she was painting me as a vicious villain. But she was Ethan’s fiancée. The Wen family couldn’t afford to offend the Fu family. I forced a sarcastic smile and looked at Julian. He was expressionless. I couldn’t read him. “I heard the Jiang Group blacklisted her. Her company is going bankrupt. She’s been begging everywhere.” Julian held my hand, smiling coldly. “None of my business.” Chapter 3 In the car, I probed again. “Julian, about what just happened… do you think I did it?” He pulled me into his arms. “I believe you. It wasn’t you.” I nodded. The Fu family was too powerful. I wasn’t that stupid. And Julian witnessed how hard I worked to save the Wen family from bankruptcy. He should know how much I cherish our life now. But the next day, 500 million was transferred out of my account! Wen Corp was about to go public. That 500 million was life or death! I called Julian. No answer. Frantic, I drove to his office. Pushing open the door, I saw Sophie sitting there crying, her wounds freshly bandaged. Julian sat next to her, looking up at me. “500 million was taken from my account. Was it…” Even though I guessed, I wanted him to admit it. “It was me.” “Why?” Julian’s eyes were cold. “Sophie’s company owed 500 million. I paid it for her.” Sophie looked up in shock, checking her phone for the repayment notification. The assistants looked at each other. I stared at Julian, confused. He tightened his grip on Sophie’s hand, protecting her. “Chloe, you owe her this!” He threw a stack of documents on the table. Photos scattered. First photo: Sophie being stepped on in the club, her white dress dirty, eyes unfocused. Second photo: Someone pulling her hair, forcing her mouth open, seemingly feeding her something. Third photo: Pure terror on her face, collar torn, revealing her collarbone and bra. There were also two signed confessions. Two thugs admitted I hired them to “teach Sophie a lesson.” And a check with my signature. “Chloe, didn’t I tell you?! I said I’d listen to Mom and Dad and negotiate with the Fu family to send her away! Why did you use such dirty methods to humiliate her?!” Julian’s voice roared with anger. “Luckily she escaped! She suffered such humiliation and only asked for 500 million in compensation. It’s cheap for an ungrateful, vicious woman like you!” I looked up at Julian, my blood freezing. “So last night you hugged me and said you believed me, then turned around and collected evidence to convict me?” Julian stood up. “Chloe, this time, you went too far!” I almost lost it. I laughed sarcastically, stepping back and pointing at Sophie. “Her fiancée is Ethan Fu! Touch her? Who in Shanghai dares to touch her? Julian, do you really think I’m that stupid? She obviously set me up!” “Julian…” Sophie tugged his sleeve, eyes red. “Ethan… never planned to marry me. I was just a pawn for him to rebel against his family…” Julian swayed. Then he grabbed her hand and looked at me with disgust. “Chloe, you probably knew Ethan wouldn’t stand up for her, right? So you dared to use such vicious means! You make me sick!” The absurdity made me laugh in anger. “Julian! We’ve known each other twenty years, married for five! Someone frames me, and you don’t even give me a chance to explain? You just sentence me to death?!” “The evidence is solid! How can you deny it!” Julian raised his hand to slap me. Slap! My head turned from the force. The commotion drew employees. The door was crowded. Whispers became audible. [Omg, Ms. Wen hired thugs… playing dirty?] [Couldn’t tell. Ruthless social climber!] [But they’re married. Mr. Jiang is entangled with his ex. Any woman would be jealous. Just had her beaten up a bit.] The comments got nastier. Someone reminded them: Julian and I were the married couple! Suddenly, Sophie struggled to stand up. She grabbed Julian and shouted at the door: “My business with Julian has nothing to do with anyone else! I was wrong! It’s all my fault! Blame me!” Julian froze. Slowly, he held her hand, eyes reddening. That look… like he had recovered a lost treasure. In that moment, I understood. His insults at the reunion, his defense of me—it was all to spite Sophie. He wanted to make her regret, make her jealous, make her chase him. He was always smart. He got what he wanted. I laughed at myself. “Julian, you could have just told me.” “I said long ago, if you choose her, we can divor—” “Divorce?!” A man’s surprised, excited voice interrupted from the doorway. We all turned. Chapter 4 Ethan stood in the doorway. He glanced at me, then quickly looked away. His fiancée was holding hands with my husband, yet he was suppressing a smile. “You’re really divorcing?” He realized his reaction was too eager and awkwardly clenched his lighter. “Cough… sorry. Just surprised.” I looked away and addressed Julian. “Since Mr. Fu is here, let’s clear the air. Julian, return the 500 million, and I’ll sign the divorce papers immediately.” “As for Mr. Fu, even though Sophie says she’s just a pawn, given the situation, do you have any objections?” Ethan walked to my side. He hesitated, then said: “Chloe, if I give you 500 million, can I watch you sign the divorce papers?” Silence. “Ethan, are you sick?” Julian frowned. Employees whispered: [What’s with Mr. Fu? Likes watching divorces? Rich people are weird.] [No way. Fiancée stolen by a rival. This must be revenge. You steal my girl, I steal your wife…] [That works?] It made sense. I turned around. Ethan was sneaking glances at Sophie. He wanted to use Julian’s tactic. Since I helped Julian, I didn’t mind helping him. “Thank you, Mr. Fu. I can go to your office to sign the contract later. Once Wen Corp survives this, I will repay this favor.” Ethan nodded and walked away. I: “…” “Congratulations, Mr. Jiang, Miss Xia. The unreachable love of your youth is finally fulfilled. You both won.” For years, Julian hid this deep love. He almost fooled me. But now, it was time to end it completely.

