In apocalyptic and rebirth fiction, characters who are given a second chance to change their past mistakes often face the challenge of confronting the consequences of their previous actions while learning to make better choices. The narrative explores themes of accountability, personal growth, and the moral responsibility to protect others, particularly vulnerable individuals like children. Through strategic planning and evidence gathering, protagonists can expose wrongdoing and achieve justice, demonstrating that personal transformation is possible when individuals take responsibility for their past actions and commit to positive change.
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Rebirth, I Didn’t Stop My Mother-in-Law from Having a Baby at Her Age. Watched Consequences Unfold追加:
My elderly mother-in-law was pregnant at an advanced age. I advised her to have an abortion given the risks of her age, but she responded by slapping me. My husband immediately shielded her and scolded me, saying, "Ching Tang, how can you be so selfish?" Later, after much deliberation, my mother-in-law had the child aborted. But after my daughter was born, she abandoned my baby in a storage room. I knelt and begged her for some formula milk, but she poured the whole can down the drain, saying, "Let her starve to death. It'll save us money."
On my daughter's one-mon birthday, I drank the nourishing soup my mother-in-law personally handed me as blood oozed from my seven orphases. I saw her smothering my daughter with a pillow. After I died, my husband chose to forgive my mother-in-law and took a new wife. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the familiar living room. Yuiwa stroked her flat belly and announced triumphantly, "I'm pregnant. I put on my gentlest smile and said,"Congratulations, Mom. This is truly wonderful news. This time, I will let her experience firsthand how dangerous it is to give birth at an advanced age, how agonizing it is to lose a child, and what it feels like to be betrayed by those closest to her." one. The excruciating pain came in waves like a tide, and my vision was already blurred with sweat on the delivery bed. I could feel my life slipping away. Yet, I still gripped the sheets tightly, fighting desperately to give birth to this child. The mother's blood pressure is dropping. Prepare for an emergency C-section. The doctor's voice came from far away. No, the mother-in-law's shrill voice cut through the chaos of the delivery room. Natural birth is better for the child. When I gave birth to Mchuan back in the day, it was a near-death experience. Young people these days are just too delicate.
I opened my mouth to call for help, but no sound came out. Where is my husband?
Why isn't he coming to save me? My vision began to go dark. The last thing I was aware of was my mother-in-law's face leaning close to mine. Good riddance, the useless one died. Now she can pay with her life for my younger son. I died, but strangely, I could still see. I saw myself covered in a white sheet being wheeled out of the delivery room. I watched my newborn daughter being brutally abused to death by my mother-in-law and saw my husband not even shed a single tear as he signed the letter of understanding. I saw my mother cry until she fainted at my funeral while my mother-in-law wore a bright red dress as if attending a celebration. My soul drifted in the void for what felt like an eternity when suddenly a blinding white light struck.
Sang Ning, "What are you spacing out for? Your mom is talking to you." My husband's impatient voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked and the scene before me sent a chill through my entire body. The familiar dining room, the familiar table. My mother-in-law sat at the head, wiping the corner of her mouth with that pretentious elegance. This was the family dinner 6 months after my father-in-law's passing. In the previous life, it was on this very day that my mother-in-law announced she was pregnant. I mean, the mother-in-law said, stroking her flat belly with a dreamy smile on her face. Before Lau left, he gave me one last gift. I'm pregnant. It's been 6 weeks. My fingers dug deep into my palms. The pain reminding me this wasn't an illusion.
I've been reborn back to the day the tragedy began in my past life. Upon hearing this news, I immediately whispered to my husband, urging him to consider the risks of his elderly mother's pregnancy. My mother-in-law overheard, stormed over, and slapped me across the face, yelling that I was an outsider but budding in. That slap shattered the last of my illusions about this family. Oh my god, mom, what a wonderful surprise. My voice brimmed with joy as I stood up and walked over to my mother-in-law, gently hugging her.
This is the best keepsake Dad could have left for you. The mother-in-law was clearly stunned, and even my husband shot me a surprised look. The mei from my past life would never have reacted this way. You're only 58 with how advanced medicine is these days. It's completely fine, I continued. A perfect smile on my face. Mchuan, don't you agree? We're going to have a little brother or sister. My husband's expression shifted from surprise to satisfaction. Sang Ning is right, Mom.
