When I saw my stepsister Olivia crying and begging our stepmother not to marry her off to Lucas Grant, I knew she had also gone back in time, just like me. In our previous life, she was arranged to marry into the Grant family. Although it was a business marriage, Lucas was a genuine piano prodigy, the ideal man for many in their social circle. “Aria, let me tell you, your mom is dead. No one in this family cares about you anymore,” Olivia had said cruelly. “You only deserve to marry a dropout loser!” Now, having relived her life, she was still just as despicable. “I’ve taken so much from you, Aria. You must feel so wronged!” she said with false sympathy. “So I’ll be generous and switch the arranged marriage partner with you!” Our stepmother questioned why Olivia would pity a motherless child like me. I stood by silently, watching the scene unfold. “Olivia, what are you trying to do?” our stepmother asked suspiciously. Olivia whispered something in our stepmother’s ear, and her expression softened slightly. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve heard that the Thompson boy isn’t a good person. What if he mistreats you after you’re married?” Our stepmother seemed genuinely concerned, hesitant to agree to Olivia’s request. “It won’t happen, Mom!” Olivia insisted. That was a lie. Derek Thompson had been suspended multiple times for fighting when he was in school. After dropping out, he’d gotten involved in all sorts of vices. “You love me the most. You wouldn’t refuse me this small favor, would you?” Olivia coaxed, snuggling up to our stepmother. Unable to resist Olivia’s pleading, our stepmother finally agreed, but not without taking a jab at me. “Lucas is only available because Olivia doesn’t want him. You should be grateful!” I didn’t care what they thought. The truth was, I didn’t deserve the talented pianist Lucas. As for the dropout troublemaker Derek… Let’s see how my dear stepsister handles that kind of marriage! In my previous life, it had been the same – Olivia and I were both pushed into arranged marriages. The difference was that she married a genius while I married a loser. Even though Olivia and her mother were the ones who had destroyed our family, I ended up feeling like an outsider. Olivia had been overjoyed to marry Lucas. But soon after the wedding, Lucas left for an overseas performance. The next news I heard about her was that Olivia had become a lonely wife. Lucas had gotten into a car accident on his way to the airport and ended up in a vegetative state due to an attempted murder. Olivia cried and threw tantrums, wanting to divorce Lucas. Our stepmother felt sorry for her, but our father wouldn’t allow it. A businessman’s daughter was meant to be traded for benefits. Even though our father favored Olivia far more than me, he wouldn’t take her back home and lose the business connections and shares from the Grant family dowry. Unable to bear the loneliness, Olivia chose to have an affair. The Hayes and Grant families were both prominent in business circles. Her scandal became widely known. The controversy subjected Olivia to intense online harassment. At the same time, my husband Derek Thompson unexpectedly gained popularity. Derek went from being a widely-shunned troublemaker to a wildly popular social media star, which Olivia couldn’t believe. She became depressed due to the online attacks. When she learned about Derek’s success, she suddenly said she wanted to see me. I couldn’t understand what she was unsatisfied with. Living alone in a mansion, driving sports cars, not having to worry about trivial matters – wasn’t that a good life? Out of family obligation, I went to visit her. To my surprise, she had murderous intentions towards me. Even though she should have been living better than me, she was resentful. She hugged me and crashed through the floor-to-ceiling window. We both fell. So after reliving her life, she immediately chose to marry Derek instead. Well then, let me enjoy all that fortune instead! In early June, Olivia and I had our weddings one after another. In my previous life, Olivia and our stepmother had intentionally scheduled our weddings on the same day to overshadow me. But this time was different. They couldn’t disregard the Grant family’s reputation so easily. Even though they were unwilling, they still attended my wedding with sour expressions. The wedding banquet was lively. It was the first big gathering I had attended since my mother’s death. Before, according to my father’s wishes, I wasn’t supposed to appear in public after my mother died. But soon after her death, his mistress and illegitimate daughter had moved into the Hayes home. “Nervous?” a voice asked beside me. I turned to see Lucas standing next to me. We were the only two outside the doors, quietly waiting to enter the hall and begin our married life. Lucas was incredibly handsome, even more striking in person than the young pianist I had seen in videos. “I…” I started to reply, but before I could find the right words, Lucas had already taken my hand. The doors decorated with flowers opened wide. I felt a bit flustered, but the warmth of his hand in mine was reassuring. After an exhausting day, I lay on the large bed in our new home, trying to relax. “Tired?” Lucas asked. “Want to come eat something?” If I wasn’t mistaken, Lucas was wearing a pink apron. “I’m not hungry,” I said, not wanting to impose on my first day living with him. But my traitorous stomach immediately growled, betraying me. “Have a bite,” he urged gently. His voice was so kind, and I was genuinely hungry after not eating all day. I ended up sitting at the dining table with him, eating the meal my new husband had prepared. I was surprised to discover those hands meant for playing piano could also cook. “I’m sorry,” he suddenly apologized during the meal. I wasn’t shocked. News of his upcoming music festival performance in France was already trending on Twitter. “I have to leave for France tomorrow. It’s such short notice, and it might affect your reputation too,” he explained. “It’s fine, go ahead with your work,” I said. Realizing that might sound too cold given our relationship, I added, “Your cooking is really good!” Lucas’s apologetic expression was replaced with a smile. “Thank you,” he said warmly. That night, Lucas naturally slept in the guest room. I tossed and turned in bed, my mind replaying memories from my previous life. Recalling the tragic news of Lucas’s death and thinking of his kind gestures today, I found myself not wanting him to die. I could have ignored it, but my mother always said good people deserve good things in return. In my book, Lucas counted as a good person. Someone so kind shouldn’t die! I rushed out of my room and knocked urgently on the guest room door. “What’s wrong?” Lucas asked, opening the door quickly. He probably hadn’t been asleep yet. “Lucas—” I panted, out of breath from jumping out of bed so suddenly. “Do you need to come in to talk?” he asked with concern, noticing I was barefoot. “No need!” I refused hastily, realizing how revealing my nightgown was. “Be careful tomorrow!” I blurted out. “Remember to check the car your assistant arranged for you.” Lucas looked puzzled, which was understandable. No one would believe such a strange warning. But if Lucas didn’t believe me, he could lose his life! I grabbed his sleeve rather rudely, almost begging, “Don’t take that car, whatever you do!” Seeing how agitated I was, Lucas reluctantly agreed. Back in my room, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and realized how disheveled I looked. The next morning, I woke to find breakfast on the table. The food was cold – Lucas must have left a while ago. I opened my phone to see Lucas had sent me several messages. “Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat.” “Cold food isn’t good for digestion. The microwave is on the off-white cabinet in the kitchen.” After 7 AM, he sent a few more messages: “There was a problem with the car. I’ve reported it to the police and am waiting for them to handle it.” “Safely boarded the plane. Don’t worry!” He must have explained so thoroughly because I had been so worked up last night and he didn’t want me to worry. As for the earlier messages about breakfast, I suppose that counts as being considerate between a married couple. I thought about replying with a simple “OK”, but worried that might sound too curt. I decided to send a nodding emoji instead. By accident, my finger slipped and I sent a “Love you” sticker. Before I could unsend it, I saw Lucas had already replied with “Mm-hmm”. I closed my eyes in mortification, wishing I could disappear on the spot. While Lucas was abroad, I kept busy. In college, I had started a clothing design studio with a friend. It was doing quite well now. I took the design sketches I had brought from the Hayes house and took a cab to the office. “Well done!” my boss exclaimed. “Aria, I knew I was right about you from the start!” The studio owner was a senior I had met in college. She had discovered my talent at a design competition. She said I was born for this work and mentored me in design. Over time, we became friends and now ran this clothing design studio together. “Nicole, stop teasing me,” I laughed. “If you hadn’t picked me out of the crowd back then, who knows where I’d be struggling now!” It’s not that the Hayes family couldn’t afford to support me. The key was, did anyone in the Hayes family want to support me? As Olivia had said, no one in the Hayes family cared about me. Fortunately, I maintained my passion for design and had some talent for it. I could easily support myself. In my previous life, Nicole and I had also been running the Artistry Studio. But Derek and his father thought I was embarrassing and believed that marrying into their family meant I should serve them. To make me more docile, my in-laws had suppressed Artistry. The studio ran out of funding and completely collapsed. Nicole was left with a huge debt as a result. Thankfully, Lucas’s grandmother didn’t have such prejudices. Lucas’s parents had been living abroad for years. Apart from the wedding, even his grandmother hadn’t seen much of them recently. When I visited the family home, I brought a cheongsam I had designed and made myself. Grandma loved it, praising my good taste. When she learned I had made it myself, she was even more delighted. “Aria dear, you’re too good for our Lucas!” Grandma said, stroking my hand sympathetically. “How can you say that, Grandma? I’m the one who married above my station into the Grant family,” I demurred. Grandma frowned and lightly smacked the back of my hand. “Nonsense! I’m very fond of you as my granddaughter-in-law!” she declared. “You’re beautiful and have such a gentle nature. It’s Lucas who’s always busy and can’t take proper care of you.” He was indeed very busy, but he wasn’t neglectful of me. Every day he would send me messages – simple greetings and reminders about meals. For work, I was doing market research in a brand-name clothing store. Running into Olivia there was the last thing I expected. “Aria, don’t the Grants think you’re trashy?” she sneered. “Being Mrs. Grant isn’t good enough for you? You have to work as a sales clerk?” When we lived in the Hayes house, all of Olivia’s clothes had been custom-made for each season. I was surprised to see her out shopping for clothes at all. She probably mistook me for a sales associate because I was wearing our studio’s staff uniform. I changed my startled expression to a smile as I looked at her. “What’s wrong? Spending the Hayes family money makes you feel superior?” I asked coolly. “Did you eat too much salt? Why are you so nosy?” I wasn’t her mother – I didn’t have to indulge her. “Aria Hayes! How dare you mock me!” Olivia glared at me hatefully, like she wanted to devour me whole. Her mood suddenly shifted, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. “Don’t get cocky, Aria. You’ll be a widow soon enough!” she taunted. Without hesitation, I slapped her across the face. “Who do you think you are? How dare you curse a member of the Grant family!” I snapped. The commotion had drawn attention from others in the store. Olivia didn’t dare make a bigger scene in front of all these wealthy elites. She ran off with her tail between her legs. Did she really think I was some kind of saint? “Aria, Derek isn’t just handsome – he has an eight-pack too. Bet you’re regretting your choice now!” Olivia messaged me on SnapChat. I had to admit, Derek’s looks were undeniable. He did have the kind of body that looked good both in and out of clothes. But some people are all style and no substance. His lack of morals and decency… I didn’t plan to tell her about Derek’s future circumstances. I was betting she would lose spectacularly. She couldn’t blame me – after all, it was her own choice, wasn’t it? I turned off my screen, ignoring her completely. For the next while, I tuned out Olivia’s boasting and threats. Besides going to work at the studio, I visited Grandma at the family home. The rest of my limited free time was spent at home. Grandma said she had taught Lucas piano herself. In her youth, she had been a renowned pianist too. I only excelled at violin, when my mother was still alive. As for piano, I only knew the basics. I asked Grandma to teach me, partly out of interest and wanting to understand more about Lucas’s world. It was also because I worried about Grandma being lonely. The elderly often become nostalgic. In my previous life married to Derek, his family were all country folk. They couldn’t teach me anything useful. All they knew were scheming and some backwards feudal ideas like “men are superior to women.” Grandma was delighted by my initiative. She held my hand and talked for a long while. “It’s wonderful that you have this interest!” she exclaimed. Grandma taught me very patiently. After a few weeks, I could play the pieces Lucas had composed. “You play beautifully. Lucas would be so happy to see you at the piano,” Grandma smiled, gifting me a book of sheet music with Lucas’s name on it. “Aria dear, how are things between you and Lucas lately?” she asked. How could things be between us when Lucas wasn’t even in the country? “Lucas is doing well, Grandma. We get along very harmoniously,” I said diplomatically. But Grandma’s expression still held eager anticipation. “Is that so?” she sighed heavily, unable to hide her disappointment. Could it be that Grandma was hoping for a great-grandchild? That was highly unlikely to happen. “Also, I…” I hesitated. “I’ve grown quite fond of Lucas.” Hearing that, Grandma’s bright smile returned. “I knew it! Lucas told me to take good care of you and make sure you’re happy in your new family,” she said. “I just knew my grandson was smitten with his sweet wife!” Was that true? He really was so thoughtful. And Grandma was wonderful too. “Thank you, Grandma. I’m happier here than I ever was with the Hayes,” I said sincerely. Lying in bed, I habitually opened SnapChat to check for work notifications in our studio group chat. The red dot next to Lucas’s cat avatar caught my eye. He had messaged me again. “It’s been resolved, don’t worry. I’m fine!” He forwarded me a news article. The headline “Famous Pianist Targeted” stood out starkly. These gossip accounts just love stirring up drama. They’ll fabricate all sorts of baseless stories just for views and clicks. They use misleading details to trick people into following the story. “OK, I understand,” I replied. “Come home soon.” A few minutes after sending it, I vaguely felt like I had overstepped. But it was too late to unsend. I exited the chat, trying to reassure myself. It’s fine, I’ve already embarrassed myself worse. What’s one little message? “Alright, I’ll be home soon,” came Lucas’s reply.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296079”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

Everyone knew I had loved the Chen family’s young master for ten years, but my love was unrequited. Meanwhile, the notoriously playboy prince had a change of heart and pursued me relentlessly for three years, causing quite a stir in the city. Finally, I let go of my obsession with Ryan Chen and took the prince’s hand. He was so overjoyed that he immediately bought a building as a gift for me. After we got together, he granted my every wish. Even the way he looked at me was always full of deep affection. People said the prince was madly in love with me. But on our engagement day, I overheard him secretly calling his friend: “Damn, I went too far. She seems to have latched onto me now. I shouldn’t have pretended so convincingly back then.” I let out a bitter laugh and disappeared from the engagement party. Later, I heard that the usually arrogant prince cried his heart out at the engagement party, staring at the diamond ring I had left behind. The engagement party was about to begin, but Ethan still hadn’t shown up to greet the guests. Ryan, who had been waiting in the corner, found me with a glass of champagne. “Where’s Ethan? How can he be missing on such an important day? Or is he planning to run away? If so, I’d be happy to take his place as today’s groom.” “You’re so annoying. He’s probably in the dressing room. I’ll go find him.” Seeing that Ryan wanted to follow, I stopped him: “It’s my engagement party today. Are you really going to ruin the happiness I’ve worked so hard for? Ryan, don’t be so selfish.” With that, I turned and headed towards the dressing rooms without looking back. I went to Ethan’s private dressing room and sure enough, heard his voice inside. Before I could knock and enter, I heard Ethan’s scornful laugh: “Damn, I went too far. She seems to have latched onto me now. I shouldn’t have pretended so convincingly back then.” “I only did it to piss off Ryan. Who knew she’d take it seriously?” “Now that I’ve caught her, I’m finding it boring.” My hand froze as I was about to knock. Ethan didn’t sound drunk, and he hadn’t even had time to drink today. More offensive words came from inside: “And after tasting her, I just find it pretty uninteresting.” I don’t know what the person on the other end of the phone said, but satisfaction dripped from Ethan’s voice. “She may have chased after Ryan for ten years and seemed so pure, but too bad…” I took a deep breath and pressed my ear closer to the door, wanting to hear what else Ethan had to say. Ethan sighed: “Too bad, even though I was her first man, I wasn’t her first love.” “She loved Ryan for ten years. Who knows if her heart is truly clear of him.” “If it wasn’t to irritate Ryan, thinking I could catch Ava to annoy him, I wouldn’t have put on this act of quietly guarding her with deep love.” “I’ve chased her for so long, wouldn’t it be more interesting to run away now?” I couldn’t hear a trace of guilt, pity or love in his voice. Only eager excitement. My fingernails dug into my palms as my heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles, the pain suffocating. I had always thought Ryan would be my salvation and endpoint. I had made sure my feelings for him weren’t just gratitude, but genuine love, before accepting his proposal. That day, he was so happy he set off fireworks all night. He was so overjoyed he bought an island to propose to me, releasing fireworks on the rooftop all night. I thought this was love, was romance. I never imagined it was all an act to get revenge on Ryan. So all the past displays of deep affection and help were just performances? Standing at the door, I felt dazed as memories came flooding back. At twelve years old, I was brought back to the Chens from the countryside. Back then I was shy and insecure, ill at ease. That year, Ryan simply shielded me from some bullies, and I fell hopelessly in love with him. I chased after him so obviously that everyone knew. But he was extremely disgusted by me. Later I finally felt it was pointless and gave up on Ryan. That’s when I noticed Ethan, who had been quietly guarding me all along. It was pouring rain that night, and he held an umbrella over me the whole time. He looked at me and said: “Ava, I don’t ask that you see me. I only hope that from now on you can be free to follow your heart.” How laughable it all seems now. I had cleared my heart to welcome Ethan’s arrival. I allowed myself to fall step by step into his gentleness. Just as I started dreaming of a sweet future with him… I never imagined Ethan would deliver such a painful blow. My nose stung as tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes. A tear fell, quickly wiped away. Ethan’s voice hadn’t stopped. “To get revenge on a woman, of course it’s most interesting to let her fall hard from the height of happiness.” Boundless anger pressed down on me, nearly suffocating me. I forced out a bitter smile, but tears still fell uncontrollably. After that pained laugh, I turned and left the engagement party. There were still two hours until the party was set to begin. I returned to the home we had shared for three years. I took out all the gifts he had given me over the years and cut them to pieces one by one. How strange. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular, so why were there still so many tears falling? I once heard a saying. Heartbreak is like catching rheumatism – during the day when it’s sunny, you feel fine. But at night the damp seeps into your bones, causing piercing pain. Perhaps this was just my withdrawal symptoms. I changed out of my engagement gown and laid it flat on the ground. Expressionless, I used scissors to slash a tear down the middle. I wanted to destroy all of this with my own hands. After venting my emotions, I packed my bags and left everything else behind. I went to the high-speed rail station. I needed to get far away from this place that had hurt me so much. While waiting for my train, I opened a social media app and started scrolling through short videos. I came across a suggested account that seemed familiar. The username was “I love my Ethan”. For some reason, I clicked into her profile. It was a record of a girl’s secret crush on a guy. The most recent video was posted half an hour ago, location tagged in the city. The caption read: “The man I’ve loved for ten years is about to get engaged. I want to gather my courage and confess. Everyone please cheer me on!” In her photo, I saw a familiar hand. It was Ethan’s. The comments section was full of criticism. “Wow, you have such great taste! Playing out such a basic plot, I’m truly in awe! I can never match your level of intelligence!” “Wow, I admire your courage and confidence! Let me guess, you probably think you’re super charming? Getting engaged is only natural, you must be a match made in heaven! Otherwise you wouldn’t have the thick skin to interfere in other people’s lives. It’s not the thief we fear, but the one who covets what’s not theirs!” The girl called “I love my Ethan” wasn’t angry at all. She wrote long responses in the comments, posting about her and Ethan’s love story. Looking at the young girl’s flowing words on the screen, every line filled with deep adoration for Ethan and their supposed “love story”, a mocking smile tugged at my lips. So it turns out I was never the only victim, nor the only fool. As the high-speed train started moving, it was exactly the time our engagement party was supposed to begin. My social media was flooded with messages from mutual friends. I saw that girl post a selfie with the caption: “How is this not a kind of success?” Commenters rushed in. “What happened? What happened? How did it go, did he agree?” “I hope people like this blogger go extinct soon and stop harming others.” “Agreed with the comment above.” … Ethan waited in place at first. After a long time without seeing me appear, the guests started whispering amongst themselves. Ethan’s expression also darkened. The doors to the banquet hall were pushed open. All eyes turned to look. To Ethan’s disappointment, the newcomer wasn’t his fiancée, but Lily. His mistress. As soon as she entered, Lily grabbed Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, let’s leave together.” “This is my engagement party. I didn’t invite you. Since you’re here, go sit with the other guests.” “No, I won’t!” … Ryan, watching from the side, took out his phone to record everything happening. “Ava is missing!” Only then did Ethan realize I had run away from the wedding. The usually arrogant prince cried his heart out at the engagement party, staring at the diamond ring I had left behind. Ryan stood in front of Ethan and said: “Ethan, you can’t give her a future, but I can.” “She’s made the right decision to fight for herself.” Ethan glared at the man before him with bloodshot eyes. “Like you’re any better? Stop pretending. She’s just angry. I’ll make up with her.” Lily had started a livestream while trying to steal the groom. Netizens watching through their screens witnessed everything. Commenters cheered that justice had been served. “This is like the ultimate satisfying novel!” “I thought we were about to see another brainless romantic emerge!” “I hope that girl doesn’t look back!” … Watching the trees fly by outside the window, I finally felt the lightness of escape. I looked at the messages from both Ryan and Ethan. “Ava, that bastard Ethan isn’t right for you. Wait for me.” “Ava, let me explain!” … Out of sight, out of mind. I simply blocked them all. After arriving in M City, I quickly settled in. I rented a storefront and opened my own coffee shop. During this time, I received countless calls from Ethan. Not just from him, but from Ryan too. I blocked them all. Ryan used a mutual friend’s account to find me. “Guess what show you missed that day?” “Ryan, I don’t care. Please stop trying to contact me.” I received a video from “Ryan”. The video was from our engagement day. Ethan was being held by a girl. “Ethan, don’t be sad. You still have me by your side. Just let that woman run away.” “Didn’t you say you were going to use this engagement party to dump her? This is a good thing! Now we can finally be together openly.” Another video, still starring Ethan and that girl. In the dim light, they stood face to face. Amid cheers, the girl stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips. And Ethan didn’t dodge. The video ended abruptly there. “Ava, Ethan has wanted to dump you for a long time. Don’t you understand? He doesn’t want to be with you. He minds your past, he minds that you chased after me.” “He only approached you to get revenge on me. You did exactly the right thing. He’s not someone worth entrusting yourself to.” “What are you trying to say?” I replied impatiently. “Ava, at least for these past ten years, no other woman has appeared by my side, right?” “Whether I liked you or liked Ethan, those were my own choices. I accept the consequences and have no regrets.” “Stop trying to guilt me.” I thought that would be my last interaction with Ryan. Until I ran into him again two weeks later. Ryan walked into the shop with an ambiguous smile, saying “Long time no see.” I looked at him calmly and said, “What can I get for you?” “Ava, why did you stop chasing after me back then?” I found it bizarre. I had chased him for ten years – wasn’t that enough? Ever since I gave up pursuing him three years ago, he started frequently seeking me out to make his presence known. This time he appeared before me so inexplicably, saying such strange things. Perhaps Ryan never truly liked me either. Like Ethan, it was just his ego at work. But Ryan carefully began, “Now that you and him have no chance, why don’t you… consider me?” I almost laughed from anger. Are all men like this? When you’re earnestly offering them your heart, they disdain it. But once you withdraw that blatant affection, they all rush to tell you they love you. “Ryan, I thought I made myself clear last time. I don’t like you anymore. I have no feelings for you. Even though Ethan and I have split up, I still wouldn’t choose you.” “Why not? Our backgrounds and looks are well-matched. We grew up together – aren’t we the most suitable match?” I snorted coldly: “So I have to choose between you and Ethan? Can I not survive without either of you?” “That’s not what I meant, Ava, I…” Ryan tried to grab my hand but I dodged. From behind, Ethan’s familiar voice rang out: “What are you two doing?” I looked past Ryan to see Ethan, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Ethan’s face was grim as he walked up to Ryan, barely containing his anger. Facing the oppressive yet domineering aura, he punched Ryan in the face. Ryan only reacted for a moment before the two started brawling in my shop. Fortunately, there were no other customers at the time. “Ryan, if you dare go after Ava again, I swear I’ll kill you,” Ethan raged. “I’m her fiancé! Don’t even think about stealing from me.” Ryan retorted angrily: “Ethan, like you’re any better? Can you honestly say you didn’t pursue Ava just to piss me off?” “Can you say your feelings for her were pure from start to finish?” “Why aren’t you happily together with your Lily? What are you doing here?” Ethan froze, looking at me helplessly. “I know everything.” But Ethan still tried desperately to explain: “Ava, Lily and I are just friends. I only felt she was similar to a younger you.” “It’s not what you think between us.” Hearing Ethan’s flimsy excuses, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. “Ethan, I’m not an idiot. I can see for myself.” With that, I opened that young girl’s profile and played the video of them kissing. “Ava, we were just playing a game then. It wasn’t real. And… and we were about to get engaged, weren’t we?” I smiled through my tears: “Ethan, I admit I really liked you. But that doesn’t mean I can tolerate being deceived.” Ryan finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Ethan, you’re such a bastard!” The two quickly started fighting again, even taking it outside. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I simply locked the door. “You two can keep fighting. I’m closing up.” With that, I turned and went upstairs. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t suddenly gotten sick, Ava wouldn’t have locked us out.” “You have some nerve to talk. You did such shameless things and still want to come beg for forgiveness. Do you think that’s possible?” “I think Ava is just sick of you.” The two argued back and forth endlessly. In the end, they could only leave separately. When my best friend learned I was planning to settle here permanently, she was so excited she slapped her thigh. To help me take my mind off things, she took me to a friend’s gathering. It was a group of acquaintances, so we had plenty to talk about. After a few drinks, someone pushed open the door. Seeing who it was, several people stood up to welcome him.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296078”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