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I discovered I was the villainess in a BL novel only after my boyfriend cheated on me with my childhood friend. Right now, my boyfriend and my childhood friend are locking lips with unmistakable passion. With tears in my eyes, I offered my blessings, willingly stepped aside as the “discarded woman,” and immediately booked a one-way flight out of the country. No one knew that my boyfriend was a possessive psychopath. Three months later, someone blocked my doorway. My childhood friend licked my earlobe and asked, his voice dripping with grievance: “Yao Yao, you seduced me into stealing your boyfriend. How could you abandon me like this?” 1 I was comforting my best friend after her breakup. She got wasted. I half-dragged, half-carried her home. “Why is that douchebag here? Didn’t you say he was on a business trip?” The “douchebag” in Chloe’s vocabulary referred to only one person: my boyfriend, Shen Yan. A billionaire heir with a control freak streak a mile wide. No unauthorized friends. Three daily check-in calls. Phone inspections every night. Tonight, I had snuck out behind his back to drink with Chloe. I denied it instantly. “Impossible.” But I instinctively looked where she was pointing. My heart nearly stopped. I clamped a hand over Chloe’s mouth and dragged her into the bushes. Through the leaves, I saw it. My boyfriend was hugging someone. I almost laughed out loud. Yes! He’s cheating! Finally, a reason to break up! I raised my phone to snap a picture, eager to secure the evidence. I squinted closer. Wait. The person he was hugging… looked like my childhood friend, Lu Yue. My brain short-circuited. Holy crap. My boyfriend is gay! Chloe let out a violent hiccup and threw up all over the ground. I missed my chance. The couple had already walked away. I was so mad I ripped a handful of leaves off the bush. Chloe, finally processing what she saw, squinted and slurred: “That person the douchebag was hugging… looked like a dude…” 2 That night, I had a nightmare. In the dream, I was a supporting character—the villainess—in a BL novel. The “Top” was the billionaire heir, my current boyfriend, Shen Yan. The “Bottom” was my childhood friend, Lu Yue. And me? I was the vicious female antagonist Shen Yan settled for after failing to get Lu Yue. In the story, after discovering Shen Yan was in love with Lu Yue, I went crazy and tried to stab him. I ended up in prison, miserable and disgraced. Shen Yan lovingly nursed the injured Lu Yue back to health, and they lived happily ever after. On the day of their wedding, the day I was released from prison, I got hit by a car and died. I woke up speechless for a second, then screamed: “Bullshit!” What an insult. If I actually liked that dog of a man Shen Yan, I’d walk into traffic or choke on water right now. Who in their right mind would like a psychopath like Shen Yan? It was slander! Pure slander! I was so angry I started crying. A raspy voice whispered in my ear. Someone wrapped an arm around my waist and asked: “Baby, who are you cursing? Why are you crying?” 3 I looked up and met Shen Yan’s smiling eyes. My legs went weak. Last night, after dropping Chloe off, I tried to sneak home. The moment I opened the door, the house was pitch black. Before I could hit the lights, someone lifted my shirt, covered my mouth, pinned me against the wall, and kissed me forcefully. “Baby, you smell like alcohol. Where did you go?” He “stir-fried” me all night long. No matter how I tried to explain, he wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t understand. Did Lu Yue not satisfy him? Useless. I retorted immediately, full of righteous indignation: “I dreamed you cheated on me.” Shen Yan’s smile didn’t falter. His hand under the covers was tearing at my nightgown. This was the twenty-third nightgown this month! I held it down desperately. I continued: “I also dreamed that not only did you cheat, you came out of the closet!” The wandering hand finally stopped. Shen Yan stopped smiling. His eyes hinted at danger. Seizing his moment of guilt, I went for the kill. I said with absolute calm: “I want to break up.” Shen Yan laughed again. An angry laugh. “Breaking up over a ridiculous dream? Are you playing with me?” He pinched the back of my neck, gritting his teeth: “Don’t forget, you’re the ‘treasure’ your father pawned to me. “We only break up when I say so.” 4 Breakup attempt failed. I was locked in the “dark room” for a month. Shen Yan called it his “rut period” and claimed he needed my comfort. Honestly, among all the “beasts,” mermen are the prettiest. All sparkly and shiny. But eating the same dish every day gets old. Especially when that dish is a blackened, yandere, neurotic mess. I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t chew it. I needed someone to share the burden. We’re all sisters here; I shouldn’t hoard the goods. So I sought out Lu Yue. Lu Yue elegantly cut my steak and handed it to me. “Yao Yao, you haven’t come to see me in so long. I thought you hated me.” That “Yao Yao”—so soft, so dripping with tenderness. No wonder he’s a fox spirit. In the past, that tone would have given me goosebumps. Lu Yue loved calling me that back then. Before he was reclaimed by the Lu family, he was even more twisted than he is now. Whenever he called my name, I knew I was in for it. A swarm of girls who liked him would get jealous and bully me. They’d splash water on me, scare me with bugs, pour boiling water on me, force me to run laps in the summer heat. Only by sticking to his side 24/7 could I avoid the torment. Which, of course, made me a thorn in the girls’ eyes. I knew it was all his sick game. When he was unhappy, he’d sic those girls on me. Then, when I was at my lowest, he’d pretend to be the kind, gentle savior, expecting me to be grateful. Lu Yue wanted me to fall madly in love with him, just like those girls. Because he said he liked me. But I didn’t like him, so he wanted me to suffer. I said coldly, “You’re overthinking it.” Lu Yue smiled and stole a piece of meat from my plate. A piece I had already bitten. “I still prefer Yao Yao’s things.” Lu Yue licked his lips, radiating seduction. Psycho. I cursed internally and gave him a dirty look. I asked: “Why did you go see Shen Yan?” Lu Yue looked at me, eyes full of doting affection. Like he was indulging a tantrum-throwing girlfriend. “Because you wouldn’t come out to see me, Yao Yao. So I had to go find Shen Yan.” He smiled again. “Shen Yan seemed much happier to see me than you did.” I jumped up in rage. My heels were too high; I almost twisted my ankle. My voice was shrill, bordering on hysterical: “You know how much I love Shen Yan, yet you go and seduce him! You just can’t stand to see me happy, can you?”