Just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. The mother-in-law gave me a suspicious look, but was soon pleased by her son's agreement. Mchuan is so considerate. Old Mr. Lou will surely bless this child from above. I sat back down, lowering my head to drink my soup, hiding the cold gleam in my eyes. Yes, I'll make sure you all get exactly what you wish for. This time I won't stop my mother-in-law from having so-called gift again because I'm going to let her experience firsthand what it means to reap what she sews. Two, the hospital's blood test report trembles slightly in my hand, 3 weeks pregnant, exactly the same point in time as in my previous life. Standing in the obstetrics and gynecology corridor, I watched the swollen bellies of pregnant women and memories from my past life come flooding back like a tide. the loud cry of my daughter at birth, the hands my mother-in-law reached out with in faint affection, and the small purplish blue body I saw in the nursery. Three months later, when I was barely alive, hemorrhaging from a difficult delivery, my mother-in-law stood right there by the birthing bed, watching me struggle on the edge of death. But after enduring countless hardships to finally give birth to my daughter, she turned around and pulled out my oxygen tube. Ms. saying, "Would you like to schedule your next prenatal checkup?" The nurse's question brought me back to reality. No, thank you. I folded the examination report and tucked it into the bottom of my bag. I'd like to schedule an abortion. The nurse was visibly taken aback. Are you sure? The fetus is very healthy. Friday afternoon in 2 weeks, I interrupted, my voice calm, as if I weren't deciding the fate of a life.
Please arrange it at the third branch in the outer suburbs. Walking out of the hospital, the early summer sun felt searing on my skin. At this time in my previous life, I was joyfully preparing to surprise my husband. Now, the examination report in my bag felt like a burning coal, scorching my ribs with pain. This child cannot be kept. It's not that I don't love her, but that I know all too well the fate awaiting her rather than letting her relive the pain of her previous life. Her departure will serve as the first step in my revenge.
My phone buzzed, the word husband flashing on the screen. Mom wants the osmanthis cakes from south of the city.
Buy them on your way back before making dinner. His commanding tone was exactly as it had been in the previous life. She's feeling sick from the pregnancy.
Don't doawle. Okay, I'll go right away, I replied obediently. The line at the pastry shop south of the city was long.
I slowly moved forward in the queue, using the time to look over the test results in my bag. In my previous life, I didn't announce the news until I was 8 weeks pregnant. This time, I'm taking the initiative. It was nearly 7 when I got home, my mother-in-law was half lying on the leather sofa. As soon as she saw me walk in, her face darkened. 3 hours just to buy some pastries. Are you trying to starve us? Sorry, the line was too long. I looked down and changed my shoes, deliberately letting the prenatal record folder slip out of my bag and fall to the floor. What's this? My husband picked it up first, pulled out the test results and his expression changed. You're pregnant. My mother-in-law shot up as if pricricked by a needle and snatched the papers.
That's impossible. Since when? 3 weeks.
I touched my flat belly and gave a shy smile. Around the same time as mom. What a coincidence. My husband opened his mouth, his gaze darting between me and his mother. That mama's boy stood there like a frozen robot, completely unsure whom to check on first. Three, Mchuan. I softly broke the silence, though it's a bit earlier than expected. Isn't it good for the two children to grow up together? What's so good about it? My mother-in-law suddenly shrieked, throwing the test results on the ground.
I need peace and quiet for my pregnancy, but she has to steal the spotlight. Mom, don't get so worked up. My husband quickly steadied her, then turned to me with a frown. Sang Ning, how could you not discuss such a big matter in advance? I bent down to pick up the test results, forcing down the taste of blood rising in my throat. See, that's the rule of the Lou family. I even need to apply in advance to be pregnant. I thought you'd be happy, I said. My eyes instantly filling with tears. My acting even better than my mother-in-laws.
In her previous life, the doctor said they might be twins. Twins. My husband's attitude softened immediately. This man who deeply values ancestral worship fell for that sort of thing the most. The mother-in-law fixed a sinister glare on my belly. Do you have any idea how risky it is for an older mother to carry twins? If you miscary mom, my husband rarely interrupted her. Sang Ning is only 32. That's not advanced maternal age. I seized the chance to offer her some Osmanthis cake. Mom, please have something to eat. I'll go make dinner right away. The mother-in-law knocked the pastry box to the floor. Spare me the fake concern. You're just doing this to spite me. She suddenly clutched her stomach and groaned. Ouch. My stomach hurts, Mom. My husband panicked at once and shot me a vicious glare. Look at the mess you've caused. And so the act began in her past life. She always used this trick, too, pretending to be in pain whenever I showed the slightest resistance. I stood still, calmly observing her exaggerated performance.