I opened my eyes, suddenly realizing I had been reborn to the day my parents divorced. My sister Iris was clinging to our dad, her voice familiar as she pleaded, “I want to go with Dad, I want to go with Dad…” This time around, Iris had surprisingly chosen to stay with our father. In my previous life, she had gone with our mom without hesitation, thinking she was headed for a better life. But her wealthy stepfather’s company soon went bankrupt, and Iris’s fair-weather nature led her to cruelly abandon him. Her stepfather ended up in a car accident due to mental distress, and relatives came knocking, cursing Iris and our mother as harbingers of misfortune. Now Iris was desperately holding onto our father. I clearly realized – she must have been reborn too. Our mom looked at Iris in disbelief. “Iris, are you sure about this?” Iris nodded firmly, already moving behind our father. “Let Ava go enjoy life with Mom. Dad and I will be fine even if things are tough.” Mom sighed heavily, her eyes full of concern for Iris. After all, Dad was just starting his business with no money or connections. Everyone doubted him, and staying with Dad meant Iris was choosing a hard road ahead. In my past life, I had been the one to leave with Dad under Mom’s regretful gaze. Dad had tried his best to provide for me out of guilt, and we did go through some difficult times before things improved dramatically. That had sparked Iris’s jealousy. Now Iris was urging Dad to leave quickly, as if worried we might ruin her new life plans. As we passed each other, Iris whispered in my ear with a smirk, “Dear sister, you’re only fit for a miserable life as a burden. This time, I’ll be the one enjoying all the glory and riches.” I turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. She really thought I had just coasted through life before? Looking at her foolish, smug expression, I could only laugh. She had no idea that Dad’s company’s success and his rise as a business tycoon had all been just a facade. Without me, Dad would never have met the right connections or received the major funding to support the company. He would have spent every night drowning his sorrows in alcohol over the lack of orders, using you as a punching bag to vent his frustrations. He would have even drugged you and sent you to the bed of a middle-aged investor to curry favor, standing guard outside the door to prevent your escape… There were so many dark secrets behind that glittering exterior – countless empty tubes of ointment, new injuries layered over old ones, and massive gambling debts that could never be repaid. With these thoughts, I turned and took Mom’s hand, my face beaming with happiness. The life Iris sneered at was actually the warm family I had always dreamed of. I no longer had to put on a brave face alone or tend to my wounds in the dark of night. Even if we faced hard times, Mom would always be by my side. Perhaps deeply hurt by Iris’s choice, Mom crouched down to my eye level. “Ava, don’t worry. Mom will take good care of you and never let you suffer.” I knew she would. I squeezed her hand and nodded. “I trust you, Mom. I’ll always be your good girl.” I went home with Mom to my stepfather’s house. As soon as we entered, I saw Uncle Steve sitting on the couch with a worried expression. When he saw us, he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled as he walked over. “You must be Ava? I’ve heard your mom mention you often. You can call me Uncle Steve.” By my calculations, Uncle Steve’s company was already facing a cash flow crisis and investors pulling out, though he was trying to keep it together. Uncle Steve wasn’t a bad person. In my past life, he had treated Iris like his own daughter – sending her to an elite private school and throwing her lavish birthday parties even when the company was barely scraping by. He had truly doted on her like a princess. Even after the company went bankrupt, he had promised to earn money to support the family and never let them live in poverty. With this in mind, I gave the man in the blue shirt a sweet smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Uncle Steve. Mom has told me about you too. You’re even younger than I imagined!” The man seemed surprised by my attitude. He took my backpack and excitedly offered me some fruit. I didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the couch. Looking around, it really did feel like a happy family of three. But before long, Uncle Steve’s assistant came running in urgently. “Mr. Chen, the factory shipment has been seized too…” Seeing people in the living room, he abruptly stopped talking, sweating profusely as he stood to the side. Uncle Steve paused with the fruit knife in hand, looking a bit awkward as he asked Mom to check on the soup in the kitchen. He then told me to watch TV before heading upstairs with his assistant. I watched the two figures walking upstairs, then glanced at Mom who had been shooed out of the kitchen by the housekeeper when she tried to help. Seeming to make up my mind, I turned and went upstairs. Outside the study, I could hear Uncle Steve’s agitated voice. “In any case, we absolutely cannot let my family know about the company’s situation. Ava has her college entrance exams coming up soon. We can’t let outside factors affect her state of mind. I’ll try negotiating with the factory again to see if we can work something out. If not, we’ll have to sell off my properties. I still have some jewelry we can pawn too.” “But sir, the only property left in your name is the apartment your mother left you. And that jewelry is all heirlooms from your mother…” “I’ve made up my mind. Go take care of it right away.” As soon as he finished speaking, I pushed open the door and walked in. “Wait, Uncle Steve. I have a way to help you get through this crisis.” The two men turned to look at me appraisingly. Uncle Steve spoke first: “Ava, why did you come up here? I appreciate your concern, but this situation may be different from what you imagine. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” “Actually, you know very well that the factory seizure was done deliberately by someone. So no matter how you negotiate, it won’t help. But I have other reliable channels we can use.” Uncle Steve’s gaze on me grew thoughtful. I met his eyes calmly, quietly waiting for him to consider. After all, I was just a high school student. There was no way I should understand the intricacies of business dealings or the company’s predicament. But I didn’t have time to explain everything to him now. After a long silence, Uncle Steve let out a deep sigh. He looked at me as if he had made up his mind. “Let’s hear it then.” When we went downstairs for dinner, Mom looked at us in surprise. “Why are you two coming out of the study together?” Uncle Steve had a big smile on his face and couldn’t stop praising me. “Having Ava in our family is truly a blessing. It really is as they say – a daughter is a treasure!” Mom didn’t know what had happened, but seeing how well Uncle Steve and I were getting along made her smile and pat my head affectionately. Looking at the joy in Uncle Steve’s eyes, I felt a warmth in my heart. In the past few years when Dad decided to start his business, our family had cut back on all expenses to pour money into the company. Dad was often out late for work, missing even my birthday because of calls from his secretary. He would blame Mom for not being a good supportive wife, leading to constant arguments at home. It had been so long since I’d experienced this kind of warm family atmosphere. Now I was feeling it with Uncle Steve. My eyes grew misty without me realizing. While my life was filled with happiness, things were very different for Iris. Because I had introduced Uncle Steve to the factory connections that were originally meant for Dad’s company, while also revealing the defects in Dad’s products. In my past life, it was those defects being discovered that gave others leverage over Dad. To cover up the truth, he had even tried to send me to an old man’s bed. Thankfully I had slit my wrists and used my life to bargain. In the end, I was only saved because of that man… Thinking of this, the image of a tall figure with broad shoulders and a warm embrace floated through my mind… But they weren’t so lucky this time. Dad was in a panic trying to deal with the product issues, and his fledgling company was on the verge of collapse. In his frustration, he would come home to see Iris all dressed up and not studying, which infuriated him even more. He would beat and kick her, and even threw her out into the cold winter night, where she collapsed on the street. A kind person took her to the hospital. Unable to reach Dad, they called Mom instead. I went with Mom to the hospital. In just a month’s time, Iris had become skin and bones. Her exposed skin was covered in bruises. Seeing this, Mom burst into tears and ran to carefully hug Iris. “How could that beast do this? You’re his own daughter!” “Iris, come home with Mom. I’ll take care of you, my poor child.” But in the next moment, Iris violently pushed Mom’s hands away. “No! I’m staying with Dad, even if it means eating gruel and pickles. I’m not leaving him!” Mom stumbled back two steps, looking up at her in disbelief. “This has nothing to do with you. Stop interfering in my life, okay? You just married a rich guy, what’s there to show off about? You came to the hospital specially to laugh at me? Hah, how long do you think you can stay smug? What goes around comes around – you’ll be the ones crying soon enough!” “Iris, how can you say such things?” In Mom’s eyes, Iris had always been gentle and sensible since childhood. That’s why she had chosen Iris first during the divorce. She had run all the way here after getting the call, even wearing mismatched shoes in her hurry. Now she was met with such cruel words from Iris. Iris laughed coldly and turned her face away, then violently smashed her water glass on the floor. “Get out! Stop meddling in my life!” I gave Iris a long look, then chased after Mom as we left the hospital room. Back home, Mom locked herself in her room and cried for a long time, only coming out for dinner. I knew better than to bring up the incident again, but I could tell Mom was truly heartbroken. That night, I got a call from Iris. “This is all your doing, isn’t it? You knew about the defects in Dad’s products and leaked that information. Are you happy now, seeing me beaten to this state?” I pretended not to understand, not saying much. But Iris didn’t believe me. She laughed coldly, and I could imagine the hatred on her face without seeing it. “Ava Chen, the fates of you and I were decided long ago. You may be able to change things temporarily, but can you change them forever? The wounds on my body now will become glories in the future that others can only dream of. While you, no matter how many times you’re reborn, will always end up as the loser beneath my feet, a rat drowning in the gutter!” “Are you done talking? If so, I’m going to sleep. It’s getting late, and dreams are where anything is possible.” I hung up the phone before she could respond. She was right about one thing – the wounds on her body would become glories others could only envy in the future. But those glories weren’t destined or inborn. They came from me. It was me who used my own hands to reverse my fate. It was me who climbed to the top by stepping on those scars. And I looked forward to the moment when Iris would finally realize this truth. As the college entrance exams drew closer, Iris’s absences from school became more and more frequent. Each time she returned, the new injuries on her body sparked gossip among the other students. I would just glance at her briefly before burying my head in my studies again, working hard to make the most of every minute. In my past life, Dad’s frequent beatings had forced me to miss a lot of school. Even at home, I was busy taking care of his drunken rages with no time to study. Add to that severe sleep deprivation, and I had failed the college entrance exam, only managing to get into a vocational school. But this time, I was determined to seize the opportunity, study hard, and get into the university of my dreams. Three months before the exams, Iris suddenly took a week off school. I calculated the timing – this must be when Dad’s company project had completely failed, and he tried to curry favor with investors by sending Iris to an old man’s bed. The old man had unusual tastes, and with Dad standing guard outside the door, Iris had no escape. Just as I was thinking this, the students around me suddenly started buzzing with excitement. I followed their gazes to the classroom door, where I saw Iris standing in designer clothes with perfect makeup. She was affectionately holding the arm of a tall, handsome young man. The young man was backlit, but his chiseled profile in the shadows gradually overlapped with a figure from my memories. I gripped my pen tightly, not even noticing as the tip left a long mark across my paper. How could those two be together? Iris’s gaze swept across the crowd and landed steadily on me, her eyes glittering with excitement and a desire to show off that was painfully obvious. “Let me introduce you all – this is my fiancé, Jackson King. His father just donated a new library to our school.” At her words, the classroom erupted into chaos. After all, Jackson was the son of the richest man in the country. Now that they were engaged, what did it matter if Iris went to college or not? But in the midst of all the chatter, Jackson walked over to my desk. He lowered his eyes to scan my desktop, then fixed his gaze on my face. “So you’re Iris’s sister, Ava Chen?” “I heard your dad’s company lost $5 million because of product defects. That was thanks to you, wasn’t it?” I gripped my fingers tightly. Based on what I knew of Jackson, his current expression – halfway between a smile and not – was like a predator who had spotted its prey, his whole body radiating excitement at the hunt. Iris came over and leaned half her body against Jackson, her voice coy as she said, “I told you on the way here, didn’t I? My little sister here is quite something. You’d better watch out, or she might trip you up someday.” I was still confused about how Jackson had ended up with Iris in the first place, and I couldn’t be bothered to read between the lines of what she was saying. I lowered my head, packed up my things, and walked out. I clearly remembered that in my past life, when I had finally escaped and ran into Jackson, I had traded my dad’s core company project to get him to protect me. But Jackson was cruel by nature. Compared to my father who resorted to domestic violence at the drop of a hat, the scheming Jackson was truly terrifying. But I had already exposed Dad’s core project as part of my plan. So what had Iris traded to get Jackson on her side? Whatever it was, in this life I was determined to stay far away from Jackson. But soon after, I received a message from Jackson. He had completely guessed my thoughts: “Aren’t you curious about why I became Iris’s fiancé?” I immediately blocked his number and asked for leave from school, deciding to go home instead. I knew Iris’s personality well. Now that she was engaged to Jackson, she felt like a slave who had overthrown her masters and become queen. She had finally achieved the life of her dreams and would definitely want to show off. Sure enough, by the time I got home, even Mom knew about it and was asking me worriedly about the details. “The upper class is as deep as the sea, especially a family like Jackson’s. Who knows what hidden motives they might have? Iris may be willful, but she’s still my daughter. I can’t just stand by and watch her jump into the fire.” Uncle Steve didn’t say much. The company was at a critical juncture, and if they could get through this period, the crisis would truly be over. Naturally, he had no energy to concern himself with other people’s business. Dad’s company received a large investment along with the engagement, and just like in my past life, it gradually became successful. But I had an uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right. Sure enough, the night before the college entrance exam, I was cornered by a group of thugs on my way home from school. They lewdly called out my name, clearly targeting me specifically. I clutched my backpack warily. “Who are you? What do you want?” “Little sister, we heard you have your big exam tomorrow. We came specially to help you relieve some stress.” As they spoke, several men with large tattoos on their arms started walking towards me, their lecherous gazes roaming over my body. I felt nauseated, goosebumps rising on my arms. Without thinking, I turned and ran.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296077”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

I attended an outdoor adventure with my husband when his first love suddenly passed away. That night, he left a suicide note and slit his wrists. Only then did I realize he never truly loved me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself back in my college days. This time, my husband firmly chose his first love. I knew he had also been reborn, but I didn’t try to interfere this time. Years later, we met again at a dinner party. He had become a successful young CEO, standing next to the woman he had always dreamed of. When he saw me, he frowned and said, “Emma Carter, you’re such a loser. I can’t believe I’d run into you here.” I ignored my ex-husband from my previous life and walked straight towards my daughter nearby. Seeing this, his face immediately contorted with anger, veins bulging on his temple: “Have you gone completely insane? Did you really marry someone else and have a child just to make me jealous?” His voice was filled with fury and disbelief. I froze for a moment when I spotted that familiar face in the crowd, surprise flashing in my eyes. I never expected to run into Jason Miller again at Alexander Sullivan’s homecoming party. In the crowd, Jason had his arm around Lily’s shoulders, smiling and greeting everyone. He was no longer the cold, aloof young man from years ago. “Congratulations, Mr. Miller! You’re now the youngest and most successful CEO in the financial sector of our city. You have a bright future ahead!” “That’s right, to receive an invitation from the Sullivan family at your age – you’re destined for even greater things.” “Is this beautiful lady your girlfriend? You two make such a lovely couple.” Faced with these compliments, Jason smiled politely and replied: “This is my fiancée, Lily. We’re planning to hold our wedding in July. I hope you all can attend.” Everyone eagerly expressed their intention to be there to celebrate. At this point, one of Jason’s old classmates curiously asked: “You two were known as the model couple in college. Why did it take so long for you to decide to get married?” Hearing this, I set down my glass and glanced in their direction. To be honest, I was quite curious about the answer myself. After all, in my previous life, Jason had chosen to follow Lily into death after she passed away. And when he returned to his college years, he immediately abandoned me to pursue Lily. I never expected that after all these years, they still hadn’t tied the knot. The situation was indeed a bit strange. Jason’s smile froze for a moment when he heard the question, a flash of embarrassment crossing his eyes. “Lily was the first girl I ever loved, and she’s the most important person in my life. I wanted to give her the best.” “So I’ve been working hard all these years, just to give her a fairy tale wedding.” As he said this, his eyes were filled with deep emotion. Lily smiled and responded, “I’m really looking forward to that day.” Seeing them like this, I couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. So, when Jason truly loves someone, he considers their feelings this way. This was completely different from how he had treated me in the past. No matter how hard I tried back then, I couldn’t get him to agree to marry me. It wasn’t until I accidentally got pregnant and his grandfather pressured him that he reluctantly agreed to marry me. I really didn’t want to stay at this boring party any longer, so I stood up to leave. Just then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed a little girl with two pigtails hiding under a nearby table, secretly drinking juice. I couldn’t help but sigh as I walked over to her. Accidentally, I knocked over a glass on the table. Crash! The glass shattered, leaving shards all over the floor. “Who are you?” “How dare you barge in here?” “Do you know how much that glass costs?” A waiter nearby stopped me, his voice full of contempt. Everyone’s attention immediately turned to us. Jason looked at me in surprise, his eyes widening. “Emma Carter?” “You actually dared to crash the Sullivan family’s party for me?” Hearing this, the people around us looked confused: “Mr. Miller, are you saying she’s not an invited guest of the Sullivan family?” Hearing this question, Jason frowned, looking a bit uncomfortable as he said: “I’m sorry to disturb everyone. She’s my ex-girlfriend.” Hearing Jason’s words, everyone’s faces broke into knowing smiles. “Mr. Miller sure has good luck with the ladies! Both his ex and current girlfriend are beauties!” “Wait a minute, didn’t Mr. Miller say Lily was his first love?” “So what’s the deal with this ex-girlfriend?” Listening to the chatter, Jason’s face grew embarrassed. Lily, in his arms, looked at me with hatred and displeasure in her eyes. “Everyone’s misunderstanding,” Jason said. “She wasn’t really my girlfriend.” “She was just someone I used to relieve stress when Lily and I had a fight.” After explaining, Jason turned to a nearby waiter and said: “I’ll pay for the glass.” “Get her out of here.” Throughout this, Jason barely glanced at me, as if I were something shameful. I was speechless, but this was fine. I would never have anything to do with him again in this life. “Get going,” the waiter next to me pushed me impatiently. “Look at yourself. How could you even dream of being with someone like Mr. Miller?” The waiter said while looking disdainfully at my dust-covered workout clothes. I frowned and said: “Wait a minute, I still need to find someone. I’ll leave as soon as I do.” Hearing this, the waiter became angry: “Find someone?” “You think I’d believe that?” “I’ve seen plenty of women like you. Don’t think you can pick up men at this party.” Saying this, he grabbed my arm and started walking towards the exit. Just then, Lily suddenly called out from nearby. “Wait.” Lily walked over, arm in arm with Jason, looking smug. “Emma Carter, Jason never liked you. Stop clinging to him.” “We’re about to get married. Aren’t you basically a homewrecker at this point?” “That’s right,” Jason frowned, looking at me impatiently: “I never loved you, so stop deluding yourself.” “Even if it were 80 years instead of 8, I still wouldn’t be with you.” “How about this,” Jason pursed his lips and continued: “I’ll give you a million dollars if you promise never to show up in front of me again.” As he spoke, Jason asked Lily to take out his phone from her purse. When he opened Snapchat, Jason froze. “Emma Carter? Why did you block me?” Jason’s voice suddenly rose, his face full of disbelief. “What else could I do?” I sighed, my eyes flashing with helplessness. Since we had already broken up, why would I keep his contact information? Besides, my husband at home was a notorious jealous type. If he found out I still had my ex’s Snapchat, he’d surely make a big fuss about it. Hearing my words, Jason’s face grew even more unpleasant. Lily, seeing this, quickly said: “Emma Carter, how can you use such a cheap trick again!” “You don’t think this will make my Jason soften up, do you?” “Keep dreaming!” After saying this, Lily gently rubbed her chest against Jason’s arm, pouting: “Jason, don’t pay any attention to her.” “I bet she’s only doing this because she knows you’re a CEO now, that’s why she won’t let go!” “Women like her love to cling to powerful men!” “Mm,” Jason nodded, his eyes flashing with disgust. Lily looked me up and down, sneering: “You graduated from a top university, but instead of focusing on your career, you waste time seducing men.” “Look at how poor you are now, you’re worse off than a beggar!” Hearing her say this, I couldn’t help but laugh. Lily had truly forgotten how she used to live. Lily’s family had been poor for generations, living in a remote mountain village. What’s more troublesome was that she doted on her younger brother excessively, practically worshipping him. From childhood, she treated her brother like a precious treasure. After getting together with Jason, she exchanged all the gifts he gave her for money to give to her brother. The first time I met Jason was when he got injured at work trying to earn money to send red envelopes to Lily’s brother. He had broken his leg, and Jason’s family forced them to break up. That period was probably the darkest and most difficult time of his life. I stayed by his side, slowly helping him through those days. Jason loved to paint, so I found opportunities for him to exhibit his work everywhere, spending a lot of money on tickets. I also worked part-time as his driver and assistant, taking him around the world to see art exhibitions. I bought him the highest quality paper and paints. Not only that, but I was also responsible for all his daily needs. All he had to do was focus on creating art. Even his friends said I was the perfect girlfriend, worthy of the title. Everyone thought my love for him was so deep, but actually, he was the one who actively came to me saying he wanted to be with me. I never expected him to confess to me. Because he often used a secret account to follow Lily’s life online. I thought he still couldn’t forget her. But Jason looked at me earnestly and said: “Emma, you’ve given me hope again. Without you, I might not even be alive anymore.” “Actually, I fell in love with you a long time ago. I want to be with you every day.” These words deeply moved me, so I agreed to his request. We spent eight years together, even surprising Jason’s parents with how mature he had become. However, there was a secret that no one knew. During those eight years, I proposed several times that I wanted to start a family with Jason, but he always found excuses to refuse. It wasn’t until I accidentally got pregnant and his parents found out that he reluctantly accepted the child. Under strong pressure from his family, he grudgingly married me. Shortly after our wedding, while we were on an outdoor trip together, he accidentally learned that Lily had passed away. So he locked himself in his room for three consecutive days, not seeing anyone. On the fourth day, when I finally forced my way into the room, I only found a suicide note. [Lily is the only person I’ve ever truly loved in this life. Without her, my life has no meaning.] [I hope in the next life, I can give her the most romantic wedding.] Only then did I realize that just the night before, he had slit his wrists to follow Lily. At that moment, my heart turned completely cold. So, when I was reborn and returned to my college days, I didn’t try to win back Jason, who was determined to find his first love. Instead, I felt liberated and ready to start a new life. Just as I was about to leave, Lily suddenly rushed in front of me, her face full of smugness: “Emma Carter, look at the clothes you’re wearing. That workout outfit went out of style ten years ago!” “Your life is really pathetic!” “How about this? I’ll put in a good word with Jason and get you a job as a waitress here?” “Miss Parker is so kind,” someone nearby said flatteringly. That person looked at me with contempt: “This is the most high-end banquet hall in the city. Working as a waitress here can earn you over $200,000 a month!” “Someone like you has probably never seen so much money in your life!” “Hurry up and thank her!” Hearing these words, I glanced at her impatiently: “I already have my own job, no need for you to worry.” But Lily still wouldn’t let it go: “You’re not lying, are you? What kind of job?” “Painting,” I answered. Jason, who had been silent nearby, suddenly looked at me with a complex expression when he heard my answer. “Painting?” Jason said softly. After two years of not speaking, he looked at me with a complicated expression: “I used to say I liked painting just as a casual remark. I didn’t think you’d actually believe it.” “Forget it, for the sake of our past relationship, I can help you find a decent job.” I was stunned for a moment. Soon I realized Jason must have misunderstood. He probably thought I chose this path because of him. But that wasn’t the case at all. After being reborn, I discovered that all my money had been spent on buying exhibition tickets and art supplies. Not wanting to waste these things, I could only learn to paint myself. Gradually, I fell in love with the art of painting. Over the years, I’ve gained some fame domestically. Some places abroad even invite me to hold exhibitions. As a result, I now earn more money than Jason, the company CEO. However, I didn’t want to tell him any of this. After all, he never believed in me. Also… I looked down at my outfit. This workout set did look a bit shabby. I had no choice. I was brought here right after getting off the plane. I didn’t have time to change out of the clothes I wore while sketching in the mountains. But so what? I coldly said to Jason: “I love my profession and will continue with it. No need for you to worry.” Hearing this, Jason’s face immediately darkened.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296076”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

My brother, feeling sorry for my decade-long unrequited love, drugged his friend and sent him to my bed. When I woke up, Derek Thompson emotionlessly agreed to marry me. However, shortly after our wedding, he left for overseas. During those long three years, I single-handedly supported our family until I heard news of his return. At the airport, my daughter called out “Daddy,” which Angela Lee, hand-in-hand with him, couldn’t accept. She fled in distress, only to be struck by a drunk driver and die on the spot. From that day on, the smile disappeared from Derek’s face completely. He never left me or our daughter’s side again. I thought we had weathered the storm and finally found our silver lining, but little did I know this was just the beginning of another nightmare. On our daughter’s third birthday, a fire suddenly broke out. Derek coldly locked me and the child in a room. His voice was ice-cold, “If it weren’t for your existence, Angela wouldn’t have died in that accident. I’ve been living like a walking corpse every minute of these past years, and I’ve long decided to avenge her with my life!” As the scorching flames consumed everything, I finally understood that Derek’s hatred for me had seeped into his very bones. When I opened my eyes again, time had rewound to the night Derek was drugged. Looking at the man before me, his eyes hazy from the drugs, I pushed him away and dialed Angela’s number. “Please come over right away.”

The sound of painful breathing made me shudder. I looked towards the source and saw Derek, his face flushed red, the buttons of his black shirt carelessly undone. He looked like he was about to lose control. “Olivia, come here…” he called out to me, his voice hoarse and his eyes full of desire. In my previous life, I would have rushed over to check on him out of concern. But now, I just fearfully took several steps back. It was because of this night in my past life that both Derek and I were drugged and things happened that shouldn’t have. Although he agreed to marry me afterward, he stayed abroad for long periods and didn’t care about me or our daughter. Later I found out that he went abroad because Angela was overseas, and he came back that day to give Angela an explanation. Who knew that on that day, when our daughter called him “Daddy,” Angela was shocked and ran out, resulting in a car accident and her unfortunate death. Derek then transferred all his hatred onto me and our daughter. But now, we haven’t reached that point yet. As long as I’m not the one who “helps” him tonight, our daughter and I won’t suffer that fate. Thinking of this, I almost without hesitation dialed Angela’s number. “Is this Angela? Come to Hotel 32 quickly.” I used all my strength to hold the door, not letting the feverishly hot Derek out. At the same time, I also started to feel my body becoming hot. I remembered my brother’s words about how he felt sorry for my long-time crush on Derek, so he drugged Derek’s drink and sent me to his bedside. “Olivia, you two clearly like each other, why drag it out? This time I’m giving you a push, let Derek become my brother-in-law sooner!” I was shocked and said, “Bro, are you trying to get me killed? Let me go quickly!” My brother just smiled and pushed me into Derek’s arms. “You’ve been drugged too, enjoy it. After tonight you’ll understand my good intentions.” I smiled bitterly. Oh brother, Derek’s heart belongs to someone else entirely. After about fifteen minutes, Angela rushed over, her face pale. She looked at me suspiciously, “Olivia, everyone in our circle knows you like Derek. Why are you being so nice? Wasn’t he having dinner with your brother tonight? How did this happen? Or are you up to something?” Initially thinking I was up to no good, when she discovered it really was Derek in the room, Angela frowned. I pushed her into the room while explaining, “No time to explain details, I know you two have feelings for each other. You wouldn’t want some other woman to take advantage of him tonight, right? He really needs you right now.” I don’t know where my brother got such a potent drug from, but in my previous life, even when Derek still had some rationality left, he bit through his tongue and even broke several finger bones trying to resist. In the end, he still couldn’t hold back. But now with Angela here, maybe he won’t have to suffer like that. Suddenly, a low groan came from the room. Derek’s forehead was covered in bulging veins, making Angela freeze. Her face turned slightly red as she straightened her clothes and glanced back at me. “I guess you’re not as scheming as I thought, not taking advantage of Derek. Since I’m here, you should give up… Hey, why is your face so red too?” I quickly shook my head and urged her to go in. The moment I heard Derek tearing off Angela’s clothes, I closed my eyes and shut the door tight. Soon, indescribable sounds came from the room. Every noise felt like a knife cutting into my heart. Unable to bear listening anymore, I left the hotel without looking back. The drug in my system was gradually taking effect. Last time, half the reason I couldn’t escape Derek was because this stuff made me lose control completely. While I still had some clarity, I stumbled into a high-end club. A waiter who looked like he had just started working greeted me with a smile, “Miss, what can I do for you?” I shook my slightly dizzy head and said, “Get me a male escort.” He was taken aback for a moment, then led me into a private room and went to call someone. I don’t know how long it was before the door opened and a well-built man in a suit entered. His gaze lingered on my somewhat damaged clothes, and he froze. Before he could speak, I hooked my arms around his neck and kissed him, “Someone drugged me, you have to help me…” He was clearly startled by this sudden situation. He seemed to frown, wanting to remove my hands. “Do you want money? I’ll pay whatever you want!” Saying this, I took out a credit card from my pocket and shoved it at him, then started undoing his belt. In my hazy state, I thought I heard this man call my name. “Olivia, don’t do this…” How annoying. I unhappily covered his mouth, and the world immediately became much quieter. No wonder this place is so popular. Turns out the male escorts here are not only handsome but also know how to handle such situations. In the end, I only heard a sigh from above my head. “You started this, don’t regret it later.” Before he finished speaking, he had already pinned me down and kissed me like a storm.

After a night of passion. It was still dark when I suddenly woke up, taking a while to realize I had spent the night with a stranger, a model from a nightclub no less. The man was still sound asleep. I quietly put on my clothes and slipped out of the room. Walking down the commercial street, I noticed in the reflection of a large window that my clothes were torn in several places, and my neck was covered in obvious kiss marks. Taking advantage of my brother not being awake yet, I quickly ran home to find makeup to cover up the marks. Just as I entered the house, a cold voice came from above. “Where were you last night?” Derek stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, staring at me. I was stunned. Wasn’t he supposed to be spending the night with Angela at the hotel? There was also a noticeable ring of kiss marks on his neck, and his eyes were filled with a lazy indifference. I lowered my head, feeling a bit guilty. I had thought that after last night’s events, I could completely sever my relationship with Derek and just treat him like a brother from now on. “I just went for a walk… Why are you back so soon?” I hurriedly explained. Recently, because the new house was being renovated, Derek had been staying at my place for a few months. I looked around and asked, “Didn’t Miss Lee come back with you?” As soon as I said this, Derek’s expression turned unfriendly. “Olivia, where did you go last night? Who left these marks?” I finally realized he was talking about the kiss marks. I quickly pulled up my collar to cover them, “It’s nothing, just mosquito bites.” Derek let out a cold laugh, “Don’t give me that. I know your brother not only drugged me last night, but also put something in your drink.” “What’s going on? Did you two plan something together, and when you saw I wasn’t taking the bait, you went to find another man? Olivia, did you think pretending to disappear would get my attention? This trick has backfired!” I stood there stunned, not expecting him to be so angry. Did he think this was all a scheme I had set up? In reality, I just wanted him and Angela to be together. A wave of bitterness washed over me. So he thought my actions last night were to make him care about me more. Then, he coldly said: “As you can see, Angela and I were together last night, and we’re getting married. I hope you won’t have any more ideas. Put away your little tricks.” I laughed softly and lowered my head, “Alright.” “I’m sorry about my brother drugging you… but I really don’t have feelings for you anymore.” Derek raised his head and stared intently into my eyes, seemingly unwilling to believe it. His brows furrowed. Everyone who knew me before was aware that I had always had a crush on Derek. I had turned down many blind dates because of this, and didn’t even dare to start a relationship. But now I’ve come to my senses. I don’t want to go through those days again, watching my child come into the world full of hope, only to end in despair.

Just as Derek was about to speak, we suddenly heard my brother’s terrified voice from behind. “Oh my God, this is so weird, how did an extra person suddenly appear in our house…” He rushed over, his finger trembling as he pointed towards the upstairs bedroom. “Angela, when did she come to our house?” Derek calmly closed the door and explained nonchalantly. “I brought her back last night. She felt uncomfortable staying at the hotel, so I let her rest here for the night.” “What?!” My brother gave him a complicated look, then turned to me, “You two didn’t…” Then, his gaze turned suspicious as he stared at our necks. I quickly escaped to my own room and closed the door, but I could still faintly hear their conversation. I guess my brother was questioning Derek about what exactly happened. At noon, my brother knocked on my door to call me for lunch, but I didn’t want to move at all. “Bro, I’m not hungry right now. You guys eat first.” Soon, Angela’s cheerful voice sounded from outside the door. “I’ll go wake up little sister Olivia. To be honest, I have to thank Olivia for helping Derek and me get together so quickly last night.” Then, there was a gentle knock on the door. “Olivia, it’s Angela. Do me a favor and come out for lunch, okay?” Since I was little, my parents and brother had taught me to be polite to guests, so I could only reluctantly open the door. At the dining table, although Derek didn’t speak, he still gently put food on Angela’s plate. In less than a few minutes, her bowl was piled high with food like a small mountain. “Derek, don’t forget Olivia is here too. She must be upset about what happened last night. This might make her angry.” Derek gave me a cold look, “What does she have to be angry about? You’re my future wife. I, like her brother, only see her as a little sister.” I lowered my head and silently ate the rice in my bowl, not tasting anything at all. My brother opened his mouth several times wanting to say something, but in the end just sighed and gave up. Angela had a bit of food on the corner of her mouth. Derek reached out to wipe it off, but she laughed and blocked his hand. “Derek, I want you to clean it with your mouth.” Saying this, she actively leaned her face closer. Derek paused for a moment, then smiled and kissed her. Angela looked at me triumphantly, “Little sister Olivia, don’t mind us. Ever since that night, Derek has gotten a taste for this. When you have a boyfriend in the future, you’ll understand this feeling.”

The meal was very unpleasant. I put down my chopsticks, “I’m full. You guys take your time.” Even my slow-witted brother understood what was going on between them now. After the meal, he angrily slapped his thigh. “You little fool, how could you give up such a good opportunity last night to that green tea bitch Angela!” “Derek might not see through her scheming, but can’t I? Today they were showing off their affection at the table, clearly trying to provoke you. I’ve always told you, you and Derek have mutual feelings…” I interrupted him, “Bro, don’t mention this kind of thing anymore.” My brother looked at me in surprise. I smiled, “I don’t like Derek anymore. Bro, help me arrange a blind date.” Sure enough, my brother still cares for me the most. After repeatedly confirming that I wasn’t joking, he finally let out a long sigh of relief. “Good girl, you’ve finally come to your senses. I’ve been telling you not to be so stubborn. Although Derek is a good man, there are plenty of men in the world who are better than him.” “I’ll contact Lucas Richardson right away, the one you rejected before. His family has a huge business empire. He’s not only handsome but also has never been in a relationship, just like you. You two should meet, you might like him.” I obediently added his contact information. I thought giving up Derek would be difficult, but only after truly letting go did I realize it wasn’t as hard as I imagined. “Derek, can you help me put my suitcase back in your room?” Angela said with a smile. After saying this, she turned to look at me, “Olivia.” “Derek’s villa renovation isn’t finished yet, so to see me every day, he’s letting me move in to keep him company for a few days. You don’t mind, right?” I shook my head, “Of course not.” Watching Derek carry her suitcase, busy back and forth, I smiled self-mockingly. I remembered in the past, after that incident, Derek was afraid of hurting Angela, so he sent her abroad under the pretext of studying. After hastily holding our wedding, he also lived overseas for long periods. I gave birth to Nina alone and waited day and night for him to return, only to see him appear at the airport hand in hand with Angela. Back then, his eyes were always cold and distant, unlike now, where he treats Angela as gently as spring. Just as I turned around, I suddenly collided with something. The basin of water Angela was carrying spilled all over herself, and she let out a startled cry. “Ouch!” Derek’s face changed instantly, and he rushed over to protect Angela, looking at me warily. Angela cried with tears in her eyes in his arms. “Sister Olivia, if you don’t want me to live here, you can just say it directly. This outfit was a gift Derek just gave me. It’s very expensive and I really cherish it. Why did you deliberately bump into me and get it dirty?” I explained in confusion, “I didn’t, I really didn’t do it on purpose…” “Enough!” Derek interrupted me loudly, “Olivia, I told you to stop these little tricks. If you don’t want her to live here, we’ll leave the day after tomorrow.” Then he didn’t give me any chance to explain and directly carried Angela back to the room to change clothes. Angela hooked her arms around his neck and flashed a triumphant smile at me. When I saw Angela come out wearing my favorite dress, my face turned pale. Derek justified himself matter-of-factly: “You’ve never worn it since I gave it to you anyway, so it’s better to let her wear it.” I smiled bitterly. I had been saving that dress and never wore it because I treasured it too much. In all these years, Derek only gave me a gift once on my birthday. After knowing how I felt about him, he never gave me anything again. I had been keeping this dress as a treasure. But now, I just nodded faintly, “Okay, I wasn’t going to wear it again anyway. I was planning to throw it away or give it to someone else.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296075”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

My half-sister Nancy was supposed to be my husband’s soulmate, but she was afraid of Hector Shang and asked me to marry him in her place. For my mother’s medical bills, I reluctantly agreed. Two years of marriage, and my husband wasn’t at all like the rumors said. Instead, he was incredibly loving and affectionate towards me. Before our third anniversary, Nancy wanted me to “return” him to her. But as I was blocked at the door, Hector gently caressed my face, his eyes dark and possessive, “Lily, have I been too indulgent with you?” “Lily.” Hector called my name softly. His husky bedroom voice, combined with that devastatingly handsome face, made him an absolute Adonis. “Hector~” “Lily, relax, don’t be afraid.” Hector was always so considerate in these matters. Completely unlike the rumors that painted him as cruel and ruthless. I dare say you couldn’t find a more model husband than him. But Hector’s true love was supposed to be my sister Nancy. I was just a substitute. “Focus on me.” Unsatisfied with my distraction, Hector bit down on my collarbone. I winced in pain. “Hector Shang, are you a dog?” The corner of his mouth curved into a smile. “Mm, I’m yours alone. If you don’t want me, I’ll turn into a mad dog.” His teasing made me laugh, which only encouraged Hector more. “Gentle~” “They say our Lily even speaks in such a sweet voice, I simply can’t hold back.” Hector braced his hands on either side of my pillow, his eyes growing darker with desire as he sought me more urgently. After a night of passion, I woke to find Hector already preparing to leave for work. “Lily, tie my tie for me.” Ever since he learned I could tie a tie, he’s had me do it for him almost every day. Hector sat on the edge of the bed as I carefully tied his tie, unaware of how his gaze grew more intense. A broad hand gently stroked my shoulder. I frowned and glared at him. “Don’t distract me.” After I finished with the tie, he grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me deeply for a long time. Only when my lips were swollen did he finally let go. “Lily, I want to die in your arms.” “You scoundrel!” I laughed as I shooed him off to work, not taking his words to heart. With me, Hector was always the gentle husband, unlike the rumors. I was just about to go back to sleep when I heard my phone ring. “Hello.” “This is Nancy Shen. I’m sending you an address. Meet me there, we need to talk.” She hung up before I could reply. The truth is, I’m not really Hector Shang’s wife. My sister Nancy is.

Apparently, Hector had his eye on Nancy back then, but she was afraid he would be abusive and volatile like the rumors said. So Nancy came to find me. At the time, I desperately needed money and had gone to the Shen family to beg. “Didn’t you say you’d never take a cent from the Shen family?” “Didn’t you say you’d never come back to this house, even if you were dead?” I ignored my sister’s taunts and knelt on the ground crying as I begged our father. The truth is, Nancy was Father’s daughter from before he was married. She always called herself the child born of true love. My mother was originally the young lady of a prestigious family. After marrying Father, she helped him climb the social ladder to join high society. But after my mother’s family fell on hard times, Father divorced her without hesitation. Mother and I had no choice but to move to my grandmother’s home in the countryside and become self-reliant. But Mother had always been frail since birth. The hard work took its toll and she fell ill. I went to beg Father, and he soon agreed to lend me money, on the condition that I marry Hector Shang in Nancy’s place. At the time, I foolishly agreed without really understanding. The day I moved into the Shang family home, Nancy mocked me. “Congratulations, from now on your life will be hell.” “I hear Hector Shang is abusive. With your weak little body, who knows if you’ll be able to take it.” So this substitute marriage was actually a deep pit. That’s what I thought too. But after marriage, Hector was extremely doting towards me. Jewelry and designer goods flowed into the Shang home like water. I had bodyguards escorting me whenever I went out. I never had to lift a finger for anything. Every time I felt Hector’s love, I would think to myself: He must really love Nancy. Otherwise, how could he change from the rumored volatile, violent man into this incredibly gentle person now? I needed to go out, but I had to shake off the bodyguards. Reluctantly, I called Hector. “What is it? I just got to the office and you already miss me?” “Be good and wait for me to come home tonight.” Steeling myself, I spoke up, “I want to go shopping with friends. But every time you have bodyguards follow me, I feel too embarrassed to ask them out.” There was silence on the other end for a moment before he replied. “Alright. Keep your phone on. Will you have dinner with me tonight?” Hearing his pitiful tone, I immediately agreed. “Of course, I’ll definitely be back for dinner with you.” “Mm, have fun, darling.” After hanging up, Hector sighed and gazed out the window at the birds flying by. Indeed, no matter how beautiful the cage, it can’t keep her.

When I met Nancy, she was dressed impeccably in designer clothes, exuding an unmistakable air of wealth and status. “What did you want to see me about?” I had no patience for pleasantries with her. When she first entered our home, she drove out my mother and me. How could I not resent her? If not for her and her mother, I wouldn’t have suffered so much. And my mother wouldn’t have worked herself sick just to pay for my college tuition. Nancy stirred her coffee and laughed derisively. “Mrs. White, have you gotten so used to being a rich man’s wife that you think you can take over permanently?” I knew Hector’s true love was supposed to be her. So in my relationship with him, I always felt guilty and uncomfortable. “You’re the one who didn’t want him.” “Well now I do.” Nancy’s words left me completely stunned. Seeing my shocked expression, Nancy slowly continued, “It’s time for us to return to our rightful places.” Return to our rightful places… Give Hector to her? No, return him to her. My heart sank. I couldn’t hide the unwillingness on my face. Nancy noticed and warned me, “Your mother’s medical bills are still being paid by the Shen family. Are you sure you don’t want to return Hector to me?” I felt frustrated and snapped in a low voice. “He’s not an object for you to want when you feel like it.” “And then give away when you don’t want him anymore!” Nancy laughed lightly. “Lily, don’t overestimate yourself. You have no right to negotiate.” “Hector has only ever loved me. You’re nothing but a substitute. Don’t think you actually belong in that world.” Nancy’s scathing words left me completely silent. I’d heard from Father that when Hector came to propose marriage, just the engagement gifts alone were worth two years of the Shen family’s profits. So they didn’t dare refuse the marriage, afraid of Hector’s retaliation. Everyone in the city knew that Hector was ruthlessly vengeful. Rumor had it that when he was driven out by his stepbrother and mistress years ago, he went to the countryside with his mother to recuperate. But when he returned years later, he immediately crushed the entire company. Now that stepbrother couldn’t even find a job, let alone start a business. Hector didn’t spare Father either, personally reporting his bribery and sending him straight to jail. He wouldn’t give that stepbrother any chance to survive. This ruthlessly cruel man was only gentle with me. I knew it wasn’t because he favored me, but because of his true love, Nancy. “Lily, what’s mine is mine. You can’t steal it away.” “Father was like that, and so is Hector.” I felt suffocated inside. I didn’t dare to bet. I was afraid Hector would retaliate if he found out the truth. I didn’t dare gamble with my mother’s wellbeing. And I didn’t dare bet on Hector’s illusory love for me. What I learned from Father was that love is the most unreal thing in this world. Fleeting and ephemeral. “Give me a month.” Hector’s birthday happened to be at the end of the month. “Two weeks.” For the first time, I stood up to Nancy and prepared to leave. “If you’re willing to wait, I’ll return him to you. If not, then forget it.” Nancy’s voice came from behind me. “Fine.” After I left, Nancy cursed under her breath. “Little bitch, now you dare threaten me!” The truth was, Nancy didn’t really want my leftovers either. But seeing how good Hector was to me, it made her insanely jealous. All of this was supposed to be hers. I walked out onto the street, feeling like I had nowhere to go. Did I really have to return him to Nancy? I walked aimlessly until I reached the company building. Suddenly I desperately wanted to see him.

Hector was in a meeting. His assistant told me to wait in his office and brought me some coffee. Suddenly lowering his voice, the assistant said to me. “Ma’am, it’s lunchtime but the CEO is still in the meeting. He’s rejected all the proposals. Could you maybe…” I understood what the assistant meant and decisively stood up to go to the meeting room. This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to do this. I knocked on the door of the meeting room, well-practiced. As soon as I pushed it open, Hector’s piercing gaze, so sharp it could be felt even through his glasses, made everyone feel a chill down their spine. But his eyes quickly softened as he stood and walked towards me. “Why are you here?” “I wanted to have lunch with you.” The employees behind him gave me a thumbs up. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the wife was here, the CEO would finally calm down. Hector ordered some food and gestured for me to look out the window. “I heard you can see the most beautiful fireworks in the city from here on New Year’s Eve. Let’s come then.” New Year’s was indeed approaching, but by then, I would probably already be gone. “Mm…okay.” He keenly noticed something was off with my mood and frowned seriously. “What’s wrong? Didn’t enjoy shopping? Or you don’t want to see the fireworks? Prefer to stay home?” I looked at his concerned eyes, thinking to myself that I had deceived him. “It’s nothing. I just feel so happy being with you.” My childhood wasn’t happy. After Father was discovered to have a child from before marriage, my parents argued constantly. So I never felt much security growing up. Later, when Nancy was brought home to be raised, I was too timid and got bullied a lot. But Father always turned a blind eye. Only when Mother made a fuss would he pay any attention. Hector’s love for me was almost unconditional. Buying me whatever I wanted, coming home on time and avoiding social events, no scandalous rumors, a perfect gentleman in every way. Though he would get angry for a long time if he saw other men talking to me. I knew it was just because he cared about me too much. No, cared about Nancy. Hearing me say this, Hector’s expression softened. “Me too.” “Lily, you’re a gift sent to me from heaven.” There was something in his eyes I couldn’t quite understand…nostalgia?

I looked at Hector. He had no idea I wasn’t Nancy. When we first got married, Hector would still call me “Nanxi”. But I always felt uncomfortable, so I told him my nickname was “Lily”. He was so happy then, calling me that over and over. He said me telling him my nickname meant I was starting to accept him, to grow close to him. “Hector, do you really love me?” Hector didn’t understand my question and teased. “What’s gotten into you today?” “I’ll prove to you tonight that I only love you. I’m saving all my energy for you.” His flirting made me blush. Hector’s gaze was always so gentle when he looked at me. That night, I was especially proactive. Probably because I was afraid of our impending separation. After this, we’d be strangers. Hector held me in his arms as I wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging tightly to his neck. In the heat of passion, my neck arched in a perfect curve. He placed a kiss on my throat. It made my body tremble. He wasn’t doing much better. Groaning, his breathing ragged and uneven. “Lily, you’re so good tonight.” Praised like a child, I tried even harder to please him. But he still maintained the upper hand. I drifted off to sleep in a daze. In my hazy state, I heard him say: “Lily, I’ll love you forever.” “When will you recognize me?” “Silly girl.” When I woke up, Hector had already left for work. There was a message from him on my phone. “Rest well. It’s my fault for indulging in your temptation last night. If you’re sore, remember to use the ointment.” I blushed and hid under the covers. After tidying up a bit, I went out. Thankfully Hector wasn’t having me followed anymore. Nancy was accompanying me to handle the paperwork for going abroad. “Accompanying” really meant making sure I actually left. “After I’m gone, you better treat my mother well. Otherwise, I can come back anytime and expose you.” “Don’t worry.” Nancy knew not to jeopardize her big plans over small matters. After finishing the paperwork, I went to my mother’s nursing home. She was frail now, mostly bedridden. When I arrived, I saw her knitting. “Lily, why are you here?” “I was just passing by.” Mother looked at me contentedly, stroking my cheek. “Lily’s gotten so pretty. Your husband really knows how to take care of you.” I had told Mother the medical bills were paid by my husband. With no one from the Shen family visiting her, Mother never knew the truth. “What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with your husband?” “No…” I paused for a moment. “Mom, my husband and I might have to go abroad for work. You stay here and focus on treatment. Once you’re better, I’ll come get you.” Mother quickly tried to reassure me. “Don’t worry about me. You two just focus on your work. I don’t want to be a burden.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I buried my face in her embrace. “Mom, I’m sorry.” I might never come back in this lifetime. To keep our agreement, I had to stay away forever. Only then would Nancy ensure my mother’s treatment. “What are you saying? It’s Mom who’s useless. Otherwise you wouldn’t have had such a hard time.” The pampered young lady had a difficult time adjusting to life in the countryside. But Mother still had her pride. Even when times were tough, she refused to ask the Shen family for help. Though sometimes she would wonder if she had failed Lily. “No, I have the best mom in the world.” Mother came from a scholarly family. Like her, I was well-read and knowledgeable. And she gave me all her love. After leaving the nursing home, I suddenly felt nauseous, like I was going to throw up. My eyes widened in shock. Could I be pregnant?

I’m not sure what I was hoping for, but I went to the hospital for a pregnancy test. It would take some time for the results though. What I didn’t expect was for Hector to show up. In that moment, I felt anxious. If I really was pregnant, it would be impossible to “return” him. A despicable part of me begged: please let me be pregnant. I think…I’ve fallen in love with him. Hector looked tense. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting a pregnancy test?” If this hospital wasn’t partly owned by him, he wouldn’t have known his wife came for a test. “I…I wasn’t sure if I was pregnant.” “I was afraid…of getting our hopes up for nothing.” Afraid of getting my own hopes up. Hector let out a relieved sigh and hugged me. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ve only been married for three years. We have plenty of time.” “Besides.” He lowered his voice mysteriously. I leaned in to listen. “If we have a baby, I’ll have to abstain…” I quickly covered his mouth, embarrassed as I looked around. How could he say such things? Hector grinned and moved my hand away. “It’s true. Not only would the baby steal my wife, but I’d have to compete for your attention.” Suddenly I felt hopeful too. If it was a girl, Hector would surely spoil her rotten. “Do you want a boy or a girl?” “As long as you’re the one having it, I don’t care if it’s a boy or girl.” In that moment, my heart was filled with joy and anticipation. Suddenly a nurse called out a name. “Nancy Shen, please come in.” Hector helped me up, acting as if I was already heavily pregnant. But I was lost in thought. The nurse had just called my sister’s name. I had almost forgotten – I was just a substitute. “Based on Mrs. Shang’s test results…” The doctor trailed off, glancing at Hector. He tensely gripped my hand. “Is something wrong with my wife? Or the baby?” I grew worried too. The doctor shook his head. “It’s like this – the chances of Mrs. Shang getting pregnant are quite low…” Rich people care most about having heirs. The doctor was clearly trying to gauge our reaction. My eyes immediately darkened. So I wasn’t pregnant. And it would be difficult for me to get pregnant. It felt like the last bargaining chip I held had just crumbled to dust. As we left, Hector put his arm around my shoulders and made me look at him. “Lily, the truth is I don’t even like children. I only want you.” I knew he was lying to make me feel better. Seeing how dejected I looked, Hector joked to try and cheer me up. “Maybe I’m the one with the problem. Not putting in enough effort. We still have plenty of time, it’ll happen eventually.” I looked at him helplessly. Hector didn’t know that I just felt like I had lost my last reason to stay by his side. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” That night as I lay beside him, I had trouble falling asleep. Suddenly Hector pinned me beneath him, with a slightly threatening tone. “Stop overthinking. It’s just a baby. If we have one, great. If not, that’s fine too!” “You’re my wife. I don’t want to share you with anyone.” I looked up at him as tears slid down from the corners of my eyes. He gently kissed away the tears, then slowly kissed my neck. That night was especially tender and passionate. Hector was extremely enthusiastic, as if trying to distract me. “If you really want a child and we can’t have one, we can always adopt.” I cried, “I just want to have your baby.” “We will, someday.” The night was wild. I initiated several times. But in my heart, I had started a countdown. Because I knew Hector’s birthday was approaching soon.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296074”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

My newlywed husband forced me, a terminal liver cancer patient, to drink hard liquor just to please his secretary. His little secretary staged an incident where she took a knife for him. She lost a lot of blood, so he urgently asked me to donate blood for her. I demanded a million dollars, to which he sneered, “Your blood sure is precious.” Of course, the blood of a liver cancer patient is precious. Later, his secretary and I got into a car accident. He mocked me: “You caused the accident on purpose, didn’t you? Stop pretending. You just want more money, right?” “Aria, you disgust me.” I’ve had enough. I wanted to get a divorce certificate before I died, but he looked down on me condescendingly: “Don’t use such low-level tactics to get my attention.” “You’re in no position to negotiate with me.” Forget it. When I’m dead, the marriage will naturally end. I stood hesitantly at the door of the private room, crumpling the paper in my hand. The bar was lively, and I felt a bit scared to go in. But he hadn’t been home for a month. Suddenly, the door opened and someone came out. He was on the phone and looked at me in surprise: “Mrs. Carter, why are you here?” His voice was just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, and they all turned to look at me. Lucas Carter’s hand was resting on the waist of the girl next to him. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles. “Come here,” he said coldly. I had trouble breathing and crumpled the paper in my hand even tighter. “Mrs. Carter is here, come sit, come sit.” The person next to Lucas quickly made room for me beside him, but I didn’t move. I just handed over the paper in my hand: “Sign it. I’m in a hurry.” For a moment, the room fell silent. They probably didn’t expect me to be so firm, after all, I was just a pathetic leech clinging to Lucas. Lucas sneered and put down his glass: “If you’re here to ask for money, at least act like it.” He glanced at the paper in my hand: “What illness did you make up at the hospital this time?” My face turned pale, and the paper trembled slightly in my hand. I did go to the hospital, but I didn’t make up any illness. My condition had worsened, and I was dying. He snatched the paper from my hand but froze when he saw the title. He angrily slammed the paper on the table, his eyes blazing: “Aria, you want a divorce?” “Is this what you were in a hurry for?” I nodded: “Just sign it.” “You don’t love me, and I don’t love you. I don’t want to be tied to you for life.” As soon as I finished speaking, there was a collective gasp in the room, and even the air seemed to turn cold. Lucas gritted his teeth: “Fine, finish this bottle of liquor, and I’ll sign.” I looked at him, my lips turning white. Someone quickly poured me a glass of alcohol. Liver cancer patients can’t drink alcohol. He was trying to kill me. “I… I’m not feeling well…” “What? Changed your mind about the divorce?” “Aria, stop playing games.” “If you want something, just say it. No need for these elaborate schemes to threaten me. You’re only making me sick…” It felt like a piece of my heart was being violently torn out. The pain made my whole body tremble. I grabbed the bottle from the table and poured it straight down my throat. It burned like fire, from my throat all the way to my stomach, igniting my broken organs.

I put down the empty bottle, and Lucas looked at me, suddenly smiling: “So, you can drink after all.” “Of course, after so many years abroad, who knows how many people you’ve drunk with. You must be able to handle your liquor by now.” “This one bottle is nothing.” I coughed a few times, trying hard to suppress the churning in my stomach: “Sign it.” “After it’s signed, I’ll move out.” But Lucas just grinned: “One bottle isn’t enough.” He patted the waist of the girl next to him and said, “Go get some more, open them all.” One bottle after another, I don’t even know when I lost consciousness. When I woke up with a stomach ache, I crawled up from the floor and rushed to the bathroom. I threw up violently, washed my face, and struggled to stand up. Looking in the mirror, I saw my haggard face, unnaturally yellow. I looked down and laughed bitterly. God still wasn’t ready to let me go easily. So pathetic, I should have just died abroad. “Mrs. Carter, are you okay?” Someone handed me a tissue. I looked around the room, it was empty. The divorce papers were lying on the table, soaked in alcohol, without Lucas’s signature. I frowned: “Where’s Lucas?” “Miss Simmons had a fever, so Mr. Carter left…” Left, huh… The man who used to be so worried he couldn’t stand it if I got even a small scratch, now doesn’t even bat an eye when I pass out. But for Miss Simmons, Lucas seems particularly caring. Claire Simmons, his newly kept mistress. Also the person who looks most like me, not the current me, but the high school me. I wiped the water stains on my clothes with the tissue and staggered out of the room. Every step I took, my body ached, and so did my heart. When I went abroad, Lucas cried heartbrokenly behind me: “If you leave, never come back.” But I didn’t listen. Now that I’m back, there’s no good ending for me.

Lucas was the poor student I sponsored in high school. He had excellent grades, standing tall among a bunch of misfits like a young white poplar. I liked him, but he was so poor he couldn’t even afford a meal. Because of a love letter someone gave him, he was bullied by the school thugs. In the bathroom, a group of people deliberately peed on his shoes, soaking them through. That day, the usually well-behaved Lucas got into a fight. When he came back to class with a bruised face, he was barefoot. In the sub-zero weather, his feet were red and swollen from the cold. My heart ached for him, and I immediately called my driver to bring a pair of socks and shoes. That was the first time I spoke to him. My throat tightened as I handed him the shoes: “Lucas, these are for you.” He looked up, his eyes red. I was still in a daze when I was woken up by the ringtone. Getting something and then having to give it up is really painful. The call was from Lucas’s assistant. I didn’t want to answer at first, but he kept calling, over and over. I tiredly sat up, took some painkillers, and just as I answered, his anxious voice came through: “The boss has been stabbed, come quickly!” My mind went blank, and I felt the world spinning. Was Lucas going to die? Without thinking further, I quickly threw on some clothes and rushed to the Carter family’s private hospital. Lucas was standing at the door of the operating room, his whole body tense. There was red blood on the cuff of his suit, but his eyes were fixed straight ahead. He was very nervous and worried. I remembered the year I had appendicitis surgery, he was so worried he almost cried. He was afraid I would be in pain, afraid I would be uncomfortable. He didn’t sleep all night and even slapped himself twice, blaming himself for letting me eat such a messy diet. My feet slowly came to a stop. Lucas turned his head, saw me, and walked over with big steps. His hand raised high but then fell back down with restraint. His eyes were all red as he shouted at me: “Aria, why did you do this?!” “You hired those people, didn’t you!” I stared at him blankly. His eyes were filled with hatred, not a trace of tenderness. My heart felt so tight I could barely breathe. I lowered my head to hide my pain, trying hard not to cry: “I don’t know what you’re talking about… it wasn’t me.” “Stop pretending!” Lucas looked at me, grinding his teeth, his chest heaving violently, his fists clenched. “They all pointed you out.” It felt like a piece of my heart was being violently torn out. I had taken painkillers before coming, so why did it still hurt so much? His voice was hoarse: “Since you hired people to do this, there’s not enough blood in the blood bank. You and Claire have the same RH negative blood type, go donate blood for her!” I looked at him, hardly believing my ears. The Lucas from before would gently cover my eyes even when I went for a routine blood test. Perhaps my gaze was too obvious, Lucas couldn’t look at me. He just turned to the doctor and said: “Take her to donate blood!” It turns out you can still laugh when your heart is shattered to the extreme. I curled my lips: “Sign the divorce papers, and I’ll go.” “Stop messing around, Aria.” He looked at me tiredly: “Malicious injury can land you in jail, you know.” “Will you sign or not?” I said coldly. Lucas’s face turned white, then he compromised as if he had lost a negotiation: “How much money do you want this time?” My heart hurt so much I could barely breathe. I laughed coldly: “One million dollars.” Enough for me to die properly. “Your blood sure is precious,” Lucas said sarcastically. How could the blood not be precious when the liver that produces it is full of tumors?

After donating 500cc, I felt so dizzy I could barely stand. Lucas looked at me coldly: “Stop pretending, you just want more money, don’t you?” He threw the card at me. It hit my chest lightly before falling to the ground. My eyes stung with tears. Even when I was at my worst, I had never insulted Lucas like this. I glared at him, tears streaming down my face. Lucas’s expression showed some regret. He said anxiously: “We’ll settle accounts when we get home!” I looked at the card on the ground, feeling stupid for rushing here like this. Lucas didn’t deserve my concern. I wiped away my tears and stepped on the card as I left. Lucas’s assistant picked up the card behind me and handed it to Lucas. I heard him say behind me: “All this drama, it’s just to get my attention.” “For the sake of you donating blood to Claire, I’ll come home on our wedding anniversary.” I had just stepped out of the hospital doors when I felt a wave of dizziness. Someone steadied me, and I was about to thank them when I heard a familiar voice: “Aria, what are you doing here?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296073”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

I Dated 8 Guys at Once They all saw me as a substitute. But I didn’t care. As long as the money kept coming, they were all my darlings. Later, they discovered each other’s existence. And they were furious. I’m a master of time management. I’ve been dating eight guys simultaneously for three months. None of them have discovered the others’ existence. They all think they’re the one I love most. They often feel troubled and annoyed by my affection towards them. And they’ve repeatedly warned me to know my place and not harbor unrealistic hopes. Ha! The only unrealistic hopes I have are for their money. My first boyfriend, Jack Thompson, is a wealthy CEO, but he’s quite high-maintenance. He likes to roleplay office scenarios. Every date, he requires me to wear a white dress and pretend to be his secretary. During lunch breaks, I even have to play the piano for him. He’s so pretentious. But his combination of stupidity and wealth is irresistible. For our lunch date today, I followed his instructions. I wore a white dress, light makeup, and long straight hair as I waited in his office. When he returned from a meeting, he frowned immediately. He looked at me, his substitute, with disgust: “Trying to imitate her appearance won’t change anything. You still can’t compare to a single hair on her head.” I smiled politely: “As long as you’re happy.” This idiot is so dramatic – isn’t this exactly what he asked for? Hearing my response, his gaze grew even colder. Who knows what he imagined in his head. He said to me: “I’ve warned you before, don’t fall for me. I’ll only ever love her.” Alright, alright, I get it. You have your true love. I pinched myself, walked to the piano with reddened eyes, and played an awkward tune for him. Halfway through, he stood up angrily. Looking disappointed, he said: “This is unbearable. As expected, no matter how similar a fake may look, it’s still fake.” He left in the middle of our date. At the same time, $200,000 was deposited into my account. I wiped away fake tears and called out to his retreating back: “Jack Thompson, I don’t want your dirty money!” As expected, he turned back with a look of disgust. He said coldly: “Remember, there will only ever be a financial relationship between us.” Then he angrily transferred another $500,000 to me. Oh wow! How rebellious. I like it! After parting with Jack, I rushed to meet the next one. With eight men to juggle, even a time management expert like me stays quite busy. My second boyfriend, Ethan Brooks, is a university professor. Today he asked me out shopping. At the mall, he picked out dozens of outfits and had me try them on one by one. I spent the whole afternoon changing clothes, exhausted. But I still forced a sweet smile and said: “Ethan, are all these clothes for me? You’re so good to me. I love every piece.” I happily reached out to hold his arm. But he stood up abruptly, his face darkening as he avoided my hand. He frowned and said with disgust: “I’ve told you before, I hate anyone but her touching me!” Then he checked his watch and asked the staff to pack up all the clothes. He said to me: “I have to go. I’ve transferred you some money – buy whatever clothes you like, but don’t buy anything matching hers. I hate seeing others wear the same clothes as her. And don’t message or call me unnecessarily. I’m very busy.” With that, he turned and left. At the same time, $200,000 was deposited into my account. Yes, all eight of my boyfriends are the same. Although they pay me to date them, we just eat, chat and shop together. They’re determined to save their purity for their true loves. They won’t even let me touch their hands. This is… Exactly how I like it! After Ethan left, I checked my schedule. My next appointment was at 7pm. With boyfriend number three, Ryan Chen. A nouveau riche guy who wears giant gold chains and fur coats. His face isn’t bad, but his taste is terrible. Ryan was tired of being a backup option. Today he offered me a million dollars to have dinner with him and his crush. When I arrived, he asked me: “You know what to do later, right?” Considering the million dollar paycheck, I nodded obediently. After this job, I’ll have enough savings to retire and get out of here! I suppressed my excitement and said softly: “Ryan, I understand. I’ll perform well later to make your crush jealous. Once you two get together, I’ll leave quietly and won’t get in your way.” Hearing this, Ryan suddenly glared at me angrily, looking very displeased. “What? You don’t want to be with me?” Oh crap. I got carried away for a moment! After three months as a substitute, I know exactly how these stupid men operate! I quickly pinched myself, lowered my head, and said with reddened eyes: “How could that be… I don’t want to leave you, Ryan. If you have any feelings for me at all, please don’t make me go. I won’t interfere with you two, I just want to quietly stay by your side.” This response hit the mark. Ryan’s expression softened a bit. But he still said in an annoyed tone: “Impossible. My heart will always belong to her! I’ll give you two million today. If you know what’s good for you, don’t show your face in front of me again after this is over.” I nodded reluctantly: “I understand…” Stupid man, so high-maintenance! Ryan put his arm around me as we arrived at the private room where we were meeting his crush. When we opened the door, there was a moment of stunned silence. We found ourselves face to face with not just Ryan’s crush, but my other seven boyfriends as well! I was dumbfounded. I never imagined that the true love of all eight of my boyfriends was the same person! This girl looked about 80-90% similar to me. Just like how I usually dress up, she wore a white dress, had long straight hair past her shoulders, and big watery eyes. She looked delicate and fragile. No wonder… they often seemed lost in thought while looking at my face. While I was still in shock, the gazes of all seven boyfriends landed on me. No, more accurately, on Ryan’s hand around my waist. They all had dark expressions, looking at me with angry glares. Their eyes seemed ready to kill. The girl looked at Ryan’s hand on my waist with a slight start. Then her eyes reddened as a sad expression crossed her face. She asked timidly: “Ryan, is this your new girlfriend?” After she said this, the seven boyfriends’ glares at us grew even more furious. Ryan, ever the backup, melted at the sight of his crush’s teary face. He completely forgot our carefully planned scheme. He forcefully pushed me away, immediately distancing himself: “No, I don’t know her!” I stumbled and fell to the ground, but no one paid me any attention. The girl broke into a smile through her tears. She grabbed the hands of the two men on either side of her, tilting her head innocently: “Don’t always fight over me, you guys. Didn’t we agree before? I’ll never get a boyfriend in this lifetime, so the nine of us can stay together forever as best friends!” I got up awkwardly. I saw the eight boyfriends glaring at each other in annoyance, then looking at the girl with doting expressions. It was… quite a harmonious scene. I stared at this tableau in bewilderment. How is this okay? I suddenly felt that I may not have fully grasped the essence of this situation before. The girl’s name was Sophia Lin. She grew up as childhood friends with these eight men. Although she’s the same age as me, she’s completely different from an orphan like me who grew up without parents in an orphanage. She’s the daughter of the Lin Group, a little princess who grew up pampered and spoiled. That night, Ryan transferred me $5 million as compensation for pushing me down. After sending the money, he ordered: “Come have dinner with Sophia and me this weekend. We messed up this time.” He even started blaming me: “Why didn’t you cling to me when I pushed you away? Do better next time, got it?” After receiving the money, I blocked him without a word. Along with him, I blocked the other seven boyfriends too. Sorry boys. I’ve made enough money. This lady is done serving you. On the third day, eight luxury cars were parked outside my rented apartment. I was buying chicken at the market at the time. Just as I finished weighing my purchase, my landlady Mrs. Lin came running over in a panic. She told me anxiously: “Olivia, it’s terrible! Eight men came looking for you, all claiming to be your boyfriend. Now they’re fighting! You better go take a look! It’s getting violent, there’s blood!” When I returned with my chicken, I indeed saw my eight ex-boyfriends. They all looked disheveled and bruised, still fighting each other. I stared in shock. Why weren’t these guys standing by for their goddess’s beck and call? What were they doing here? How unlucky! I covered my face, preparing to sneak back home. But Jack Thompson spotted me. He coldly said: “Olivia Clarke, explain yourself. What’s the deal with these other seven?” As soon as Jack finished speaking. The others all stopped fighting and angrily turned to look at me. They were still frozen in poses of grabbing each other’s ties and arms. Holding my chicken, I felt slightly awkward. I pinched myself, then said with reddened eyes in a soft voice: “Stop fighting! Don’t fight over me anymore!” Good, this time I learned from Sophia Lin’s playbook. But it didn’t work. They still glared at me furiously. Their expressions were even fiercer than when Ryan had his arm around me that day. They all looked like they’d been utterly betrayed. Ryan Chen’s gold chains had been yanked off. He forcefully let go of Ethan Brooks across from him and yelled angrily: “Olivia Clarke, you dare cheat on me?!” Ethan Brooks straightened his tie. With a dark expression he said: “You found seven other men behind my back. Impressive.” Boyfriend number four wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and said through gritted teeth: “I’ve never been played like this before. Well done, Olivia Clarke. Claiming to love me while juggling eight guys behind my back. You think I’m an idiot?” Boyfriend number five was the most badly beaten, with two black eyes. He screamed at me hysterically: “Olivia Clarke, tell me, out of us eight, who do you really love?” Wait, weren’t you all getting along fine in front of Sophia Lin? Why are you making such a fuss over a substitute like me?! This doesn’t make sense! So I tried imitating Sophia Lin’s style. Teary-eyed and emotional, I tentatively said: “You’re all my best friends, and you all have the closest relationship with me. From now on, don’t ask who I love most! In my eyes, you’re all equally important to me. Even if I have a child someday, you’ll all be the child’s godfathers! Turn your open competition into secret care – take care of me, take care of our child. Let the child be the happiest in the world, loved by eight dads. Wouldn’t that be nice?” After I finished speaking, I looked at them with tear-filled eyes. Then I saw all eight ex-boyfriends with expressions like they’d just eaten shit. Okay, this time I hit the mark. Ethan Brooks looked at me with disgust, like he was looking at a lunatic. “You think you’re worthy of being my backup? Dream on.” Jack Thompson said coldly: “You’ve been a substitute too long and started thinking you’re the real deal. I’m warning you, don’t try to play games with me.” Everything was going well. But then a traitor appeared among them. Ryan Chen lifted his chin and said condescendingly: “You begged me before, wanting to stay by my side forever. Fine, I’ll agree now. As long as you cut ties with them from now on, I can forgive your past transgressions.” As soon as he finished speaking, everyone else turned to glare coldly at Ryan Chen. They seemed ready to gang up on him. The craziest one, boyfriend number five, had a different thought process. His way of grasping the key points was quite unique. He had a thunderstruck expression. “You’re pregnant? Whose is it?” After speaking, he looked around with reddened eyes. That cuckolded expression made everyone look like a potential baby daddy. Finally, he seemed to realize something. He pointed at Ryan Chen and said through gritted teeth: “It’s his?” Ryan Chen pointed at himself, then looked at me, dumbfounded. The next moment, everyone gnashed their teeth and glared fiercely at Ryan Chen. War was about to break out. Boyfriend number five was the first to rush over and punch him. Ryan Chen cried out in pain: “What are you crazy about?” Just as he finished speaking, Jack Thompson also punched him. After that, Ryan Chen was truly beaten up by the group. I took advantage of him getting beaten to slip away. After that day, the eight ex-boyfriends tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. In the end, they couldn’t help but call me, angrily demanding to know whose child it really was. I was speechless. Are you sick? There’s no child! So I irritably replied to them all: “Your father’s.” Then I simply changed my phone number. I ran into Sophia Lin unexpectedly when I went out that day. When she saw me, she suddenly dropped her innocent act. She even showed disgust, sneering disdainfully: “It’s you?” I blinked: “Ah, it’s me.” How does this person have two completely different faces? Seeing I didn’t respond, she frowned in displeasure: “Why are you back here, humiliating yourself like a clown? Hah, so what if you look a bit like me? You’re nothing but a fake. They only give you the slightest attention because of me! You think you can steal the men around me with your tricks? Keep dreaming. They’ll only ever love me!” Ah yes, yes. I didn’t care at all about her mockery. I even nodded vigorously. Who wants eight annoying men anyway! Only she can handle them. I sincerely pleaded: “Can you keep them under control and tell them to stop bothering me?” But Sophia Lin thought I was challenging her. She rolled her eyes like she’d heard a joke and sneered: “Are you dreaming? They only have eyes for me. Why would they actively seek you out? Stop being delusional!” But right after she finished speaking, Ryan Chen came looking for me. And he did it right in front of her. He hadn’t slept for two days and had bloodshot eyes. He’d been beaten pretty badly too – his face was swollen like a pig’s head and his arm was wrapped in bandages. He looked quite ridiculous. When he saw me, he gritted his teeth. He rushed over and grabbed my arm, not even noticing Sophia Lin next to me. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me with a fierce yet pained expression. He said frantically: “Do you have any heart at all?! Aren’t eight of us enough for you? How could you go after my dad too?! Tell me, when did you and him start?” I stared at him silently, at a loss for words. I seriously pondered why Sophia Lin’s eight devoted admirers seemed just as unhinged as her. How could anyone actually believe what I said as a random retort? Ryan Chen stared at me painfully for a long while before finally compromising: “Fine, keep my little brother. I’ll raise him. As long as you behave from now on, I can pretend nothing happened.” I was shocked and greatly alarmed. Does your dad know about this?! Meanwhile, Sophia Lin standing next to me had turned pale. Then she seemed to think of something and put on a kind, understanding smile: “Ryan, I’m right here. Did you mistake her for someone else?” Ryan Chen was taken aback: “Sophia, why are you here?” His words made it clear he hadn’t mistaken me for her. The smile froze on Sophia Lin’s face. Because Sophia Lin was there, Ryan Chen didn’t pester me further that day. Things quieted down for two days after that. I thought my conversation with Sophia Lin had worked. She really had kept them away. But on the third day, all eight of them angrily showed up at my doorstep again. Jack Thompson said coldly: “What did you say to Sophia? Why did she cry all night after going home?” Ethan Brooks said expressionlessly: “I’m warning you, don’t use your scheming tricks on Sophia. She’s different from you – a poor person who grew up in the slums and only cares about money. She’s been pampered since childhood, pure and kind. When we were young, she even risked her life to save us without a thought for her own safety. We all owe her our lives. No matter what, she’ll always be the person I care about most. I can never allow anyone to hurt her.” Ryan Chen gritted his teeth: “I thought you might struggle raising a child alone, so I was planning to keep you by my side even after I married and had kids. I never imagined you’d have such vicious thoughts. If you dare do anything to Sophia, I’ll make you regret it for life!” Ex-boyfriend number four laughed coldly: “Don’t think we eight have any special regard for you. I’ve found out the truth – you’re not even pregnant. Hah, just a little trick to catch and release.” I really wanted to applaud him. Such high intelligence – did that really need investigating? Ex-boyfriend number five ranted: “Not only did you juggle eight guys, you even have such vicious thoughts. You’re not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the pure Sophia! How dare you try to bully her? Did you think people wouldn’t get angry just because they didn’t show it? You’re treating everyone like fools!” Numbers six, seven and eight also took turns berating and cursing at me. I sighed, speechless. I get it, your one true love is Sophia Lin. I don’t even compare to a single strand of her hair. But I really didn’t want to get involved in your relationships! I sincerely believe you nine are a perfect match, meant to be together for life. So I thought for a moment and seriously suggested: “How about this? Don’t come looking for me anymore. That way your precious Sophia won’t be upset.” But they must have had a screw loose in their heads. Not only did they ignore my sincere advice, they even misunderstood that I was speaking out of jealousy. That I was competing with Sophia Lin for their attention. Ryan Chen laughed coldly with a “just as I expected” expression. He said disdainfully: “What, are you jealous of Sophia? I didn’t expect that after warning you so many times, you’d still harbor unrealistic hopes for me. Although you don’t even compare to a single hair on Sophia’s head in my heart, I can allow you to stay by my side as a hidden lover, considering your feelings. But only if you obediently go apologize to Sophia and swear never to appear in front of her again.” Jack Thompson’s face darkened: “Ryan Chen, are you asking for another beating?” Then he turned to look at me, still with that self-confident expression. He said in confusion: “You dated me for three months, loving me desperately, willing to stay with me even without money. Why did you then find these other seven men? Did they threaten you? Although my heart belongs to Sophia, I can help you get rid of them if you beg me, considering our three months together. Just stay obediently by my side from now on.” Ex-boyfriend number five ranted: “Bullshit, Olivia loves me most! She often cooks and does laundry for me.” Ex-boyfriend number four laughed coldly: “Cooking and laundry, that’s nothing. She doesn’t really love you. She stayed up all night taking care of me when my stomach hurt from drinking, often worrying and reminding me not to drink, even though she knows I have someone else in my heart.” Ex-boyfriend number seven chimed in: “Hah, that’s nothing. She knows I have someone I like, but she’s still willing to be her substitute. She always dresses up according to her habits to please me, and clearly remembers the day we met, my birthday, and all my hobbies. If that’s not love, what is?” Soon, they started arguing again over who I loved most and what I had done for each of them. They were all firmly convinced that they were the man I loved most. I silently plugged my ears and thought: I really don’t understand men’s damned competitive nature. Although they kept saying they loved Sophia most, they could still almost come to blows over the question of who I loved. After enduring for two minutes, I really couldn’t stand the noise anymore and quietly spoke up: “I really didn’t have any unrealistic hopes for you guys.” “I was just strictly following the service principles of the substitute industry, treating you nicely in exchange for money. Don’t take it seriously.” “You saw me as a substitute, I saw you as employers.” “We were all willing participants in this arrangement.” “Moral coercion is not okay.” “The first rule for us substitutes is to never fall in love with the client.” “Don’t worry, I swear I’ll stay far away from now on. I’ll never appear in front of you or Sophia again.” “I wish the nine of you a happy life together, till death do you part, with many children and grandchildren!” After I finished speaking. The eight ex-boyfriends who had been arguing over who I loved most all froze. They turned to look at me in disbelief, faces dark. “You’re saying your love for us was all an act?” The eight ex-boyfriends were deeply shaken. I also said in horror: “You guys didn’t fall in love with me, did you?” Help! Please no! They’re much better matched with Sophia Lin. Hearing my words, the eight men’s faces darkened as they laughed coldly in unison. They said in one voice: “Fall in love with you? You’re not worthy! I’ll only ever love Sophia in this lifetime!” After speaking, they gave me the usual warnings not to bother them and Sophia in the future. Finally they all turned to leave. I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Patting my chest, I thought: Thank goodness. You really had me scared there for a moment. I was so happy during the days they didn’t come around. I went back to visit the orphanage in my hometown. The old matron held my hand with tears in her eyes. “Child, don’t keep sending money back. Save some for yourself.” A bunch of little kids clung to me, calling me big sister. I patted each of their heads, smiling as I said: “Matron, I grew up here too. This is my home. You don’t need to be so polite with me.” I gave most of the money I earned from the eight ex-boyfriends to the matron. The matron never married, dedicating half her life and savings to the orphanage. I was abandoned in front of the orphanage and taken in by the matron. Although we’re not blood related, the matron always treated us orphans as her own children. All the kids who grew up here remember her kindness. After staying at the orphanage for a week, the matron gave me a jade bracelet. She sighed and said: “You’ve always been such a sensible and kind child. I still remember when you were seven, you snuck out and encountered kidnappers. You ended up saving a bunch of kids, nearly losing your own life. You almost scared me to death. I can’t believe how grown up you are now. Take this jade bracelet – you were wearing it when I first took you in as a baby. You were so young then, I was afraid you’d lose it, so I kept it safe for you. It’s very high quality jade, not something a poor family would have. There may be more to your story that we don’t know. If fate allows, perhaps you’ll be able to find your birth family someday.” I looked at the jade bracelet with mixed emotions: “If they abandoned me, there’s no need to find them now. Matron, you should sell this bracelet and use the money for the children’s food.” The matron smiled and glared at me, still forcefully pressing the bracelet into my hand. As I was preparing to leave, I ran into a well-dressed man in a suit. The matron greeted him with a smile. I learned that this man had also heard about the orphanage’s financial troubles and came to donate money to the matron. The matron asked me: “Olivia, do you remember him?” I was confused for a moment. The matron smiled and said: “This is Tiger. You saved a group of kidnapped children back then, remember? He had amnesia at the time and stayed at our orphanage for over half a year before his family found him. Although Tiger was older than you and half a head taller, he followed you around every day calling you ‘big sister’. You got annoyed and tried to shake him off but couldn’t. You even gave him the nickname Tiger because you said he was so fierce.” I thought hard and vaguely remembered someone like that. The man also seemed to recall. He looked at me in surprise, then smiled a bit shyly: “Is it really Big Sister Olivia?” Seeing this guy who was older and quite handsome calling me “big sister” made me embarrassed too. “You can just call me Olivia.” Tiger’s real name was Lucas Lee. He happened to work in the same city as me. He offered to drive me back together. On the way, we chatted about embarrassing childhood memories and became less awkward. He dropped me off at my door and we exchanged contact information. Lucas smiled and said: “I’ve wanted to see you again all these years when I visited the orphanage, but never managed to run into you. Are you free tomorrow? Give me a chance to treat you to a meal as thanks for saving my life back then.” I smiled and nodded. He suddenly reached out and ruffled my hair. “It’s great that Big Sister Olivia hasn’t forgotten me.” But just at that moment, eight men suddenly emerged from different directions in the darkness. When they saw each other, they were taken aback for a moment. They probably didn’t expect the others to be here either. Then they all glared angrily at Lucas. Jack Thompson spoke first: “Hah, I underestimated you. A few days apart and you’ve already found another man.” Lucas looked at them in confusion, then turned to me with a bewildered expression. I smiled awkwardly: “Sorry you had to see this. These are my eight ex-boyfriends.” The eight men seemed to recognize Lucas. Seeing it was him, their expressions grew even darker. Ryan Chen angrily said: “Lucas Lee, you again! It’s not enough that you keep Sophia hanging, now you’re going after Olivia Clarke too? I’m warning you, my patience has limits. Don’t think I won’t do anything just because Sophia likes you!” Ethan Brooks also stared coldly at Lucas: “What’s your relationship with Olivia Clarke?” I was stunned. I didn’t expect Tiger to be such a big shot. He was actually the true love of these eight ex-boyfriends’ true love! Lucas frowned slightly. Ignoring them, he asked me quietly: “Are they harassing you?” I nodded blankly. Hearing this, Lucas took my hand. Then he said coldly to the eight men: “I have no relationship with Sophia Lin and barely know her. But Olivia is my girlfriend. Please show some self-respect. I don’t want any of you bothering my girlfriend again in the future.” After Lucas finished speaking, all eight men immediately reddened with anger. They glared at him furiously. I became alert immediately. This scene was familiar! They had the same expressions right before they ganged up on Ryan Chen that day! Lucas was trying to help me get rid of these lunatics. He couldn’t suffer undeserved harm! I quickly stood in front of Lucas, glaring fiercely at them. “If you want to hit my boyfriend, you’ll have to go through me first!” As soon as I finished speaking, the eight men opposite us turned red with rage. I seriously wondered if they all had some kind of eye infection. Among them, Ryan Chen was the angriest. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the last beating, with bandages on his hands. Now he stared at Lucas and me, completely losing his cool. He stepped back, shouting in disbelief: “Why didn’t you protect me like this when I got beaten up last time?! Olivia Clarke, so you really don’t love me…” Lucas smiled and pulled me behind him, saying softly: “After I left the orphanage, my dad threw me into the military. I’ve had over ten years of training, don’t worry. They’re no match for me.” I looked at him skeptically. Surprisingly, in less than half an hour, Lucas had beaten down all eight men. You guys act so tough, but you’re all paper tigers! Not a single one can actually fight! Lucas flexed his wrist, completely unharmed as he glanced at them. Then he took my hand and went upstairs. He brought me to my apartment, then let go of my hand with a blush: “Sorry about that just now.” I waved my hand magnanimously: “Thanks so much for your help earlier.” He paused, seeming to want to say something but hesitating. “Weren’t these eight lunatics supposedly only interested in marrying Sophia? How did they suddenly start pursuing you?” Hearing him say this, I felt I’d found a kindred spirit. So I asked him: “How do you know these eight nutcases?” Lucas and I had a lot to talk about. We chatted about my ex-boyfriend squad and Sophia Lin. From him, I learned that Lucas, my ex-boyfriends, and Sophia all grew up in the same neighborhood. They attended the same schools from elementary through high school. But Lucas thought they were crazy and didn’t associate with them much. Mainly because my ex-boyfriend squad was deeply in love with Sophia, but Sophia didn’t like them. Instead, she liked Lucas. Because of this, my ex-boyfriend squad often picked fights with Lucas growing up. They would frequently curse at Lucas for being ungrateful, saying Sophia was so good to him but he ignored her. They said he must be blind. They even repeatedly pressured and bribed him to get together with Sophia. It was utterly selfless love on their part. At first Lucas would beat them up when annoyed, but later he decided they were all mentally ill and stayed away to avoid being infected. After hearing Lucas’s story, I was left speechless for a long time. They really are ridiculous! They’re truly a perfect match made in heaven with Sophia Lin! I also told Lucas why I knew them. During that time, the orphanage was short on money and about to shut down. I wanted to help the matron, so I agreed to be Jack Thompson’s substitute girlfriend. Later, the other seven men also found me. I figured being a substitute for one person or eight people was the same job. I could make more money this way, so I took them all on. Hearing this, Lucas said apologetically: “I’m sorry. I was in the military these past few years and couldn’t return in time. You’ve suffered.” I smiled: “There’s nothing to suffer about. Actually, I should thank those nine people for giving me job opportunities. I couldn’t have earned this much money working other jobs.” I paused, then said offhandedly: “I never imagined I really looked so similar to Sophia Lin. If I weren’t an orphan, I’d think she was my long-lost sister.” Lucas frowned slightly, looking at me intently: “You don’t look that alike. You are much prettier.” After saying this, he belatedly blushed. Lucas was quite considerate. Worried that I’d still be harassed by them, he often came to have meals with me. But when he dropped me off at home, we’d frequently run into those eight men. Although they were afraid of getting beaten up so they didn’t approach, they’d always glare at us fiercely from the roadside. It was… quite creepy. After a while, Sophia Lin actually came to find me. She looked at me disdainfully and directly threw 20 million dollars at me, telling me to leave Lucas. Then she sneered: “Olivia Clarke, why are you so shameless? Always going after my men. Whether it’s those eight or Lucas, you’re only approaching them for money, right? I’ve seen plenty of poor people like you. Those eight love me and would never marry you, so you’ve set your sights on Lucas? Hah, keep dreaming. The Lee family would never let a nobody orphan like you marry in. There’s 20 million in this card. If you know what’s good for you, take the money and get out of this city. Don’t show your face in front of Lucas or those eight again.” I looked at the card on the ground, then back at Sophia Lin. I couldn’t help but marvel – is this the power of love? Sophia Lin’s two-faced nature had gone unnoticed by her eight devoted admirers all these years. I ignored her and started to walk away. But as I passed by her, she suddenly fell to the ground. Then eight men suddenly appeared from the roadside! They first carefully helped Sophia Lin up, then glared at me angrily. Sophia Lin wiped away tears, saying in a pitiful voice: “I’m sorry, big sister. I know you dislike me because of those eight, but I really didn’t have bad intentions coming to find you today. I just heard your orphanage needs money, so I wanted to give you some to help…” Jack Thompson looked at the card on the ground, then at the wronged-looking Sophia Lin. He immediately yelled angrily: “You threw Sophia’s goodwill on the ground, and you even dared to push her! How could I have known such a vicious woman!” Ryan Chen also looked at me with disgust: “Aren’t you very poor? You’d even be a substitute for money. Now Sophia gives you money and you suddenly remember your pitiful self-respect.” Ethan Brooks said coldly: “So you’re jealous of Sophia, that’s why you played us all? You’re jealous that she was born into wealth, innocent and lively, pampered since childhood. While you grew up in an orphanage, with a dark heart, living in poverty every day. So you wanted to steal us and Lucas from her side, destroy her innocence and liveliness? How can there be such a vicious woman in this world!” I was speechless for a long while: “Whatever makes you happy…” I didn’t expect these guys to be such good storytellers. No wonder they’re the most compatible with Sophia Lin. I tried to leave, but the eight of them surrounded me, all with dark expressions like they were about to interrogate a criminal. Ethan Brooks said coldly: “You think you can leave so easily?” Jack Thompson frowned: “I don’t hit women. Slap yourself and apologize to Sophia, then I’ll let you go.” Ryan Chen said: “Don’t test my patience. No one is allowed to bully Sophia!” Admirer number four: “You pushed Sophia down and think you can leave unscathed? Dream on!” Admirer number five: “I actually had some good feelings towards you before. I never imagined you’d set your sights on Sophia. You dared to hurt her – I’ll make you regret being alive in this world!” I silently looked at them. I even saw Sophia Lin standing behind them. She was clutching her scratched arm, tears still clinging to her lashes, expression still innocent and pitiful. But the look in her eyes as she gazed at me was full of condescension and disdain. Yes, she looked down on me. Looked down on a poor person like me. They were all staring intently at me, waiting for me to slap myself hard. Waiting to see me in a miserable, humiliated state. Later, Lucas arrived. He forcefully kicked away Ryan Chen who was standing on the outside. Ryan Chen fell flat on his face with a miserable cry. His arm that hadn’t fully healed was injured again. Lucas walked to my side and took my hand. He stared at them coldly. In a deep voice he said: “Taking advantage of my absence to bully my girlfriend? Seems I went too easy on you last time.” Seeing Lucas protecting me, jealousy flashed in Sophia Lin’s eyes. Then her tears fell even harder. She clutched her arm and walked pitifully in front of us, saying softly: “Lucas, I’m sorry. I just wanted to help big sister. There’s been a misunderstanding…” Lucas frowned deeply and said coldly: “Enough, save it. That trick doesn’t work on me. You know very well what just happened. Keep your tears for those eight.” Sophia Lin’s face turned pale. She bit her lip and looked at Lucas with an even more wronged expression. Her eight admirers immediately became even more furious, glaring at Lucas. Jack Thompson said angrily: “Lucas Lee, are you blind? Mistaking a pebble for a pearl. Sophia loves you so much and is so good to you, but you fall for this vicious substitute instead!” Ethan Brooks glared at Lucas through gritted teeth: “I’m warning you, apologize to Sophia now or I won’t let you off! Sophia is so wonderful but you don’t know to cherish her, insisting on dating this Olivia Clarke instead! Sophia is pure and kind, while she’s vicious and scheming. She’s just a knockoff, don’t you understand?! Lucas Lee, you’ll definitely regret treating Sophia like this in the future!” I was speechless – why are these people so dramatic? I instinctively looked at Lucas.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296072”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

I ordered a new double bed online but forgot to select the assembly service. Accidentally, I sent the message to my ex-boyfriend. He came over without hesitation. After finishing the assembly, he suggested we test if the bed was sturdy enough. “How do we test it?” I asked innocently. The man pulled me onto his lap. “Didn’t you invite me over to try it out?” This was incredibly awkward. I blushed and explained, “You misunderstood. I just broke this bed last night.” The bed collapsed in the middle of the night. I picked out a new double bed online. It was delivered the very next day. The large package took up half my bedroom. I stared at my phone screen in disbelief. [Dear customer, you didn’t select the assembly service.] I had been too hasty in ordering. It was getting dark, and I couldn’t find any handymen available. I forwarded the customer service chat screenshot to the culprit from last night. “Can you come back to assemble the bed?” I also sent a photo of my bedroom. He typed for a long time before replying with seven words. “You’re asking me to do this?” Why shouldn’t I ask him? He was the one who broke it yesterday. “If you set it up quickly, you can come sleep here.” Two minutes later, he responded. “I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Time flew by, and soon the doorbell rang three times. Wearing a lacy nightgown and no slippers, I went to open the door. James appeared in the doorway, his gaze scrutinizing me. “Is this how you greet your ex-boyfriend?” I froze in shock. How did my ex-boyfriend end up coming?

James and I had broken up about a year ago. I had sent the message to him by mistake. It was all because these two men used the same plain black profile picture. “How much stuff did you pile on the bed to make it collapse?” James asked casually as he unpacked the delivery. “Quite a lot of clothes, I guess.” I decided not to tell James the real reason. It would be strange to explain a broken bed to my ex-boyfriend. The air conditioning was on full blast, but assembling a double bed was still quite laborious. James was drenched in sweat. I inadvertently glanced at his back. His muscular build was visible through the sweat-soaked shirt – broad shoulders and a slim waist. I took a sip of water and averted my gaze. My ex was indeed handsome. But I broke up with him because he was too boring. Not only was he always busy with work, but he was also unimaginative in bed. The same old rigid position every time. Lights off, not a word spoken. He wouldn’t even let me call him “Dr. James”. It was just too dull. In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore. I brought up breaking up right after we finished. James sat on the edge of the bed, buttoning up his shirt. He was silent for a while, not even turning to look at me. “Are you serious?” he finally asked. “I am.” Nine words. And that was it. We broke up. He was a man who was even dull when breaking up. “It’s all set up,” James’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was quite handy – he had even made the bed. James sat on the bed, hands gripping the edge, and bounced up and down forcefully. The new double bed let out a series of suggestive creaks. He turned his head slightly, lips curling into a smile, and patted the spot beside him. “Want to try it out? See if it’s sturdy?” Was this guy acting weird?

I hesitantly sat down next to James. Like him, I bounced up and down on the bed, awkwardly trying it three or four times. James seemed to be staring at me. I was too embarrassed to look up. What was wrong with me? Testing the bed with my ex-boyfriend? “How do we test it?” I was about to stand up and ask him to leave. An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. I fell backwards, landing on his slightly parted legs. His warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “Didn’t you invite me over to try it out?” I hadn’t misunderstood after all. James had really changed – he’d become quite flirtatious. Even now, I could feel an obvious change in him beneath me. My face turned bright red. “You must have misunderstood. I broke this bed last night too.” I had just sent the message to the wrong person. James wasn’t really listening to me, just nuzzling my neck with the tip of his nose. “You said once I finished assembling it, I could come sleep here… Does that mean you want to get back together?” I was stunned. Get back together with him? If he hadn’t suddenly shown up, I honestly hadn’t considered it. But if you asked if I wanted to, well, I had just thought about it. James pulled my legs over, making me sit sideways on his lap. He lowered his head slightly, his cool lips landing on my forehead, then moving to my cheek, chin, and neck. I was dazed by his kisses, my fingers clutching his sleeves tightly. I had to admit, James’s kissing skills had improved a lot. My phone on the side rang at the most inopportune moment. A message popped up on the screen. “Sis, is the new bed set up? I’ll come take a look.” “I won’t be so rough tonight.” With one arm around James and the other quickly replying to the message, I typed: “Not done yet, don’t come.” Don’t ruin my good thing. I turned off my phone and realized this guy had stopped moving. James’s brows were furrowed noticeably, his hands loosening their grip slightly. I was about to lean in to kiss him again. “Who’s that?” He held my forehead back with two fingers. “How did your bed break?” I spread my hands, telling the truth. “Just a guy friend. He was a bit too rough on the bed, that’s how it ended up like this.”

The shower was running loudly. James had pushed me away earlier and gone to take a shower. He came out after a long while. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony, wearing only a white towel around his waist, waiting for his clothes to dry. “Are you leaving?” I didn’t understand his thinking anymore. Wasn’t he about to do it with me earlier? James looked up coldly: “What do you think?” It seemed like he was angry. But who had offended him? I hesitated for a while, looking down at my phone. “Then I’ll transfer you some money. Thanks for your help today.” Ryan’s voice call came through. I answered casually: “Mm, okay, you can come over tonight. Yeah, it’s all good.” I hung up the phone. At some point, James had come to stand in front of me, staring at me strangely. “What kind of person are you?” “What kind of person am I?” “I just finished assembling the bed, haven’t even put my clothes on, and you’re already asking someone else to come over?” I glanced at the countdown timer on the dryer. “It’ll take him half an hour to get here. You’ll be gone in 15 minutes max. You won’t even cross paths.” James stared at me intently, his lips pressed into a straight line as he snorted coldly. I understood then – Did he want to do something with me but felt interrupted by an outsider? Or did he think I wasn’t being proactive enough and ruined his mood? After all, James was quite conservative when it came to that stuff. I coughed lightly: “How about I make up an excuse and tell him not to come back today? What do you think?” That should save his face. The dryer beeped. James’s expression stiffened as he hurriedly put on his shirt and buttoned it up, then bent down to put on his pants. “Let me tell you, Lily, you’ve got the wrong idea about me.” How strange. I couldn’t keep face either anymore. “I don’t know where this chaste man came from.” James was stunned into silence by my retort. His face darkened as he opened the door to leave, but suddenly stopped in his tracks. Ryan, who was about to knock, was visibly startled. “Dr. James, what are you doing here?” “Ryan?” James frowned. “You two know each other?”

“Sis, remember I just started my internship? Dr. James is my supervising doctor.” James was a doctor. Ryan was a medical student. I hadn’t thought about James being Ryan’s supervisor. He turned back to look at me, then asked Ryan: “So, you live here with her?” “Yeah. It’s close to the hospital and convenient for commuting.” James’s expression grew even more displeased. He used to live here with me too, before I kicked him out. Ryan looked back and forth between me and James. “Dr. James, what brings you here?” James maintained an odd silence. I answered for him: “Oh, he came to assemble the bed. It’s all done now.” James probably felt embarrassed and quickly fled. Ryan stood there bewildered. “Sis, you called the youngest associate professor in the whole hospital to assemble your bed?” “He volunteered.” I was getting a bit annoyed. Ryan lowered his head and sighed. “Did the professor accidentally take my slippers?” That pair of men’s dress shoes was neatly placed by the door. I wanted to contact James on social media, but he had blocked me. Ryan put down the cat food. After a while, Mimi came crawling out. Yesterday Mimi had brought a bug onto the bed. Ryan chased it all night, trampling the bed in the process. Ryan felt very apologetic. I was quite calm: “It’ll come out of your deposit.” By nighttime, I was tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Ryan let out a scream from the bathroom. “Damn, the water’s freezing!” James must have taken a cold shower this afternoon. I knew James had blocked me, so I sent him some weird messages. “Dr. James takes care of himself and leaves me hanging? What an asshole.” It was all sexually frustrated complaints. Message sent. Sent successfully. I froze for a moment, then quickly tried to recall the message. He had unblocked me. I wonder if he saw it? I tentatively tested the waters: “Just wanted to let you know, you left your shoes at my place.” James’s messages came flooding in. “I saw it.” “I’m not coming over.” “Don’t send me stuff like that late at night.” “Ryan is my student.” So he did see it after all. Is this his post-nut clarity? His tone is so cold. And what does it matter if Ryan’s his student?

Ryan had just finished showering and brought over some takeout crawfish, calling me out to eat a late night snack. I sent James a message. “Got it. Ryan’s calling me, can’t chat anymore.” My hands were busy peeling crawfish, so I couldn’t reply to messages. After finishing the snack, it was almost 11 pm. I finally saw the message James had sent two hours ago. “I’m an amateur. The bed was just assembled, it might not be safe.” James really is a good teacher, so concerned about Ryan’s wellbeing. I replied directly: “Just saw your message. I’ll tell him to be careful.” It showed he was “typing” on the other end. He was typing for a really long time. I waited earnestly for his reply. To my surprise, James video called me instead. I was in the bathroom washing my hands at the sink. My face was reflected in the phone screen. My whole face was flushed red from the spicy food, and my lips were slightly swollen. I quickly turned off the water. James stared at me intently, his gaze extremely sharp with a hint of frost. “He used you for two hours… Are you still up for it? Come out and meet me for round two?”

I looked at the time. It was almost midnight. Go out for a late night snack with my ex-boyfriend? “No thanks, I’m full.” James leaned back in the armchair, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Full? You’re really something, just using me as a tool.” His phone seemed to be placed on the coffee table. The camera angle was tilted upwards, not capturing James’s face. It only showed his strong thighs, pale wrists, slightly raised chin, and sharp Adam’s apple. What a strange female gaze angle, as if I was kneeling in front of him. I didn’t listen to a word he said, just silently took screenshots. “Sis, who are you video chatting with?” Ryan passed by the door, his gaze landing on my phone screen. “It’s nothing.” I hung up guiltily. Living with a young guy, I had to maintain boundaries to avoid him getting any ideas about paying rent with his body. Ryan leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking at me with interest. “I saw you taking screenshots. Sis, you should find a real boyfriend instead of video chatting with thirst traps.” I shook the water off my hands: “He’s not a thirst trap, he’s…” He’s your supervisor. Kids these days, so disrespectful. Ryan raised an eyebrow: “Is he the landlady’s boyfriend?” “No, just a friend,” I said as I walked past him. Ryan turned his head to let me through. “What kind of friend?” he said shamelessly, “The kind you video chat with and only look at their crotch?” “Can you not be so crude?” I snapped. If it weren’t for his sister being my boss, I’d kick him out right now. “Be careful sis, don’t let anyone record you…” Ryan gave me a meaningful look. What did he think I was doing? Do kids these days only have dirty thoughts? He suddenly came very close to me and blinked. “If you need anything, why not ask me? I’m young, clean, and free.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.” I had zero interest in my boss’s brother. Even if I did have needs, I had someone else in mind. “I just got caught by your student. I’m back in my room now, still want to video chat?” I lay on the bed texting Dr. James. “Did you two… argue because of me?” “Argue about what? You’re overthinking it. He didn’t even realize it was you.” “Oh.” The conversation was abruptly cut off. No matter what messages I sent after that, James wouldn’t reply. I glared at my phone in frustration. A few days later, Ryan also became extremely busy, getting off work at 2 AM every night. I casually asked him: “Is Dr. James this busy too?” “That old workaholic bachelor is always breathing down my neck, like he’s got some grudge against me.” Ryan was so exhausted he was having paranoid delusions. Since he knew James and I were friends, he asked me to put in a good word for him. I sent James a message. “Dr. James, it’s one thing for you to be busy yourself, but can’t you let your student get off work earlier?” James was very cold. “It’s just work.” Two minutes later, he sent another message. “I’m not picking on him.” I hadn’t meant to stand up for Ryan, I was just looking for an excuse to chat with him. “I know you’re not that kind of person.” James: “…” He replied with an ellipsis. Half a month later, I went to the hospital for a checkup. My endocrine levels weren’t great. The female doctor asked about my sexual activity frequency over the past three months. I helplessly held my head: “I kissed someone two weeks ago, does that count?” Of course it didn’t. She tactfully suggested that getting some sleep would help. Standing in the hospital elevator, I fell into deep thought. Who should I sleep with? The elevator doors slowly opened and a large group of doctors poured in, squeezing me into the back corner. James stood at the front of the group of interns in his white coat, his expression serious and cold, exuding an impressive aura. Ryan was right behind him, yawning with his eyes closed. Compared to James’s elite vibe, Ryan really didn’t measure up. My gaze traveled over the crowd, landing on the man’s superior profile. Wasn’t this a case of the devil sending a pillow when I was feeling drowsy? Last time he seemed interested in me. I sent him a message. “Dr. James, I got an appointment with you.” James: “But I’m not seeing patients today.” “I know. There’s a special patient waiting outside your office.”

I had wanted to play this game with James for a long time. The door opened from the inside. James hurriedly pulled me into the room. “How dare you come to the hospital to find me?” What kind of question was that? I calmly sat down and glanced at him. “Dr. James, always acting so sneaky. Do you have another girlfriend out there?” James sat down in front of me, staring at me intently and letting out a long sigh. “What do you think? I’m already so infatuated with you that I’ve lost all sense of shame.” He always seemed so reluctant. Whatever, I liked forcing him. I leaned forward, furrowing my brow slightly. “Dr. James, I’m not feeling well. Can you examine me?” James seemed to know what I was up to and played along half-heartedly. “Tell me, what’s wrong?” I let out an affected “hmph”. “My breasts hurt, my back hurts, my legs feel weak too.” James coldly raised his eyes to look at me, pointing at his name badge with his pen. “Oh, I’m an internal medicine doctor. You should see someone else.” I knew he wouldn’t play along with me. I leaned forward on his desk. “Dr. James, I haven’t even told you about the inside yet. It feels even worse inside.” James pressed his fingers to his forehead, looking at me extremely helplessly. “Are my lines not important?” I clicked my tongue impatiently. “Are you a real doctor? Why aren’t you asking where I don’t feel well?” James was forced to comply: “Where don’t you feel well?” I stared straight at him. “I’m aching for you inside, Dr. James.” The pen suddenly slipped from his hand, clattering awkwardly onto the desk before rolling to the floor with a panicked sound. James was frozen in shock. He turned his head away, the tips of his ears bright red. “I already like you so much, stop trying to seduce me. I’m not going to fool around with you in the hospital.” I was just teasing him verbally. “I just came to see you. I probably interrupted you reading papers.” I looked around his office as I stood up, still talking. “By the way, where’s Ryan? Is he on the same floor as you?” James thought I was leaving and also stood up, looking anxious but answering irrelevantly. “He doesn’t have his own office!”

I didn’t understand. Of course an intern wouldn’t have his own office. “Can’t I at least say hi to him?” I wandered around his office, inadvertently meeting his eyes. James was leaning against the desk with one hand, gazing over at me, his eyes full of restrained affection. “Didn’t you say you came to see me?” He was pouting. My heart skipped a beat. “Dr. James, can I kiss you now?” James’s response was “yes”. He sat on the couch, holding my legs and pressing down on top of me as he kissed me. This man seemed quite easy to train. But I really had a tendency to push my luck with him. “Dr. James, don’t take advantage of my ignorance. Is this how you treat patients?” I pushed his chin away with my hand. James’s expression was one of barely contained desire. “Of course it is.” He stared at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he let out a low groan. “You’re very sick. Don’t you know that?” I grabbed his collar and leaned in close, staring into his eyes. “But doctor, you haven’t even prescribed the right treatment.” James lowered his eyes guiltily: “What do you want?” I reached up to stroke his hair. “I want to know if Dr. James takes his patients seriously. Can you repeat the symptoms I mentioned at the beginning?” James lowered his eyelashes, turning his head as he tried to recall. He seemed to remember. His face burned hot as he bit his lower lip hard, not saying a word. James was really quite cute. I tapped his name badge with my fingertip. “It seems the professor isn’t good with words, but you remember it all, don’t you?” James nodded gratefully. I raised an eyebrow and winked at him. “Then keep kissing lower.” James fell silent. … Just as the two of us were getting lost in our passionate kisses, there was a sudden knock at the door. “Dr. James, it’s Ryan. I’m here to turn in my report.”

James’s eyes flew open. He quickly got up off me, hurriedly taking off his coat and holding it in front of me. He looked like he was facing a great enemy. His specific body language resembled that of “an adulterer caught in the act”. He gripped my shoulders with both hands, sweat beading on his forehead as he spoke breathlessly. “What should we do?” I stared at him speechlessly, looking him up and down as I straightened my clothes, still not understanding. “What’s the big deal? Just let Ryan come in.” “He’s young and impulsive. What if he hits me?” He seemed really afraid of Ryan. I irritably threw the coat back at him. “Why would he hit you? You’re the teacher, he’s the student… Just because you were kissing me during work hours? He didn’t even hit you when you harassed him last time. Is his temper that bad?” James seemed to realize I was unhappy. He smoothly put on his coat. “I have a good temper too. If he really wants to hit me,” he said firmly, “I’ll let him.” I was really done with this. “He’s not going to hit you.” “I’ll go open the door now. Hiding and not opening it will only make people think we’re up to something.” James followed behind me: “You’re so smart.” I: “…” Ever since getting back together with James, my double eyelids had gotten wider – from constantly rolling my eyes. James rushed in front of me and put his hand on the doorknob, taking a deep breath as if steeling himself. “Lily, remember to stay quiet. I’ll handle this.” “I get it. I’ll just stay speechless.” Ryan was very surprised to see me. His mouth fell open and he even dropped his report. “Sis?! What are you doing in Dr. James’s office?” James awkwardly coughed, “Ahem, don’t misunderstand. She got lost in the hospital.” Goddammit. I knew it. This guy really was sick in the head. Ryan definitely didn’t believe that. And he was very wary of James. “Dr. James, do you think I’m an idiot? I already warned you, yet you still go after people close to me? Do you want me to report you?” James lowered his head in shame. “I’m truly sorry for any harm I’ve caused you…” Ryan couldn’t be bothered to listen to him and waved me over: “Come here, sis.” Me: “???” I remained motionless, continuing to observe. Like a caveman who had just gained consciousness. James buried his head extremely low, his hands clenched into fists as his voice trembled slightly. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask you… would you be willing to immigrate with me?” A sad atmosphere suddenly permeated the air. The room fell silent for a few seconds. I pondered – Who was he asking? “Shameless!” Ryan spat out. He grabbed my arm and ran. James stood there, not chasing after us.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296071”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

When Ethan and I broke up, things ended badly. He angrily punched the glass cabinet, his hand bleeding profusely. But then he knelt down, wrapping his arms around my waist, his voice trembling: “Lucy, what were you thinking? How could you like someone else? I won’t break up with you. There’s nothing that can’t be solved by sleeping together, right? Baby, let’s not break up…” A few years later, after my startup with friends failed, I had no choice but to seek help from the CEO of Ocean Group. That man turned out to be Ethan. At the dinner table, he swirled his wine glass, leaning back slightly in his chair. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me: “Lucy, isn’t there nothing that can’t be solved by sleeping together? What do you say?” To be honest, I expected Ethan would make things difficult for me. After all, our breakup had been extremely unpleasant. He resented me. That’s why he stared at me with a smile at the dinner table, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes – “Lucy, isn’t there nothing that can’t be solved by sleeping together? What do you say?” I had seen him in his prime when we were young. I knew he had always been proud and arrogant. Once upon a time, wasn’t I proud and arrogant too? But I never had the same resources he did. Never. So I raised my glass to him, my posture as low and humble as possible, and pleaded: “Mr. Chi, I was wrong before. Please be the bigger person and forgive me. We were classmates after all, and have known each other for over ten years. I’m here to apologize, so please think of our history together.” After saying this, I drank that glass of red wine. The man sitting across from me maintained a casual posture, one hand twirling his wine glass, the other resting casually on the table. He just looked at me with an amused smile, saying nothing. I immediately poured another glass and toasted him again. “I’m sorry, Mr. Chi. I was wrong.” “We’ve been working on this project for two years now. It’s guaranteed to be profitable once we reach the sales stage. I know you may not think much of a small company like Brilliant Create, and you have no shortage of profitable projects to invest in. But this is our team’s entire life’s work. It really is very meaningful. Please give us a chance to prove the product’s value…” By the end, after three glasses of wine, my eyes were red and I didn’t know what else to say. If Ethan had sneered even once and said “What does your value have to do with me?”, I think I would have been utterly ashamed of my “begging” right then and there. Lowering my head in front of him always exhausted all my courage. Fortunately, he didn’t say that. He glanced at me, lit a cigarette with some irritation, and slowly exhaled: “Back then you wouldn’t even eat half a bun on my dime for two weeks. Now you’re here begging me humbly, and you’ve already drunk half a bottle of my Cheval Blanc.” I was stunned for a moment, instinctively looked at the red wine on the table, and immediately felt ashamed. I quickly said: “I’m sorry, Mr. Chi. If you’re not happy, I can compensate you.” “Be clear – which one are you compensating? And how?” He raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested, his gaze burning into me. “I’ll buy you another bottle of wine, and I beg you to give Brilliant Create a chance.” “One bottle of wine? Lucy, your pride is still too high. Even after all these years of struggle, it hasn’t been beaten down. What a pity.” He smiled at me, his voice mocking: “Seeking profit without investment is trying to get something for nothing. You’re treating me like a fool.” “Mr. Chi, I’m begging you.” My eyes reddened at his words. “That’s not how you beg someone. At the very least, you should be like how I was back then.”

What was I like back then? Ethan and I were high school classmates. We started dating in college and were together for three years before I unilaterally proposed breaking up. There was no dramatic plot twist, no unavoidable difficulties. It was simply because I no longer wanted to be with him. During that time, we often argued and gave each other the cold shoulder. It happened to coincide with my dad’s passing. My cousin came to visit me at school, patted my head saying I had gotten thinner, and told me to eat well and take care of myself. I couldn’t hold back and cried in his arms. Afterwards, someone saw this scene, took a photo, and sent it to Ethan. He questioned whether I had fallen for someone else. I wanted to break up, so I used this as an excuse and admitted to it. He couldn’t believe it. He went crazy and smashed everything in the room. His fist shattered the glass liquor cabinet, blood flowing non-stop. In the end, he knelt down and hugged my waist, his voice trembling: “Lucy, what were you thinking? How could you like someone else? I won’t break up. There’s nothing that can’t be solved by sleeping together, right? Baby, let’s not break up…” “Let’s go to bed. We’ll go to sleep, and then pretend nothing happened. Everything will be good like before…” He kissed me while dragging me to the bedroom. I struggled with all my might and slapped him across the face. Ethan’s eyes were rimmed with red as he laughed and cried, like a madman. … At that time, we were both still young, just over 20, prideful and arrogant. Now six years have passed. He must have naturally matured into a steady adult. And so have I, of course. “One will be troubled for life by the unattainable things of youth.” Whenever I see this quote, I can’t help but think that worldly affairs always end without warning. How can there be so many perfect endings? Long separations don’t necessarily lead to sorrow. The ability to be troubled for life only shows that one hasn’t lost enough yet. Ethan came from a wealthy family and had a smooth sailing life from childhood. He had never stumbled before. The only time he stumbled was probably because of me. This also destined him to hold a grudge. The game between adults intertwined with the grudges of youth, igniting that inglorious past. And I was powerless, destined to bow my head to him. Brilliant Create was my entire life’s work. When we first started the company, it was just me, Megan, and Quinn. It’s easy to talk about struggling, but those long days and nights we endured, the hair we lost, that wasn’t easy. Later, the company gradually added a few more people. We developed software together, took on contracts, and grew step by step. When we developed a PLG-type product that could serve large enterprises, we faced a survival crisis due to funding issues. Without sufficient capital and resources to operate, it would be a dead end. Mr. Xu from Yongfeng Electronics was willing to help us, but his conditions were too harsh. He wanted to take over Brilliant Create for himself. Besides Yongfeng, the most capable of saving us was Dongming. Dongming was a subsidiary of Ocean Group. So their CEO could decide our fate. I had no way out. Megan and Quinn had invested upfront, even mortgaging their homes. Society and reality always teach us how to be human, wearing away a person’s spirit and edge. I didn’t want to lose, so just like how Ethan had begged me back then, I knelt down in front of him – “Mr. Chi, please help us.” Ethan probably didn’t expect me to actually kneel. After a moment of shock, he quickly pulled me up, angrily saying: “Who told you to kneel? Lucy, you know that’s not what I meant!” “…Mr. Chi, I’ve thought it through.” “What?” “On the premise of not hurting anyone, if you insist, I’m willing to sleep with you.”

Ethan took me to a private club. The third floor VIP room was very high-end. Under the dim lighting, some people were tasting wine and chatting, while others were playing poker. When he arrived, people quickly made way – “Bro, you’re here?” The men at the poker table were puffing on cigars, with beautiful women by their sides, whispering and laughing intimately. After Ethan sat down, I obediently sat next to him. The table was piled with cards and chips, but they didn’t continue playing. Instead, they turned their gazes to me and teased – “The sun must be rising from the west. Ethan actually brought a beautiful woman.” “Bro, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Olivia is coming over later. If she sees this, her eyes will turn red again.” “Hey, Ethan may not care if Miss Wen’s eyes turn red or not. It’s when little Zoe cries that he really feels bad. Last time at the cocktail party when Ethan drank too much, little Zoe came to pick him up…” As they chatted and joked, I remained silent. Ethan gave them a cold glance: “Shut up.” They seemed to suddenly realize something, glanced at me, and quickly changed the subject: “Let’s play cards! Raise the stakes!” High-end private clubs, gathering places for the rich, filled with wealthy second-generation heirs. This wasn’t a place I should be. Admittedly, I had been very ambitious these past few years. Megan, Quinn and I had built the company into something decent. But it was just decent. Brilliant Create would be insignificant if placed in front of any of them. Even if a poor family produces an outstanding child, crossing class boundaries is still as difficult as climbing to heaven. It takes several generations of effort. I realized very early on that Ethan and I were not the same type of people. When they played poker, the chips were easily tens of thousands of dollars. But when I was 16, my mom tried to force-feed me pesticide over nine thousand dollars… Life really isn’t easy. Perhaps it was the half bottle of Cheval Blanc I drank, but I belatedly felt my head spinning. For a moment, looking at the lively poker table, with the lights crisscrossing, my memories became hazy. Surrounded by noise, I didn’t know where I was. Lost in thought, Ethan suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand. We were very close. I was wearing a simple skirt and had my hands resting on my own legs. He just put his hand on my bare knee like that, then turned over my left hand and interlocked our fingers. I looked up at him. He was sitting casually, leaning back slightly. The hand holding his cards rested on the table, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a small section of smooth, beautiful lines. His expression was one of complete nonchalance. Seeing me look at him, he raised an eyebrow: “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I shook my head. He went back to looking at his cards and soon let go of my hand. I had just breathed a sigh of relief when his phone rang. Looking somewhat annoyed, he shoved the cards into my hands and got up to take the call outside. When it was my turn to play, everyone at the table was looking at me. I felt a bit awkward: “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to play this.” “No worries, no worries. We won’t play then, let’s just chat. You look very familiar, have we met somewhere before?” “Wow, James, you’ve got some nerve. You dare to hit on the woman Ethan brought?” “Get lost, who’s hitting on her? She really does look familiar.” “James, if my brother beats you up later, we won’t help you.” “Screw off, do I lack women? Why would I go after his?” … The man called James was Ethan’s childhood friend. It was inevitable that I looked familiar, because when I was still Ethan’s girlfriend, I had met him more than once. He didn’t recognize me now, which was also inevitable. I had changed quite a bit over the years. In college I had a short bob haircut with wispy bangs, wore glasses, and had a very bookish air. Back then Ethan always said I was a bookworm, and that I had a baby face that looked too obedient, like I would be easy to bully. And he wanted to bully me. The Lucy of today had grown out her hair, gotten rid of the glasses, was very thin, and knew how to apply pretty makeup. I had become a mature adult, truly unrecognizable compared to before. But if one looked carefully, they could still recognize me. A playboy like James not recognizing me only showed he had been blinded by too many flowers. These types of people were always like this, nothing strange about it. “What are you talking about?” When Ethan came back, the joking and card game continued. I tried to return the cards to him, but he didn’t take them. Instead, he sat down and lit a cigarette, his fingers tapping the table calmly as he raised his chin – “You play.” “I don’t know how.” I said softly. He laughed, switched the hand holding his cigarette, then leaned in close to me. In a half-embracing posture, he reached out his right hand and drew a card from my hand. “Play this one.” In this position, his chest was almost pressed against my back, holding me in his arms. His low voice brushed past my ear. If I turned my head, I would surely see his face up close. The familiar yet strange scent, the warm touch by my ear – I felt my face flush hot, my ears surely turning bright red like a cooked shrimp. He knew better than anyone that I was ticklish, especially when someone breathed on my ear. Sure enough, that man chuckled softly and clicked his tongue – “So easily flustered.” I blushed even more furiously, trying hard to keep a straight face, my hand holding the cards tensing slightly. He maintained the half-embrace posture, gripping my hand, and whispered in my ear again: “Don’t be nervous, Lucy. Big brother will teach you how to play.” In that instant, my mind went blank as a familiar scene from memory flashed before me. It was during the time we were dating years ago. We had gotten into an argument over some trivial matter. After giving each other the cold shoulder for a few days, he was the first to give in. He called me late one night, pitifully trying to coax me – “Lucy, I drank too much. Can you come pick me up?” “You really don’t want your big brother anymore? My head hurts so much. Please come quickly, okay? I miss you. Take me home…” I grabbed my coat and went out. When I got to the hotel, I saw him playing cards with some friends. The room was littered with empty bottles. He really was a bit drunk. When he saw me arrive, he stopped playing cards and immediately came over to hug me. He hugged me so tightly, slightly hunching over to envelope my whole body. He stumbled a bit, burying his face in my neck, delighted like a child: “Baby, you came. You’re not mad anymore, right?” He had booked the room and called those card-playing friends himself, but he said without hesitation that he would leave with me. Those friends were unhappy, saying he had made them drink and eat dog food, and now he was abandoning them mid-game. They insisted he finish that round – if he won, then he could leave. Although I was his girlfriend, I wasn’t very familiar with his group of childhood friends. When Ethan ignored them, they ganged up to pull me over, pushing me into a seat and shoving cards into my hands, clamoring for Lucy to play in his place. I held a hand of cards, at a loss for what to do. That’s when Ethan embraced me from behind, gripping my hand holding the cards. He chuckled softly in my ear: “Don’t be nervous, Lucy. Big brother will teach you how to play.” … I had a feeling Ethan was doing this on purpose. His revenge was only just beginning. In that moment, my body tensed up. My forehead and body broke out in a sweat. Seeing this, Ethan sneered but didn’t say anything more. After finishing the round of cards, he leaned back lazily in his chair. The cold sweat on my back had barely dissipated and I still hadn’t come back to my senses when I saw him tap the table. He slowly curled his lips into a smile and looked at me: “Not feeling well? There’s a room ready upstairs. Should we go to bed?” This time, it wasn’t a whisper in my ear. He said it loud enough for everyone to hear, drawing all eyes to us. Our gazes met. His pitch-black eyes were calm and emotionless, revealing nothing. From the moment I met him, I knew what an arrogant person he was. Even after all these years, he still retained that youthful mischievousness in his bones. Knowing I was thin-skinned and cared about face, that’s why he blurted it out in front of everyone. The gazes that turned to look were complex and intertwined – probing, curious, also surprised. It seems Ethan’s behavior tonight was different from usual, making some people sense something was off. That slow-witted James finally reacted – “…I recognize you now, you’re, you’re Lucy!” His expression could be described as very shocked. Along with Lucy’s name, for some reason, the atmosphere became clearly different after he said it. The few men at the poker table, who had been waiting to see the show, also grew serious. Only the women mingling with them continued to gossip cluelessly: “Who? Who’s Lucy?” Who is Lucy? I also wanted to know, who is Lucy? Why was she appearing by Ethan’s side tonight, enduring this hot and cold treatment? She must be a pitiful and laughable person. For a moment, I seemed to see that stubborn girl from my youth again, full of self-esteem, desperately trying to distance herself from a world that didn’t belong to her. But she was an adult now, and had to follow adult rules of survival. I lowered my lashes, which trembled slightly. Then I raised my head and smiled at Ethan: “Let’s play a bit longer, Mr. Chi. No rush.” I was very calm, and he was equally calm. His dark eyes met mine, that calmness concealing a turbulent undercurrent. His thin lips pressed together. There was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn’t understand. Then his gaze swept over everyone, and he inexplicably became angry, snapping irritably: “What are you looking at her for? Damn it, look at your cards!”

The atmosphere of the second half of the card game could be described as very strange. James and the younger man next to him who had been quite talkative both stopped talking. The men and women present kept stealing glances at me, whispering amongst themselves. The other two men at the poker table held their cards, looking at Ethan as if they wanted to say something but held back. Ethan’s expression wasn’t very good. He lit cigarettes irritably, then leaned back and closed his eyes, rubbing his brow. Though his face still looked haughty as ever, for some reason I thought I detected a hint of weariness. I felt very confused and puzzled, with a growing sense of unease. Until this scene was interrupted by two women entering. I recognized them. The one wearing a cheongsam dress was called Olivia. She had long curled hair and striking features, carrying herself with grace and confidence. The other tall, slender one was called Wendy. She had a straightforward personality and was also quite arrogant. Like everyone else present, they both came from very good families. In that circle, Wendy’s family background was slightly inferior. But she was very well-known in that circle and mixed well with them. Because she was best friends with Olivia, the young lady of the Wen family. The two were inseparable. Also because Ethan’s mom really liked her and had accepted her as a goddaughter when she was young. Because of this, she always called Ethan “brother”, and their relationship was as close as real siblings. Wendy linked arms with Olivia. They were carrying several luxury shopping bags and entered laughing and chatting. She saw Ethan first and walked over with a big smile, calling out: “Brother, Olivia and I went to get our nails done. Otherwise we would have come earlier. Have you been here long? That nail salon was so slow, but the nails they did look pretty good…” The gentle Olivia beside her smiled at Ethan. But very quickly, they both stopped smiling. Because they sensed the strange atmosphere, and because they saw me. A woman’s perception and sensitivity is always much stronger than a man’s. Wendy recognized me almost instantly. First doubt, then certainty, finally shock and anger: “Lucy?! Why are you here?” “Why are you here? Who brought you?! How dare you show your face in front of my brother again, have you no shame?!” Before I could react to Wendy’s outburst, she had already walked towards me, burning with rage, ready to tear me apart. As she got close, Ethan reached out and grabbed her arm. His eyes were dark and his voice low: “I brought her.” “Brother! Have you gone crazy?! This shameless woman, why are you still bothering with her! Hasn’t she hurt you enough? Hurry up and make her leave! If she has any shame left, she should get lost now and never appear again!” Wendy’s eyes were wide with disbelief, her voice shrill with anger. I’ve always been a very even-tempered person. She should know the Lucy from before was someone who didn’t talk much. But everyone has their own dignity and bottom line. There were many onlookers, and I needed to maintain my composure, so I stood up. I didn’t look at Wendy, but turned my gaze to Ethan and said calmly: “Mr. Chi, it seems you have no intention of cooperating. I naturally don’t deserve to stand before you. It’s too noisy here, with dogs barking. So the deal is off. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” With that, I gave a slight nod, making sure I was polite enough, and turned to leave. Wendy beside me was furious, looking like she was about to rush over and not let this go. Ethan finally spoke up, stopping this farce. He said: “Lucy, don’t you want to hear it?” I paused in my steps, frowning as I looked at him: “Hear what?” “Sit down and listen. Our grievances aren’t settled. You can’t leave.” When James first said Lucy’s name, their expressions changed noticeably. I couldn’t possibly ignore that. Even though I had dumped Ethan years ago and gained some notoriety in their circle, it shouldn’t warrant such a reaction. So after some hesitation, I chose to stay. Then I listened calmly as the angry Wendy accused me, cursing me as vicious and heartless. I accepted it all, because I heard from her some past events that I didn’t know about. When I broke up with Ethan back then, I was afraid he wouldn’t let go, so I made a clean break. I changed my phone number, deleted all my social media apps, then bought a train ticket and went to stay in the Northeast for nearly two years. My cousin and his wife worked there and had settled down after buying a house. Those two years, I found a job at a small company. In my free time, I helped them take care of their child. During the Ice Sculpture Festival, I went out with my cousin and his wife to take the kids. The child hugged my neck and called me auntie. It was very cold, but life was peaceful. When the ice and snow world was colorful and dazzling, I believed I could forget Ethan and live a good life. But he couldn’t forget. When we broke up, things ended badly. He knew I was serious and panicked. But he still held out hope, thinking that after both sides cooled down for a while, he could swallow his pride and win me back. Until he discovered I had disappeared. A true farewell is always silent. This world is so big, with crowds of people. It takes so much luck for people to meet. After melting into the sea of humanity, there is no destined fate, no one you absolutely must be with. We are all so small, so after the pain, we need to learn to forget, learn to let go. But Ethan couldn’t learn. He went crazy looking for me everywhere, asking everyone around me, until finally he had an emotional breakdown while driving and got into a car accident on Peace Bridge. He was seriously injured and ended up in the TCU after emergency treatment. Later he woke up, but became depressed and couldn’t pick himself up. He asked his mom to help find me, to get me to go back and see him one last time. When I was in the Northeast, my cousin did receive a call from home one day. It was my aunt. My aunt said Ethan’s mother had contacted her, saying her son was in the hospital. My cousin asked if I wanted to go back. I thought about it and said no. Many people would say I was cold-hearted. But at the time, I really didn’t know his car accident was so serious that he had nearly lost his life. I thought he was just playing some trick again to lure me back. He had used similar tactics to trick me before. The process of giving up on someone is very painful, but I had already taken that first step. I didn’t want to give up halfway. I thought, just hold on a little longer. Hold on and he would learn to let go. Later, he really did stop trying to contact me. Two years later, Megan said Quinn had a good project in hand and asked me to come back to develop it. I thought about it and realized I really didn’t have many opportunities if I stayed in the Northeast, so I packed up and came back. This city is very big. People’s social circles are fixed. Megan, Quinn and I – we were the same type of people. The most ordinary people. Barring any accidents, the chances of Ethan and I running into each other were extremely slim. The past was in the past. Moving forward on the path ahead was most important. After coming back, I asked Megan once if Ethan had really been hospitalized back then. But Megan knew very little, because Ethan later went abroad. His family was unwilling to disclose much, and basically no one in their circle dared to gossip about it. So it wasn’t until six years later, standing here today, that I learned he had once been on the verge of death. I also learned that he later developed some kind of mood disorder, had suicidal tendencies, and went abroad for treatment for a long time. Wendy said I was a murderer, that I had no right to appear in front of her brother. Her brother had once liked me so much, but I wouldn’t even come back to see him one last time. If I had any shame left, I should leave now and never appear again. At that moment my face went white, my expression stunned. I looked at Ethan in shock, meeting his pitch-black yet calm eyes. Calm and indifferent. My eyes burned hot. Unexpectedly, tears began to fall. Wendy was right. I shouldn’t have appeared. I shouldn’t have begged him to give Brilliant Create a chance. He didn’t owe me anything. So many people present, their gazes falling on me – some mocking, some contemptuous. I tilted my head back to control the flood of tears, desperately trying to contain my emotions. But my voice still trembled slightly. I said to Ethan: “I’m sorry, Mr. Chi. I won’t appear in front of you again in the future. I’m truly very sorry. Please take care of yourself.” With that, I bowed deeply to him. As I was leaving, passing by his side, Ethan stood up. He grabbed my arm. I looked up at him. He had a smile on his lips, tinged with some indescribable meaning. He pushed me to sit in his chair, standing beside me tall and straight. Then he slowly adjusted his shirt cuff. He was so gentlemanly and calm. His hand with distinct knuckles rested on my shoulder as he bent down to say to me: “Lucy, I said our grievances aren’t settled yet.” His uniquely low voice carried a trace of chilling coldness. My hands involuntarily clenched my skirt as I calculated whether I should try to call the police. Until he straightened up, his gaze turning to Wendy, and said unhurriedly: “You still remember I liked her?” Wendy was confused: “Brother…” “Since you know I liked her, why did you bully her back then?”

Ethan’s words stunned everyone. I also stared at him in shock, my eyes full of surprise. His hand rested not too heavily on my shoulder. He actually reached up to stroke my face, then looked down at me, his eyes soft: “You endured so much hardship. Why didn’t you say anything back then? What did you take me for?” “Ethan…” “Brother!” My voice and Wendy’s cries rang out almost simultaneously. The former anxious and uneasy, the latter tearful and furious: “Brother, who’s been feeding you nonsense? Who bullied her?! Can’t you see what kind of person she is yet? She can’t even compare to Olivia’s little finger. Don’t let her fool you again…” “No need to worry about it.” Ethan cut off her words. His tone was light, but somehow chillingly cold: “Wendy, Mrs. Chi only jokingly said she would accept you as a goddaughter when you were little. She never actually meant it. Your family was the one desperately trying to climb the social ladder.” “Since there are so many people here today, let’s make things clear. The Chi family only has one son – me. I don’t have any sisters, adopted or otherwise. Let’s forget about how you’ve been showing off in the past. From now on, don’t mention the Chi family at all, and don’t appear in front of me or my mother again. Do you understand?” “Brother…” “Also, stay far away from Lucy whenever you see her in the future. Got it?” “Brother…” Wendy’s face turned pale. She stared in disbelief, her makeup ruined by tears. Her body was shaking. Because she knew what this meant. Ethan had told everyone in their circle that from now on, the Chi family was cutting ties with her family. Wendy would not only lose face, but would find it very difficult to continue socializing in that circle. “Ethan! You’ve gone too far!” Olivia, who had been standing beside Wendy the whole time, finally couldn’t hold back. Her eyes rimmed with red, her voice both disappointed and angry: “For this woman who almost killed you, you’re even disowning Wendy? After all these years, how has she treated you? How have we treated you? How can you do this?” “How I act is none of your business.” “You…” “What’s your relationship to me? Even your dad doesn’t have the right to say much when he comes to our house. Olivia, count yourself lucky I’m not causing you trouble. If we really fall out, it won’t be good for you.” Ethan’s features were sharp and fierce. From the moment I met him, he always had that angular face. Back in school, he often got into fights. I had seen many sides of him. But I had never seen this – the mature man he had grown into, polite and cultured, saying the gentlest words in the calmest tone. Those gentle words made Olivia’s face change instantly. She stood there frozen, unable to say another word. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, without saying another word or looking at anyone, he pushed open the door and brazenly led me out. There really was a room ready upstairs. The high-end club was luxurious and magnificent. When the lights in the room turned on, it was a bit dazzling for a moment. Before I could adjust to the brightness, I was pinned against the cabinet. He pressed against me, his lips covering mine. Ethan had a tall, straight build that made me seem especially small and thin. 继续翻译 🤖 工作流 I’ll continue the translation from where we left off: In his shadow, my hands didn’t know what to do, finding nowhere to rest. He cupped my face and kissed me roughly, without any tenderness. Fierce and cruel, biting so hard it hurt terribly. My tears instantly fell. After a long while, he let go of me and stepped back. His dark eyes were as unfathomable as the deep sea, concealing a turbulent undercurrent. “Now, it’s time to settle our accounts.” His voice was hoarse, his lips as red as blood. Then he raised his hand to unbutton his shirt. I heard the clear sound of buttons being undone in the silent room. The lights were too bright. I could see every expression on his face clearly. Complicated, angry, hiding hatred, and hiding sorrow… The gloomy and fierce aura reached its peak as his shirt was fully unbuttoned. I lowered my head, trembling slightly, not daring to look into his eyes. Nor daring to look at him. He grabbed my hand. I cried out in fear instinctively: “Ethan!” “Hmm?” His low voice contained no emotion. He had already pulled my hand over, slowly placing it on his chest. My gaze followed involuntarily. Under the open shirt, where there should have been firm, rugged muscles, there were surgical scars. The abdominal muscles were clearly defined, and on the sternum stretching upwards, the scars looked like a bunch of hideous worms. He had one hand propped against the cabinet, trapping me in a small space. Looking down at me condescendingly, his expression weary, his voice detached – “Take a good look. Look at my fractured bones, feel the steel plates and nails in my body, then look at these ugly scars…” “Lucy, the pain of broken ribs was exactly like the feeling of you tearing yourself out of my life. I was in so much pain I thought I would die. What about you? Did you ever feel any pain?” I couldn’t speak a word, only my trembling body and sobbing remained. The hand resting on his body wanted to trace those scars, but was roughly pushed away by him. He laughed, stepped back a few paces, and started buttoning up his open shirt one by one. “From now on, we’re even.” His voice was so cold, brushing past my ear like an icy wind sweeping across a vast wilderness, making one shiver. I looked up at him with red eyes: “Ethan, I never liked anyone else.” “I know. Nathan was your cousin. Your dad had passed away, so he came to see you at school. That’s why you cried in his arms.” Ethan calmly stated, his gaze falling on me: “Lucy, if I hadn’t known this, I wouldn’t have lived to see today.” “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Finally, I broke down, covering my face as I crouched on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. I cried for a long while before Ethan slowly crouched down in front of me, his gaze calm as he looked at me: “I said just now that we’re even from here on out.” “Lucy, it took me a very long time to understand one thing – the reason we drifted apart had nothing to do with love.” “I know you never liked anyone else. You’ve been alone all these years. So have I. Even today, I still have you in my heart. So from beginning to end, our feelings never missed each other.” “What was wrong was you and me – two incompatible people. When I loved you, I never understood the anxiety hidden in your heart. I didn’t understand your self-esteem. While you were trying to put on a brave face for your life, I was like an idiot, not understanding anything.” “Forgive me, Lucy. I was too young back then. I thought loving someone with all my heart was enough. It wasn’t until later that I understood how shallow that love was.” “Ethan…” “For a long time, I hated you. You had no one else in your heart, yet you insisted on pushing me away. It made it even harder for me to accept. Until a girl told me that I probably never truly understood you. The last straw doesn’t break the camel’s back – you must have been extremely disappointed to push me away so resolutely.” “But Lucy, even if that love was shallow, I did give it unreservedly. I completely opened my heart to you. Did I not even deserve the chance for you to look back at me one last time?” “Yes, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t know it was that serious. I thought you were tricking me…” Crying uncontrollably, I looked at Ethan through my tears. His eyes were also red-rimmed. He laughed, his voice choked with emotion, utterly disappointed – “Did you ever think about what if it was real? What if I died and never woke up again? What then? Would you regret it?” “You never thought about it. You weren’t even willing to give me that one in ten thousand chance. So in your heart, what did I amount to?” “Lucy, you didn’t give me a chance. Now I don’t want to look back either. Dongming will interface with your company. We don’t need to see each other again in the future.” “I’ve repaid what I owed you.”

When Ethan left, the door opened and a young woman was standing outside. Just like me back then, she had a makeup-free baby face and bright eyes. She also had shallow dimples and was very pretty. Her surname was Pitt, and she was Ocean’s CEO assistant. Little Zoe was neat and efficient, looking especially good in her professional attire. Her voice was soft and pleasant. She looked at Ethan with eyes full of anxiety – “Boss, are you going home?” Ethan left without looking back. Little Zoe glanced at me, then quickly caught up to his footsteps, reaching out to hold his hand. He didn’t refuse. The two of them made a perfect match from behind. I remembered the industry cocktail party a month ago. Initially we wanted to collaborate with Mr. Xu from Yongfeng. I negotiated with him for a week, but that old fox just wouldn’t budge. To try to win him over, I went with him to that cocktail party. I followed him the whole way, talking about our project and prospects. Finally he got a bit annoyed and said to me: “I said I wanted to sign a valuation adjustment mechanism agreement, but you’re not willing. So there’s nothing more to discuss. Your company does have potential, but the financing is no small amount. Everyone is just looking out for their own interests. Why don’t you go ask Dongming if they’re willing to invest? What a joke.” That day, Ethan was also at the cocktail party. Mr. Xu spotted him immediately. Thinking I didn’t know him, he probably had some malicious intent when he said to me: “See that? That’s CEO Chi from Ocean. Young and accomplished. Let me introduce you. Go talk to him and see if he’s willing to give you the time of day.” At that moment, I already had a bad feeling. But Mr. Xu had already called out: “CEO Chi!” Then after six years, under his introduction, I met Ethan for the first time. He wore an expensive suit, impeccably dressed, his attitude distant and cold. I was disheveled, my words awkward. It was a very undignified reunion. Just like six years ago, when we broke up in an undignified way. That day I felt very embarrassed and wanted to leave quickly. But as I was leaving, at a corner of the hotel, I saw that assistant Zoe. I don’t know why, but her eyes were red from crying. Ethan had his back to me, holding her in his arms, softly comforting her. A perfect match. Little Zoe’s eyes were red, her face also flushed. She must be a very good girl. Ethan had finally learned to let go. Leaving the club, I took a taxi. The driver asked where I wanted to go. Aimlessly, I went to a shopping street near Central Tower. The city hadn’t changed much. The old street was close to the night market, still a place young people loved to hang out. It was very late. Some shop owners were closing up. A noodle stand set up outside a shop at the end was still open. There weren’t many customers. The owner was very enthusiastic, telling me their sour soup beef noodles were delicious, only $22 a bowl. I asked if they had old-style soup noodles for $3 a bowl. The owner was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: “Wait a sec, I’ll make it for you.” I received a call from Megan. She said urgently: “Lucy! Did you go find Ethan? I told you to forget it. We don’t need the company anymore, we don’t need to do the project. Worst case, Quinn and I will rent a place to get married and slowly pay off our debts. I’m willing to spend a lifetime paying it back! Come back quickly!” “Megan, he agreed.” “What?” Megan on the other end of the phone couldn’t believe it: “What did you do?” “Nothing.” “I don’t believe you. If you got it by sacrificing your dignity, I’d rather not have it.” “Really, he didn’t make any demands.” “Impossible.” “It’s true.” I thought for a moment, then added: “Well, not completely without conditions. He said, from now on we’re even.” That’s good enough, really. After all, when I broke up with him back then, what I wanted was a clean break, for us both to be well. I was eating noodles with my head down when a nearby accessory shop that hadn’t closed yet caught my eye, its lights glittering. The speakers placed at the entrance played a song that echoed through the quiet night streets – You say this scenery is like a painting I see your wandering heart and mind Don’t listen to me speak anymore Take off all your disguises Can you hear me crying? You probably can’t hear anyway You’re like a white horse Escaping carefree Let me take a careful look at your appearance Counting down the final moments before the curtain falls Forgive me for falling silent too early Do you know, graceful one, that I am covered in wounds … The noodles were too hot, really too hot. I ate hurriedly, tears dripping silently into the bowl. I thought of little Lucy from childhood. If her final exam results were good, her dad would bring her here to eat a bowl of old-style soup noodles. Those noodles were so fragrant. Steaming hot, with her dad’s smiling face visible through the mist. In this life, there really aren’t many good times we can look back on. Some people’s encounters are probably destined to be a tragedy from the very beginning. Just like when I met Ethan at 16 years old, I was going through the darkest period of my life. That year, my dad became a vegetable after a car accident. The hit-and-run driver escaped. That year, my mom took me to the paper mill where my dad worked to demand the boss pay the overdue wages. Nine thousand two hundred and thirty dollars. For that nine thousand two hundred and thirty dollars, she took me to live and sleep in the paper mill office, laying out a mat, blocking the boss for several days. I was in my first year of high school then, with good grades. I was the study committee member in my class. A quiet, well-behaved girl who viewed studying as very important. I softly said to my mom: “I only asked for two days off from school. I want to go tell the teacher.” She cursed at me: “School? What school?! Your dad is half dead and you’re still thinking about school? If we don’t get the money, how are you going to school?!” My mom’s name was Cathy. She was a bad-tempered, cold and selfish person. Also a very terrible person. From a young age, I grew up amid my parents’ endless arguments. Mom complained that dad was useless and didn’t earn much. Dad complained that mom played mahjong all day, neglecting the child and not cooking. A child raised in a very ordinary family where the parents don’t love each other is bound to be sensitive and starved for affection. It wasn’t until much, much later that I learned Cathy was on her second marriage to my dad. Of course I was her biological daughter, but I wasn’t her only child. She was a woman who had abandoned her family and children before. Back then she left behind a pair of children, met my dad by chance on a train, and followed him off directly. It’s said her two children are still in a remote mountain village to this day, where kids as young as a few years old have to carry baskets on their backs to work in the fields, dressed in rags. She was tired of poverty, so she followed my dad, originally wanting to live a good life in the big city. Unfortunately my dad was just an ordinary worker at a suburban paper mill who hadn’t even managed to find a wife yet. She gradually became resentful, cursing my dad for deceiving her. When I was in kindergarten, she developed a mahjong addiction, and it was all downhill from there. She was rarely home, and when she did come back it was just to ask for money. Besides working, my dad did all the housework. The relationship was long gone. The only reason they were still living together was because my dad said: “She’s still your mom after all. Having a mom is better than not having one.” But it was this mom who, in the year I turned 16, took me to surround the paper mill boss. When she got the chance, she blocked his car like a madwoman, messing up her own hair, pulling open her shirt to expose her chest, wailing and calling for everyone to come look. She used this attention-grabbing method to cry and complain: “We can’t go on living! My husband is in that state, and they’re still withholding our wages. They’re forcing us mother and daughter to our deaths…” The boss in the car urged the driver to leave, not wanting to deal with her. Seeing this, she directly pulled me in front of the car and took out a bottle of pesticide from her bag. That pesticide bottle contained paraquat she had bought from somewhere. I was already in high school, so of course I knew what this meant. I struggled in terror, crying and shouting non-stop: “Mom! Mom! Don’t!” She was so strong, like a madwoman, forcibly prying open my mouth and raising the bottle to pour it in. “You’re forcing us to die! We’ll die right here in front of you all today…” The boss in the car finally got scared. He hurriedly got out: “Ma’am! Let’s talk this over! We’ll go to accounting to get the money right now.” Cathy was satisfied and went with them to get the money. I knelt in the paper mill, crying loudly, vomiting non-stop, sticking my fingers down my throat. She had poured some in. I had heard my grandma say before that paraquat was an extremely toxic pesticide. Once ingested, there was no chance of survival. It would be an agonizing death. I was so, so scared. I cried and vomited, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. Until Cathy came out smiling with the money. She kicked me irritably, cursing: “You won’t die. That was just water in there. Look at how useless you are, not even good for this!” Cathy was my mom. My biological mother. But after getting that nine thousand two hundred and thirty dollars back, she didn’t spend a cent on me. She was addicted to playing mahjong and still rarely came home. For clothes and shoes when the seasons changed, and fees the school required, her response was always the same: “Go ask your aunt! With your dad in that state, you should be thankful I haven’t left!” She wanted me to go to my aunt for everything. She even wanted to dump my bedridden father with no one to care for him onto my aunt’s family. The thing she said most often was: “Lucy, you should be grateful. If I left, you wouldn’t even be able to go to school. You’d have to drop out to take care of your dad at home.” She was right. My grandma was elderly and had always been cared for by my aunt. My aunt’s family wasn’t well-off and had their hands full. My cousin’s college living expenses all came from his own part-time work during breaks. My dad was my responsibility and duty, not anyone else’s. That’s why I was a day student throughout high school. On weekends and holidays I was basically always at home, doing laundry and cooking, helping massage and clean my dad. Unless absolutely necessary, I didn’t dare ask my aunt for money. Because I was afraid my uncle would object. So for years I wore my school uniform. When other classmates were comparing shoes, I wore the same $30 canvas shoes until they fell apart. It was under these circumstances that I met Ethan. In the first semester of 11th grade, he transferred to Jia Lewis High School. The reason for his transfer was reportedly because he was a troublemaker, difficult to manage at school. He had beaten up the disciplinary teacher. His family was rich and powerful. After the incident was settled, his parents decided to transfer him. The principal of our school was an old acquaintance of his parents. This also led to Ethan adapting very quickly after coming to Jia Lewis. Oh no, he didn’t need to adapt at all. Someone like Ethan was arrogant and unruly. His sharp, handsome features were distinct and angular. His thin lips curled slightly, youthful and spirited, like he was backlit, dazzlingly eye-catching. The teacher arranged for him to sit next to me, thinking that since my grades were good, I could help tutor him a bit. He didn’t need any tutoring at all. His books were pristine and clean, showing he had no intention of studying. The boys in our class and even the school who didn’t have good grades quickly became friends with him, calling him “Brother Ethan” and “Boss”. The girls also all liked him. The prettiest and proudest girl in our class, Janie, was always smiling and chatting with him. All the teachers and students in the whole school liked him. During breaks, the boys would gather outside the classroom chattering, asking him why he beat up the disciplinary teacher at his previous school. He lazily raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously: “That old bastard had double standards. When boys misbehaved, he’d scold them on the spot. But for girl students, he insisted on calling them to his office and even closed the door. I couldn’t stand for it, so I kicked the door open…” …

Ethan and I became desk mates, but we didn’t speak to each other for the entire first half of the semester. He didn’t like studying. After class he was basically never at his seat. I focused intently on the lessons, always listening attentively without distraction. He even had people help him with homework. During self-study periods he was either napping at his desk or skipping class to go to internet cafes. Oh, and people were always coming to chat with him, making a racket. That day during self-study, he wasn’t there. I had stayed up late the night before and was a bit sleepy, so I put my head down on the desk for a while. I don’t know how long it was, but when I drowsily opened my eyes, I met a pair of eyes staring right at me. Ethan had returned at some point and was lying on the desk facing me, also napping. But he hadn’t closed his eyes. His messy black hair, thick brows and long lashes, deep eyes as bright as stars. He stared at me motionlessly. When our eyes met, I was startled, but he didn’t flinch. He pushed his tongue against his cheek and said lazily: “There’s an eyelash on your face.” This was the first thing he ever said to me. I instinctively reached up, quickly looking in the small mirror on my pencil case to remove the eyelash. At the same time, I softly said: “Thank you.” He laughed, propping his head up with one hand while rapidly twirling a pen with the other. His voice was full of interest: “You’re welcome, desk mate.” Afterwards, I blushed and didn’t dare look at him, opening my textbook instead. I was an honest child. All my energy in life was devoted to studying. Top of the class, top few in the grade, everyone had high hopes for me. Except for my mom Cathy. She neglected me completely, focused solely on mahjong. If she could spare the time to come home and check on my dad, it was already her greatest kindness to me. My aunt often said: “For a family like ours, going to school is your only way out.” My cousin also said: “People at the bottom of society don’t have many chances to change their fate. Education and work are crucial.” So I kept myself tightly wound, burning the midnight oil throughout high school. I lived such a tiring life, but also full of hope, longing for fortunes to turn and to escape this sea of suffering. Ethan was an unexpected intruder in my life. I rarely spoke to him, but he started paying attention to me intentionally or unintentionally. When it got cold, I wore an old sweater under my school uniform that was a bit frayed. In class when he was bored, he noticed the loose threads under my clothes and reached out to pull at them. Coming from a wealthy family, even his shoes cost thousands of dollars. He probably didn’t understand the significance of those threads. By the time we both realized something was wrong, he had a bunch of yarn wrapped around his hand, and the sweater under my uniform was shorter. He said awkwardly: “Sorry.” I blushed: “It’s okay.” A week later, I came to school and found a shopping bag stuffed in my desk. When I opened it, it was a new pink sweater, price tag still attached. I panicked terribly for a moment and stuffed the bag into his desk. After class started, he discovered it and leaned closer to me, lowering his voice to ask: “Is the size wrong? I had my mom buy it at the mall.” I felt my ears burning, extremely embarrassed: “No need.” “What do you mean no need? You can’t wear that old one anymore.” “Really, no need. Thank you.” He raised an eyebrow, about to say more, but I had already silently distanced myself from him, staring intently at the blackboard. Ethan chuckled softly. Afterwards, I witnessed his domineering side for the first time. After school when I had almost reached the gates, he called out to me amid the crowd: “Lucy! Lucy!” I turned back in shock. He smiled at me, walked over and directly stuffed the bag with the sweater into my hands: “Desk mate, you forgot your clothes.” After that, rumors started spreading in class that Ethan was pursuing me and had bought me a sweater. I felt very anxious. For a well-behaved good student, dating was like a raging flood or ferocious beast. Fortunately, because my grades were so good and I was favored by the teachers, no one in class gossiped about me. I only overheard Janie asking Ethan acidly: “What do you like about Lucy anyway? Isn’t she just good at studying?” Ethan laughed and asked in return: “Isn’t being good at studying enough?” “But she’s like a dummy.” “You’re the dummy. Lucy isn’t a dummy, she’s well-behaved.” So the whole school found out that Ethan liked the well-behaved girl Lucy. When the rumors spread, it caused me some trouble. But it was just trouble. I learned to turn a deaf ear. When Ethan tried to talk to me, I deliberately kept my distance and rarely responded. He got the hint and gradually returned to how we were before. In the second semester of 11th grade, my homeroom teacher found me and said the school cafeteria had two work-study positions available. She asked if I was willing to do it. She knew about my situation. She had always helped me apply for the school’s special hardship subsidies. At that age, every girl wants to save face. But I couldn’t afford to. I needed money. I wanted to get a pair of glasses for my nearsightedness, because I was starting to have trouble seeing the blackboard clearly. So every day at lunch, another senior boy and I would put on duty armbands and start collecting trays in the school cafeteria. It was really just an hour and a half. The huge cafeteria was bustling and crowded during lunch time, people packed in like sardines. When I encountered classmates, no matter what kind of looks they gave me, I remained silent, learning to accept it. Lucy’s life had taught her to bow her head to reality long ago. Not only did I do work-study at school, during winter and summer breaks I often had my cousin help me find part-time jobs. I worked at a fast food place in the clothing market, at an underground arcade in the city center, handed out flyers, and occasionally bought some small toys wholesale to sell to kids in the park on holiday evenings. I was very hardworking and used to hardship. So in the school cafeteria, when a boy deliberately threw his leftover tray at me, splattering me with soup, I said nothing. But unexpectedly, Ethan saw this. He got angry and walked straight over, pressing down on that boy’s head and sternly said: “Apologize to her!” Ethan was a troublemaker, but that boy was no pushover either. He immediately cursed: “Apologize my ass!” Enraged, Ethan kicked him. The cafeteria tables and chairs toppled over. Then the cafeteria descended into chaos. That boy was no match for the group. He and his few companions were beaten black and blue. I stood to the side shaking with fear, watching Ethan viciously beat people. I went to stop him with tears in my eyes – “Stop fighting! Please stop!” Later, along with me, we were all called to the disciplinary office. I kept crying, wiping away tears between sobs. Ethan stood to the side, his voice somewhat urgent for some reason: “Don’t cry, Lucy. It’s okay, it has nothing to do with you. Don’t worry.” I was very scared and also a bit resentful towards him: “Who told you to fight?!” “He bullied you. Shouldn’t I have hit him?” “I don’t care. Who asked you to interfere?” “I care. I can’t watch others bully you.” In their eyes, the young Lucy must have been an ungrateful person. But at that time, I really did resent Ethan quite a bit. I was honest and introverted, focused solely on studying. I really didn’t want to cause trouble. I was more afraid of it reaching Cathy’s ears and her cursing at me with vulgar language. Fortunately, that incident didn’t blow up. Later, Ethan and I were called to the principal’s office together. I heard with my own ears Ethan call the principal “Uncle Li”. I also saw the usually stern-faced principal snort and turn his gaze to me, scolding Ethan: “You little brat, you’re really something. Fighting and puppy love – you’ve got it all covered.” “Don’t wrongly accuse me. I admit to the fighting, but puppy love? Do you have any evidence?” “The evidence is standing right here. What more do you want?” “Don’t say that, uncle. Lucy is a good student with great grades.” “Nonsense. If she wasn’t a good student, I would have called both your parents in already.” “No need for that trouble. Just call my parents over. See if the school needs anything else donated?” “You cheeky brat, all smiles. Let me tell you, you can misbehave yourself, but don’t drag others down with you. If her grades slip, I’ll give you a good thrashing.” “Alright then. If she gets first in the grade, don’t you owe me some kind of reward?”

The whole school found out about me and Ethan. Our homeroom teacher at the time was a very young female teacher. She specifically talked to me, her words all cautioning me that as a girl, I was different from Ethan. Girls are destined to bear more on their growth journey than boys. Especially given my family background. I was extremely grateful to her. She told me clearly that I couldn’t take shortcuts, because I had no way out. All my hopes rested on myself. Every step in life was crucial. I shouldn’t get off the train before reaching the final destination. I kept her words in mind, telling her with tears in my eyes: “Teacher, please believe me. I’m not dating him.” Of course she believed me, because when she talked to me, Ethan had also talked to her. He was always so unrestrained, with the confidence to speak his mind: “Teacher, don’t give Lucy a hard time. I’m the one pursuing her, she hasn’t responded. She’s very thin-skinned, don’t make her cry.” Afterwards, I stopped paying any attention to Ethan. The summer before senior year was exceptionally long. On my cousin’s recommendation, I went to work a summer job at an arcade in the city. My cousin was a junior in college then. One of his female classmates was also working part-time there, so we worked together. We worked 4-5 hours a day and could go home by 8pm. I didn’t expect to see Ethan there. He wasn’t alone. There were three boys and a girl with him, playing arcade games together. He saw me when I was helping someone exchange game tokens. He walked over to me, very surprised but also delighted: “Lucy, why are you here?” The arcade was very noisy and I was busy, so I just smiled vaguely at him: “Part-time job.” He didn’t say anything more, probably realizing his question was unnecessary. The girl who came with him wore a pretty tank top and shorts, with a high ponytail. She ran over happily and linked arms with him – “Brother, we’re out of tokens. Let’s exchange some more.” “How much?” “James and the others need some too. Let’s get 500 for now.” That day, they exchanged a total of 1000 dollars worth of game tokens. I worked part-time at the arcade all summer and only earned 1000 dollars in wages. After Ethan found out I was working there, he came by often. At first he came with a group of friends, but later he started coming alone. I didn’t pay much attention to him, so he would wait for me outside when I got off work every day. My cousin’s female classmate even teased me: “Lucy, your boyfriend is quite handsome.” I hurriedly explained with a red face: “It’s not like that. We’re just regular classmates.” Afterwards I told Ethan: “Don’t come anymore.” He said: “It’s too late. It’s not safe for a girl to go home alone. Let me walk you.” I said I didn’t need that. He didn’t insist, but asked if I wanted to go see the night view from Ocean Tower. I said no thanks. “Then how about browsing the night market nearby?” He was so annoying, coming every day. Once I caught him squatting by the exit smoking. Our eyes met. He was startled for a moment, then stood up and put out the cigarette. I sighed lightly: “I know you guys smoke in secret at school.” He smiled at that, hands in his pockets, and asked me: “Want to go to Ocean Tower today? Or browse the night market nearby?” That night I figured I had some time, so I went to the night market with him. He was quite happy, pestering me the whole way, asking what I wanted to eat or buy. He said he’d get it for me. We ate shaved ice at a stall. I finally said what I had been wanting to say: “Please don’t come anymore. I’m begging you. You’re causing me a lot of trouble this way.” “What trouble? I’m not asking you to date me. Can’t we just be good friends?” “We can’t even be good friends.” He stared at me intently, his messy long hair revealing a hint of rebelliousness. His voice was also a bit annoyed: “Why not?” “It’s not appropriate. We’re different.” I said softly. “How are we different? Am I human and you’re not?” “I don’t need friends. I just want to study hard.” “Heh, what kind of talk is that? Even if you dated me, it wouldn’t affect you getting into college. I could even supervise your studying.” “Why can’t you understand? Stop pestering me from now on.” I was a bit angry. I stopped eating the shaved ice and got up to leave. Ethan chased after me, following me to the bus stop. He watched me get on the bus, his expression somewhat helpless. I was really exhausted every day and had no time to deal with him. After the bus reached the last stop, I still had to go get my bicycle and ride for about 15 minutes to get home. When I got home, my mom usually wasn’t there. I had to feed my dad, check if he had a bowel movement, help turn him over, and give him a wipe down. After taking care of all that, it was already very late. I still had to wash up, find time to read, and review materials. My nearsightedness had gotten worse again. I really needed glasses. I was like a snail carrying its shell on its back, needing to crawl and crawl, moving forward under a heavy burden, to slowly reach where I wanted to go. Ethan was from another world. He wouldn’t understand. On the last day of my summer job, I rode my bicycle home as usual. At the entrance to my apartment complex, I saw a man waiting there. Because it was an old neighborhood, that section by the building entrance had no streetlights. But I recognized him -I’ll continue the translation: his name was Howard, and he was the owner of a mahjong parlor. I knew everything – not long after my dad’s accident, he had become Cathy’s lover. He was married with grown children. Cathy willingly went with him because he gave her money to spend. He had given me money to spend too. Once when I forgot my house key and went to the mahjong parlor to find Cathy, he saw me and smiled: “Lucy’s all grown up now. I heard from your mom that you get really good grades. Here, uncle will give you 200 dollars to buy study materials.” I had never called him uncle, nor had I taken his money. Cathy scolded me for being impolite, saying I was an idiot for not taking money when offered. I hated Howard. He wasn’t a good person. His smile always made me feel uneasy. So when I saw him at the building entrance that instant, I immediately became wary and didn’t approach. He walked towards me, smiling: “Lucy, come here. Uncle has some living expenses for you.” He took out a wad of cash, moving to hand it to me. I threw down my bicycle and ran. I ran so fast, not knowing if he was chasing me or not. Fear and panic made tears instantly stream down my face. I ran until I reached the main road outside and crashed into someone. I screamed in terror. That person grabbed my shoulders and said urgently: “What’s wrong, Lucy? What happened?” It was Ethan. I stared at him with wide eyes, taking a moment to come back to my senses before crying: “Why are you here?” “To walk you home. It’s so late, I was worried about you going alone.” Only then did I notice there was a taxi parked by the road. Ethan had been following me for a long time. Even after I warned him not to pester me, he still came to the arcade every night. He would wait for me to get off work, let me get on the bus, then take a taxi following behind. He’d drop me off at the entrance to my neighborhood, then have the driver turn around and go back. Actually, the road I took home was very safe. There were always people around, even food stalls set up at night. Only the area right by my building had no streetlights. If I hadn’t run into Howard, there wouldn’t have been any danger. That night Ethan went with me to get my bicycle. Howard was already gone. I invited him to eat at a roadside food stall. He was very happy, kept saying the food was delicious. In the end he insisted on paying the bill himself. Two stir-fry dishes and flatbread, over 30 dollars. He gave the owner 50 and said keep the change. Then he walked me back home. At the building entrance, he asked again: “What really happened? Was it really just a cat that scared you?” I nodded, never telling him what actually happened. It was too shameful. How could I tell him that my mom’s lover had ambushed me outside my home? To me, Ethan was just an ordinary male classmate after all. Later he left and I went home. Before going inside, I was still thinking about how to tell Cathy about this. She wasn’t a good mother, but I believed she wouldn’t be so heartless as to ignore this. But I never imagined that when I opened the door, I would see Howard sitting on our couch smoking. Cathy was there too, of course. The weather was hot. The ceiling fan spun with a creaky sound, but the air was still stuffy, permeated with the smell of smoke and an unpleasant odor. Cathy had just showered. Her hair was still dripping. The tank top stretched tight across her plump arms, her chest spilling out. She was drying her hair with a towel. When she saw me, she barely raised an eyebrow: “You’re back?” I was honest and introverted. She had a bad temper and had either hit or scolded me since I was little. It was she who made me understand that there really are mothers in this world who don’t love their children. She only loved herself, so naturally I didn’t love her either. I had already tried my best to tolerate her, treating her like a stranger. The neighbors all knew about her affair with the mahjong parlor owner. I could endure the pointing and whispering, but I couldn’t tolerate her bringing him home. Especially when my dad was still lying in bed. For the first time, I lost my temper and yelled at them: “Get out! Both of you get out!” Cathy was stunned at first. She had always been hot-tempered. Without a word, she threw down the towel and rushed over to shove me: “Who are you yelling at? Telling who to get out?! You little bitch, what’s gotten into you? When did you grow such an attitude?” “I’m telling you to get out! Both of you get out!” That day, Cathy grabbed my hair and pushed me to the ground, beating me. Seeing this, Howard came over to pull her off. He pulled her away, then reached out to hug me. He seemed to be trying to help me up, but his disgusting hands were groping my back. I kicked at him wildly. He grabbed my ankle. “Hey, this little girl is hard to discipline.” The two of them against me alone. Later I ran to the kitchen and came out with a knife. Cathy cursed and swore as she changed clothes and left with Howard. I cried as I called my aunt, telling her everything that happened. That night my aunt and uncle both came over. They took me to confront Cathy at the mahjong parlor in our neighborhood. There was a big scene. Cathy acted like a shrew, pointing at my aunt and cursing, telling her to take her brother away if she had the ability. My aunt was shaking with anger. She told Cathy to hurry up and get a divorce. As long as she divorced, we wouldn’t need her to take care of my dad. She could do whatever shameless things she wanted without being related to us. Cathy sneered: “Kicking me out? Fine, give me the house. Take the big one and the little one to your place.” In the end, it was all about that crappy two-bedroom apartment. There were rumors it was slated for demolition and redevelopment. After the confrontation, as my aunt was leaving she was still cursing: “You want the house but not the people? Dream on! As long as you don’t divorce, you have to take care of him. However long he’s bedridden, that’s how long you’ll serve him. When he dies I’ll still come looking for you!” You see, how can this kind of thing be sorted out? Calling my aunt was useless, and reporting to the police was useless too. The only good thing about making a scene was that Cathy wouldn’t easily bring people home anymore. The bad thing was, she started finding opportunities to curse at me with snide remarks: “Shameless girl. Your Uncle Howard saw you coming home late and kindly went downstairs to meet you. Are you so desperate for a man that you accused him of ambushing you? How much are those two ounces of meat on you worth? Disgusting.” She had said even worse, more vulgar things. That year I was 17, a thin-skinned girl who broke down multiple times from her cursing. My dad had only been bedridden for two years, but for a moment I actually hoped he would hurry up and die. If he died, I could be free. I could live in the school dorms and never have to come back to see Cathy again. As soon as that thought occurred, tears streamed down my face. I used a warm towel to wipe my dad’s face and hands while repeatedly apologizing: “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry dad, I didn’t mean that…” I had grown up under his care since childhood. He would take me to buy candied hawthorns and eat old-style soup noodles, pick me up from school… He was just an ordinary, kind-hearted father. Maybe if a miracle happened, he could even regain consciousness. Yet I, as his child, had the vicious thought of wishing this paralyzed patient would hurry up and die. If he died, I wouldn’t have to worry during class about whether Cathy had gone home at noon, whether she had fed him water and food, helped him sit up for a bit, or cleaned him if he was incontinent… There are no filial children by a long sickbed. When it really comes down to it, you realize everyone is just an ordinary person.

In senior year, I finally got the prescription glasses I needed. I threw myself into even more intense studying. Ethan also became more and more blatant. He started bringing me milk every morning, taking it out of his jacket still warm. The boys in class would tease him. He’d furrow his brow and kick at them: “Get lost!” I never understood why a boy like him would like me. Until after we got together, I once asked him this question. He laughed: “You’re different.” I looked at him, and he explained further: “After we became desk mates, you didn’t say a word to me for half a semester. I wondered if this girl was mute. You spoke up plenty in class, so I thought maybe I had offended you somehow.” “Then I observed and found that you didn’t really talk to anyone, but you had good grades and the teachers liked you. I also noticed you had a standard baby face, obedient to a fault. When you glanced over during self-study, your eyes were so timid. My heart started racing, pounding like crazy. I thought, oh no, not only do the teachers like you, I think I like you too…” He wasn’t telling the whole truth. Besides liking me, he also pitied me at first. Everyone in class knew that Lucy the study committee member came from a poor family and her father was a vegetative patient. When collecting class fees, the teacher would always say: “Lucy doesn’t need to pay. Her family’s circumstances are difficult.” The teacher meant well. But in those moments I would always lower my head, my face burning. Because I had overheard Janie and others gossiping: “The teacher just plays favorites. She’s not the only one with difficult circumstances. It’s just because her grades are good. Always acting so pitiful, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.” I think Ethan’s fondness must have been built on pity too. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to be nice to me. Secretly adding money to my meal card, stuffing chocolates in my desk. He even looked up my information and bought me a pair of brand name shoes for my birthday. I felt ashamed. It was that deep-seated kind of shame. Because I knew the canvas shoes on my feet were falling apart. He secretly put the shoes in my bicycle basket after school. When I went to return them to him, my eyes were already red… It was unbearable. In class, he leaned close to me again, lowering his voice to ask – “Lucy, how bad is your nearsightedness? Where did you get your glasses?” “…Why?” “Your glasses look pretty good. I was thinking of asking if people without nearsightedness can wear them too.” “Why would you wear them if you don’t need them?” “No reason. Just want to match you a bit.” Ethan was always like this, so blatant. I was terrified, afraid the classmates in front and behind would hear. I looked at him with a red face, only to see the young man’s open and frank eyes. He raised his thick brows and grinned at me. He was undoubtedly passionate, always fearless. But I couldn’t bear this passion. I said to him: “Do you really like me that much?” When I asked, my voice was very low and my face was burning hot. He was stunned for a moment, looking around as if suddenly feeling guilty. He leaned in close over the desk to look at me, his ears turning red: “You’re being so direct all of a sudden. You’re making me embarrassed.” “Really, Lucy. I really do like you. I swear.” During self-study, his pitch-black eyes looking at me were bright and clear, seeming to contain glimmers of light. 18-year-old Lucy gripped her textbook tightly, suddenly not daring to look at him. Fighting back her nervousness, she said with a red face: “Then get into the same university as me. If you do, I’ll be with you.” Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s. But he was close enough to hear clearly. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly exploded: “Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier?! There’s less than a year left. You think I’m a god? Give me your books!” In my mind, Ethan’s grades weren’t good enough to get into the same university as me. This was just my excuse to reject him. But I never imagined that Ethan the slacker would become a completely different person in our senior year. He started studying like crazy. Later I found out he wasn’t actually bad at studying. He just couldn’t be bothered before. His family was much wealthier than I had imagined. His parents had already paved a smooth road ahead for him. He was very smart, the type to understand things quickly. With money, he enrolled in the most expensive tutoring classes. Then as if possessed, he buried himself in studying. The result was that a year later, he actually got in. That summer, Ethan didn’t show up. Apparently because he did well on the exam, his parents forcibly took him abroad to visit relatives. I wasn’t idle either, still working part-time jobs. A big incident did happen during that time – Cathy got into a fight with Howard’s wife. Then his wife called a bunch of her family members. They dragged Cathy out to the street and stripped her clothes off. They were also cursing: “You wanted to strip, didn’t you? Strip it all off then! If your daughter was here today, we’d strip her too!” Because of that comment, I trembled all over and went to stay at my aunt’s house for a few days. But when I returned home, I found that although Cathy hadn’t left the house for several days, she hadn’t been idle. Like a madwoman, she spent all day cursing out the window. All those unspeakable words were curses directed at Howard and his wife. After the incident, Howard never showed his face. And my dad, because he hadn’t been turned over in so long, developed bedsores. There was a terrible stench. Amid the endless cursing, I broke down over and over. I cried as I cleaned my dad’s withered body, thinking to myself: Dad, why are you still alive? Please find peace soon… My aunt said not to worry about going to college, she would come check on dad every day. Everything seemed to be settled, so why was I still so vicious? 18-year-old Lucy was once again wishing for her father’s quick death. I had been taking care of him since I was 16, cleaning every part of a paralyzed man’s body. Bowel movements, urination – from being scared to becoming skilled. From being skilled to feeling numb and despairing inside… I wished for him to live, wished that one day I could push a lucid him to eat a bowl of old-style soup noodles. I also wished for him to die, to free both him and me. It had only been three short years, so what exactly is human nature? … After school started, I saw Ethan. He came straight to find me at the girls’ dormitory. As blatant as ever, smiling arrogantly. After the long summer break, he had tanned a bit, but still had that sharp-featured face. I had read in a book that this type of appearance was called “ghost-fearing”. Piercing eyes and sword-like brows were said to be the look of a general commanding troops for thousands of miles. His eyebrows were especially thick, slanting upwards in straight lines – open and aboveboard, but also very authoritative. This kind of person lives in the light. Whether doing good or evil, they seem to act on a whim. He was undoubtedly eye-catching. Under my roommates’ curious gazes, I lowered my head and pulled him outside. He took the opportunity to hold my hand. Under the phoenix trees on campus, I broke free from his grip. He refused to let go, smiling triumphantly: “Lucy, you’re not going back on your word, are you?” I kept my head down, silent. My meaning was clear – I was going back on my word. He bent down slightly to look at me, the smile slowly fading from his lips. His eyes took on a somewhat dangerous look: “I’ll let it slide if you keep rejecting me no matter how long I chase you. But agreeing and then going back on it is toying with me. I’ll get angry.” My face instantly turned white. Of course I knew Ethan didn’t have a good temper. He was quick to fight and hit hard. I remembered clearly how he had kicked that guy in the cafeteria. He feared nothing. It was only when pursuing me that he smiled at me, holding back that overbearing and sharp aura. I didn’t know if he hit girls, but I was definitely scared. With a pale face I said: “I’m not toying with you. I just feel…” Before I could finish, I let out a cry of surprise. This guy had directly picked me up into his arms, cupping my face in his hands to make me look at him. I stared at him with wide eyes: “What, what are you doing?” He smiled brightly and leaned in to peck my lips. I was stunned, my mind going blank. His pitch-black eyes were unfathomably deep. He pushed his tongue against his cheek and said seriously: “Stamping the seal. From now on you’re mine.” The phoenix trees on campus stretched in rows, their leaves as green as jade. The dense branches and leaves blocked out the blazing sun. But my face still burned up, turning bright red. That seemingly serious man was backlit, the glow perfectly illuminating his red-tipped ears. Other than that, he still looked quite serious. At first I didn’t know if I liked him or not, but later I confirmed that I had liked him. No one can resist passionate love. I had been trapped in darkness for too long. He was like a blazing fire, coming close to me, igniting me. At least in that moment, I felt truly alive. No more family troubles, no more of Cathy’s vulgar cursing. It turned out Lucy could also live proudly and openly, like a real person.

Being with Ethan made me feel uneasy inside. So at first when my roommates asked who he was, I didn’t dare admit it and said he was my brother. He was too famous. This kind of person seemed born to be the focus of attention in life. We weren’t in the same class or even the same department. But very quickly, everyone knew the name Ethan. Just like in high school, he always did as he pleased. With his sharp, fierce eyes, he was surrounded by admirers, always with a crowd around him. He was even more popular than in high school. Because several of his childhood friends, even if not at this school, were not far away. They often came to see him, including Wendy. That tall, model-like girl – they all called her “Spicy Girl”. Ethan said she had a straightforward personality, like a boy, very casual. The first time she met me, she was obviously stunned for a moment, but quickly smiled brightly: “Brother, so this is the type you like.” Actually it wasn’t the first time I had seen her. She didn’t remember, but that summer when I was working part-time at the arcade, it was her who came over linking arms with Ethan, saying she wanted to get game tokens. Girls have a natural sensitivity to any unfriendliness from other girls. I knew she didn’t like me. But Ethan didn’t know. He smacked her head in annoyance – “What do you mean ‘this type’? From now on you have to call her sister-in-law.” As I gradually came into contact with Ethan’s world, I realized what a huge difference there was. We were completely incompatible. That black-dialed watch on his wrist was shockingly expensive. Limited edition basketball shoes, no matter how hard they were to buy, he could always get them. For Wendy’s birthday, she pouted and asked him for a handbag. While saying “I don’t owe you anything”, he agreed to get her the latest model she wanted. He also gave me a Chanel watch once, forcefully clasping it on my wrist. He took me shopping for clothes, shoes, anything he wanted to buy for me. I refused to accept them. He would get a bit angry. Later I got angry too and turned to leave. He would chase after me, softening his tone to coax me: “If you don’t want to buy anything that’s fine. Why are you getting upset? Come on, I’ll treat you to a meal.” Ethan had a rebellious air about him. He never tried to hide his flippant attitude and desires. When school first started, I had lied to my roommates saying he was my brother. The first time he waited for me outside the dorm building, my roommate Megan called out from the window: “Lucy, your brother is here to see you!” He happened to overhear this. Afterwards he pulled me to a secluded spot, cupped the back of my head with his large hand, and leaned in to kiss me. That was our first kiss. He was too forceful, kissing me until I couldn’t breathe. I started crying. Only then did he reluctantly let go. His hands gripped my waist as his eyes narrowed dangerously. His voice was husky with lingering desire: “Lucy, don’t get it wrong. I’m the kind of brother who will kiss you.” I cried on the spot: “You’re being a hooligan.” He was stunned at first, then laughed. He seemed quite pleased, in a good mood. Pressing his forehead against mine, his tall nose touching mine, he said: “I promise, I’ll only be a hooligan to you for the rest of my life.” The phrase “rest of my life” sounded so fantastical. But I knew he was serious at the time. He was very bothered that I tried to hide his identity as my boyfriend. He wanted everyone to know about our relationship. Any little news about me would quickly reach his ears. At first there was a boy in my class with a nice personality who liked to chat with me occasionally. Later when he saw me he would lower his head without speaking, or just turn and leave. I heard rumors that Ethan had confronted him. I got very angry and argued with Ethan about it, my eyes turning red. He lazily raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a half-smile: “Lucy, when you’re dating me, you’re not allowed to have wandering eyes.” “What nonsense are you saying?! He’s just a normal classmate.” My face flushed red. “Come on, you think everyone is as dense as you? I can see his intentions clear as day.” “You’re paranoid. This is ridiculous.” I angrily turned to leave. He grabbed me, smiling mockingly: “You don’t believe me? Let’s go confront him then.” “Ethan, are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?!” “Yeah, crazy in love with you. Sick with missing you. You’re mine alone. I don’t have any messy love affairs, and you’re not allowed to have any either.” Ethan was a very possessive person. This became increasingly clear as we spent more time together. I never doubted his feelings for me, because they often felt suffocating. Later he started trying to convince me to move out and live with him. I refused, even avoiding him for a while because of it. Though I knew it was bound to happen eventually. In front of him, I was like an innocent little white rabbit, already in the palm of his hand. He tempted and coaxed me again and again. In the second year of our relationship, he once took me to see a theater performance. He said we’d be back before the dorm curfew, but deliberately delayed until very late. As soon as we left, my heart sank. He wore a black trench coat, tall and straight. His sharp features were tinged with a smile, thin lips curled mischievously. Behind him was the neon-lit street. Then he reached out his hand to me, smiling triumphantly, his voice teasing: “Let’s go. Come home with me.” The apartment he lived in off-campus had been bought by his family long ago. After he promised to behave himself, I nervously set foot in there. It wasn’t my first time coming, but before it had always been during the day, just sitting for a while before leaving. Ethan clearly had ulterior motives. Though he had promised to be well-behaved, as soon as we entered he showed his true colors. I pushed him away, a bit angry: “You’re not keeping your word. I’ll never believe you again.” His laughter by my ear was soft and enticing: “Baby, I’m a man, and a bad man at that.” “But I promise, I’ll only be bad to you. Okay?” He leaned close to my ear. As I trembled all over, he whispered: “I’m not lying to you. We’ll get married right after graduation. If I go back on my word, I’ll die a horrible death.” He said such shocking things while doing equally shocking things. I was at a loss, panicking and not knowing what to do. Ethan called me “Woodhead” one moment and “Baby” the next, his voice gently persuading. But his own ears were bright red too. It must have started raining outside. I could faintly hear the pitter-patter of rain and feel a slight chill. In this vast world, it felt like only the two of us remained. He said: “Be good, Woodhead. Don’t be scared. We’ll always be together, never apart.” “I promise.” My tightly clenched hands were pushed above my head by him. All I could hear was a roaring in my ears, exploding over and over in my mind. I don’t know who said it, but I’d heard that the essence of love is endless pain, and the only cure is for him to love you just as much. In that moment, I thought melodramatically of a line – Outside the wind and rain clatter, the whole world is today. Someone loves me, so I am worthy of being loved.

Ethan said I was a bookworm, and also said I was an idiot. Every time he tried to give me something, we would have an awkward fight. Finally he lost his temper, throwing the shopping bag on the ground in frustration: “Lucy, why do you have to be so stubborn? Look at the clothes you’re wearing. When you weren’t my girlfriend, it was one thing to wear shoes until they fell apart. But now it’s only right for me to spend money on you. What do you mean by this? Are you trying to keep such a clear divide between us?” “You’re even still working part-time jobs. Why do you have to be like this? It’s embarrassing for me too.” I knew what he meant. As his girlfriend, my working part-time jobs had subjected him to gossip. At first when he brought me to eat with his group of friends, their girlfriends were poised and graceful, dressed stylishly and made up beautifully. While I stood out like a sore thumb, wearing no makeup and dressed simply in cheap clothes. At the time someone joked that apparently Ethan liked the pale, young and thin type. Lucy looked like a high schooler. Before Ethan could speak, Wendy chimed in first: “What high schooler? My sister-in-law is Cinderella. She can transform into a princess in an instant and dazzle all your dog eyes.” She said this animatedly, even elbowing Ethan: “Right, brother?” Ethan lazily raised an eyebrow and cursed at them: “What I like is none of your damn business!” I didn’t like eating with them. After Ethan forcibly brought me along a few times, no matter how he insisted next time, I stubbornly refused to go. I even brought up breaking up for the first time because of it: “If you insist on making me go, let’s just break up.” Ethan’s face changed instantly. He narrowed his eyes: “Say that again.” “I’ll say it again. Let’s break up!” I angrily shouted at him, tears spilling out: “I told you from the start that we’re not compatible, we’re different. You keep pushing me. I can’t be the kind of girlfriend you want. I’m happy being Cinderella, okay?” He was stunned for a moment, as if finally realizing something. His voice softened as he coaxed me: “What are you saying? I like Cinderella. Just be yourself, Woodhead. I won’t force you. Don’t talk about breaking up so easily anymore, okay?” I know I had many grievances, and he had his grievances too. People said Ethan was so proud and arrogant, yet his girlfriend Lucy wore a pilled sweater. Lucy even found a part-time job at an off-campus bubble tea shop. I didn’t understand. What sweater doesn’t pill? Just because there are a few pills on the cuffs, does it have to be thrown away? There were plenty of college students working part-time off campus. We were all just trying to live well and work hard. I was utterly ordinary. I only stood out in Ethan’s world. The bars, high-end clubs and shooting ranges they often went to later were places I had never set foot in and didn’t dare to. Why did I have to be so stubborn? He once gave me the latest model phone, insisting I take it, saying it would be easier to keep in touch during breaks. When I went home, Cathy saw the phone and immediately sneered: “I thought you were so high and mighty. You wouldn’t take money before, was it because it wasn’t enough? Now you’re relying on a man to eat, being kept by him, right? No wonder you stopped working part-time during breaks.” “Don’t talk nonsense. You think everyone is like you!” I trembled with anger, not just because of her filthy words, but because after I came home, I found out she had started selling her body to an old man in the neighborhood because she had no money. My aunt told me all this. She had come to check on my dad once and caught the man in our home. That time I came home, Ethan came looking for me once. He texted asking which floor I lived on when he was downstairs. I looked back at Cathy spewing the vilest curses, saying the dirtiest things. Then I saw my increasingly withered dad lying in bed, no longer human-shaped, and the dirty, messy home. In an instant, I felt terrified, almost nauseous. I ran downstairs. Behind me, Cathy cursed again: “What are you going crazy for? You want to be reborn?” Ethan was waiting downstairs. He had driven over and bought gifts. He stood in the sunlight, hands in his pockets, smiling at me. He said he wanted to come up and meet my parents. A chill ran through my whole body. I did everything I could to send him away: “It’s not convenient today. We’re not prepared at all, and my mom isn’t home either.” After finally coaxing him to leave, I went back upstairs to see Cathy standing by the window, looking at me contemptuously: “You think you’re better than me? You found a young one. Next time he gives you a phone, leave this one for me. I should get a new one too. That old man is too stingy, not as good as yours.” … It was Cathy who made me understand that no matter how far I went, I could never escape this hellish abyss. The stinking, dark corners filled me with disgust and nausea. I almost threw up. Then right in front of her, I smashed the phone Ethan had given me to pieces. Her face turned ashen with anger. She raised her hand to slap me, then started beating me. We cursed at each other in the filthy room, using the most vicious language. Cathy slapped me while cursing: “You look down on me, huh? Let me tell you Lucy, you’re just like me. We’re both sluts, whores, living off men’s money. What do you have to be proud of? I spit on you! You’re no different from me, you know?!” No, how could I possibly be like her! If I were like her, I’d rather die right now! I had always understood. For a family like ours, the only thing we could rely on was ourselves. Only by giving it our all could we live proudly as human beings. Only by relying on our own abilities to escape this hell would we truly be free. Besides myself, no one could save me. Not even Ethan. The festering wound in my heart could only be cut out by me. My cousin found out I was dating Ethan in our sophomore year. He said to me: “Lucy, if you’re in an unequal relationship, you need to try your best to make it equal. Only when it’s equal can you be yourself.” If it’s not equal, you’ll be at someone’s mercy. Sooner or later you’ll lose yourself. Someone who has lost themselves will never end up well. I understood it all, and had always been working hard to move forward. But Cathy made me so desperate. In the past I had wished for my dad to die. Now I wished she would hurry up and die. But she was tough as nails. In my sophomore year, she even came to my school once asking me for money. I coldly looked at her and said I didn’t have any. She sneered: “Go ask that boyfriend of yours. He should be pretty rich, right? If you won’t ask, I’ll go ask. My daughter isn’t sleeping with him for free.” I gave her all the money in my card. She said expressionlessly: “Just this little? What about your scholarship? Your hardship subsidy? Doesn’t your boyfriend give you money to spend?” “Let me warn you, better get more money. It’s better than getting pregnant.” “Get out! Get out right now!” Afterwards, I ate only steamed buns for half a month. My relationship with Ethan also deteriorated rapidly. He was unhappy that I was always going out for part-time jobs, with no time to spend with him. On his birthday, I arrived late. By the time I rushed to the restaurant, the party was almost over. He didn’t look very happy. Wendy said: “Sister-in-law is still working part-time on such an important day. Brother, this is your fault. Sister-in-law must be really short on money.” Ethan ignored her, got up and pulled me to leave. He took me back to his apartment and handed me a bank card. He was angry again, saying irritably: “You don’t even have money to buy me a gift, right? I heard you’ve been eating steamed buns in the dorm for days. Lucy, what the hell do you take me for?” “I’m begging you, please take it.” By the end, his voice sounded very tired: “I know you have your pride. In my heart, you’ve always had pride. It won’t change anything if you spend my money. Woodhead, can we both take a step back?” Taking a step back wasn’t impossible. A snail that keeps moving forward, when encountering difficulties, might want to take shelter under a rock. That should be okay, right? I silently accepted the money. Before I had spent a penny, Wendy brought a very pretty girl to find me. That girl was called Olivia. She was also a friend in Ethan’s circle. She was two years older than Ethan and had been studying abroad. Unlike Wendy’s directness, she seemed like a very gentle person. Her voice was also pleasant. She smiled at me: “Lucy, you should call me big sister. Ethan calls me that too.” “On his birthday, he said he wanted to introduce his girlfriend to me, but you only came when the party was ending. We didn’t get a chance to talk. Ethan must have been angry with you, right? Don’t mind him. He’s always been like that, with a bad temper. ” It happened to be lunchtime. Olivia linked arms with me friendlily, saying she wanted to treat Wendy and me to a meal. I wasn’t familiar with Ethan’s circle of friends. But I knew I shouldn’t be impolite. Those people already had a lot of complaints about me. I was also truly trying to overcome difficulties and be with Ethan. They took me to a high-end Western restaurant. Olivia was so gentle. Seeing I wasn’t skilled with knife and fork, she took my steak and cut it for me. She also told me many embarrassing stories about Ethan from before. In that world I couldn’t integrate into, they had grown up together. Wendy smiled brightly, saying her godmother liked Olivia the most back then, calling her the standard for a daughter-in-law. Olivia chided her: “That was when we were little. Why bring it up now? Lucy, don’t mind it. That was just Auntie Chi joking.” I smiled and shook my head, indicating it was fine. She asked again: “You don’t like Western food? I remember Ethan quite likes it.” “It’s not that. Ethan has brought me before.” “Oh, then are you not used to using knife and fork?” “I don’t cut well. Ethan always cuts for me.” “I see. He’s still so considerate.” Olivia’s lips always held a smile. She said to Wendy: “Let’s go shopping later, with Lucy. I saw a dress I liked at Balenciaga last time. I want to try it on. You two can help me take a look.” After finishing the steak, I said I wanted to go back. Olivia and Wendy warmly linked arms with me. They encouraged me to try on a very expensive dress, then told the sales assistant to wrap it up without asking me. I said it wasn’t necessary. Wendy smiled: “Didn’t my brother give you a bank card? You should spend when you need to. Just ask him for more when it’s empty. Everyone knows my brother is rich. He wouldn’t not give you money.” “You’ve never worn such nice clothes, right? You should dress up more. When we eat together, they tease my brother for not willing to spend money on you. He loses face.” That day, they took me to buy many clothes, shoes, and cosmetics. I remained silent until that card was almost empty. Then I didn’t go back to school, but went to wait for Ethan at his apartment. When he came back and saw the shopping bags piled on the coffee table, he seemed quite happy. He said: “I heard from Wendy. They took you shopping and you bought a lot of things. Do you like them, Woodhead?” I looked at him calmly: “It’s all here.” He rummaged through the shopping bags with interest, then said: “Did you use up all the money? I’ll transfer more.” I took out that bank card and put it on the table – “The money in the card, plus these things, totals 100,000. I didn’t touch it.” “What do you mean?” Ethan finally sensed something was wrong. I said: “Ethan, let’s break up.” This was probably the third time I had brought up breaking up. He was stunned, then laughed. He came over and put his arms around my waist: “What’s wrong, Woodhead? Aren’t you happy spending the money? They said you seemed quite happy.” That day, I said we should break up. He didn’t take it seriously. He grabbed my hand and laughed in my ear: “Stop joking. How is this worth breaking up over? Isn’t there nothing that can’t be solved by sleeping together? Couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot.” He was always like this. During cold wars he’d say, what’s the big deal that needs a cold war? Come on, let’s sit down and talk it out clearly. When breaking up he’d say, what break up? It’s not like there’s any fundamental issue. Come here baby, let big brother hug you. Let’s go to bed and improve our relationship… The little squabbles and break-ups seemed to have become seasoning to enhance our relationship. He liked to press me down, watch me struggle until I was exhausted, until I had no more strength to make a fuss. Then he would kiss my forehead with satisfaction and chuckle: “Finished venting? Let big brother help you cool down some more…” But not all cold wars can be resolved by sitting down to talk. If everything could be explained clearly, my dysfunctional family wouldn’t be such a mess. I also wouldn’t be living such a miserable life. I was so sensitive and insecure. When he gathered with friends, everyone else brought their girlfriends intimately. Only me, he could never get me to come out. He had said I could be myself, but later he couldn’t help complaining and getting angry, saying I didn’t really like him, that I didn’t give him face. He got angrier and angrier. Whenever he heard I was working part-time outside, he would be full of rage. I silently watched him argue with me. Then I got used to just turning and walking away. A few days later, he would lower himself to coax me, saying he was wrong and wouldn’t do it again. Gradually, I became more and more unwilling to deal with him. He started finding ways to call me, saying he drank too much, pitifully asking me to come pick him up. The worst time, he had his friend call me saying he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. I softened and went to his apartment to check on him, only to see him pretending, with slyness hidden in his eyes. “Woodhead, don’t be mad anymore. Big brother was wrong. I’ll apologize, okay?” In our junior year, he brought up wanting to meet my family again. He said he wanted to get married after graduation, so both sets of parents should meet first. He also said his parents were very open-minded and had wanted to meet me for a long time. I couldn’t help but think, meet what? To see my dad’s inhuman state? Or to see my mom’s vulgar, money-grubbing ways? I was silent, then silent some more. Finally I opened my mouth: “I don’t have a good relationship with my mom.” He said: “That’s okay. I know. Back in high school I heard she likes to play mahjong and rarely takes care of you.” “It’s fine, Woodhead. We’re just meeting the parents and discussing marriage plans. From now on, big brother will take care of you.” “It’s too rushed. Let’s wait until we have stable jobs to talk about it.” Ethan dismissed this: “Whatever job you want to do, my mom can arrange it. I’ll take over the family business sooner or later anyway. I’d rather get married first. Woodhead, we agreed on this before.” In this relationship, I had finally started to have thoughts of retreating. Because Ethan said it was his parents’ wedding anniversary and they had specifically invited me. Ethan helped me prepare a gift for this – a necklace from his mom’s favorite jewelry brand. I said: “No one will believe I bought this if you take it.” He put his arm around my shoulder: “It’s a gift from both of us, not just you.” He wanted to take me shopping for clothes again. This time, I had no reason to refuse. The ugly duckling has to meet the in-laws eventually. Ethan’s mom was kinder than I had imagined. She was elegant, youthful, with good temperament and figure. She smiled as she greeted me, saying she had heard my name long ago, that her precious son had been keeping me hidden. Ethan said his parents would both like me. But later when I came out of the restroom on my way to the hotel banquet hall, I overheard his mom chatting with Olivia. Olivia said: “Auntie finally got to meet Lucy. Isn’t she pretty?” Ethan’s mom laughed: “Not as pretty as you. That boy of mine has poor taste. He can’t see what’s right in front of him, letting a little girl bewitch him instead.” “What can we do? Ethan likes her. He even said he wants to get married right after graduation.” “He’s just talking. How could that be taken seriously?” Ethan’s mom said unhurriedly: “Marriage is such a big deal. We can’t go through with it without thoroughly investigating the background.” “Auntie doesn’t like Lucy?” “I can’t say I like or dislike her. She just seems a bit petty. Thinking of my son falling for her leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We had originally planned for him to study abroad. For a little girlfriend, he stubbornly refused to go.” … I didn’t return to the banquet hall. Instead, I aimlessly wandered the hotel floors. Then I saw Wendy. She seemed to have come looking for me deliberately. From the beginning, she had never liked me. Now she didn’t even bother pretending, speaking to me frankly: “The dress is pretty. Didn’t you used to refuse to spend my brother’s money? What, can’t keep up the act anymore?” I stared at her motionlessly: “You seem to have always had ill intentions towards me. Why?” “Because you’re not worthy. You don’t really think you can marry my brother, do you? It’s impossible, Lucy. To tell you the truth, godmother has already investigated your family background thoroughly. She knows everything. So she’ll never accept you. In her mind, the ideal daughter-in-law is Olivia.” “If you still have any self-awareness, you should leave on your own. Stop clinging to my brother.” “I’m not clinging to him. He’s the one clinging to me. So you should say this to him.” “Do you have any shame? Do you want my brother to know your true colors?” “What true colors?” “Your mom is grasping for money at her age, and like mother like daughter. You refuse to spend my brother’s money, but that’s just a more sophisticated tactic. We’ve seen plenty of people like you. Why pretend?” “You’re being very rude.” “This is rude? I haven’t even said the worst yet. Do you dare tell my brother about the mess in your family? You know you’re not worthy of him, right? Don’t humiliate yourself.” TThat day, I left before the banquet even started. I turned off my phone without notifying anyone. I returned to the dorm and saw Megan cooking instant noodles.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296070”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School