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My younger brother used my gaming account to boost a girl’s rank, then dumped her cold. Her older brother tracked me down. As soon as I logged in, I got pulled into a private lobby. After getting yelled at for a solid thirty minutes… I was confused and terrified, so I said in a small voice: “I’m sorry, big brother. I was wrong. “If you’re still mad, you can yell at me for another half hour. It’s all my fault.” Silence on the other end. Then, a crisp slap sound echoed through my headset. His voice suddenly changed, turning soft and husky: “No, I’m the one who should apologize. “Let me carry you to a higher rank to make it up to you.” Fast forward to the end-of-summer Parent-Teacher Conference. My brother finally met my “boyfriend” and broke down completely: “Sis, I got dumped, and you’re happily dating her brother?!” 1 I let my brother use my gaming account for a month over the summer. He claimed he earned me the title of “Number One Jungler in the State.” Excited, I logged in to take a screenshot. But the moment I got online, I was dragged into a private lobby. The other player had a cute anime girl avatar. But when the mic turned on, it was a clear, pleasant male voice: “We’re all adults here. You should know right from wrong. “Seducing a high schooler, dating for two weeks, then dumping them? What is that? “Zero responsibility. Zero integrity. “People like you just drift through life making stupid mistakes. You’re consistent, I’ll give you that. “A certified idiot.” He sounded angry. But he also didn’t seem very good at insults. Still, nobody likes getting trash-talked non-stop. After a full thirty minutes of this lecture, he paused to catch his breath, then said indignantly: “Why aren’t you saying anything? “Do you think you have no defense?” I was completely lost. Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about or what I did wrong. Dating? Seducing? Me? I’ve been single since birth. But I’m a known pushover. A classic people-pleaser. If someone confronts me, I usually just fold. I turned on my mic and whispered timidly: “I’m sorry, big brother. I was wrong. “Are you less angry now? “If not, you can yell at me for another thirty minutes. It’s all my fault.” Dead silence on the other end. Suddenly, a loud SLAP echoed in my headset. It was so loud I jumped. Then came a low, regretful murmur: “Oh god, I deserve to die…” I let out a confused “Huh?” He cleared his throat. His voice suddenly dropped an octave, becoming magnetic and deep: “No, I’m the one who should apologize. “I’ll carry you in ranked matches to make it up to you.” Yay! No more yelling. I blinked. “Thank you, big brother.” He coughed again. The game started. I was immediately distracted by the “Level 99 Couple” badge on the loading screen. Then I noticed our usernames were matching: Mine: [Help Grandma Across the Street] His: [Help Grandma Run the Red Light] I was so confused. I tilted my head and asked politely: “Excuse me, when did we start dating? “Why didn’t I know about this?” 2 I heard a crash on his end, like something heavy falling over. He seemed flustered. His character even wasted a Flash spell by accident. “It wasn’t us. “Was someone else using your account recently?” I nodded. Realizing he couldn’t see me, I quickly explained: “Yes. “My brother was playing on my account all summer.” He sighed deeply. “That explains it. “It was your brother and my sister dating.” After his explanation, I finally understood. My brother used my account to flirt with a girl, carry her in games, and date her online. Then, he ghosted her after two weeks. What a jerk. I said indignantly: “Big brother, you were right to yell earlier. Guys like my brother deserve it. “Fickle and irresponsible. What kind of man is he?” He paused, his voice getting even softer: “You don’t have to keep calling me ‘big brother.’ I’m… not used to it. “My name is Julian. You can just call me that.” I froze. I got yelled at a lot in games for being bad, so I looked up tutorials online. The videos said calling people “big brother” or “big sister” and admitting mistakes usually calmed them down. It always worked before. Why not this time? My people-pleasing tendencies kicked in again. I whispered: “Why can’t I call you that? “Are you still mad at me? “I’m sorry.” Julian responded immediately: “I’m not mad at you.” His voice got quieter, almost stammering: “Has anyone told you… your voice is really sweet? “It’s just… when you call me that, I get shy.” Friends had complimented my voice before. But hearing him say it so directly made my face burn. My fingers fumbled on the controls. I missed a skill shot. I was about to die to the enemy team. Julian burst out of the bushes, shielding me. With a smooth combo, he secured a triple kill. I gasped: “Big brother, you’re amazing!” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I didn’t listen to him. Why did I call him that again?! Julian sent a cute in-game emote. His character ran circles around mine and flashed a heart. “Just follow me. “Come here, I’ll give you the Blue Buff.” I ran circles around him too. This time, I remembered the right name. “Thank you, Julian.” A soft chuckle came through the headset. It scratched at my heart like a feather. “You’re welcome. “It’s what I should do.” 3 Julian was incredibly good and had the patience of a saint. Even when I went 0-7, he carried us to victory. And he never blamed me. Instead, he kept comforting me, saying I was doing fine. We played until the early hours of the morning. Julian promised to play with me again next time. We swapped contact info. Coincidentally, his profile picture was a cute cat, just like mine. (¯︶¯) Found a kindred spirit. I went to sleep feeling happy. The next morning at breakfast, seeing my brother, Kyle, sitting across from me, I remembered the serious business. I asked in a spooky tone: “Have you been dating anyone lately?” Kyle jerked his head up, then looked down in panic. His eyes darted around. “No, who told you that?” I pulled up the game history. Pages of duo-queue records with a girl. Kyle deflated like a popped balloon, slumping onto the table. Under my interrogation, he finally confessed with tears in his eyes: “Sis, I didn’t want to break up! “I thought it was just online dating. But she sent me a photo. “I recognized her immediately! She’s my classmate! “My best bro has had a crush on her forever. I can’t steal his girl! “Plus, she’s so pretty and the top student in our school. I… I don’t deserve her… “She kept asking why I wanted to break up. I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I just ghosted her.” I was stunned. I almost passed out from anger. I flicked Kyle hard on the forehead. No matter how twisted the truth was, it didn’t change the fact that he was a scumbag! 4 After lecturing Kyle, I wanted to tell Julian the whole story. But then I saw his new WeChat Moment: [My sister hasn’t stopped crying about the breakup. What do I do? (T.T)] It was that serious! And Kyle was the one who hurt her. We definitely owed them a proper apology. I anxiously messaged Julian: [Can we meet up?] [I want to discuss how to solve the issue between my brother and your sister.] Julian replied instantly: [!] [Of course!] We agreed to meet at a cafe downtown. When I arrived, I scanned the shop. Only one person was sitting inside. A bald, muscular man in a black tank top with full sleeve tattoos. I got nervous. Is that Julian? He looks huge. Like a mob boss… I shuffled over slowly, too scared to say hi. I was afraid if the conversation went south, I’d get beaten up. Then the bell on the door chimed. I turned around. A guy rushed in, black hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, making his skin look porcelain white. He was panting slightly. His lips were parted, red and glossy. He was devastatingly handsome. I couldn’t believe it. I tentatively asked: “Julian?” He nodded, pressing his lips together shyly: “Sorry, I’m late.” His eyes sparkled as he handed me a beautiful box with both hands. “I bought a little cake for you.”

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After getting “canceled” online, my dad shipped me off to our family farm to take care of piglets with my grandpa. Thinking it would be funny, I started a livestream to name the piglets. Netizens were roasting me? Fine, I’ll just use their usernames as names. But when it came to the last piglet—a super cute, chubby white one—no matter how much the internet screamed at me, I insisted on naming it “Julian Hayes.” Later, this hit the trending topics. And to everyone’s shock, the usually cold and aloof A-list actor Julian Hayes posted on Weibo to clap back. The picture showed Julian holding a Golden Retriever puppy. Caption: “This one is named Ann.” 1 My name is Ann Jiang. I’m a D-list celebrity. During a variety show, in an attempt to save a teammate, I accidentally pushed the mega-star Bella down. Boom. Instant cancellation. The internet swarmed me, calling me malicious, heartless, a bully, blah blah blah. Eventually, the news reached my billionaire dad. He solemnly told me to get my butt back home. My dad wanted me to inherit his billion-dollar empire. I wasn’t interested, so I snuck off to join the entertainment industry behind his back. This scandal was the perfect excuse for him. No matter how I begged or promised, he was determined to drag me back. So, I was exiled to the family farm’s pigsty. Daily routine: Feed pigs, watch pigs, open gate, close gate, shovel feed. Later, the sows gave birth to a lot of cute piglets. But some… weren’t exactly lookers. Bored out of my mind, I decided to entertain myself. I started a livestream to let netizens name the piglets. 2 As soon as I went live, tens of thousands of people flooded in. It scared me. You’d think I was actually famous. But really, I’ve always been “black-red” (famous for being hated). My web dramas flop, and in variety shows… well, I do whatever it takes to win. Watching the viewer count climb, I gathered the piglets together and cleared my throat. “Hi everyone, I’m Ann Jiang. I want to name my piglets, does anyone have any good suggestions?” The comments were scrolling fast, full of hate. CilantroHater: [Ann Jiang is raising pigs now? That desperate?] WolfKing: [I knew she was a hillbilly lol] Looking at the comments, I was a bit worried. They were just cursing at me, which wasn’t helping with the names. Then I saw a comment that gave me an idea. Did_Bella_Poop_Today: [Pusher Girl dares to show her face? Disgusting.] Since they were using words to hurt me, why couldn’t I use their names for the pigs? 3 I looked at the comment cursing me, then turned to look at the piglets. I picked one out. This one was pitch black with an underbite. Definitely the ugliest one. Okay, little piggie, you’re the chosen one. I pulled the little black pig over and said to the phone, “Okay friends, this ugliest piglet is now named Bella_No_Poop.” The comments stopped for a second, then exploded with “HAHAHAHAHA”. Someone even sent me a small gift, a few lollipops. [Hahahahahaha this is too funny sisters] [How dare you, the person above is ridiculous, hahahaha] [You got guts, kid] As the comments scrolled, another one caught my eye. Bella_Loves_Hot_Guys: [Why are you always chasing clout? So cringe.] Coincidentally, a piglet nudged my leg. I picked it up and shoved its face into the camera. “Mm, this second-ugliest pig is now named Bella_Loves_Ugly_Guys.” [Hahahahaha, this girl is hilarious] [Piglet: No one is speaking up for me?] [Piglet: You think you’re noble? You’re using me as a weapon!] [Is the vibe shifting? She’s clearly malicious, full of bad intentions] Watching the arguments in the chat, I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I got flamed. I_Want_Money: [You pushed someone and think you’re right? You’re everywhere.] I picked another piglet and booped the phone with its nose. “This ugly pig is named You_Got_No_Money.” [Hahahaha, that’s a personal attack] [Hahaha, you’re broke too] While everyone was mocking me, suddenly the user named I_Want_Money sent me a Carnival (expensive gift). It was my first livestream, first time seeing this. Watching the big spender drop Carnivals was dazzling. Whoa, playing hard? The big spender kept sending gifts, only the expensive ones. Other netizens joined in like they were starting a riot, and my livestream became chaos. Seeing it getting out of hand, I spoke up, “Enough, enough. Keep sending and you won’t have any money left.” [This kid really doesn’t care.] [Was she always this funny? Converting from hater to fan.] [Same here ^] … Only one piglet left. A white, chubby, super cute one. Netizens urged me to grab someone’s name quickly. “Nope. This piglet can only be named Julian Hayes.” [???!!!!] 4 When it came to the last piglet, the netizens were active. [Hurry up, name this one!] [This piglet is so cute!!!!] [Use my name, I curse better] [The person above is sinister, use mine] Watching the comments, I turned to look at the piglet, gently stroking its ears. “Can’t do that. I have a plan for this one’s name.” [What is it what is it] Seeing their questions, I smiled slightly. “This one is Julian Hayes.” The chat exploded. [What???! Say that again??!!] [Huh?!!!!] [No!!!! You can read my ID card number, I can be your pig, but you can’t make my god a pig!] [Cringe girl chasing clout again, hehe] Seeing their reaction, I repeated it. “This piglet is named Julian Hayes, no negotiation.” Ignoring the netizens’ thoughts, I picked up the piglet and ended the stream. For a nobody like me, this stream wouldn’t mean much. At worst, I just leached off Julian’s fame again. Bad publicity is still publicity. Use all available resources. After a few years in this industry, I’ve learned that thick skin takes you far. I’m stuck in a pigsty thanks to him anyway. Leeching a bit is fair game. But what I didn’t expect was that after this livestream, my life was about to get interesting.

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At Julian’s 28th birthday party, someone “gifted” him a woman right in front of me. Instead of my usual gentle smile, I smashed a champagne glass, wrecked the party, and walked out. I packed my bags and left alone. Everyone said the helpless Mrs. Thorne wouldn’t last three days before crawling back. Julian didn’t care either: “She’s an orphan. Where else can she go without the Thorne family?” But countless “three days” passed. People even started to speculate I had died somewhere. Finally, Julian called for the first time. Only to find the number disconnected. Later, at a famous artist’s exhibition, a portrait of a woman’s profile captivated Julian. He offered an astronomical price to buy it. The artist, Leo, smiled apologetically: “This is the portrait of my wife I am most satisfied with. I cannot part with it.” Chapter 1 It was Julian’s 28th birthday party. I wore my most exquisite gown, entering on his arm. The moment we stepped off the stairs, Julian let go of my hand and left me there. Everyone’s eyes followed him. I was forgotten in the corner. People lined up to give him gifts. He gestured indifferently for the butler to take them away. Until someone presented a beautiful woman. All eyes turned back to me. Sympathy, schadenfreude, mockery. I’d seen too many of these malicious looks over the years. Julian’s expressionless face faltered for a second. That beauty looked too much like his dead first love. “Giving me a woman in front of Mrs. Thorne? You guys have some nerve,” Julian laughed playfully. The gift-giver fawned, “Mrs. Thorne is generous; surely she won’t mind.” It wasn’t that I wouldn’t mind; they just counted on me not daring to mind. An orphan raised by the Thorne family. How could I dare say “no” to the new head of the Thorne family? Julian twisted his wedding ring, amusement in his eyes. “Since Mrs. Thorne agrees, take her…” Before he could finish, I walked up to him. Looking at the woman’s face. The gift-giver was thoughtful indeed, catering exactly to Julian’s taste. Suddenly, I felt tired. I couldn’t listen to Grandma’s advice anymore about maintaining the dignity of Mrs. Thorne. I gently pushed the champagne tower behind me. The crystal pyramid crashed down with a touch. Glass shards and liquid flew everywhere. The banquet hall turned into chaos. Someone gasped: “Mrs. Thorne has gone mad!” Chapter 2 I ruined Julian’s birthday party. But he didn’t seem to care much. The butler arranged for the guests to leave, and servants cleaned up the mess. The beauty stayed, standing quietly beside Julian. Even her personality seemed to mirror his first love. In contrast, I really did look like the crazy one. Julian played with the beauty’s fingers, looking at me casually. “Why so angry? “If you don’t want to see her, I’ll put her up somewhere else. “Don’t worry. I swore to Grandma I would never threaten your position as Mrs. Thorne.” The woman beside him also tried to persuade me. “Mrs. Thorne, why be angry? A man like Mr. Thorne won’t have just one woman. “I only admire Mr. Thorne; I won’t affect your status.” I took off my ring. Placed it on the table in front of Julian. He raised an eyebrow. “Returning the ring to you.” Julian picked up the ring and tossed it into the air. The diamond sparkled before falling back into his hand. He tossed it backward to the woman: “It’s yours. Mrs. Thorne doesn’t want a ring worth millions anymore.” Julian stood up with a sneer, instructing the butler. “Find some etiquette teachers for her. I don’t want to see such rudeness again.” He walked a few steps, then turned back. He threw his own ring on the floor. It rolled and stopped at my feet. “Since you don’t want rings, let’s throw them all away.” Chapter 3 Julian left with the woman. The roar of his car engine was distinct in the night. The butler sighed beside me: “Madam, why provoke him? You know he resents you.” I picked up the ring at my feet and threw it in the trash. “Uncle Chen, go do your work. Don’t worry about me.” The butler sighed and left. I went upstairs alone, taking off the elaborate gown. Changed into a white T-shirt, found a suitcase, and packed all my clothes, which were distinctly separated from his in the closet. Other couples consider divorce agreements when they fight. But the only tie between Julian and me was a pair of rings. No one would guess that the bride and groom of the “wedding of the century” didn’t even have a marriage certificate. I still remember what Julian said at the wedding. “Only Wendy’s name can be on my family registry. Ava, you shouldn’t have married me.” But what could I do? I married him anyway, the man I had loved for seven years since I was a teenager. Thinking one day I could move him. But in the end, I became the Mrs. Thorne in name only. When I dragged my luggage out, the villa was silent. Just like the rainy night Grandma brought me home. Thirteen-year-old Julian stood on the stairs, looking at me coldly. But then he went to the kitchen. And brought me a glass of warm milk. Chapter 4 I booked a flight. Six hours of flying, three hours of driving, back to a remote town in the South. They say people want to return to their roots when they get old. But actually, a homeless person misses their hometown too. Even if there are no relatives left there. I rented a small courtyard in town. The local dialect was familiar yet strange. I left when I was small and lived in the North ever since. I had forgotten how to speak it. Luckily, the neighbor was also an outsider, just arrived earlier than me. He helped me out when I couldn’t understand the old lady at the market. The next day, I made corn fritters to thank him. Turns out he was a painter here for inspiration. He looked like a fresh college grad, radiating warmth and youth. Away from the people and things of the North. In this simple environment, I suddenly remembered I was only 25. But acting the part of Mrs. Thorne in the Thorne family made me feel old. I bought flowers from the street and filled the courtyard with roses. A small rocking chair sat by the flowerbed. Simple, but everything I wanted. The Thorne garden was full of yellow roses Wendy liked. An expensive piano sat in the glass flower room. That was specially designed by Julian for her; no one could touch it. When Grandma wanted to pull out those roses, Julian threw a huge fit. “If the roses go, I won’t come back to this house.” No one mentioned it again. Wendy and those roses became taboo in the Thorne family.

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A billionaire heir posted a job listing on the campus forum: [My girlfriend has a temper. Looking for a little helper to run errands, buy food, and keep her happy. Salary: $15,000/month.] As soon as the post went up, girls swarmed it. Some wanted the money; others wanted to get close to the prince and replace the princess. When it was my turn, Julian narrowed his eyes, looking bored. “Wait on her hand and foot, no complaints. Can you do that?” “Oh, and one more thing: don’t ever catch feelings for me.” I agreed. But later, on the night I announced my relationship with someone else… He cornered me against a wall, asking word by word: “Is he richer than me? Does he treat you better than I do? Why do you want to be with him?” 1 Julian prepaid me three months’ salary. A total of $45,000. He didn’t even blink. He just said, “I looked into it. Your family situation is special. Take this first.” He was right. My parents died early, and my grandma raised me. But recently, Grandma got into a car accident and was lying in the hospital. The daily bills were crushing me like a boulder. I pressed my lips together. “Thank you. I will do this job well.” He raised an eyebrow, his tone casual and arrogant. “Of course. Bella is my ancestor. Serve her well, and you’ll be rewarded.” I nodded. “Okay.” Honestly, I didn’t expect this pie to fall into my lap. I wasn’t lively, and my presence in class was practically zero. Of course, I later learned from Bella what Julian actually said about me. He said: “That girl looks average, her social skills are average, and she seems honest. A bit like… an ancient maidservant. Only someone like that can handle your temper.” So, from that day on, I became Bella’s personal servant. One call, and I was there. In less than two months, I lost a noticeable amount of weight. She had a temper. She’d call me stupid at the drop of a hat, and when she got emotional, she’d slap me in public. My roommate, Zoey, found out and was indignant for me. “This money doesn’t seem easy to earn.” “She doesn’t even treat you like a human being.” “I really envy Bella. Just relying on a pretty face to make Julian treat her like that.” I had actually heard some stories about Julian and Bella. They were high school sweethearts. Bella came from an average family. After they got together, Julian covered her tuition and living expenses. In college, she didn’t want to live in the dorms, so he bought her an apartment across the street. You could say half of Bella’s temper was spoiled into existence by Julian. Speaking of which, Zoey suddenly grabbed my face and examined it. “Nina, if you put on makeup and pinned up your bangs, you’d definitely be prettier than Bella.” “Find a rich boyfriend too, and you won’t have to suffer like this.” 2 Of course, I didn’t think I was suffering. That was $45,000! I had never seen so much money in my life. If I had any wish right now, it would be for the golden couple, Julian and Bella, to stay together forever. But the next day, I received bad news. They had a fight. Bella smashed everything in the apartment. Then she called me over: “Clean this up, and make me something to eat.” I rushed to do it. Halfway through, my phone rang. I opened it. Julian sent me a message. [Are you at her place? How is she?] I glanced at Bella not far away. She had just showered and was sitting on the sofa with a face mask on, watching a popular drama on her tablet. I considered my words carefully. I replied: [Maybe you should come coax her?] I hoped they would make up. Otherwise, I was at risk of unemployment at any moment. Unless Julian’s next girlfriend was also high-maintenance and needed a servant. Julian didn’t reply. About twenty minutes later, the porridge I made was ready. I served it and was about to put it on the dining table. But Bella suddenly stood up from the sofa and ran past me, bumping into me. The bowl shattered, and the scalding porridge spilled all over my wrist. It was so hot I couldn’t help but hiss. Bella glanced at me. “Oops, why are you so careless?” “Clean it up yourself. I’m going to change. Julian is coming over.” With that, she went into her room. I endured the pain, squatting down to clean up the mess bit by bit. About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Bella had changed into a pure white dress and put on light makeup, looking like a princess. And I was the princess’s maid. Grey and dusty, standing in the corner, waiting for her next command. The door opened, and I saw Julian. Every time he saw Bella, he brought gifts. Jewelry, bags, roses. Everything was jaw-droppingly expensive. Tonight was no exception. Bella looked at the luxury items in his hand and huffed. “You finally decided to come?” Julian stood at the door coaxing her, chuckling as he kissed her cheek. “Of course. No matter what, I can’t let you stay mad, right?” His tone was gentle, completely different from the Julian at school. 3 I had seen Julian a long time ago. I heard his family was not only rich but powerful. He was always surrounded by friends. When we first started college, I actually had a very brief encounter with him. I was working part-time at a karaoke bar. All kinds of people went there. Someone grabbed me and tried to force me to drink. It was Julian who blocked me, his voice cold: “Bullying a little girl? Are you even a man?” I didn’t expect him to be so humble in front of Bella. Soon, Julian entered the apartment. Bella saw me and said, “You can go back. We don’t need you here.” Then she took Julian’s arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and pointed to the food on the table. “I made all of this. Looks good, right?” I stood there, gently pinching my palm. Actually, I was used to it. In the past two months, Bella made me knit scarves, bake desserts, and write love letters. And in the end, in front of Julian, these all became things she personally did. Julian looked up, his gaze landing on the food. He patted Bella’s hair. “Mm, nice.” At this point, I felt like an eyesore, a very bright lightbulb. “I won’t disturb you two. I’m heading back to school.” Bella couldn’t wait for me to leave. “Mm.” I nodded and walked past them. Halfway to the door, Julian suddenly spoke, stopping me. He said: “Hey, you.” “Wait downstairs. I’ll drive you back.” Bella froze, a bit angry. “What do you mean? Aren’t you staying with me?” Julian coaxed her. “I have something to do. Be good, I’ll take you for seafood tomorrow.” Bella gave Julian a reproachful look, then stood on tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. I wisely went downstairs first. After waiting for about twenty minutes, Julian came down. His collar was slightly open, revealing a small red mark on his neck. A bit ambiguous. I glanced once and looked away. In the car, Julian sent a few more messages to Bella. After sending them, he put down his phone and turned his head, glancing at my wrist. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “I saw it earlier.” “Tell me, what happened?” I froze. He actually noticed. But I couldn’t tell him his girlfriend did it. He wouldn’t believe me, and he wouldn’t stand on my side. Worst case, I’d lose my job. I said, “Nothing, just accidentally scalded myself.” Julian didn’t pry. He sighed. “I’ll take you to the hospital.” Hospitals burn money. With my current financial situation, I couldn’t afford it. I quickly said, “No… no need.” Julian frowned. I waved my hand in front of him. “Really, it doesn’t hurt. No need to go. Let’s just go back to school.” “I still have to buy breakfast for Miss Bella tomorrow.” Bella was picky. She loved soup dumplings from a shop on Jiangning Road and red date porridge from Suian Street. Both places were far from campus. Every morning, I had to wake up at least an hour early to satisfy the princess’s stomach. I heard Julian used to do this himself. Hearing this, Julian narrowed his eyes. After a long while, he said, “Alright then.” Then he took out his phone and tapped on the screen. “I transferred you some money. Buy some ointment.” I looked. $3,000. This injury was so worth it. On the way, Julian’s phone kept ringing. He casually played a few voice messages. The last one was from a man. His voice was low, laced with laughter. “Isn’t your little ancestor’s birthday next month?” “How are you planning to celebrate this year? I’ll help you set it up.” Julian tutted. “Big, of course.” “By the way, I’ll ask Bella to bring her friend. See if there’s anyone you like. Master Xu, you’re twenty-two, time to date.” Soon, we arrived at the school gate. I got out and walked toward the entrance. But after two steps, a voice came from behind. His tone was lazy. “You’ve worked hard these days.” “If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can tell me directly.” I stopped. I’m twenty this year. To survive, I’ve washed dishes, delivered food, and worked as a hotel receptionist, enduring day after day until I was nearly numb. I’ve seen all kinds of employers, but never one as kind as him. I didn’t turn back. “Okay.” “Thank you.” 4 The next afternoon, I went to the hospital. I paid the fees and chatted with Grandma. Her speech was a bit slurred. But I understood. She was asking, Nina, where did you get the money? How did you afford such an expensive nurse? I said, “Don’t worry, there are lots of kind people. Everyone is helping me.” After that, I received a call from Bella. “Bring me a jacket.” She sent an address. It was a bar. I quickly agreed. When I arrived, I realized Julian was there too. They were sitting together, playing dice. Bella took the jacket and casually said, “Find a place to sit.” I said okay and found a corner. Just then, my counselor sent a message asking me to go to her office. I stood up and walked to Bella, intending to tell her. But before I could speak, everything went pitch black. Power outage. The crowd instantly panicked, and I was pushed and nearly fell. Just then, a hand steadied me firmly. He held my hand and led me out of the crowd. His grip was surprisingly strong. I tried to tell him to let go several times, but it was too loud; he couldn’t hear. I don’t know how long it took before he let go. He pulled me into his arms, squatted down slightly, and rubbed his nose against my forehead. “Scared?” I froze for a moment before finding my voice. “Julian?” At that moment, the lights came back on. The man looked at me, quickly let go, and took a step back. His gaze was obscure. After a long time, he spoke. “Sorry.” “Mistook you for someone else.” I nodded. “It’s okay, I know.” I spent a lot of time with Bella, so my clothes picked up her perfume. Coincidentally, Bella had cut bangs a few days ago. Though she looked much better with them than I did. I quickly left the bar. After that, Bella intentionally showed off her affection in front of me several times. Whatever she wanted, Julian would find a way to bring it to her. She said, “Aren’t we a perfect match?” I nodded. “Yes.” Bella hummed triumphantly. Until once, I came out of the hospital after visiting Grandma and ran into them. Seeing me, Julian instinctively asked, “Visiting your grandma? Is she better?” Bella’s face changed instantly. “You know quite a lot about her.” Julian didn’t catch the tone. “Of course. I have to thoroughly investigate anyone I send to your side.” But that night, Bella coldly demanded to see my chat history with Julian. There was nothing there. Just money transfers and his instructions about Bella. After reading it, she handed the phone back. Time passed slowly. Finally, she spoke. “Nina, delete Julian’s WeChat.” “I’ll explain it to him.” I was silent for a moment, then deleted Julian right in front of her. She looked at me. “That’s right. You two are from different worlds anyway.” Yes. If not for Bella, Julian would never have known my name in this lifetime.

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I was taking a walk with my grandma when I spotted a devastatingly handsome guy. Grandma caught my vibe instantly. “You want his number?” I nodded sheepishly. “I want it, but I don’t have the guts.” Grandma told me to wait and marched straight up to him. A few minutes later, my phone rang. A deep, magnetic voice came through the speaker. “Hi, your grandma got lost. Could you come pick her up at the intersection?” “…” 1 It was a lazy weekend afternoon, and I was strolling with Grandma, chatting about nothing in particular. Suddenly, I saw him. He was standing outside a convenience store, smoking. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing forearms that looked sculpted by the gods. His profile was sharp, his demeanor effortlessly cool. He looked like a model straight out of a cologne ad. I stared so hard I almost tripped over my own feet. “Lily, what’s wrong?” Grandma steadied me. “Nothing, nothing,” I mumbled, too embarrassed to admit I was ogling a stranger. Grandma knows me too well. She didn’t buy it. She followed my gaze and landed on the guy. “Oh~ I get it,” she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You want his number, don’t you?” I shook my head violently, then nodded pathetically. “I do, but I’m too scared.” Grandma scoffed. “Coward. Wait here. Grandma’s got this.” Before I could stop her, she was already shuffling toward him. I froze. Grandma, please don’t just ask for his number. That would be mortifying. 2 I watched as Grandma approached him. The guy noticed her immediately. He put out his cigarette and straightened up, his lazy demeanor shifting to something respectful. He seemed to be asking if she needed help. Grandma said something to him. He looked surprised for a second, then nodded. He pulled out his phone and started typing. I stood there, sweating from secondhand embarrassment. Thirty seconds later, my phone rang. An unknown number. I answered hesitantly. “Hello? Is this Lily? Your grandma seems to have lost her way,” a voice said. It was deep, smooth, and incredibly attractive. “Could you come pick her up?” “…” I gripped my phone, stammering, “Yes… yes, of course.” He chuckled softly. “Great. Meet us at the intersection of Main and 4th.” “Okay, I’m nearby. I’ll be right there.” I hung up, my heart pounding. Grandma, you are a genius. Claiming to be lost? It was brilliant. Efficient and deniable. I saved the number immediately, fixed my hair, smoothed my dress, and walked toward the intersection. Under the shade of a large oak tree, my crush was standing with one hand in his pocket, holding my grandma’s hand with the other. Grandma looked like a kid who just stole a cookie jar. “Grandma!” I called out. Grandma winked at me, then turned to the guy with an innocent face. “Ethan, my granddaughter is here.” I stopped in front of them. Up close, he was even more devastatingly handsome. My face burned. He extended a hand, smiling lazily. “Hi, I’m Ethan.” Even his name was hot. “I’m Lily,” I said, shaking his hand. His palm was warm and dry, his grip firm. “Thank you for helping my grandma.” “No problem.” Grandma clapped her hands. “Oh, Ethan, I don’t know what I would have done without you. I wanted to treat you to dinner as a thank you, but you said you were busy. Such a shame.” Ethan looked at me, his eyes twinkling. “Actually, Grandma,” he drawled, “I think my schedule just cleared up.” 3 Fifteen minutes later, the three of us were sitting in a private booth at a nice restaurant. Ethan excused himself to wash his hands. Watching his back as he walked away, I sighed internally. So handsome. Just then, a greasy, familiar voice drifted from the next table. “Lily!” I turned. It was my former boss, Frank. He was smiling, but it looked like a layer of oil floating on water. “What a coincidence,” he said, walking over. His eyes gleamed unpleasantly. “I’ve been calling you since you quit. Why didn’t you answer? I asked everyone where you went, but no one knew. I even went to your old apartment, but the neighbors said you moved. Why are you hiding from me?” I ignored him, staring at the menu. Grandma’s face hardened. Frank had harassed me relentlessly at my old job. He even threatened Grandma when she tried to intervene. I quit the moment he went on a business trip. I didn’t think he’d still be stalking me. “I wasn’t trying to touch your leg that night,” Frank continued, his voice dripping with fake sincerity. “I was just drunk. You overreacted. Lily, why aren’t you talking? Still mad?” He stepped closer, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder. Just as I was about to stand up and kick him, a bottle of ice-cold soda flew through the air and smashed into his hand. “Argh!” Frank screamed, clutching his hand. His face turned purple. “Who did that?!” Ethan stood in front of me, rolling up his sleeves. His voice was calm and cold. “Your daddy.” 4 Frank pointed a trembling finger at him. “You dare hit me? Do you know who I am?” Ethan looked unimpressed. “Don’t care. Just know you need a beating.” “I work for the Far East Group! The richest family in the city! You better watch your back, kid.” Ethan paused, then let out a scoff. “Hey, buddy. Come here. Let me whisper something to you. I promise I won’t hit you.” Frank leaned in suspiciously. Ethan whispered something in his ear. Frank’s face drained of all color. He stumbled back, staring at Ethan with wide, terrified eyes. His arrogance vanished instantly. I could see his legs shaking. “You… you…” Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking bored. “Shut up. And get lost.” Frank scrambled away like his life depended on it. Ethan sat down calmly. “Thanks,” I said, still stunned. “Don’t mention it.” Grandma handed him the menu, her eyes misty. “Ethan, order whatever you want. Thank goodness we met you today.” Ethan smiled at me. “It’s fine. He won’t bother you again. Lily, what do you like to eat?” The sudden shift in topic threw me. “Uh, sweet and sour ribs, spicy pork… why?” “Just asking,” he said softly. He checked off both dishes on the menu. I scratched my cheek, feeling shy but curious. “Ethan, what did you say to him? He looked like he saw a ghost.” Ethan grinned mischievously. “I told him I saw him in one of Red’s VIP videos. Holding a gallon of cooking oil. Told him if he didn’t want to be famous on the internet, he should behave.” “…” I was shocked. What a disgusting man Frank was. Thank god I quit.

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