"I'll call an ambulance," I said, reaching for my phone. "No need," she immediately stopped her groaning and glared at me viciously. "Just help me back to my room, Mchuan, you come with me. My husband escorted her away like a loyal dog, throwing me a warning glance before leaving. I smiled as I watched them go upstairs, then leisurely picked up the scattered as manthus cakes. In the kitchen, I chopped vegetables while plotting my next move. My mother-in-law's reaction was even more intense than expected, which was perfect. Anger clouds judgment, and what I wanted was for her to lose control. At dinner, my mother-in-law refused to come downstairs for my husband took a tray upstairs and came back empty-handed half an hour later, his face dark. Mom is really upset. He sat down and immediately started blaming me. You knew she's emotionally unstable with the pregnancy. Why did you have to choose this time? I didn't expect mom to be so bothered by it. I lowered my head and ate. My voice laced with grievance. The baby is happy news. Isn't it? My husband ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Anyway, just try to be more understanding with mom. It's not easy for her to be pregnant at her age. I will, I replied obediently, then abruptly changed the subject. By the way, didn't mom say before that she wanted to hire a maternity nurse? M. She said she wants to hire two. One to take care of the newborn and one to take care of her. I thought about it. I put down my spoon, looking innocent. How about we save that money for mom's postpartum recovery instead? I can ask a relative to recommend a confinement nanny. It'll save us a lot. My husband's eyes lit up.
You know someone suitable? Asked this stingy man who cared most about money.
My cousin just got her confinement nanny certification. She only charges half the market rate. I lied without changing my expression. And she's especially good at taking care of older new mothers. Bring her to meet mom tomorrow. My husband decided falling right into my trap. Late at night, I lay in bed pretending to sleep, listening to my husband's snores beside me. Yet her hand was gently caressing her flat lower abdomen. I'm sorry, my child, but your departure would cause far greater damage than your existence ever could. Wasn't the gift in her belly what my mother-in-law valued most. I want her to watch with her own eyes how this gift destroys.
Everything she holds dear. The day of my mother-in-law's prenatal checkup had become a major event in the household. I stood in front of the wardrobe, watching her try on her fifth maternity dress.
the silk fabric glowing with an expensive luster in the morning light.
This one makes you look slimmer. I handed her a pearl necklace, pretending not to notice the beads of sweat on the back of her neck. The doctor said, "All your indicators look excellent." She gave a snort, but still took the necklace. For the past half month, I've been waiting on her hand and foot like a queen. Even my husband was surprised by how understanding I've become. Mchuan, aren't you ready yet? My mother-in-law called out toward the stairwell. Coming.
Coming. My husband ran downstairs while fastening his tie. Car keys in hand.
Sang Ning. Did you pack mom's thermos?
All set. Red date tea at 40°. I smiled and handed over the carefully prepared hospital bag with every item arranged just the way my mother-in-law likes it.
In my past life, when I was struggling with childbirth, they hadn't prepared so much as a single sanitary pad for me.
After seeing them off, I immediately went upstairs and locked the bedroom door behind me from the bottom drawer of the nightstand. I took out the bottle of prenatal vitamins, poured out two pills, and crushed them into a tissue. These aren't vitamins at all. They're birth control pills. Ever since I confirmed the rebirth, I've been taking them to make sure the baby in my womb never truly develops.
Five. My phone vibrated. It was a reminder from the hospital about my abortion procedure. I deleted the message and opened my computer to search for pregnancy complications in advanced maternal age. The printer hummed as it turned out page after page. Gestational hypertension, diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage. I highlighted every risk with a fluorescent marker. The sound of the lock turning made me quickly hide all the evidence. By the time my husband pushed the door open, I was already in my pajamas. Tidying the closet. Mom's test results came back fine. He loosened his tie. The doctor said the fetus is larger than average for its gestational age. It might be a boy. That's great. I pretended to be delighted. By the way, my cousin is coming tomorrow to interview for the nanny position. Is it convenient for you to meet her? