The private island I gifted my daughter for her graduation was brazenly used by my wife’s male secretary to host a scandalous party. Ryan Thompson, my wife’s secretary, was covered in suspicious marks as he forcefully tried to make my daughter Emma play strip poker with him. I landed a solid punch on his face and ordered him off the island. But he had his bodyguards pin me to the ground. He then pressed his filthy foot onto my face, grinding it down. “Your wife gave me this island, you kept man. You have no right to tell me to leave,” he sneered. “This is all courtesy of your wife. Why don’t you lick my foot clean? Then have your daughter entertain us properly, and I might spare your miserable life.” As I watched him lunge towards Emma, my expression darkened completely. I pressed the panic button on my smartwatch. “If you dare touch my daughter,” I growled, “you’ll pay for it with your life!” 0 Halfway through my daughter’s coming-of-age party, the doors burst open. A drunken man stumbled in, followed by over a dozen burly bodyguards. His eyes locked onto the nearest girl, and he ordered his men to drag her over. As his hand reached for her chest, I stepped in, furious. I shoved him away with my shoulder and shouted at the security outside, “What are you doing? Get this man out of here now!” The drunk steadied himself and puffed out his chest. “Do you know who I am, kid? I’m Olivia’s chief secretary, Derek Chen. You should be bowing and calling me Mr. Chen!” He jabbed a finger at the ground. “I run this place in Sullivan Industries. This island? Olivia bought it for my birthday celebration!” His bodyguards jeered, “Better show some respect, boy. If you make Mr. Chen happy, you’ll be set for life!” I felt sick to my stomach. Over the years, I’d heard rumors that my wife Olivia was keeping a lover. But I’d been too focused on helping our daughter Emily overcome her severe PTSD to pay much attention. I’d turned a blind eye to Olivia’s indiscretions. I grabbed Derek by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “Listen here. I’m the majority shareholder of Sullivan Industries. If you don’t want to die in international waters, take your trash and get off my island. Now.” Derek froze for a moment, then burst into mocking laughter. “Oh my, if it isn’t Olivia’s useless stay-at-home husband in the flesh!” He called out to his men, “Look here, boys! This is the loser Olivia keeps around to do the laundry and look after the kid. She’s been done with him for years and he doesn’t even know it!” The bodyguards roared with laughter. Derek looked me up and down with disdain. “Get on your knees and beg, and I might let you live.” I stared at him coldly and pulled out my phone. “Luke, bring extra security to the ballroom.” Before I could finish, several bodyguards pinned me down. Derek snatched my phone and tossed it into a champagne bucket. I let out a cold laugh. “You can’t afford to replace that, boy. Your life is hanging by a thread now.” Derek grinned wickedly. “Can’t afford it? A nobody like you? Olivia would give me the whole company if I asked!” “I’m trying to teach you a lesson here, for your own good. You should be thanking me on your knees!” The pressure holding me down suddenly increased. As I gritted my teeth to fight back, Derek’s eyes raked over me lecherously. Without warning, he delivered a vicious kick between my legs. Blinding pain shot through me. My face went pale as I lost all strength. Derek cackled. “Useless piece of trash. Might as well castrate you and feed you to the dogs!” “You’re just a kept man. Go back to doing the laundry and changing diapers instead of playing businessman.” “Calling for your assistant? As if you have the right!” “I’ll cripple you today, and Olivia will praise me for it.” 0

Derek pointed at the shocked guests. “Listen up, you peasants! This island is my birthday gift from Olivia. It’s my territory!” “If you want to live, you’d better behave. If I’m in a good mood, I might let you all leave alive!” “We’re overseas, not far from international waters. If I’m not happy, I’ll feed you all to the sharks!” My daughter Emily was red-faced with anger. She raised her hand to point at Derek, but before she could speak, he leered at her and lunged forward. I struggled against the bodyguards holding me down, but more piled on top of me. Emily tried to run, but Derek deliberately stepped on the hem of her dress. The fabric tore and Emily fell to the ground in a heap. Humiliated and furious, Emily shouted, “Olivia is my mother! Aren’t you afraid she’ll punish you for treating me like this?” Derek laughed nastily. “Olivia told me I’m the apple of her eye now.” “You’re just a mistake from when she was young and stupid. If I get rid of you and your useless father, Olivia will praise me for removing the obstacles to her freedom as a woman!” He grabbed Emily roughly and grinned at the guests. “Since you’ve come to play on my island, I’ll arrange some entertainment as the gracious host.” He shoved Emily forward. “This little bitch loves playing princess, doesn’t she? Ever seen how the girls serve drinks at a nightclub?” “Go get some alcohol and use your mouth to feed it to every man here!” “If you don’t perform well, I’ll strip off that fancy dress and make you dance for us all.” Emily struggled desperately. I broke free from the bodyguards and rushed to shield Emily behind me. Derek spat on the ground. “How dare you ruin my fun? Beat him to death, boys.” Over a dozen men swarmed me, raining down blows. I curled around Emily, protecting her with my body. My only thought was to keep her from having an episode. The click of high heels approached. Olivia walked into the ballroom, surveying the chaos with confusion. “Why are you all still on my island?” A classmate nervously explained, “Mrs. White, we’re celebrating Emily’s coming of age party.” Olivia’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, I got the date wrong. I thought you’d all left yesterday.” Derek’s arrogant demeanor vanished. He threw himself into Olivia’s arms, sobbing. “Darling, these peasants won’t let me stay on the island. They even beat me!” Olivia’s gaze swept coldly over the guests. “I don’t recall inviting you all to meddle in my personal affairs. Please leave immediately.” Emily broke free from my protection and stumbled forward in her torn dress, crying out. “Mom, it’s my coming-of-age party today! This creep deliberately ripped my dress to humiliate me!” Derek clung to Olivia’s leg, wailing. “Darling, it’s not true! The little slut stripped to seduce me!” The bodyguards chimed in, “It’s true, Mrs. White! Mr. Chen was badly bullied. They even called him useless!” Emily burst into tears. “He hit Dad and bullied me first! Get out, all of you!” Olivia’s eyes flashed dangerously. With a resounding slap, she struck Emily across the face. “Shut up! You’re just as useless as your father, hiding at home and playing crazy since you were little!” “How did I give birth to such a worthless thing!” “Apologize to Derek right now! Then take your loser friends and get off this island!” “Remember, I’m in charge of this family!” “You and your useless father will obey me without question!” Derek wrapped his arms around Olivia’s waist, putting on a show of distress. “Darling, don’t be angry. A little hardship is nothing to me.” “But your daughter… she shouldn’t have taken off her clothes to seduce me!” “I’m your man after all. I… I’ve betrayed you!” My stomach churned with disgust. I felt like I might vomit. Olivia patted Derek soothingly. “Don’t worry, dear. I don’t even consider that useless girl my daughter anymore.” She turned to Emily. “You little bitch, trying to steal my man at such a young age!” 0

Rage surged through me. I stepped forward and slapped Olivia twice across the face. “Olivia White, you seem to have forgotten who gave you everything you have today! How dare you lay a hand on Emily!” Olivia was the daughter of my father’s war buddy. When her parents died when she was young, she came to live with my family. My parents raised her like their own daughter. I pursued her for ten years before we married. After the wedding, I gave her everything. I started a company for her. When she said she didn’t want to be a housewife, I left the company to fully support her from behind the scenes. And now, for the sake of this scumbag, she publicly struck our daughter! Olivia cradled her cheek, disbelief written across her face. “James Sullivan, you dare to hit me?” Derek immediately began shrieking. “How dare you! A kept man hitting people! Beat him!” The coward had seen me take on several bodyguards earlier, so he hid behind Olivia and urged the others to attack. Over a dozen men rained blows on me as Emily cried out. “Mom, stop them! Don’t hurt Dad!” Olivia approached, her voice ice cold. “Do me a favor. Apologize to Derek and take the ungrateful brat home.” “Then we can still be a family!” I spat out a mouthful of blood. “Apologize to him? He’s not worthy.” Derek wailed even louder. “Darling, it’s all my fault. I’m not worthy. I’ll leave! I’ll jump into the sea as soon as I’m outside. I’ll let your kept man and the little girl have their way!” Olivia’s expression changed. “James! Don’t forget you promised to listen to me in everything when I agreed to marry you.” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. “Do you still deserve that promise now?” Olivia snarled, “He’s just a secretary who makes me happy! What about you?” “You spend all your time fussing over that useless brat! Ignoring my feelings, neglecting the business. You’re nothing but a shameless parasite!” Emily broke down sobbing. “You’re the shameless one! I don’t have a mother like you!” “You abandoned me alone in the park back then! The nanny took the blame for you!” “You told her to buy coffee, then took a call and left!” “I was almost assaulted by a homeless man! It was all your fault! You’re a monster!” Emily’s accusations hit me like a thunderbolt! So the root of our daughter’s long-standing fears was abandonment by her own mother! “You bitch!” I slapped Olivia again, enraged. “You’re not fit to be a mother! If I’d known you were the one who hurt Emily, I would have thrown you out long ago!” Olivia’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap. When she turned back, her eyes glittered with venomous hatred. “You dare bring up the past? I should have stripped her naked and thrown her to the beggars back then!” Her poisonous glare pierced Emily. “You stole your father’s attention as a child, and now you want to seduce my man? You want men that badly? I’ll give you what you want!” She jabbed her finger at Emily and screeched. “Tear off her clothes! Whoever ruins her gets a million dollars!” The bodyguards lunged at Emily like hungry wolves! I struggled desperately to reach her, but the earlier kick and my injuries left me pinned down by two burly men, unable to move. “No! Stop! She just turned 18. I’ll do anything, just let her go!” I howled in anguish as I watched over a dozen rough hands rip at Emily’s dress. My daughter’s pale skin was exposed to the cold air. The sound of tearing fabric pierced my ears. The bodyguards hastily undid their pants, their heavy bodies pressing down on Emily’s trembling form.

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I Took Care of My Critically Ill Girlfriend for Three Years When I was about to propose to her, I overheard her talking on the phone with her first love: “I never planned to marry Daniel Thompson. Back then, I broke up with you because I found out I had severe kidney disease. He was willing to stay by my side and take care of me, so I reluctantly stayed with him. Actually, I just treated him like a servant. Now that I’ve found a kidney donor, we can get married after my surgery.” What she didn’t know was that the kidney being donated to her was mine. 0 Hearing Lily say this, I looked at the diamond ring in my hand and laughed bitterly, then turned and gave the flowers to the nurse’s station. Three years of constant care and devotion still couldn’t compete with her ideal first love. I needed to wake up. She was no longer that innocent little girl who would let me ride in the same car with her to school, who would warn bullies not to pick on me, and who would secretly slip me her snacks. I went back to my car and ate the lunch I had made myself. Low salt, low oil, barely palatable. She had to eat this kind of food to control her condition. To help her adjust, I went from only knowing how to cook instant noodles to now being able to make hundreds of dishes. I also had to vary the staple foods. If two meals in a row had the same dishes, she would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat. I still had to deliver meals to the hospital on time every day, watch her eat, and then finish her leftovers. Sometimes she would smile innocently and joke, “Daniel, you’re really like a dog.” At least now I wouldn’t have to eat those awful leftovers like a dog anymore. Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt much lighter. It turns out my love for her had also been worn away over these three years. No wonder I didn’t feel heartbroken or want to cry, just disappointed and feeling these three years were wasted. Love is a two-way street. Fortunately, I’ve woken up now. Lily called. “Daniel, where the hell are you? I’m starving to death!” I had already adjusted my mindset and calmly said, “Lily, Chris is coming back. I wish you both happiness.” Lily was stunned. “You overheard my phone call? How could you eavesdrop on my calls? That’s my privacy! I don’t care, you come apologize to me right now, or else I’ll…” I continued, “You don’t want me anymore? Fine, I’ll hire a caregiver for you. I’ll explain the breakup to your father.” Lily was silent for a long time, then said, “Daniel, I’ll say it one more time. If you don’t come apologize right now, even if you come begging on your knees tomorrow, I won’t forgive you.” I hung up the phone. The hospital called again to confirm the kidney donation information. I said, “I’m sorry, I’ve decided not to donate.” 0

Back at the company, I deleted the hourly alarms reminding me to send her jokes, and buried myself in work. Not having to rack my brains for jokes, I felt more relaxed, and my work hours became much more productive. I hadn’t been this immersed in work for a long time, and I momentarily forgot about the end of the workday. Until my secretary came to knock on the door. Without looking up, I said, “Come in.” Hearing my voice, the secretary seemed surprised and said as she entered, “Mr. Thompson, didn’t you go to the hospital to deliver food to your girlfriend?” I looked at the time – it was already 5 PM. Usually, I’d have to rush home by 4:30, buy ingredients, cook, and run to the hospital to deliver food without even having time to take a sip of water. The nurses often teased me: “The most devoted boyfriend ever.” “Not going anymore. Is there something you need?” I asked. The secretary hesitated before speaking, “The company is having a dinner tonight. Would you like to join us…?” “Sure, it’s on me,” I replied. I used to devote all my energy to Lily, and I didn’t even realize how long it had been since I’d had dinner with my employees. Everyone enjoyed this meal very much. After dinner, we went to a bar for round two. As soon as we sat down, I saw a familiar figure. Lily was dressed scantily, but her sickly body held no beauty. Flanked by her two best friends, she was confidently dancing in the center of the floor. Her body couldn’t handle this kind of partying. In the past, I always earnestly advised her to focus on treatment and not go out playing with her friends. Now, with no one to stop her, she was indulging recklessly. I sent a message to Mr. Sanders, asking him to come pick Lily up. Many of my employees were my college classmates, and they immediately recognized Lily. Pointing in that direction, they said, “Boss, isn’t that your girlfriend? Isn’t she sick?” I smiled bitterly as I drank, but before I could explain, we heard Lily shouting while holding a bottle: “Finally free from that lapdog Daniel! Now no one can stop me from coming to bars anymore!” Her friend asked, “Lily, did you really break up?” Lily scoffed, “We were never really together. He was just my servant. Chris is my real boyfriend. Now that he’s back in the country, of course I have to keep my distance!” They were about to come say hello, but hearing Lily say this, they were all dumbfounded. “Boss, you…” I waved my hand, also pretending to be nonchalant: “That’s right, she was never my girlfriend. I was just taking care of her for Mr. Sanders because she was sick.” They clearly didn’t believe me, but out of respect, they didn’t expose the lie. Hearing my words, Lily walked over, pointing at me with a slightly drunken look in her eyes. “Daniel, what are you doing here? This place is so expensive, can your salary even afford one bottle? You guys probably don’t know, but your coworker here is the son of my family’s driver. I’m his employer.” My employees couldn’t sit still anymore and wanted to stand up for me. I waved my hand, gesturing for them to calm down. Five years ago, I founded this company. Last year we went public, and my net worth skyrocketed. Now even Lily’s father wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful to me. The reason my dad still worked as a driver was that he was sentimental and didn’t want to be idle, so I bought the villa next to the Sanders’ for him to live in. Lily had been in the hospital for years and didn’t follow financial news, so she had no idea I was no longer a small-time employee. 0

I picked up a beer bottle from the table and asked my secretary, “How much is this beer per bottle?” The secretary replied, “Twenty dollars.” Lily crossed her arms and sneered, “Did you hear that? Twenty dollars. For someone like you who thinks taking a cab is too expensive and always carpools with coworkers, that must hurt, right? Considering your dad’s loyal service to my family, I’ll treat you to this bottle. Drink up and get out of here. Don’t embarrass yourself.” I had indeed changed cars quite frequently this past year. Some were gifts from business partners, some I bought because I liked them. Every time the driver dropped me off at the hospital, Lily would see me getting out of a luxury car from the window with my lunchbox, and she’d say with disgust: “Why don’t you just buy a car? Or at least take a cab. Stop carpooling with rich coworkers all the time. You’re poor but pretentious. I find it embarrassing even if you don’t!” I never explained. I was planning to tell her when we got married as a surprise. Who knew… “No need for you to treat me,” I said. I looked around at the people watching the scene unfold. When Lily was speaking recklessly earlier, the bar owner thought there was trouble and even stopped the music. So now everyone was watching us. I smiled and said, “Drinks are on me tonight. Everyone, drink as much as you want. It’s all on my tab.” The crowd was stunned. After hearing Lily say how poor I was, they thought I was joking. My secretary stood up and said, “Our CEO is treating everyone to drinks.” When they heard I was actually a CEO, everyone cheered excitedly: “Thank you, Mr. Thompson!” The bar owner cheered the loudest. A few young women in revealing outfits came over: “Mr. Thompson, are you single?” I nodded, “Of course.” They all rushed over to toast me: “Mr. Thompson, can we add you on SnapChat?” “Sure,” I accepted without hesitation. Lily snorted lightly and pushed those women aside: “Are you all blind? He’s just putting on an act! He has no money! He’s definitely not a CEO! Daniel, is this really necessary? Are you willing to spend your father’s life savings just to stand tall in front of me for once? Do you want me to call your dad?” My secretary couldn’t help but retort: “What life savings? Our CEO is one of the top 50 on the new rich list. He’s handsome, talented, and worth over a billion dollars. You’re the blind one for not treasuring such a great man!” Lily didn’t believe it at all: “I know you’re his college classmate. I’d be an idiot to believe you covering for him. Worth over a billion? How dare you say that. If he’s really worth over a billion, I’ll kneel down and lick his shoes.” “Then go ahead and lick,” I said. My subordinates pulled up all the news reports about me and shoved their phone screens in Lily’s face. 0

Lily was surprised. Not by the news, but by how these coworkers were all protecting me. “I didn’t realize you had such good connections, Daniel. How much did you pay them to cover for you like this?” The girls who wanted to add me on SnapChat exclaimed while looking at their phones: “Wow, it’s true! Daniel Thompson, CEO of Thompson Tech. A new generation entrepreneur who shot up the rich list. A role model for young entrepreneurs. Mr. Thompson, you’re amazing!” Lily was stunned. Just as she was about to search for herself, her friend shouted: “Chris! Over here! Come quick, someone’s bullying Lily!” Lily’s face immediately lit up: “Chris!” Chris walked over in designer clothes, clearly giving off rich kid vibes. He glanced at the thin, sickly Lily with a hint of disgust in his eyes, but still put his arm around her shoulder affectionately and said, “Who dares to bully our Miss Sanders?” Lily’s cheeks flushed as she said proudly: “See? You ignorant girls who’ve never seen real rich people. This is a true wealthy heir, the son of the city’s top billionaire family, my boyfriend.” She looked me in the eye, emphasizing the word “boyfriend”. In our three years together, she had never publicly called me her boyfriend. Even when her father asked, she only said: “Some lapdog is willing to revolve around me. I pity him, so I didn’t reject him.” After showing off, Lily pointed at me: “Chris, it’s him. I’ve already made things clear, but he won’t stop pestering me.” Chris pushed up his sunglasses arrogantly: “Daniel Thompson, why are you still bothering Lily? She doesn’t like you, and your status isn’t worthy of her. Considering you took care of her for three years, when we get married, I’ll specially reserve a seat for you. You don’t need to bring a gift, just bring some takeout containers.” I snorted with laughter: “First of all, let’s be clear, I’m not bothering her. Our company is having a dinner and we happened to run into each other. Secondly, for your wedding, I won’t come empty-handed. I’ll definitely give you two a big gift.” Lily rolled her eyes: “Alright, stop putting on airs. I’ve already texted your dad to come see what you’ve become. If you kneel down and apologize now, I’ll have Chris cover the trouble you’ve caused tonight. Otherwise, you might have to work here for ten years to pay it off.” Chris looked confused: “What trouble?” I took out a black card and put it on the table: “Thanks for the concern, but I can afford this small amount. I’ve also texted your dad to come see what you’ve become.” Lily was startled: “Why did you text my dad? Still so nosy! Chris, hit him! Beat him up!” Chris stared at my black card in shock. He knew this wasn’t something a small-time employee could possess. Lily pushed him: “What are you waiting for? Hit him!” Chris didn’t dare move: “Daniel, you… you’re not being kept by some rich older woman, are you?” “Chris!” My company’s HR manager, who had just arrived, heard Chris say this. He rushed over to defend me: “How dare you talk to our CEO like that?” Chris was utterly confused: “CEO? He’s a CEO?”

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**1.** Seven days left. The scene was terrifyingly clear: a blood-splattered zombie lunged at me, its pale, decaying face looming larger and larger. I didn’t even know where it bit me before I blacked out. Now, I was waking up, it was evening. After college, I chose to be a streamer. I’d gotten into the habit of sleeping in the afternoon and starting my stream once I woke up. I wasn’t sure if the previous image was just a dream, but one detail stuck with me vividly. If this was a second chance, then tonight, one of my favorite celebrities was about to have their world come crashing down. The only reason I remembered it so clearly was because I used to be a huge fan of this particular star. My childhood crush was just too perfect, leaving a deep impression. Sure enough, at 9 PM, a trending topic suddenly exploded: “Jax’s secret baby bombshell.” It was a rebirth! Seven days from now, a global catastrophe would erupt – the zombie virus. At first, it only appeared in a few coastal cities, quickly debunked by officials. I never paid attention to such unsubstantiated rumors. I just went with the flow online, yelling a few times about “believing in science,” then ignored it. Just three days. Only three days. The zombie virus spun out of control. Initially, the government still used drones to announce they wouldn’t abandon anyone. Days later, even the drones vanished without a trace. In my previous life, I survived for a month and a half purely on the snacks I’d hoarded. Once they ran out, I had no choice but to venture out for supplies. I hadn’t even made it out of my apartment complex before a zombie tackled me to the ground. It was truly horrifying. The signal went out too fast in my last life. What I regretted most was dying without knowing if my parents were safe. Thinking of this, I immediately called them. “Hey, Mom, Dad. It’s been snowing a lot in Silverwood City lately. Could you come visit? I’m craving Mom’s homemade lasagna, could you come help me make some?” My parents were those caring parents who always grumbled about how useless I was, still unable to make lasagna at my age, even as they promised they’d be right over tomorrow. Thankfully, they lived in the neighboring town of Maple Creek, so it wouldn’t take too long to get here. The sooner I got them close, the sooner I’d feel at ease. After retiring from their teaching jobs, they’d been enjoying retirement at home. I’d tried countless times to get them to move in with me, but they always felt they’d be a burden, stubbornly refusing. They’d visit every month or so, always bringing a carload of food. This thought made me frantically SnapChat my dad: “Dad!!!! Don’t forget my cured sausages!!!!” Cured sausages last forever, even without a fridge. In my last life, the power went out on either the third or fourth day of the apocalypse. I frantically scribbled notes about the power issue on a piece of paper. My paper was already filled with notes. Since finishing my college thesis, I hadn’t used this much brainpower. Honestly, my thesis wasn’t even this exhausting, because this was literally a matter of life or death. It had been so long since I really thought. Even after my nap, I was still incredibly sleepy. I tucked the paper under my pillow, thinking about the tough fight ahead tomorrow, and drifted into a deep sleep. **2.** First, I needed to reinforce the doors and windows. My apartment was on the twenty-first floor. I bought this top-floor unit after college with my streaming income. To be honest, I was broke and didn’t want to ask my parents for money again, so I chose a place far from the city center. Who would’ve thought that when the apocalypse hit, this complex would actually be safer? There weren’t many supermarkets nearby, but luckily, there was a Costco warehouse store. With that thought, I immediately called an installation company to have technicians come and reinforce my doors and windows. “Miss, your door is sturdy enough already. It’s like a fortified steel door, like something out of a bank vault. No need to reinforce it.” “My dad insisted on replacing this door for me. He always said a girl living alone wasn’t safe. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t like such a heavy door, but I couldn’t win against my dad back then.” I then had the technicians replace all the glass in the apartment with the highest-grade bulletproof glass, and also add a one-way film. It was supposed to take three days to complete, but I just slipped them an extra ten thousand dollars. The technicians’ eyes practically disappeared into smiles. “Can you guys try to finish this afternoon? My mom’s coming over, and she’s incredibly security-conscious, always worrying about worst-case scenarios.” Perhaps seeing that I was someone who wasn’t afraid to spend, one of the technicians even asked if I wanted security bars installed. “Install them!” I couldn’t drive, which posed a huge problem for getting supplies. My dad forced me to learn in college. At first, I was enthusiastic, until my driving instructor almost broke my spirit, and I failed the road test five times in a row. I finally gave up. To keep my dad from yelling at me, I even tried to brainwash him: “Don’t worry, self-driving cars will be the norm soon anyway!” I first took a taxi to Costco. On the way, I used my banking apps to check how much money I had. My streaming career had been pretty lucrative over the years. All in all, I still had over seven hundred thousand dollars. I’d tell my parents when they got here. With their savings, we’d probably have over a million and a half. **3.** I needed to buy so many things, and I didn’t dare choose home delivery. In the apocalypse, people were the scariest things. I headed straight for the shelf-stable food section. Normally, I could order these online and have them delivered in batches to different locations, but the problem was that Silverwood City had been hit by a continuous health advisory this year. There were still two active lockdown zones, so deliveries couldn’t get in. I cleared out the entire shelf of ready-to-eat meals: about 150 shelf-stable meal kits, 100 ready-to-eat meals, and over fifty dehydrated soup pouches and instant noodle cups. Fortunately, Costco’s shopping carts were huge; I pushed two. While waiting in line to pay, I got a call from my dad. Don’t let his age fool you; my dad had a commercial driver’s license (CDL). I just made up an excuse and called him over. “Dad, can you rent a cargo van and come to Costco? Yeah, yeah, I’m a streamer, remember? I’m planning a big giveaway.” The installation workers sent a message saying the bulletproof glass was replaced. Without a second thought, I paid them and added, “The local health situation is getting tricky again, guys. Buy more food to keep at home.” My dad would be here soon, which meant I could buy even more things. So, I immediately left my unpaid items with a store associate, asking them to watch it, and then pushed a shopping cart to start a new round of purchases: 10 cases of yogurt, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of sparkling water, 12 bottles per case 20 cases of instant noodles, 24 packs per case 50 high-capacity power banks 50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case 10 bags of flour, 20 kilograms per bag 10 bags of rice, 20 kilograms per bag 100 boxes of potato chips, 20 cases of pull-apart bread, 50 bags of soy milk powder, 50 bags of black sesame paste Thinking I’d set up solar panels in the afternoon, I also bought 50 pounds of pork, 50 pounds of beef, and 50 pounds of lamb. My home fridge was too small; I’d need to buy two large chest freezers. These things definitely weren’t enough. Even though Costco was a warehouse store, I couldn’t buy too much from just one place. I’d need to visit several stores. Just as I finished paying, Dad arrived in a large cargo van. Seeing the supermarket staff loading items into the truck, my dad joked, “Sweetie, are you going all out? How much are you planning to give away?” As soon as I got in the car, I noticed my old man had turned serious. “Avery, what’s really going on? The house glass has been replaced, you’ve bought so much stuff, and you’re rushing your mom and me over.” I had thought about this question last night, and coming up with excuses had given me a headache. I also knew I couldn’t hide it from them, so I decided to tell them the truth. My parents were older and had lived through tough times. Perhaps because they’d been high school teachers, constantly interacting with kids from the new era, their acceptance of new things was sometimes even stronger than mine. When I told them I died in my apartment complex in my previous life, my dad’s eyes reddened. Perhaps death felt far away, but parents always empathize with your suffering. “Just reinforcing the doors and windows isn’t enough. We need to make it soundproof. What if someone hears something and tries to break in?” My dad was a whirlwind of action. As he spoke to me, he called my mom. Just like that, the worry that had kept me awake all night about an excuse was resolved. There was still a third of the cargo van’s space left. We followed the navigation straight to the farmer’s market and bought a huge haul there too: 10 bags of potatoes × 150kg 10 bags of cabbage × 150kg 10 cases of apples × 20kg 10 cases of oranges × 20kg I remembered reading zombie apocalypse hoarding stories in college where the protagonists raised chickens. I quickly mentioned this idea to my dad. “No, chickens make noise.” My gaze shifted, and I saw fish. I clapped my hands. “We’ll raise fish!” Today was Wednesday. Most people in the complex were at work, and since the location was a bit remote, the occupancy rate wasn’t high. Our family of three moving supplies up to our small attic, trip after trip, didn’t attract any attention. My mom, a biology teacher, looked at the existing supplies and suggested we buy some seeds. We still lacked too many things. We left my mom to organize at home, and my dad and I rushed out again. We headed straight for another Sam’s Club in Silverwood City. This time, with my dad’s decades of experience, buying things was much more organized: 20 bags of rice × 20kg 20 bags of flour × 20kg 50 cases of canned fruit, 20 cans per case 30 cases each of various canned meats, 20 cans per case 50 packs of dried noodles 50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of bread 50 packs of instant rice noodles 15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case 20 buckets of soybean oil × 20kg 20 bottles of dish soap × 2L 20 packs of toilet paper × 12 rolls 30 bottles of body wash × 700ml 50 bottles of laundry detergent × 2L (might not use this much, as water would become a luxury later, but my mom had a slight obsession with cleanliness. If push came to shove, we could purify rainwater. Silverwood City, though in the north, was quite rainy, like a traitor to its northern location.) 50 toothbrushes 50 tubes of toothpaste 20 bars of soap (only my dad used these) 50 bottles of shampoo × 600ml (a little from each brand) 20 boxes of egg yolk pastries, 6 per box 50 bags of ham sausage I cleared out the entire shelf of sanitary pads. Looking at the quantity, it should last me until menopause, no matter what. This Sam’s Club was far from home, and since I worked as a streamer, hardly anyone in Silverwood City recognized me, so I shopped freely. Remembering that the power would go out soon after the zombie outbreak, and natural gas would also be gone, my lazy self quickly told my dad to install solar panels. As a former high school physics teacher, this small problem was no challenge for him. If natural gas was gone, our stove wouldn’t work. Thinking of this, I hurriedly bought 5 air fryers, 5 small pans for cooking, 5 rice cookers, and 2 induction cooktops for hot pot. At the checkout, my dad’s acting skills kicked in. “Avery, your boss is really something. Donating to charity is one thing, but why decide to donate supplies? And then make a young woman like you come buy it all!” We had bought so much, the cashier’s eyes were practically slits from smiling. “It must be for the lockdown zones. Companies come here to buy things like this quite often these past few years.” After the staff loaded everything onto the cargo van, my dad and I headed straight to the mall. My mom had reminded me about this. If zombies could break out, who knew if the weather would turn abnormal? Even though Silverwood City was in the north, what if we encountered extreme weather? 5 sets of summer pajamas per person, 5 sets of winter pajamas per person, 10 sets of loungewear 10 pairs of summer slippers per person, 10 pairs of winter slippers per person. 7 pairs of sneakers per person. 15 thick blankets, 15 thin blankets 20 sets of bed linens 8 down jackets per person, 10 sweaters, countless summer clothes 500 sets of disposable underwear When we got home, we found the soundproofing already underway. Perhaps because my mom paid generously, there were eight or nine technicians in our thousand-square-foot apartment. When no one was paying attention, I asked my mom where she put the supplies. “On the rooftop.” This was an unspoken agreement among the complex residents: the rooftop always belonged to the top floor. When I bought this apartment, I had visited the rooftop. Because the building was so tall, the rooftop railing was a good five feet, three inches high, and this building was the tallest in the vicinity. If you bent down, you wouldn’t be seen from below. Luckily, I had my parents; I honestly hadn’t thought about soundproofing or anything like that. With money paid, the work naturally sped up. It was finished by around 8 PM. After seeing off the installation technicians, our family moved everything from the rooftop to the attic, and then brought up the rest of the supplies from the truck. “We still need to buy some medicine. And some multivitamins. Water isn’t enough either. Here, Avery, tomorrow you and your dad go buy water. Visit several stores, buying a little from each. I’ll go buy seeds and soil tomorrow. I’m just worried no pharmacy will dare sell antibiotics because of the health advisory.” I paused for a moment. Medicine might actually not be an issue. I rushed into the room and brought out two large medicine chests. “Oh, Mom, you forgot! You and Dad always bring me so many medicines when you visit, and they’re all recently dated. The last time was about ten days ago…” Seeing the two overflowing medicine chests, our family finally felt relieved. “Even though your dad and I don’t have high blood pressure or anything, it’s always good to have some just in case.” My dad and I were busy moving supplies from the rooftop. We were truly exhausted today. My mom just boiled some noodles for a quick dinner. The next morning, we just had some milk powder and bread before heading out again. **4.** Six days left. “Dad! Don’t forget the solar panels and the large chest freezers. The freezers can go in the study. There should be enough space for two large ones.” No sooner said than done, we headed straight to the mall to buy two large chest freezers. Good thing it was cold now, otherwise the meat we bought yesterday would have spoiled. We also bought several sets of solar power systems. No particular reason, just in case one broke. My dad said he could fix them, but what if? While buying the solar systems, we also popped into the neighboring store and bought several thick blackout curtains. There was still space left in the cargo van, so I took my dad straight to buy water: 10 large water jugs × 19L 10 packs of bottled water × 12 bottles Then we went to pick up what my mom had bought: 50 packs of various seeds (including easy-to-grow vegetables and fruits like cabbage, bok choy, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers.) 10 bags of unhulled wheat × 30kg (These have a long shelf life; we can grind them by hand if needed.) 50kg chicken breast 20kg chicken wings 20kg chicken feet 20kg beef These items filled the cargo van. On the way back, we stopped at pharmacies to buy medicines that didn’t take up much space: vitamins, blood pressure medication, etc., buying small amounts from multiple stores. We also bought 20 tubes of anti-itch cream, 10 tubes of corticosteroid cream, and 20 bottles of Vitamin E lotion. The whole morning passed like this. Thankfully, the elevator was spacious enough for the freezers. We moved things up trip after trip. After a quick lunch, my mom, whose stamina couldn’t keep up, stayed behind to organize. My dad and I continued shopping, this time heading straight for larger supermarkets like Auchan: 70 bags of salt 10 cases of soy sauce × 12 bottles 5 cases of vinegar × 12 bottles 3 cases of oyster sauce × 12 bottles 20 packs of paper towels × 12 rolls 20 packs of facial tissues × 12 packs We also bought soybeans. If soy sauce ran out later, we could brew our own. My mom used to do it when she wasn’t so busy, back when I was a kid. At this point, all the shopping coupons from three supermarkets—Dafasco, Yonghui, and Yaohan—were used up. “Heh heh, I had no idea I’d accumulated so many coupons.” **5.** Five days left. Today’s task was much easier. So far, the only thing we were short on was water. We needed to buy water in multiple trips. Oh, right, and we needed to buy some self-defense tools. To be fully prepared, we drove the cargo van and bought another 50 large jugs of water, 19L each. I also bought several kitchen knives and a few small knives for defense. Passing by a gym, I had a sudden idea to buy a treadmill for home. I could run on it every day; otherwise, my physical fitness wouldn’t keep up. Even though we had tried to make every possible preparation, what if? Thinking of this, I went to a car dealership and looked at an RV. The salesperson raved about it, saying it was bulletproof, had a high chassis, and was super safe. Last night, at dinner, I mentioned that if things got really bad, we’d have to leave, so a car with high safety ratings was essential. I went with the salesperson to complete the paperwork and arranged to pick up the RV in three days. When I got home, I found my mom had bought a lot of lemons. These last a long time if refrigerated. This would be our vitamin supplement for when the apples and oranges ran out and the tomatoes weren’t ripe yet. Four days left, my dad dragged my mom out to stock up on even more supplies. I don’t know how my dad managed it, but he even brought back several barrels of gasoline. “We’ll put it in the RV when it arrives. If things get bad, we’ll leave.” For the next few days, I tried my best to go live every day, reminding everyone to stock up on supplies. Forgive me for not being able to say more; I was too insignificant. I just wanted my family to be safe. I truly couldn’t be a savior. When we got home, my mom went to organize supplies as usual, and my dad continued working on the composting toilet on the rooftop. Our apartment, aside from paths for walking and sleeping, was completely filled with supplies. My grandparents passed away early, and my parents didn’t have other siblings, so that was one less thing to worry about. But my mom had many colleagues. She subtly hinted to a few close ones to buy more things for home, using the old line about the health advisory getting serious again, better safe than sorry. My mom had been strict all her life, so her words carried a lot of credibility. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be direct, but this whole thing was just so unscientific. If not for their blind trust in me, my family would never have believed it. My parents lived in a faculty apartment complex bought by their high school. It was crowded, in a busy downtown area, and an older complex, so the safety factor wasn’t good. That’s why we decided to stay in Silverwood City. Of course, that’s what I told them when explaining why they should come over. All in all, we bought 200 large water jugs of drinking water. Besides various bottled waters and drinks, we also bought several large water collection systems, and plenty of water purification tablets. Water wouldn’t be an issue. A few days ago, my dad had already connected the solar panels. After testing them and confirming they worked, he connected the fridge and the two large chest freezers to them. The garbage problem was tricky. I heard the unit next door was empty, so I simply rented it out specifically for garbage storage. We had to handle sanitation properly. With just one day left, the internet, just like in my previous life, reported malicious attacks in coastal areas. Our family exchanged glances. My dad took out the heavy-duty locks he bought from the hardware store and locked the stairwell from the 19th to the 21st floors. After observing for days, these floors seemed to be empty. “Dad! Mom! We’re going to be okay!” **6.** The zombie outbreak. Ever since it hit Ins, we’d set up a watch schedule at home. Mainly because I’d forgotten exactly when the zombies appeared in Silverwood City. While we still had internet, the three of us quickly got our phones, iPads, and whatever else we had to download variety shows and TV series. My mom even bought a stack of books, saying learning never stopped as long as there was life. Whether we’d actually study, I didn’t know, but I figured that pile of books would hurt if you threw it at someone. It was my turn to watch tonight. I was watching an old TV show while looking out the window. With my extensive experience from my previous life, I knew these zombies were especially sensitive to light. So, at night, we no longer turned on any lights. This trick not only protected us from zombies but also from other people. Suddenly, I saw the security guard at the complex entrance stumbling towards us, followed by two blood-covered “people.” The guard was running and screaming for help. It was too late, after 2 AM. Besides me, no one else was likely awake. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help, but there was truly no point. My eyesight was always good, and the complex had streetlights, so I could vaguely make out the blood-splattered arm of the guard. It took less than two minutes, and the guard stopped screaming for help, instead stumbling around like a headless chicken. I dialed 911, reporting the situation in the complex, while also rushing back inside to wake up my parents. My dad was okay; he adapted quickly to new things. My mom, however, wasn’t. It took a fright before she spoke: “Will these things turn into people?” I didn’t need to answer; I believed my parents already knew the answer. My dad, seeing my mom was scared, put an arm around her shoulder and comforted her, “What’s there to be afraid of! We’re all together! Even if the sky falls, I’ll protect you two.” This commotion probably meant no one was getting back to sleep, so we decided to hold a family meeting and discuss everything. “To kill them with one blow, you have to hit their heads. Hitting other places is useless. They don’t feel pain anymore.” “Don’t worry,” my dad said. “Your mom and I already know all about this from watching *The Walking Dead* the other day.” Seeing my parents calm down, I took a deep breath and said one last thing: “Dad, Mom. There’s one thing I have to say. In the apocalypse, the scariest thing is human nature. We can only ensure our own safety; we can’t be saviors! I know you’ve been teachers your whole lives, but this is the apocalypse! You have to protect yourselves!” Thankfully, my parents weren’t the type to be overly compassionate. They exchanged glances and slowly but firmly nodded. “Don’t worry, we understand. As long as our family is safe.” **7.** Day one of the zombie outbreak. I stayed on watch until 6 AM. Unable to sleep, I decided to wait until my mom made breakfast before going to bed. Around 7:50 AM, people started leaving for work. My heart sank, and I saw a man from the building across the street exit, briefcase in hand. Perhaps it was a common ailment of modern young people, but he was walking and looking at his phone, completely oblivious to a “person” lunging at him from behind, biting his arm and refusing to let go. “Damn it, are you crazy?!” With his shout, another zombie rushed over. The man finally realized something was wrong, running back towards his building and yelling for help. An old man, out for his morning walk, suddenly stepped forward and knocked both zombies down. Before he could say anything, the man who had just been bitten tackled him to the ground. “Get off me! Get off!” I couldn’t bear to watch the scene below. Many people were leaving for work in the morning, which meant there would undoubtedly be many casualties. The complex residents finally realized something was wrong, and no one else came out. Sleepiness washed over me. I gave my parents a few instructions and then went back to my room to sleep. When I woke up at noon, my mom had already prepared lunch. Now that the zombies had just broken out, electricity and water were still stable, but we’d agreed last night that we shouldn’t use the range hood. The range hood was noisy. Zombies were one thing; they were mindless. But we were afraid of attracting other survivors. With our family’s physical condition, we’d be easy pickings. It was okay if our quality of life was lower. With our amount of stored supplies, we could definitely wait for rescue. If supplies ran out and rescue still hadn’t come, then we wouldn’t survive anyway. One difference from my last life was that we still had a signal this time. The complex residents’ SnapChat group was tallying the number of survivors in each household. Since the outbreak had just begun, some people still fantasized that order hadn’t completely broken down. My dad and I discussed it. “Let’s not report our numbers. We have enough supplies anyway. And we’re a small group. What if someone comes to raid us?” I agreed wholeheartedly. While I was washing my face, my mom served lunch, saying, “I saw in the group chat this morning, everyone’s doing pretty well.” The group she mentioned was her old colleagues. My mom had subtly hinted to them, and they had all stored some supplies. Lunch was stir-fried cabbage and tomato beef. After eating, we each got an orange. “After lunch, I’ll stand watch. Avery and your dad can take turns on the treadmill.” Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It was a FaceTime call, and the ringtone was extremely loud. I quickly lowered the volume and switched to voice mode. It was one of the complex’s property management staff. “Hello, resident, are you home? We’re counting survivors. Why haven’t we seen your reply?” My family exchanged glances. “Oh, I’m not home. I’m back in my hometown.” “Okay, okay then.” After hanging up, we looked at each other. “What do you think he meant by making a video call?” My dad reacted quickly. “I remember now, a few days ago, your mom and I were driving the RV to buy stuff, and we ran into someone on the way back who asked us why we were buying so much!” This could be a big deal or a small one. The three of us immediately put down our bowls. “Even though I got the other elevator card a few days ago, using the excuse that I lost mine, what if?” This complex had two units per floor, and you couldn’t get up without an elevator card. “Avery, do you remember when the power went out?” “Probably in two or three more days.” “Crap.” My dad went out first, stopped the elevator on the twenty-first floor, and then cut its power. “Even though this isn’t humane, there’s no other way! As long as our family can be safe!” To be honest, we didn’t know how many families lived in this building. Not stopping the elevator before was a consideration for other people’s escape. “Actually, this is better. The stairs are safer. The elevator would be a disaster if something went wrong.” We could only comfort ourselves this way. I wasn’t a saint. I wouldn’t put myself in danger to let others escape. But I still felt inexplicably uncomfortable. “Avery, don’t think about it. Your dad and I checked before. Even though the elevator goes straight to the underground parking, the elevator shaft is pitch black, making it far more dangerous. Taking the stairs, whether up or down, offers a higher chance of escape.” We could only comfort ourselves like this. After dinner, my dad grabbed the watering can and went to water the seeds in the foam boxes. Since it was daytime, a tiny corner of the thick blackout curtains on the balcony was opened, just enough for sunlight to spill in. Before he finished watering, we saw a drone flying in the distance. Along with the drone came an automatically playing broadcast. “Dear residents, we are facing an unprecedented disaster. Please stay home and await government rescue. Please trust us, we will not abandon anyone.” Honestly, I was really curious why I never saw rescue in my last life, even when I died. I was too ordinary, too insignificant, and too selfish. Even with a second chance, I only wanted my family to live well. After watering, I started watching the self-defense videos I downloaded a few days ago. The complex’s loudspeaker suddenly blared. “Attention, residents! Let us believe there will be hope!” Instantly, zombies from all directions began to scurry like headless chickens, searching for the source of the sound. The complex’s loudspeakers were installed at the entrance of each building. I couldn’t really understand why, in the 21st century, when everything could be solved by phone, they needed these loudspeakers. As the loudspeaker blared, the zombies near our building immediately swarmed around. I couldn’t help but curse them as idiots in my mind. “Avery, will they come up?” I didn’t remember this part. In my last life, I was alone and so scared during the day that I’d just drift into a daze. “Mom, don’t worry. We’re on the twenty-first floor. We’ll be fine.” I said that, but I wasn’t so sure myself. Luckily, it was just a false alarm. The loudspeaker fell silent, and the zombies went back to wandering aimlessly. My sharp eyes spotted the man who had gone to work this morning with a briefcase. His arm was covered in blood, and he was stumbling around. He was still wearing his suit, looking like an executive. What a waste. **8.** Day three of the apocalypse. Still just the daily drone broadcasts telling everyone to stay home and not give up, with rescue nowhere in sight. Most of the young people living in this area worked at a large tech campus nearby. Young people, you know, not many have the habit of hoarding food. In my last life, if it weren’t for all the snacks I hoarded during Black Friday sales, plus the freebies from manufacturers, I wouldn’t have survived even a month. In the morning, when Dad was on watch, he saw a man and a woman emerge from the building across the street. They were completely bundled up, moving cautiously. Around the thirteenth floor, a window opened, and two heads, an old man and a boy, popped out. The boy, about twelve or thirteen, was holding a drone. A phone was attached to the drone’s tail. Seeing the man and woman go down, he quickly launched the drone and flew it in the opposite direction. Not everyone parked their cars in the underground garage; some were parked along the road in the complex. The drone flying in the opposite direction suddenly made a loud noise, loud enough to attract all the zombies. The man and woman seized the opportunity to get into their car, an SUV. I remembered this couple vividly. They were the first to go out for supplies and return safely, bringing back a significant amount. Anyway, I remembered that in my last life, this family didn’t venture out again before I died. Sure enough, about an hour and a half later, the couple drove back. The little boy kept staring at the complex entrance. When he saw his family’s car, he quickly launched the drone in the opposite direction again. The couple had quite a haul. The trunk and back seats were packed, probably every inch of space except for where people sat was full. Just like in my last life, after they took their supplies upstairs, they turned back. I knew they were going to look for solar panels, and they’d come back with two cars. In every way, this couple’s courage was admirable. Soon, as residents ran out of supplies, everyone would have to go out looking for more. The number of zombies would increase, and searching for supplies would become even harder. Around 2 PM, the couple returned with two vehicles. The man was driving a cargo van, and the woman was in their SUV. The nearby zombies had already been led away by the little boy. The couple quickly moved the goods upstairs. The cargo van was entirely filled with water and rice. This life, I lived in relative comfort, allowing me to observe more closely what the couple brought back. Solar panels, various canned goods, rice, flour, oil, daily necessities. I even spotted seeds and soil. Oh, and they brought back a huge bag of potatoes. Potatoes were easy to grow and could become a staple food later on. The woman opened the passenger door, revealing a huge bag of medicine inside. Even though I knew they got home safely in my last life, I still breathed a sigh of relief. The couple must have reached home safely; the little boy reeled in the drone and closed the window. This couple sent a signal to the outside world: hurry and go out to find supplies, while there weren’t so many zombies, while there were still supplies outside. My mom stopped watching TV, focusing intently on that family. Seeing them arrive home safely, she breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re really brave, aren’t they?” “They’ll be even braver tonight. That couple will go out again. If I remember correctly, they might clear out the entire Costco.” Around 11 PM, it was my turn to stand watch. I saw the couple who had just returned in the afternoon leave again. The little boy operated the drone, flying it far away, even attaching a small light to it, putting all his effort into protecting his parents. To be honest, while I didn’t know what the outside world looked like right now, judging by this couple’s two safe returns, their fighting prowess wasn’t weak. Sure enough, this time they brought back two large cargo vans, two truckloads of supplies in one go. The last time, the couple drove the cargo vans back and returned in their own SUV, finishing up all the hauling by almost 5 AM. Generally, families with elders and children would have the highest level of security for their doors and windows. So, this family might be able to live comfortably until the very end. My mom had been a high school teacher for many years, even serving as a head of department for a long time. Her biological clock woke her up before 6 AM every morning. I told her about what happened, and she sighed, “Everyone’s struggling.” **9.** Day four of the apocalypse, water and electricity were cut off. At first, only the water stopped. I was preparing to cook, and when I tried to add a spoonful of water, the faucet wouldn’t run. My dad, who was brushing his teeth, still had a mouthful of foam. Then the electricity went out. My dad watched the TV and sighed. This would make life even harder for ordinary residents. Even if someone wanted to go out for supplies, most residential buildings were seventeen or eighteen stories high. Modern young people generally lacked physical exercise, so carrying things up floor by floor might kill them. And that was the best-case scenario. What if there were zombies on one of the floors? When I woke up in the afternoon, I found the internet was also cut off. The complex residents’ SnapChat group messages stopped this morning, still saying, “Please wait for rescue.” This had little impact on our family. My dad, the old man, was still happily watching TV, emphasizing to my mom, “This martial arts master’s last name is Miller, just like ours. Maybe we were family five hundred years ago!”

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The day Chloe’s wedding to Julian was supposed to happen, my love jumped from the eighteenth floor. I opened his studio, and it was filled with countless portraits of Seraphina. The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, yet they pulsed with his overwhelming affection. My friend Maya said, “Julian loved Seraphina for ten years. She was his only light.” When I opened my eyes again, I saw Julian, cornered by the school bully Jax in our classroom. I quietly closed the door. Later, he knocked on my window in the pouring rain, his voice hoarse and desperate. “Chloe, are you… are you giving up on me?” Astrophysics professor Julian recently discovered a new asteroid. During his interview, his exceptionally striking appearance made him an instant trending topic. The public’s focus quickly shifted from the asteroid to his almost otherworldly face. When news broke that the asteroid was named after his beloved, netizens instantly erupted. While praising their picture-perfect romance, everyone started digging to find out who “R.a.n.” was. I hugged my phone, biting back a triumphant grin. At the end of the video, the reporter chuckled, asking, “Professor Julian, is there anything you’d like to say to your beloved, R.a.n.?” Julian froze, his eyes, dark as midnight, trembling slightly. “Happy wedding.” His tone was calm, yet it held an almost imperceptible edge of despair, on the brink of shattering. I instantly stiffened. Happy wedding? What did that even mean? “Oh, come on!” Maya, beside me, playfully nudged me. “Chloe, your Professor Julian seems so stoic, but he’s actually quite the romantic, huh? Celebrating your wedding anniversary like it’s your actual wedding day.” Was that it? Looking at Julian’s seemingly tender eyes in the video, my cheeks instantly flushed. I had been with Julian for ten years. I’d seen him transform from a sullen, almost lifeless boy to the composed, refined professor he was now. Ten years ago, he transferred to my school and became my deskmate. The boy had porcelain skin and features that seemed painted, but he looked at me with pure annoyance. And now, he was naming an asteroid after me, and his usually cold, aloof eyes softened with fondness and tenderness whenever he spoke of his beloved. Today was our one-year wedding anniversary. I cradled my stomach, curled up on the sofa. I planned to tell him the news about my pregnancy the moment he walked through the door. However… The news I received instead was Julian’s death. He had jumped from the eighteenth floor. Clutched tightly in his hand was a single note. “Death is merely a return to the cosmos. Billions of years from now, we will reunite among the stars.”

Accompanied by Maya, I arranged Julian’s funeral. He had left a will, stating that all his assets were to be donated after his death. For some reason, I was eerily calm these past few days. Seeing Maya’s eyes swollen from crying, gritting her teeth at Julian’s memorial picture, yet still trying to comfort me, I almost wanted to laugh. After the funeral, I received a call from his lawyer. “Mrs. Julian, Mr. Julian owned a villa not included in the donation… You can come arrange for its transfer whenever you have time.” The villa was in the suburbs, south of the city. I pushed open the front door, speechless at the sight before me. The main hall was filled with portraits. The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, like rough sketches from a beginner. But the person in the portraits came alive, made vivid by the overflowing, intense affection captured within them. It was Seraphina, our high school’s ‘It Girl’. Ten years. I had never once heard her name from Julian’s lips. I had no idea his feelings for her were hidden so deeply. I stumbled forward a few steps, steadying myself against a table. Neatly arranged on the table were several amber pieces. Each encased a small fruit candy, a dried flower, and a fragment of a glitter nail. The amber was smooth and rounded, clearly often handled and cherished. Things Seraphina had carelessly discarded, he treated as precious treasures. My wedding ring, which I had personally chosen for him, lay discarded nearby in a dried-up paint palette. My heart clenched with sharp, shooting pains, and tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes. Sitting down, I masochistically opened the notebook on the table. It was a chronicle of Julian’s ten-year unrequited love. On his first day of transfer, he received a fruit candy from Seraphina, the girl who sat in front of him, along with a friendly smile. It was as if a ray of sunshine had pierced his shadowed, inner world. For the gloomy boy, who had suffered domestic abuse and bullying, it was the first pure act of kindness he had ever received. He fell for her then and there. He wanted to lock her away, to possess her, to make her smile only for him. But he couldn’t bear to drag such a bright, vibrant girl into his darkness. R.a.n. wasn’t Chloe. It was Seraphina. It was his wedding gift to her. I flipped through the entire notebook. There were only a few brief mentions of me. “My new deskmate is too nosy, annoying. … Married. A bit regretful, but I must be responsible for her.” All the breakfasts I brought him when he had low blood sugar, the bullies I chased away for him, the time I dragged him by the hand out of the fire his deranged, abusive father started, all these years of my companionship and comfort… he didn’t mention a single one. The only thing he couldn’t forget was Seraphina’s vibrant smile from all those years ago. Each word was a slow, agonizing slice to my heart. I clenched my fists, breathing deeply. The crisp, clean scent of pine, his scent, still seemed to linger in the air. I felt nauseous. Some people are just inherently vile, unworthy of salvation. I pressed my palm to my stomach. He didn’t deserve me bearing his child. Just as I was about to stand, I heard a sound from the doorway. Two figures pushed the door open and stepped inside.

It was Julian’s best friend, Liam, and Seraphina. Liam’s eyes were red-rimmed, his voice hoarse. “This villa… Julian left it for you. You were once his only light. Back then, he was so depressed he almost didn’t make it. It was looking at your photos that helped him get back on his feet.” Seraphina stood blankly, her eyes misted over. “After he received his full scholarship, he didn’t even need to attend classes anymore, but he came every day just to get another glimpse of you…” Liam’s voice trailed off as he finally spotted me behind the bookshelf. He froze. Then, with a disgusted frown, he asked, “What are you doing here?” He strode forward and shoved me hard. “Get out! Don’t you dare defile the only peaceful place Julian had! If you hadn’t clung to him so relentlessly, he wouldn’t have ended up like this!” I stumbled from his push, and a dull ache spread in my lower abdomen. I steadied myself, then swung my hand back and slapped him hard across the face. “What does that have to do with me?! I never forced him to date me, or to marry me! He missed out on Seraphina because he was a spineless, pathetic coward!” Seraphina’s teary voice suddenly cut in. “He… didn’t receive the love letter I sent him?” Liam and I both froze. “What did you say?” “Before the college entrance exam, I put a love letter on his desk, but I never heard back from him…” Her voice was laced with a bitter laugh, and when she looked up again, her eyes held a hint of resentment. “It was you, wasn’t it?” She stared at me, her gaze piercing. “You were jealous of me, so you threw away the letter? You made us miss out on ten whole years… and now he’s gone, and we’re separated by death…” I knew nothing about this. But Liam believed her. “You evil bitch!” He gritted his teeth and lunged at me. My stomach hit the corner of the table with a sickening thud. A searing pain ripped through me, and blood slowly began to seep out. My vision blurred, and I collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a textbook, dressed in my school uniform, standing outside the janitor’s closet.

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I was obsessed with Liam for two years after we got married. He hated me. How much did he hate me? I was in a car accident, fractured multiple bones, and ended up staying in their hospital for half a year. He, a prominent orthopedic surgeon, never visited me once. No one liked me. Everyone said I was the one who drove Sierra away, that I was a heartless monster. Right after the accident, when I couldn’t move, everyone around him felt relieved for him. “Liam, you’re finally free for a while.” When it was time for me to be discharged, his friends all breathed a sigh of relief on his behalf. “Chloe’s getting out. She’s going to torment Liam again.” True to their word, the first thing I did after being discharged was find Liam. But it wasn’t to cling to him anymore. Instead, I handed him a document. “Liam, this is what you wanted.” “What?” I smiled softly. “Open it and see for yourself… Liam, I don’t want the house, I don’t want the car. I wish you even greater success in the future. I hope our paths never cross again.” After handing over the divorce papers, I stepped back and melted into the crowd.

“Nurse, what’s going on with the patient in the next bed? No one’s come to see her.” “Hmph, maybe she did too many rotten things. Everyone’s probably staying away from her.” Even while I was in a coma, I could hear conversations from outside. But in that dark world of unconsciousness, I struggled with every fiber of my being to wake up, yet I couldn’t. Finally, after countless attempts, a cup from the next bed clattered to the floor, the sound jolting me awake. “Oh my, dear, you’re awake!” Mrs. Stone gasped. I stared at the ceiling, unable to move a muscle. “Honey, I’m so sorry, did I scare you awake by dropping the cup?” No, I should have thanked her for dropping the cup. It was the shock that finally allowed me to open my eyes. No one knew how terrified, how utterly helpless I felt in that dark, comatose world.

Word of my awakening quickly reached the doctors. They came to examine me, saying it was a good sign that I’d finally woken up. But among all the doctors in their white coats, I didn’t see Liam. I hadn’t heard his voice while I was comatose. And he hadn’t shown up since I woke. “Where’s Liam?” A few doctors exchanged glances. “Dr. Ryan… he’s in surgery right now. He can’t come over.” “Oh.” “How’s my body doing?” “When the accident happened, you landed on the back of your head, resulting in significant bruising in your brain, which was the cause of your coma. You also suffered a fractured right hand, a severe fracture in your left thigh, and several other fractures and soft tissue contusions. In short, your injuries were very serious. As of yesterday, you had been unconscious for forty days. Thankfully, you were brought to the hospital quickly. The blood clots in your brain are slowly reabsorbing, and your fractures have been surgically repaired and casted. They’re healing well.”

Dinner time arrived. Mrs. Stone, from the next bed, fed her husband while turning to ask me, “Little girl, who is this Dr. Ryan you keep talking about? Is he someone very important to you?” He… he’s my husband. What kind of surgery takes eight hours? And he can’t even spare a moment to see his wife after she wakes up? I shook my head. “Just an acquaintance.” “Oh, I see.” “What about your family?” Only one caregiver was looking after me. During my coma, she was the one who bathed me, changed my catheter… she did everything. I doubt anyone in the entire hospital was worse off than me. I concocted a reason. “They’re all in another city, and it’s hard for them to travel.” My parents divorced when I was in middle school because my dad cheated. I was put in my dad’s custody. My mom was devastated and moved overseas. My dad is a businessman, constantly flying between cities. Other than making sure my allowance card was loaded, he never had time to care for me. Oh, right, three years ago, he had a little brother with his new wife.

I was the one who pursued Liam. Or maybe not ‘pursued’ in the sense that he eventually came to love me back. It’s just, even after we married, he was always cold to me. He treated me with less than a third of the tenderness he showed Sierra. Maybe, if Sierra hadn’t left, he would have married her instead. “Oh no, why is the blood flowing backward?” Ms. Davies, the caregiver who brought me my meal, exclaimed. I turned my head and saw that the IV line in the back of my hand was completely filled with blood. The caregiver immediately pressed the call button. The nurse who came in was Megan, my former high school classmate. The impatience was written all over her face. She roughly ripped off the tape on my hand and pulled out the needle. It was true; back then, almost everyone in our class secretly called me a home-wrecker, malicious, and a ruthless climber. She replaced the line and left. Ms. Davies and Mrs. Stone both looked upset. The caregiver picked up my meal, ready to feed me, and said, “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.” “No, I noticed it. She’s just… really rude to this girl. When our old man needs medicine, she’s perfectly fine.” I didn’t say anything, just told her, “Could you please buy me a small table? I’ll put my food on it and eat by myself.” My right hand was still in a cast, so only my left hand could move. Before, if Megan had treated me like that, I would have torn into her. But now, I just felt too exhausted to argue about anything.

Liam walked in when I was clumsily trying to eat, wrapped up like a mummy. Eating with my left hand felt so awkward. When he entered, my spoon, halfway to my mouth, froze in mid-air. I must have looked utterly pathetic in that moment. He glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Mr. Stone in the next bed. “What’s the situation?” …He was here to see the patient next to me. I lowered my head, mechanically shoveling food into my mouth, my whole body feeling numb. “Doctor, you’re here! My husband suddenly has terrible elbow pain.” Liam gently loosened Mr. Stone’s cast. “Is that better?” “Much better, it doesn’t hurt as much.” Mrs. Stone asked, puzzled, “Did they change doctors? Wasn’t it Dr. Evans before?” “He has a family emergency, so I’m covering for him for two days.” “Oh, I see. You look so young, doctor, and you’re already working at City General. That’s incredible!” “Do you have a girlfriend?” Liam sidestepped Mrs. Stone’s question. “The cast was too tight before, compressing the elbow, which caused the pain. If this happens again, call a doctor immediately.” After he finished tending to Mr. Stone, he seemed to linger. I just kept my head down, mechanically eating. Then, a pair of white shoes appeared by my bed. A nurse rushed over. “Dr. Ryan, ER!” The white shoes that had appeared in my peripheral vision vanished again. I looked out into the darkness and sniffed.

From then on, Liam never visited me again. Dr. Evans returned, so Liam didn’t need to cover for him anymore. Mr. Stone, me, and the other patients on this ward were all Dr. Evans’s patients. I heard there was a multi-car pile-up that night, with many injured. I also heard Liam went to another state for a medical exchange. When he returned, there was a major fire in the city, and the hospital was overflowing. Later, I heard he was dispatched overseas for further study. In short, he was always busy. The bed next to mine saw a constant rotation of patients. Once I could get out of bed, I pushed myself through physical therapy. I was determined to stand up again, to be a normal person. No matter how painful the rehabilitation, I gritted my teeth and persevered in that therapy room, just like the other patients. Of course, during this time, I became the laughingstock of my old social circle. The untouchable ice queen, bedridden after an accident, unable to care for herself, needing everything done for her. Before, we were all medical students from a top university. But during my internship year, I injured my finger and couldn’t be a surgeon. I gave up on that career. Several of my former classmates got jobs at City General. But no one felt sorry for me. They only thought it was my karma. After all, everyone believed I had霸道地逼走了 Sierra, forcing her to go abroad.

“You’re completely back to normal. That’s amazing.” Four months later, when I walked a stretch of road without any aids, my physical therapist clapped. “Thank you for your dedication.” “It’s your incredible willpower. Honestly, your comminuted thigh fracture was extremely severe, but you’re the only person I’ve seen who never uttered a single word of pain throughout the entire long process.” I smiled and said nothing. I was discharged. I completed the paperwork and took a taxi from the hospital. It had been almost half a year since I’d been back. I paused for a moment, my finger touching the fingerprint lock. The door opened to a faint smell of dust. Just as I’d guessed, Liam rarely came back either. I tidied the sofa and opened the comforting chicken and rice soup I’d bought downstairs. I’d only taken two spoonfuls when my phone vibrated again. I looked at the messages in the group chat and fell silent. “Chloe’s discharged.” “Whoa, already out? Wasn’t she badly injured?” “She’s going to come back and cling to Liam again. Liam must have owed her something in a past life to be tormented by her like this.” “Stop it, she’s still in this group. If she sees it, watch out for revenge.” “Shoot, wrong group!” The messages in the chat were quickly deleted. I turned off my phone and continued eating my soup. I slept alone that night; Liam didn’t come home. The next morning, I lifted my stiff hand, rubbing my eyes. After a moment, I got up and dressed. I grabbed the things from the coffee table and headed out. Just before closing the door, I paused for a second, taking one last look at the three-bedroom apartment I had meticulously designed. *Slam.* The door closed as I left. In the orthopedic ward hallway, I saw Liam. They had just finished their morning meeting, and a group of doctors in white coats were coming out of the conference room.

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My parents are famous, but I can only see them on TV. They rush to the frontlines of war, claiming the environment is dangerous, and left me with my grandmother in the countryside. But later, they adopted their colleague’s daughter. They kept her by their side, compensating her for everything they owed me. She became their precious one, able to stay with Mom and Dad without the barrier of a cold screen. When they finally remembered me, I had already forgotten my feelings for them after a high fever. 0 I fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but it lasted for a long time. It all started with a bet between me and my adoptive sister. We were competing to see who could climb to the top of the mountain first. The winner would get our parents to attend their parent-teacher conference. When I finally reached the summit, exerting all my strength against the morning breeze and dew, I saw my parents and adoptive sister, the three of them smiling as they set up a tent to capture the sunrise. Seeing me arrive, Sophia grinned and said, “I only said we’d race to see who gets here first. I never specified how we’d get here.” She continued, “Emma, don’t you get it? To reach the same destination, you have to rely on your own two feet, but I have our parents to lift me up. You were destined to lose from the start.” My parents stood behind her, holding cameras. Upon hearing our conversation and realizing what had happened, they looked a bit embarrassed and were about to invite me to watch the sunrise with them. But I had already turned to leave without a second glance. “Let her go!” I heard Mom’s angry voice from behind. “Why can’t she be more understanding like Sophia? If she knew how to be close to her parents, instead of always having that cold, sullen face, we wouldn’t ignore her!” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. My parents always said I never knew how to soften my attitude, never knew how to be affectionate and please them. But in the fifteen years of my life that they were absent, I couldn’t even see them, let alone be close to them. How could I know how to do something no one ever taught me? After returning home, I fell ill. Although I had only been exposed to a bit of wind and dew, I developed a high fever and felt weak and dizzy. Before completely passing out, I called an ambulance for myself. Then I sank into darkness. In my unconscious state, I saw my childhood again. When I was very young, I could only see my parents on television, and that was the only place I could see them. They were nationally renowned journalists, college sweethearts with shared ideals. After graduation, they chased their common dream, running to the frontlines of various important news events. Later, they even volunteered to go abroad to war zones, living and eating with refugees devastated by war. Before they left, they took a photo. In the picture, I was still a baby, held in the arms of a smiling man and woman, the three of us nestled together happily as a family. At that time, I didn’t know that this would be the last time in my life that I would be embraced by my parents. It was also this moment that made the child in me regret and beat my chest countless times. I hated myself for not being more precocious – so that I could have known what it felt like to be in my parents’ arms. It must have been an experience worth remembering for a lifetime. But there are no “what ifs” in life. Communication wasn’t as advanced in those days, so I was left with my grandmother who lived alone in the countryside. The old lady wasn’t very good at using the mobile phone my parents had left her. At the beginning of each month, she would walk over ten miles to the post office in town, leaning on her cane, to see if there was any mail for us. When I got a bit older, she would take me with her. Before each trip, I would always put on my best clothes that I usually saved for special occasions, and wear two flowers on the neat braids Grandma had done for me. I thought my parents could see me through the letters, so I had to dress up beautifully to see them. But I never received any letters. It wasn’t until third grade, when my language teacher assigned us to write a letter to our mothers, that I suddenly realized letters were only sent one way. My parents wouldn’t suddenly appear in the post office to hear me tell them how much I missed them. Fortunately, even without letters, there was still television. My parents had been abroad for many years and hadn’t come home for the Spring Festival for seven or eight years. Occasionally, they would ask someone to bring some appliances to Grandma’s house in the old village. When that 45-inch color TV was installed in the house, it drew many villagers to come and watch. Grandma didn’t mind, inviting everyone in to watch TV together. After the antenna was set up and the TV turned on, it happened to be the evening news. After the well-dressed anchor said a few words, the scene changed, and a couple in plain clothes appeared on the screen, holding microphones. At that moment, my eyes lit up. The people in the news were my parents. They were standing in front of the smoke of war, briefly introducing the local situation and calling on the whole society to lend a hand to these refugees who had suffered undeserved disasters. I looked at their faces, much more weathered than in the photos, and walked dazedly to the TV. “Dad, Mom…” I looked up, calling out to them loudly, but got no response. 0

From then on, watching the news became my unwavering hobby. They weren’t on the news every day, but whenever they were, I would always have a good dream that night. In my dreams, my parents would take me with them, and I could go on adventures with them. They would hold me in their arms, ruffle my hair, and call me “baby.” Later, when I entered junior high school, I went to study in town. By that time, mobile phones had started to become more common. One day after school, I found that old mobile phone that hadn’t been turned on for a long time in the drawer of Grandma’s bedside table. I charged it up again and when I found the number with my parents’ names in the contacts, my heart started pounding uncontrollably. The call didn’t go through; the phone had been out of service for a long time. Later, I saved up money for a long time, reciting that number representing my parents every day. Finally, on my birthday, I gave ten dollars to the owner of the small shop at the entrance and borrowed her phone to dial that number. The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought no one would answer, that gentle male voice that had been lingering in my dreams day and night sounded. “Dad!” I exclaimed his name excitedly, telling him I was his baby. But he was silent for a long time, as if he couldn’t remember that he had a baby back in his hometown. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hurried. He said, “Baby, Dad’s busy with work. I’ll contact you later. Be good and listen to your grandmother back home.” He hung up without waiting for my reply. I held the phone, warmed by the heat from my ear, feeling a bit disappointed. This was the first time I had spoken to my father in my memory. A child’s intuition is actually keen, and on that day, I suddenly realized something. My parents didn’t necessarily miss me as much as I missed them. From then on, I still couldn’t break the habit of waiting for the news in front of the TV, but I was no longer as excited as before when waiting. Once, I had fantasized that I was a loved child, thinking that Mom and Dad also wanted to see me through the screen. But now, I finally understood that they probably didn’t love me. To them, I was a strange existence that hadn’t left much impression due to the long separation. 0

The turning point came when I was in high school. At that time, I was buried in my studies every day, hoping to enter the news industry for college. High school required boarding, so naturally, I no longer had the chance to watch the news every day. One day after self-study, I saw Grandma standing at the classroom door, leaning on her cane. She had even put on new clothes for the occasion. As soon as she saw me, she excitedly said, “Baby, your parents are back. Let’s go meet them.” At that moment, the books in my hands fell to the ground, and the whole world was filled with a ringing sound. I was going to see my parents. They were finally no longer just cold images existing on the screen. I could throw myself into their arms and act spoiled, or hold their hands, sit beside them, and show them all the awards I had received over the years. I grew up in the countryside and didn’t have any special talents. These certificates praising me for being top of the class every year were the only things I could proudly show them. I wanted to know if they would be proud of me. I hurriedly followed Grandma to the bus station. While waiting, I fixed my hair countless times. I also quietly bought a pack of wet wipes to clean my face. Using the reflection from the steel armrests of the station seats, I kept adjusting my appearance over and over, constantly regretting that I should have washed my hair before coming out. I was afraid that my first impression on them would be bad, but then I thought that since they were my parents, they shouldn’t mind. By then I had entered puberty, and my vague sense of self-esteem had already taken root. I thought, since my parents had neglected me so much when I was little, when I met them, I should also act a bit reserved. That way, we’d be even. Grandma and I ended up not being able to wait for my parents. After sitting at the station until late at night, my dad’s friend came to find Grandma. He said my dad had called him, saying they had landed in the capital and would only stay for a week. After finishing their handover, they would set off again, so there was no need to come back to the old home. They told us not to wait anymore. I listened to this news in a daze, my head buzzing. I felt they would indeed do something like this. I just felt a bit of contempt for them in my heart. I thought, Grandma is old, and even I know to be filial to her, but they let their own parents’ expectations fall through time and time again. Perhaps they weren’t as wonderful as I had imagined. Perhaps… they weren’t even as good as me. After returning home, I developed a high fever. During my illness, I learned from my uncle who came to visit me about the reason for their return to the country this time. The war zone they had been in was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The attack came too suddenly, and the journalists were slow to evacuate. Many people were injured. My parents, in order to record the city under artillery fire in the first place, forcibly delayed until the last moment. Their best friend – the photographer who had followed them through life and death – also lost his life because of this. Bearing the life and expectations of their friend, they were even more unwilling to stop. After returning to the country for recuperation, they quickly geared up to return to the front lines of the war. As if to express their guilt, they had someone buy new phones for Grandma and me. They even took the initiative to call me. But we were indeed strangers, and after exchanging a few pleasantries on the phone, we had nothing more to say. Before hanging up, Dad told me to study hard, saying that Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the front. But my attention was all on the clear voice of a little girl calling “Dad!” from their end of the phone. Yes, they had adopted their colleague’s daughter. That girl, five months younger than me, was very pitiful. Her name was Sophia. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and now she had lost her father too. My parents took her in. War is cruel and dangerous, yet they kept Sophia by their side.

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After crossing into another world, I stayed by Zane Blackwood’s side for ten years. But in ten attempts to bear his child, each time the baby died because he was protecting his true love. The first time, just as the egg was born, he heard his beloved Ruby was under attack. Without a word, he transformed and ran off wildly. Leaving me alone to watch over the lifeless embryo. The second time, Ruby complained of feeling cold, so he gave away the heated stone bed meant for incubating our egg. Later, he became the most revered Serpent King of the tribe and promised I would be his most honored queen. He swore he would give me a child. But this tenth time, even though the egg had already cracked open, Zane held Ruby in his arms. She was under the influence of an aphrodisiac, and he solemnly vowed: “Aria, wait for me for three days. Once the poison is cured, I’ll return to continue incubating our egg.” I had already waited ten years. But these three days, I was no longer willing to wait. Later I heard that the Serpent King went mad searching every corner of the beast tribe lands. His scales fell off, his eyes turned blood-red, striking terror into all creatures. But he could not find me anywhere.

When Zane left holding Ruby with her flushed cheeks, I didn’t try to stop him. After all, this was already the tenth time he had abandoned our egg midway through incubation for Ruby’s sake. I was long used to scenes like this. It’s just that this time, our hatchling had already broken through its shell. Its fragile body was still covered in blood from hatching, its temperature slowly dropping… Yet Zane didn’t even spare a backward glance. In the cold wind, I sat alone in our nest. Only my friend Lily the rabbit secretly slipped me a seed: “Aria, this is a seed of the Forget-Me-Not flower,” Lily said in a low voice. “Plant it, and in seven days it will mature. If you eat it, you can conceal your aura and forget everything from your past.” I looked down at the unremarkable seed in my hand, feeling like a thousand-pound stone was pressing down on my heart. But in the end, I nodded. Then Lily left too. Inside the incubation cave, only I remained, holding the now stiff and cold hatchling, silently waiting for three days. Zane had lied to me. He never came back. I smiled faintly and tossed the cracked eggshell into the fire pit. The last glimmer of hope in my eyes extinguished along with the flames. That evening, a heavy snow began to fall in the valley. The cold wind gusted into the cave, stinging my cheeks. I buried the hatchling’s body along with the seed in the soil. My fingers were frozen red, tears crystallizing into ice. When I looked up again, I saw Zane watching me from afar, snow piling up on his shoulders. I thought I must be seeing things. But in the next instant, Zane strode through the wind and snow, pulling me into his embrace. I was immediately enveloped by his familiar scent of winter pine, reminding me of our first meeting ten years ago: Back then he was just a small emerald snake, nearly dead from a wolf’s bite. It was me, newly arrived in this world, who cut out half of my own beast core to feed him. From then on, Zane and I carried the same winter pine scent. No matter how far apart, Zane could always find me by following that scent. “Aria, I’m back,” he said. “I’m sorry, Ruby’s poison came on so suddenly, I had no choice but to stay with her,” Zane nuzzled my cheek, his voice impossibly gentle. “Don’t be angry. In just three short days, I missed you and our child terribly.” The child he claimed to think of constantly – its corpse was already cold. Zane pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm, his gaze reverent. But he was clearly wrapped in an aura of lust, his fingertips still stained with Ruby’s rouge. Yet here he was, cradling my ice-cold ankles, bending to kiss them inch by inch: “Aria, trust me one last time. Ruby lost a fox tail because of me years ago and can never take human form again. I owe her, I have to repay that debt…” Zane had always been gentle with me, which only made it more painful when he hurt me. His voice lowered, tinged with careful hesitation: “Aria… Ruby is pregnant with my child.” “I plan to marry her and let her give birth to the baby.”

Zane’s words pierced my heart like a blade: “Aria, after Ruby has the baby, I’ll separate from her.” “It’s the only way I can make amends to her.” Zane’s gaze held a hint of uncertainty, as if testing my reaction. But how could Zane not know that years ago, I had cut out half my own beast core to save him? For ten years since then, I too had been unable to take human form. Who would repay the debt of my kindness? The pain in my chest felt like it would split me open. Zane’s thumb brushed my cheek as he cradled my face like a precious treasure: “…Aria, don’t cry.” Oh, so I was crying? “…Alright then. Go ahead and marry her.” I sighed softly. Zane froze for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes – guilt, helplessness, “Aria, this is Ruby’s first time being a mother. You have more experience, so I was hoping you could give her some advice.” I had been a mother so many times, yet not a single one of my offspring had survived. I closed my eyes briefly, only saying “Okay.” Ruby truly lived up to her fox heritage, naturally alluring and seductive. She clung affectionately to Zane’s arm, yet her eyes held an air of innocence, giving her a unique charm: “Big sister Aria, you have so many nice things here!” She liked this and wanted that, sweeping up all the items in the cave for herself. All the precious herbs and beautiful furs I had prepared for the baby were claimed by her: “Hehe, big sister Aria, it’s not like you’ll be using any of this stuff anyway, right? So why don’t you just give it all to me?” Ruby rummaged around, smiling sweetly as she spoke. Lily couldn’t stand it anymore. She started to speak up, but before she could say a word, Zane’s iron-like tail slammed her against the wall. Blood immediately spurted from her mouth! If I hadn’t stopped him, Zane would have crushed Lily’s beast core right then and there. “Oh my,” Ruby immediately put on an insincere smile: “Big sister, don’t be mad, I was just joking. Oh? What’s this?” Ruby pulled out a necklace inlaid with snake scales, her eyes lighting up. “Big sister Aria, can I borrow this to wear for a bit?” Years ago, before Zane became the Serpent King, his only wedding gift to me was a necklace made from the hardest scale on his body. Now, even this one symbol of our love, Ruby wanted to take away. I held the still-bleeding Lily, feeling cold all over, my nails digging into my palms. But Zane’s face was full of indulgence as he lightly tapped Ruby’s nose: “Of course. Whatever you want.” All the hurt and anger I had been holding back instantly evaporated. Who could defy the Serpent King’s beloved? The tribespeople gathered at the cave entrance, whispering amongst themselves. Their gazes toward me were full of sympathy and pity. The wedding day arrived. The tribe was decorated with lanterns and festive decorations. The ceremony was far grander than my wedding to Zane had been all those years ago. Ruby wore a dazzling gown, the snake scale necklace glittering at her throat. I turned away dejectedly, only wanting to leave this heartbreaking place. Where I had planted the seed, tender shoots had emerged. As if my lost child was greeting me. I had just reached out my hand, not even touching the leaves, when a foot stomped down hard: It was Zane’s personal guard in his icy armor. “Aria Winters, how dare you openly try to harm the Serpent Queen?!”

Ruby lay on the soft furs, her face pale, her fox eyes tinged red with distress. “Zane, my love…” she choked out, grasping Zane’s hand. “It hurts so much… Will the baby and I… make it?” Zane gripped her hand tightly, his eyes full of concern. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll save you no matter what.” Only then did he turn to look at me, his gaze as cold as ice. “Ruby was poisoned. That’s why she fell off the cliff on our wedding day, almost losing the baby.” Zane’s voice was slow and deliberate, chillingly cold. “The poison… was on the snake scale necklace you gave her!” The air seemed to freeze instantly. Zane threw the necklace at my face, cutting a bloody gash. I stared at Ruby in disbelief, but the guard’s foot pressed down harder on my back, forcing me to the ground. Ruby’s hand gently caressed her belly as she gave a sad, helpless smile: “Sister Aria, I know you don’t like me, but… the baby is innocent…” “The antidote!” Zane’s tail slammed the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His massive serpent shadow loomed in the daylight. “I don’t have it.” I bit my lip hard, my eyes bloodshot. He stared at me, his tone ice cold: “No antidote? Then give Ruby the other half of your beast core. That will save her too.” My whole body shook. My beast core? I only had half a beast core left inside me, barely keeping me alive. If I cut it out again… “Zane, have you gone mad?” I stared at him in disbelief, my heart clenching painfully. I had carried his children ten times, given up half my beast core for him. Now he wanted me to cut myself open again to save his new love?! My nails dug into my palms as I trembled violently. “Aria, this isn’t a request.” Zane looked at me, his tone frosty, his gaze like he was looking at an unrepentant criminal – full of righteous pity. The guards immediately dragged out a small figure. She was pinned to the ground by the snake tribe guards, a cloth stuffed in her mouth, her eyes wide with panic. “Aria! Mmph mmph!” “Lily!” I desperately tried to go to her but was held back firmly by the guards, unable to move. Zane slowly turned, looking down at me coldly: “Either give up your beast core, or she dies. I’ll count to three.” It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds. Tears welled up in my eyes. “Three.” “Two.” Seeing I wouldn’t speak, Zane’s blade sliced off half of Lily’s ear. “Ahhh!” He raised his hand again. I laughed bitterly in despair. Zane was willing to kill my best friend for the one he loved. “Fine.” I slowly closed my eyes, my nails digging into my palms as I said softly, “I’ll do it.” “Mmph?!” Surprisingly, Lily had the strongest reaction. She shook her head frantically, tears and blood streaming down her face. Zane’s gaze finally softened for an instant, while Ruby covered her mouth, a hint of a smile showing. The blade pressed against my chest, its sharp edge slowly cutting into my skin. The searing pain nearly made me collapse. The beast core inside me was slowly carved out, blood pooling on the ground. The air filled with the scent of winter pine mixed with the metallic tang of blood, so strong it was nauseating. Finally, the dull, lightless half of my beast core fell from my body into Zane’s palm. I collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from my body onto the cold stone floor. And Zane… he was still tightly holding Ruby in his arms. Ruby cradled the half beast core, letting out a soft laugh. “Thank you, sister Aria.” Her smile was gentle, like a mockery of me. In utter despair, I slowly closed my eyes, letting the blood flow from my fingertips. Fading into unconsciousness.

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Six years after we broke up, I found myself in his emergency room. “I’m pregnant. The baby is yours.” His face went ashen. “Pregnant with a six-year-old? What are you even talking about?” The atmosphere instantly became unbearably awkward. “So, you’re not going to acknowledge it?” “You think I’d just step up and be a stand-in dad?” he shot back. I fell silent for a few seconds. “Fine. Then I’ll find a father for him myself.” Nine months later. He clutched the chief surgeon’s arm, his voice rough with desperation. “Please, man, I’m begging you. Make the incision as neat as possible. She’s obsessed with how things look.” I went for a pre-marital health check with my blind date. Turns out, I was pregnant. The wedding was off. Mrs. Gable, the matchmaker, stormed over to my place and reamed my mom out. “You told me your girl was a good, wholesome catch! A good, wholesome catch who’s two months pregnant?!” “You’ve completely ruined my reputation!” “Don’t ever call me again! Bad luck!” … My mom got an earful, then I got an earful from my mom. “Who’s the father?” “…” I just clammed up. “Skylar Hayes, you’re twenty-eight, not eight! Are you still messing around out there? Do you have any common sense?” “Are you trying to kill me, your mother, with stress?” “Whatever.” I turned and went upstairs, locking the door behind me.

I lay on my bed, racking my brain. My period had definitely been three weeks late. And lately, I’d been feeling a bit off my food. My cycle was usually all over the place, impossible to track, mostly thanks to my late nights. I just thought this time was the same. It never crossed my mind that I was pregnant. And the father? None other than my ex-boyfriend from six years ago. Two months back, I went to a class reunion. He showed up really late and was completely wasted. I was the one who took him home. When we got to his place, I practically had to carry him inside. When I left, I stumbled out, practically crawling. The taxi driver must’ve thought something was seriously wrong with me. He kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, not daring to say a word. … After a few days of thinking at home, I still went to Liam’s hospital. I waited in line, paid the fees, got the tests done, and finally, report in hand, headed to his department. “Consultations are over for the morning. Come back this afternoon.” I’d barely stepped in when he dismissed me without even looking up. He must’ve sensed I hadn’t left, because he suddenly looked up and saw me. His gaze snapped, his pupils shrinking. He looked utterly shocked, like someone seeing a long-lost friend. What an act. How could he have mistaken me for someone else at the reunion? “Skylar?” He parted his lips. Before he could finish, I neatly placed the report in front of him. “I’m pregnant. The baby is yours,” I stated, getting straight to the point. He glanced down at the report, his face grave. I could almost feel his fear. “What baby is six years overdue?” His long fingers tapped the report. “Did you lose your memory? We broke up six years ago.” His words slammed me into silence, my face burning with humiliation. “You’re not going to acknowledge it?” I asked through gritted teeth. He looked up at me, his expression unreadable. “Skylar, if you regret something, you should act like it. What… you think I’d be foolish enough to fall for that?” He didn’t look at the report again, burying his head in a patient file, clearly done with me. “You—!” I almost blurted out a string of curses. I never imagined he wouldn’t just deny it, but accuse me of regretting our breakup! A jerk like him? Skylar Hayes would never regret a thing in her life. Even if… I did regret it, I absolutely couldn’t let him see it! I forced myself to calm down for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say. “Don’t you think the baby’s eyes look exactly like yours?” He still lowered his head for a quick glance at the report, then sighed. Right? He finally admitted it? “It’s a ten-week ultrasound scan. Tell me, where exactly are its eyes?” In that instant, I realized my mistake. Forget it. You can’t wake up someone who doesn’t want to be a father. “Fine. Then I’ll find a father for him myself.” I tossed out the words and turned, walking out of his office.

Liam was a year older than me, the brilliant, untouchable legend of the medical school. He was incredibly hard to get. I practically worshipped the ground he walked on for four whole years, and finally, just a few months before graduation, I managed to win him over. Everyone said Liam only got with me because I was so ridiculously dramatic and wouldn’t leave him alone. “Otherwise, why would the esteemed A-list genius fall for someone like Skylar Hayes, who’s both chubby and plain, from the History department?” “Her stomach? When she ate, she looked five months pregnant.” They didn’t know that to chase Liam, I’d lost thirty pounds, dropping from 120 to 90. I deleted all my food delivery apps, munched on apples in the mornings, and cucumbers at night. I ate like that for months. I was so starved, I swear I could have eaten a housefly. I did get skinny, but my period became severely irregular, and my sleep was completely messed up. All of it, just for Liam to give me an extra glance. One day, I was running on the track, trailing behind him, and he turned around to look at me. He stared for a long, long time. My entire face flushed crimson. He liked me. He just had to. I nervously walked over, rehearsing my opening line— “Are you Skylar’s sister?” His words hit me like a bucket of ice water, drenching me from head to toe. I was furious, but also found it strangely funny. “I… guess so.” He fell silent for a moment, then handed me a bottle of water. “Then go tell her to stop bothering me.” I took the water he offered. It was the first time I’d been so close to him. His eyelashes were so long, his nose so sharp. And his voice, so gentle when he spoke. But his words were so cold. “Alright.” I swallowed my hurt. After that, we often bumped into each other on the track. After our tenth encounter, he asked for my SnapChat. That was the first time I felt like losing those thirty pounds was totally worth it! Because, my entire life, no one had ever asked for my SnapChat, except for people handing out flyers on the street. I asked him to a movie. He didn’t refuse. I suggested we date. He didn’t refuse. Even when I broke up with him, he didn’t refuse. It was me, actually, who cried for a day and a night straight in my dorm. My roommate asked, “Is a breakup really that sad?” I sobbed, “It’s alright.” “It’s like seeing an old friend off. You just have to cry a little.”

He was like a still, lifeless pond. So calm it terrified me. I only heard that afterward, his friends never dared to mention my name in front of him. He’d flip out if they did. I get it. A big shot like him, brought low by something so trivial? He must’ve been furious. But to say he hated me? I probably wasn’t even worth his hatred. After graduation, I moved back to my hometown city for work. My salary was $4500 a month, and my mom arranged ten blind dates for me a year. I’d gone on over a hundred, big and small, and I was completely numb to it all. Which is why this time, when Mrs. Gable introduced us, we settled on the wedding plans less than a month after meeting. He was a thirty-year-old elementary school teacher from a small town, stable job, parents lived in the countryside, and he had a younger brother in high school. “A guy with his conditions isn’t easy to find. How much could his brother’s high school and college cost anyway?” “You’re twenty-eight, if you don’t get married soon, you’ll only be looking at divorced guys.” “And these divorced guys with kids, if they knew you had a sister like that at home, they’d probably be even harder to snag.” … My mom sat at the table, nodding meekly, her voice low. “Make sure you ask them clearly, they don’t mind our family, right?” “Tell them not to worry, Skylar’s sister won’t be a burden. We’re still young, we can still work…” Every time I saw my mom like that, it just annoyed me. I felt like a bargain-bin item, clearly priced and ready to be sold off. My mom fawningly saw Mrs. Gable out, stuffing a big red envelope into her hand as she left. Everything was ready. Then, that thing happened to me. My mom was so mad she didn’t speak to me for days. But anger aside, within a few days, she showed up in the city with a cardboard box of eggs. Her coat was wrapped around the box, and inside were bags of rice. My mom’s hair was a mess, but not a single egg was broken. “Did you go to the hospital for a check-up?” My mom carefully placed the eggs in the fridge, then turned to ask me. “Check-up for what?” I fiddled with my phone. “No.” “To see what the baby looks like, of course! You, this child, why are you so careless?” My mom started pulling me towards the door. “What’s there to see?” I pulled away. “You really don’t plan on keeping it?” My mom looked at me worriedly. The atmosphere grew awkward. I fell silent. It wasn’t that I didn’t want it; it was that *he* didn’t want it. “You’re not getting any younger. If you don’t keep this one, what if it’s hard to have another later?” “You’ve been going on blind dates anyway. Find that boy, and your dad and I can meet him. If he’s decent, just go ahead and get married.” Get married? She was really dreaming big, dreaming beautiful. “Just leave it alone. I’ll go to the hospital for the procedure in a couple of days.” I brushed my mom off. My mom heard my resolute tone and wanted to persuade me again. “Don’t be impulsive. That’s a life,” my mom insisted as I closed the door. “Is that how you had Lily back then?” I blurted out. “…” My mom instantly clammed up. Her eyes looked deeply hurt. Lily was my younger sister. And my mom’s absolute Achilles’ heel. She was ten years old this year, couldn’t speak, and had epilepsy. After I’d driven her away like that, my chest felt tight. Every time I said those things, I felt like I was retaliating, but then quickly regretted it. I picked up my phone, booked an appointment, and headed to the hospital. On the way, I even seriously considered my mom’s words, “What if you just get married?” I wondered, if I married Liam, would I be willing? How could I not be willing? That was once my dream. Passing the emergency department on the first floor, I instantly spotted Liam. A group of nurses and doctors were frantically working on a newly arrived patient. He was in his white coat, having just inserted a breathing tube, and even his profile view made my breath catch. So I thought, even if I could go back in time, I still wouldn’t have been able to push him away that night at the reunion. The moment I saw him, he saw me too. He only gave me a hurried glance for a second before looking away, continuing the resuscitation. He was so busy. I didn’t dare to disturb him, so I just sat on a chair outside, waiting. I’d made up my mind. Even if he rejected me again, I had to get answers. Why had he acted so passionately towards me at the reunion that night, only to deny it afterward? Even if he didn’t acknowledge it, he should at least come with me for the procedure… I didn’t have the money. In the ten minutes I waited for him, I thought of so many possibilities. Each one, I planned out my escape route. But everything crumbled when I opened my Ins, and saw his latest post… “Liam Miller: Six pounds, six ounces. Mother and son are doing well.” My heart lurched violently, as if all the strength had been drained from me. He was married, and he had a child. Born today. No wonder he didn’t acknowledge what happened that night. No wonder he didn’t want the baby.

I found it somewhat laughable. That night, he was drunk, his eyes red, and he asked me, “Are you Skylar Hayes?” I hesitated. “Yes.” But he deflated, looking at me. “No, you’re not.” “Then tell me, what do you want with her?” I asked, smiling. “To collect a debt.” A debt? My smile froze. “What kind of debt?” “An emotional one.” He looked pale and helpless, then added coldly, “No one messes with Liam Miller and gets away with it.” Hearing him talk about an emotional debt, I suddenly lost myself. The next second, he kissed me. I didn’t push him away. Of course, losing control later was partly due to my own indulgence. In the heat of the moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, he still loved me. I don’t know how I ended up in the gynecology department. The whole process was a blur. I just heard the doctor say that my HCG levels were low, my uterine lining was thin, and there was a high risk of miscarriage. The doctor wanted to prescribe me shots to sustain the pregnancy, but I refused. Thinking of Liam’s Ins post, what was there to sustain anymore…? I took a car and went home, crestfallen. My phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. “Where are you?” It was Liam. He hadn’t called in six years, but I still recognized his voice immediately. Aloof, cool. “In the car,” I adjusted my breathing, trying to calm down. “You were looking for me just now? What for?” His tone was still arrogant. I paused for a second. “Uh, it’s nothing now.” He was silent on the other end for a while. “Still not giving up? We have no future.” “…Alright, then. I’m hanging up.” I moved to end the call abruptly. But he wouldn’t let me. “I heard from your doctor. Your condition isn’t great. You should still come back for those shots. I’ll talk to the doctor for you. As acquaintances, that’s all I can do.” *Slam!* I hung up the phone. Jerk! Who needed his help? But he sent another text message, furiously asking, “Skylar, why have you become so rude now?” I was livid with indignation. “What do you consider polite? Instead of lecturing me, you should go home and change more diapers!” “?” He sent a single question mark. I couldn’t be bothered to reply. Did he think I was still the Skylar he could manipulate from back then? Back then, if he posted something, I’d meticulously analyze it for ages; When chatting with him, I never dared let his reply be the last; I racked my brain for topics, only for his replies to always be: “Sleeping.” “Going to shower.” “Talk later.” “…” Back home, I lay on my bed, pulled out our old photos, cut them all to shreds, and flushed his face down the toilet. You bastard, go to hell! But tears still streamed down my face, despite myself.

The next morning, I woke up and went back to work. The company transferred me to the marketing department. “Marketing involves visiting stores. It’s tiring, but if you do well, you can earn over ten thousand a month,” the marketing manager told me, painting a rosy picture. The truth was, a colleague in marketing had gone on maternity leave, and they needed a replacement. In their eyes, an older, unmarried woman like me, who didn’t even have a boyfriend, was the ideal candidate for this kind of job. Otherwise, anyone else might turn out to be a ‘mine’ waiting to explode. “Are there any subsidies?” In the adult world, I didn’t believe in rosy pictures; I only cared about money. “Daily transportation and living allowance of $80. If you perform well, your phone bill will be reimbursed too.” “Deal.” $80 a day, $2400 a month. Sending this extra $2400 back to my mom might slow down the rate at which her gray hairs appeared. So, I went from a regular office worker to a small sales manager, constantly rushing between major supermarkets, clocking in, checking merchandise, compiling sales figures… Every day I came home, I was too exhausted to speak. While using the restroom, I noticed a tiny bit of blood. I remembered the doctor’s words and sighed inwardly. The baby was probably gone. But I was sadder than I expected. I didn’t sleep a wink that night. After another weekend, I went to the hospital to book an appointment for a check-up. This time, it was a female doctor named Dr. Avery Stone, quite pretty. “You know Liam Miller? Why didn’t you say so?” Dr. Stone’s sudden warmth made me a bit uncomfortable. “Sort of.” “So, did he have a girlfriend back in school? What type was she?” I froze. Her questions were a bit beyond the patient-doctor relationship. I think I understood: she was interested in Liam. But Liam already had a child; didn’t she know? Could Liam be lying to his colleagues, pretending to be single? What a jerk. “His college girlfriend was very ordinary,” I answered truthfully. “Do you have a picture? I want to see.” She was really persistent. I looked directly at her, letting her look at me for two seconds. Why look at a picture? The person herself is right in front of you. She seemed to forget I was there for a check-up. The thought of Liam, with a family, still pretending to be single at the reunion, and now portraying himself as single at the hospital, made me furious. “Is he married?” I subtly reminded her. “Married?” She was clearly shocked. “I haven’t heard anything about that.” This… “Why would you say that?” Her expression was a bit unnatural. She seemed to think I was lying, and I felt a headache coming on. “Maybe his Ins account was hacked?” I had no choice but to show her the post. She looked at the post, her face paling in shock. “Dr. Miller has a child?” Just as she finished— “Step outside for a moment.” A cold voice sounded behind me. I jumped. Liam?! Oh no, he’ll be furious that I exposed his secret. “Liam, what are you doing here…?” Dr. Stone stood up, a little flustered. I turned around and saw him in his white coat. He looked as dashing as ever, but his face was incredibly dark. “Hurry up, I don’t have time…” He sounded annoyed. I thought about it. Why should I be scared of him? He was the one in the wrong. So I bravely followed him out. He led me to his office. After we entered, he locked the door. My hand went to my arm, a little nervous. “Just talk. Why are you locking the door?” I looked at the lock, feeling a bad premonition. “Don’t want to be disturbed,” he tossed out, then sat down in his office chair. Huh! Still so arrogant, exactly like six years ago. “So, say it.” In that enclosed room, I actually didn’t dare to look at him. “Are you going around telling everyone I have a child?” He lifted his eyes, squinting at me. It made me break out in a cold sweat. “Not ‘everywhere’… I just stated the facts. Besides, Dr. Stone is a really nice person, you shouldn’t lie to people.” He didn’t say a word, his gaze sweeping over my stomach. Why was he looking at my stomach? I quickly pulled my shirt down further. “Heh…” He let out a cold laugh. “Are you really clinging to me? What, your blind date didn’t meet your standards?” Me: ? When did I cling to him? The baby I was talking about wasn’t this baby. Was he crazy? “Don’t flatter yourself,” I said, exasperated. “Skylar, I know you too well. Do you look any different now than you did when you were chasing me back then?” He looked at me, amused. I admit, his words stung. “And?” “Impossible. Your little tricks only worked on the old me. Do you really think, after six years, I’d still fall for them?” He scoffed. “I heard you’re getting married soon. Don’t bother me anymore. Do you want me to give you a wedding gift?” Married? He thought I was looking for a wedding gift? He really got to me. “You actually think you’re as handsome as you were back then? You’re old now, you’ve got wrinkles! Do you really think I’d be interested in a used, old man like you?” I rattled it off in one breath. His smile froze, his face turning even darker. “Skylar, reverse psychology won’t work on me,” he said, getting up and calmly taking off his white coat. “We broke up. Even if we hadn’t, I wouldn’t spoil you rotten.” The atmosphere instantly turned to an impasse. I laughed. When had he ever spoiled me? What a big softie act. “Liam, you’ve got guts.” I smiled, walking towards the door. At the doorway, I remembered something, turned back around. “You’ve got guts, don’t you get drunk and hold onto me, crying and calling my name. That would make me misunderstand you still can’t forget me.” “And your ‘seed’,” I pointed at my stomach. “It’s gone.” He stood there, as if he’d taken a heavy blow. Seeing him upset made me feel incredibly good. After closing the door, I went back to the gynecology department.

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I am the luckiest man in the world. I have the most perfect wife, Princess Aria of the Eastern Sea. Six hundred years ago, I willingly took a magical potion to bear a child, not wanting my beloved wife to endure the pain of childbirth. Little did I know that my child would turn out to be an extraordinary golden dragon, a species thought to be extinct for millennia. Yet, on the day of his birth, I raised my sword and severed his head, kicking it around like a ball. My wife clutched our child’s lifeless body, her eyes red from crying, begging me to stop. I turned and plunged my sword into the chests of my in-laws. Blood stained my white robes, but I felt nothing. I didn’t stop until I had slaughtered the entire Eastern Sea clan, only halting when my sword’s edge had become blunt. Then, holding the golden dragon’s head, I sat in a pool of blood, waiting for divine punishment to arrive. 0 It’s rare for a man to give birth, let alone to the world’s only golden dragon. On the day my child was born, golden light filled the sky, celestial music played, and the entire palace was filled with the fragrance of flowers. The Eastern Sea rejoiced. The bloodline of the ancient golden dragons, extinct for tens of thousands of years, had reappeared. The entire realm was in a frenzy. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and fairies from all directions rushed to celebrate. But as they entered the Eastern Sea, they were greeted by the thick smell of blood. Red everywhere, ironically fitting for such a joyous occasion. However, the hosts of this celebration were now lying neatly in pools of blood. I stared blankly at everything before me, picked up the golden dragon’s head, and kicked it to the feet of the newcomers. I spoke softly, “Are you looking for him?” Seeing the severed head of the golden dragon, shock filled everyone’s eyes. “This… this is a golden dragon, how could you!” “What are you doing? Even tigers don’t eat their cubs, this is your child!” “Ah! Brother, I told you we shouldn’t have kept that mysterious black snake! Look what’s happened now!” “You’re nothing but a lowly black snake. If Aria hadn’t taken a liking to you, you wouldn’t have these good days. My brother kindly let you marry into the Eastern Sea, and you killed his entire family. You’re utterly heartless!” The speakers were King Neptune and King Poseidon, the good brothers of my father-in-law. I laughed coldly. Yes, I had married into the Eastern Sea, wedded to Aria, the most beautiful woman in all the realms. I was the luckiest man in the world. King Triton had no son, so he treated me like his own. He even publicly promised that my child would be the next Dragon King of the Eastern Sea! I was once the object of everyone’s envy. They all wondered how I deserved such fortune. A mere lowly black snake, gaining the favor of the most beautiful woman, who rejected the Prince of the Northern Sea for me. And King Triton handed over the Eastern Sea’s legacy to me. 0

I had asked myself many times, what did I do to deserve this? I remember back then, I was just a black snake with unknown parentage, weak in magic, surviving by scavenging behind greater monsters. One day, I found a beautiful woman on the beach. I simply did a good deed, saved her, and she wanted to marry me in return. I refused multiple times, knowing my lowly birth made me unworthy of such a beauty. Moreover, I lived in a place surrounded by powerful monsters. An innocent man with a precious treasure invites disaster. But she repeatedly expressed her love for me, saying she didn’t care about status or position, and that she had a magical treasure that could hide our presence from the monsters. Looking at her otherworldly beauty, I nodded. We spent a happy time in the mountains. I picked fruits, hunted, and collected seashells to make toys for her. She always looked at me with starry eyes, praising my abilities. I was immersed in happiness, but every time I woke up at midnight, I would be terrified, fearing it was all just a dream. Only when I felt the soft, fragrant body in my arms did I dare believe it was all real! Later, the royal carriage of the Eastern Sea came to my poor, rough mountain cave. Only then did I learn she was Princess Aria. I followed her back to the Dragon Palace. I thought King Triton would oppose our union, but to my surprise, he took an immediate liking to me. He said seeing me was like seeing his own child. He told me that Aria’s brothers had all died young, and from now on, I would be their son. Aria and the Eastern Sea were entrusted to me. I promised nervously that I would treat Aria well. Knowing Aria wanted children, I volunteered to take the magical potion to spare her the pain of childbirth. Who knew this pregnancy would last three hundred years? When my child was finally born… Golden light appeared in the sky above the Eastern Sea, celestial music played, and the entire palace was filled with fragrance! My child turned out to be an ancient golden dragon. The golden dragon bloodline had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. When my child was born, he became the world’s only golden dragon. I carefully examined the dragon egg. Its seven-colored shell sparkled with golden light. A faint dragon’s cry came from inside. My wife Aria hugged me, shedding tears of happiness. To avoid tiring my wife, I volunteered to continue the task of incubating the egg, which took another three hundred years. Today was the day the golden dragon would hatch. I had waited six hundred years for this day. Deities from all over the realm would come to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace to witness the birth of the golden dragon. My wife Aria had been busy since before dawn, brewing medicine for me. I had been taking this medicine for six hundred years! She brought the carefully brewed medicine to my bedside: “My dear, you’ve suffered so much. You took the potion to bear a child for me, ruining your health. I don’t know how to make it up to you!” I took the medicine and put it aside, holding her hand: “Thank you, Aria. But this medicine is so bitter. Can I skip it today?” She reached out her jade-like fingers and clung to me, like a bewitching morning glory vine entangling me. “My love, you can’t skip it. I spent three hours brewing this medicine. It’s my heartfelt care for you. If you take your medicine regularly and get better, you can better accompany me and our child!” Her soft waist leaned into my embrace as she coaxed me, then held the medicine to my lips. I reluctantly drank the medicine, and she took out an almond candy: “I know you don’t like bitter tastes, so I prepared this almond candy specially for you. How is it? Not bitter anymore, right?” I looked at my wife’s face in my arms. She was still as beautiful and gentle as ever. Like clouds on the horizon, dazzling yet distant. She was the rare sweetness in my bitter life. I, on the other hand, had become gaunt and increasingly emaciated due to childbearing. I looked at my pale fingers, remembering the days I used to hunt in the mountains. I could hardly believe I had once been so vibrant. Soon, this cloud in my arms drifted away. She took the medicine pot to the small kitchen. She didn’t forget to turn back and say to me: “My dear, let Lily help you get dressed. It would be impolite if you’re not ready when the guests arrive!” I watched my wife leave, the warmth from her body still lingering in my arms. I grasped at the air but caught nothing. I dared not think, if only she had stayed in my arms a little longer. If only she had been willing to let me skip the medicine just this once, would I… would I… I dared not think, nor did I want to. Just then, my wife’s personal maid Lily entered the room. “My lord, the Dragon Queen specially ordered this crystal crown to be made for you. Please wear it today!” She carefully helped me dress. I stared at my gaunt face and hair that had turned white overnight due to the potion, feeling dazed. Lily’s voice brought me back: “This crystal crown is a rare treasure in all the realms. Wearing it protects you from blades and fire!” I looked at the glittering crystal crown in the mirror: “Oh, is that so? Perfect!” Perfect for my killing spree! “Hmm? What did you say?” “I said such a crown is fitting for such a joyous day!” Such a joyous day, of course, needs to be marked with blood! “Indeed! Even when the princes were alive, they never wore such a fine crown!” Is that so? Why don’t I send you all to reunite with them in the underworld? 0

When I finished dressing and went out, my wife Aria had already changed into her golden thread dress and nine-dragon phoenix crown, making her even more dazzling and unparalleled in beauty. She reached out her hand to hold mine. I withdrew my hand without changing my expression. She frowned slightly and pouted: “What’s wrong, my dear?” I smiled: “My hand is bony. I’m afraid it would be uncomfortable for you to hold.” “In all the heavens and earth, I only want to hold your hand!” When King Triton and Queen Marina arrived, they saw Aria and me hand in hand, talking and laughing happily. The maid Lily couldn’t help but tease: “Your Majesty, look how loving the Prince Consort and Princess are! You are truly blessed!” King Triton, holding the seven-colored dragon egg, smiled so hard his beard quivered. “It’s all thanks to Aria’s good judgment, finding us such a wonderful son-in-law. How else could we have a golden dragon born to us?” My wife Aria blushed and leaned into my embrace: “Father, what are you saying? It’s embarrassing!” Queen Marina smiled brightly beside them: “Child, why are you so shy now? Wasn’t it you who cried and insisted you would marry no one but him?” King Triton placed his hand on my shoulder and solemnly put the dragon egg in my hands: “The future of the dragon clan is entrusted to you!” I looked at my wife’s blushing face and felt a surge of anger rising. I strongly resisted the urge to crush the dragon egg and accepted it: “Please rest assured!” Rest assured! I will surely bury the filthy future of the dragon clan with my own hands! Queen Marina looked at me lovingly: “Don’t worry, everything is prepared. The auspicious time is almost here. You are the great benefactor of our Eastern Sea. The child should see you first when it hatches!” I pretended to decline: “Not at all. I’m lucky to have married a fairy like Aria. Anything I do for her is worth it!” “It doesn’t matter who the child sees first. I won’t compete with Aria.” Aria took my hand and smiled: “No, I want you to compete!” Everyone laughed and crowded around us, the family of five, as we headed to the main hall. In the center of the great hall was a giant seashell cradle. A dreamcatcher hung above it, and incense burned around it. Everyone’s expectant gazes turned to me: “Prince Consort, quickly place the young prince on it!” I gently placed the dragon egg on it, and a bell chimed. A crack appeared on the seven-colored eggshell. Everyone held their breath, staring at the dragon egg. Soon, seven-colored golden light shone through the crack. The dragon child had broken through its shell! “A golden dragon, it really is a golden dragon!” Amidst Chancellor Sheldon’s exclamation, everyone knelt before this little creature. How adorable. Though a golden dragon, it was so tiny. At this moment, it was holding its belly and laughing at me. I couldn’t help but reach out to touch the little one’s dragon horns. Its little claws eagerly grasped my fingertip and called me: “Daddy!” The warm, soft touch made me lose myself for a moment. This was the child I had waited 600 years for! I shed tears of emotion, then decisively cut off his head with the silver snake sword hidden in my sleeve! It happened so suddenly that no one had time to react. My wife Aria, who had been watching our intimate interaction with a happy face, looked at the scene before her in disbelief. She rushed towards me like a madwoman: “Have you gone crazy? What are you doing? This is the child we waited 600 years for!” Unfortunately, her hand hadn’t even touched my sleeve before she collapsed to the ground, her body weak. I had secretly put anesthetic powder in the incense. Soon, everyone in the palace fell down. “Son-in-law, son-in-law, what’s wrong with you? I’m Triton, your father-in-law! Have you been bewitched by something? Wake up!” Hearing King Triton’s voice, I turned and emotionlessly plunged my sword into the bodies of my dear father-in-law and mother-in-law. They struggled desperately, splattering blood on my face. How dirty! My wife opened her mouth in horror: “No, no! What are you doing? You’re not my husband. You must be possessed!” I walked to her side and examined this face that once made me fall deeply in love: “My lady, I know you’re in pain. Just wait a little longer. But first, give me your eyes!” I cruelly gouged out her eyeballs with my sword. Soon, those eyes seemed to have a life of their own and burrowed into my body. My black, lifeless eyes turned golden, with golden spiritual energy overflowing from the sockets. I then peeled off all the scales from her body, as easily as scaling a fish. Those scales, unsurprisingly, also entered my body. Immense spiritual power awakened in me. I no longer looked weak and powerless. I then cut off her dragon horns and pressed them onto my head. Now I looked like a true dragon. “You, you did this to become a dragon? If you wanted to become a dragon, there were other ways. Why did you have to kill my entire family!” “Were all our past feelings fake? You once swore in public that you loved me most, and if you betrayed me, you’d be struck by lightning!” I stopped in my tracks, turned to look at her, and shed a tear. She showed a joyful expression, thinking I would have a change of heart. But I only said: “Then let’s wait for divine punishment. I’m willing to bear it!” Then I resolutely left. Nothing could stop my steps of revenge. I slaughtered the entire Eastern Sea. The royal physician who diagnosed me, the maid Lily who helped me dress, the guard who taught me martial arts… Yesterday, they stood beside me, congratulating me on becoming a father. Today, they became vengeful spirits under my sword! I kept cutting, kept cutting, until even the blade of the silver snake sword was bent. I checked again and again to make sure there were no survivors in the Eastern Sea except for Aria. Knowing my sins were grave, I threw down the sword, picked up the golden dragon’s head. I sat in the pool of blood, waiting silently for divine punishment to arrive. When relatives and friends of the Eastern Sea arrived for the celebration, they saw this sea of red. The expressions on their faces were truly a spectacle! 0 “Heavens, what have you done? What you’re holding is a golden dragon!” “Why? Why did you do this?” “Of course, it was for the Eastern Sea, for the future of the Eastern Sea. I had to eliminate this evil!” Aria struggled to get up: “What nonsense are you talking about? Killing the entire Eastern Sea clan for the sake of the Eastern Sea?” I snorted coldly, looking at Aria on the ground, and kicked the golden dragon’s head over: “What your family did ten thousand years ago, you know better than anyone!” “With people like you in charge of the Eastern Sea, how can there be a future?” I looked at everyone and spoke again: “I am guilty and willing to be punished, but the sins of the Eastern Sea people should also be accounted for!”

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The Prince of the Eagle Clan and the Prince of the Merfolk have come of age. As human princesses, my sister and I are to be married off to form alliances. My sister Willow chose the handsome and gentle Merfolk prince. I married the fierce-looking Eagle prince. A year later, I returned to my homeland triumphantly riding on Hawk’s back. Willow, however, looked pale and frightened as she glanced at Finn. When Willow and I were alone, I saw the wounds on her body. Just as I was about to help her seek revenge, Willow suddenly plunged a dagger into my body. When I opened my eyes again, Willow and I had returned to the day we were choosing our husbands. Before Willow could speak, Hawk eagerly said he wanted to marry her. Willow looked surprised and delighted, hastily agreeing. I raised an eyebrow and smiled. It seems we’ve both returned. Me? I’m an expert at taming beasts! “Aria, Willow, the two princes have arrived. Mind your manners!” a familiar voice called out. I was momentarily confused, then looked towards the cold expression of our father on his throne. In an instant, I understood – I had been reborn! My sister Willow was sitting beside me, muttering to herself. “We’re back! We’re really back! It wasn’t a lie after all!” I calmly picked up the teacup in front of me and took a small sip. How interesting. It seems I have this ungrateful sister to thank for this second chance at life. Willow leaned in close to whisper to me. “Sister, this time I will win Hawk’s love and enjoy all the glory. While you? You’ll be stuck living among stinking fish!” In my past life, Willow had tearfully shown me her injuries, claiming Finn was cruel and violent. She said she was covered in wounds and feared for her life. After all, she was my sister. Out of kindness, I had offered to help “tame” Finn for her. But as I turned away, Willow stabbed me in the back. I looked at her in shock as she pulled out the knife, her face twisted with hatred. She stabbed me again and again, finally slashing across my eyes. I let out an agonized scream. Willow just laughed, grabbing my chin and sneering: “Aria, why should you always be on top? Why should your life be better than mine? Even in death, I want you to suffer horribly.” The feeling of my eyeballs rupturing still lingered. I blinked and looked at Willow. Willow was grinning triumphantly, about to speak again when Hawk and Finn entered together, just like in my past life. Our father then gave his opening speech: “Princes, Aria and Willow are my most exceptional daughters. I will not arrange their marriages for them. Young people should decide such matters for themselves!” As soon as Father finished speaking, Willow eagerly stood up. But before she could say anything, Hawk spoke up, very different from his cold demeanor in my past life: “Princess Willow is beautiful and virtuous. I, Hawk, humbly request Princess Willow’s hand in marriage from Your Majesty!” Willow froze for a moment, then couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. Seeing Father look her way, Willow quickly curtsied. “Father, I also favor the Eagle Prince and am willing to marry him! Besides, my sister is delicate and frail. The Eagle Clan rules the skies and requires great strength. I fear my sister may not be able to handle such a demanding life!” Willow spoke excitedly, not noticing Hawk’s twitching lips as she called me weak and frail. Father nodded approvingly, agreeing with Willow. “Such grace and consideration! Truly befitting a princess!” You senile old fool, isn’t that basically insulting Finn by implying he’s weak? However, Finn still stood there smiling gently as always, though his teeth seemed to gleam a bit brighter. I had to admit, the Merfolk were renowned for their beauty. Finn’s face was truly captivating. When he smiled warmly, it was as if he could steal your soul away. No wonder Willow had fallen for him at first sight in my past life, eagerly choosing Finn before either prince could speak. On the way back to my chambers, Willow caught up to me. “Sister, the Merfolk Prince is so incredibly handsome. You’re so lucky! Though I wonder how long your frail body will last in his bed?” The malice in Willow’s eyes was almost palpable. She seemed eager to see me suffer a miserable fate. I replied with feigned confusion: “Sister, the Merfolk Prince seems very gentle. It’s the Eagle Prince who looks fierce. You should take care to protect yourself!” I truly hoped my sister would protect herself well. It would be a shame if she didn’t survive long enough for me to get my revenge! In my past life, I had married Hawk. He took me to the eagle’s nest high in the mountains. Before I could recover from the dizzying flight, I was overwhelmed by altitude sickness. I was violently ill, my head spinning. To make matters worse, the eagles relieved themselves right off the edge of the cliff. I nearly tumbled off to my death. At first, I couldn’t adapt to the eagle clan’s ways at all. But beast-men aren’t known for being gentle or considerate. The eagles were volatile and quick to anger, especially Hawk as their leader. I suffered greatly in those early days. It took half a year before I grew accustomed to the physical effects of living at such high altitudes. Only then could I begin the process of taming Hawk bit by bit. Long before I knew I would marry into a beast clan, I had begun studying their habits and weaknesses. Whether eagle or merfolk, I needed to know my enemy to survive comfortably. If Willow thought Hawk had a good temperament just because she saw me riding on his back when I returned home, she was in for quite a surprise. Her days would certainly be… eventful. Ever since the great war a thousand years ago, the royal families ruling the sea, land and sky were required to intermarry every hundred years. Though the eagle and merfolk clans were powerful, they had very small populations and struggled to reproduce. Humans may be physically weaker, but we are extremely fertile. The beast clans coveted this trait, which is why they demanded marriages with the human royal family. But since humans have much shorter lifespans than the beast clans, they always wait for the beast princes to come of age before arranging the marriages. This generation, it was Willow’s and my turn. In my past life, I had managed to tame Hawk. This time… well, aren’t merfolk beasts too? Taming beasts is my specialty!

Willow gave me a meaningful look before walking away. Soon, the day arrived for Willow and I to be married. Though we called it a wedding, it really just involved us walking out of the palace gates in red bridal gowns. The rest of the journey would be handled by our respective husbands-to-be. In my past life, as soon as we exited the gates, Hawk had grabbed me and taken flight. By the time we reached the eagle’s nest, I felt like my soul had been scattered to the winds. Then came the suffocating altitude sickness! Now, Willow and I walked along the palace pathway with our future husbands at our sides. Willow suddenly turned to Finn and said sweetly: “Brother-in-law, you must take good ‘care’ of my sister!” Finn blinked at her words, then replied gently: “Of course!” Willow beamed with satisfaction. Well, I couldn’t let that pass unremarked. I looked at Hawk and said: “Brother-in-law, I’ll be very upset if my sister isn’t… happy!” Willow was still smiling smugly, completely missing how Hawk’s body instinctively trembled when I addressed him. “Don’t worry, Princess. I will take good care of the Second Princess,” Hawk replied. Hearing this, Willow looked even more pleased as she strode ahead of me towards the palace gates. By the time I reached the outer gates, Willow and Hawk had already disappeared. I hope my sister’s beautiful black hair has a safe journey! Finn and I took a carriage towards the nearest coastline. Inside the carriage, Finn gazed at me tenderly. Predators are driven by hunger and lust. I was feeling a bit… restless. I shifted closer to Finn, taking his hand in mine. “Husband, you must behave yourself from now on!” If he misbehaves, I might get even more excited. Finn’s usually smiling eyes widened in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to act this way. Then his smile broadened, revealing sharp fangs. “My lady, I’m thirsty. You know merfolk can’t be away from water for long!” As he spoke, Finn’s handsome face drew closer to my neck, burying his head there as if in an intimate embrace. I wrapped my arms around Finn. “Thirsty? Let me help you with that!” When I felt a slight pain on my neck, Finn’s body suddenly trembled. He jerked his head up, glaring at me furiously. I raised my hand to his lips, letting drops of blue liquid fall. “Drink up. Your own venom shouldn’t kill you, right?” Finn yanked out the dagger hidden behind his back and tossed it aside. Scales appeared around his ears as his teeth grew even sharper. He was transforming in his anger! Finn’s slender hand suddenly gripped my throat tightly. A wicked smirk played across his lips. “My lady, perhaps I should find out if your blood tastes sweeter?” I managed a strained smile and rasped out: “Go ahead!” There was a sudden squelching sound of a blade piercing flesh. Finn clutched his partially transformed tail in agony. A dagger was firmly embedded in it. I rubbed my sore neck. “My apologies. I prefer blades and always carry a few on me!” Finn held his wounded tail, his fake smile completely gone. The merfolk’s weakness lies in their tails, especially when on land. A wounded tail saps much of their strength. The scales on a merfolk’s tail are extremely tough. Ordinary human weapons can’t easily penetrate them. But everyone has their vulnerable spots! If my aim had been off by even an inch, I might have lost any chance at future “happiness”. “Finn, you won’t dare kill me outright. And if you try to torture me, well, remember I am your mate now.” I glanced meaningfully at his injured lower half. “It would be quite unfortunate if I were to… slip up one day!” Finn stared at me expressionlessly, then resumed his gentle demeanor. The carriage moved swiftly. Soon Finn and I arrived at the coast. After swallowing a water-breathing pearl, I unhesitatingly jumped into the sea with Finn. Perhaps due to the blood from Finn’s wound, we didn’t encounter a single fish on the way to the merfolk palace. The beast clans were incredibly efficient. As soon as Finn and I reached the merfolk palace, the bonding ceremony began. A new water-breathing pearl was hung around my neck. With that, the ceremony concluded. Three days after the bonding, I was to return home and present this new pearl to my father.

But I never expected Willow to return as well, riding on Hawk’s back. Willow clung to Hawk’s arm. Though her face was somewhat pale, she still lifted her chin haughtily when she saw me, deliberately showing off some faint marks on her neck. “Sister, Hawk truly cherishes me so much. We’re blissfully happy now. I think I’ll soon be carrying the next little prince or princess of the Eagle Clan!” Then Willow made a show of looking behind me. “Oh my! Sister, did you come back alone? Where is your husband? Didn’t he accompany you?” Of course, your brother-in-law is recuperating from his injuries! “Sister, you and your husband seem so close. I’m truly, deeply envious!” Willow took my words as genuine jealousy. She turned to Hawk and cooed: “Darling, I’ll give you a child very soon!” Beast-men place great importance on offspring. Hearing Willow say this, Hawk’s gaze towards her grew even warmer. I was rather curious how Willow planned to lay an egg! In my past life, Hawk couldn’t even look at me without his legs going weak, let alone consummate our marriage. I’d never witnessed the egg-laying process. How intriguing! “Sister, when the little eagle prince or princess is ready to hatch, be sure to invite me to watch. I’m so curious how humans lay eggs!” Willow glared at me angrily. “Aria, I swear I’ll have a better life than you this time!” I handed the water-breathing pearl to Father, intending to leave immediately. But thinking of Willow left me feeling unsettled. So I changed course and went to find Hawk instead. When Hawk saw me, he instinctively took half a step back. I mentally rolled my eyes. Just because I plucked all his feathers once, was that any reason to be so afraid of me? “It’s been a while, brother-in-law!” Hawk steadied himself, seemingly remembering this wasn’t his past life. He put on an intimidating front. “Princess Aria, we just saw each other today!” I sat down in a chair, popping a grape into my mouth. “Hawk, the grapes you picked from South Mountain were much sweeter.” Hawk’s expression changed drastically. His pupils dilated as he stared at me. “You… you…” When I returned to the Merfolk, Finn’s wound had almost completely healed. What disappointing news. Fortunately, within three days I received some good news. Willow had fallen from the eagle’s nest. Though Hawk managed to save her in time, she still broke her leg! Trading all his feathers for one of her legs seemed like a fair exchange! I was in a good mood and decided to seek out my absent merfolk husband. I called for a servant girl. “Where is His Highness?” Without even looking up, the girl replied curtly, “Don’t know!” Her tone was full of impatience. How delightful! That evening, as I was enjoying some fish soup, Finn stormed in angrily. He knocked the bowl out of my hands. “Aria, you truly have a heart of venom! Using my clan’s servant girl to make soup – are human princesses really so delicate that my merfolk can’t afford to keep you?” I ladled myself another bowl of soup. “What are you talking about, Your Highness? How could I possibly cook a merfolk servant? This is just ordinary fish. See for yourself!” Finn’s anger subsided slightly as he frowned. “Where is Snow Grace? Why haven’t I seen her?” Ah, so that servant was called Snow Grace. I pointed to a bloodied, lifeless body in the corner. “Snow Grace is right there! You misunderstood me, Your Highness. I don’t eat fish that have gained sentience. It’s unsanitary!” Finn stared at me in disbelief. He suddenly stood up, then immediately collapsed to the ground. I set down my soup and walked over to Finn, clearly seeing the fear growing in his eyes. “I hadn’t planned to kill that servant girl. But she called me a lowly human and spat at me. It would have been remiss not to kill her.” Ever since my mother died, I knew that only by being strong could one avoid being manipulated. Only by inspiring fear could one gain respect. This palace was filled with an incense of my own making. The antidote was hidden in the fish soup. “Your Highness, I’ve heard that every member of the Merfolk has a heart scale. They’re incredibly precious. Is it true that possessing a merfolk’s heart scale allows one to control them?”

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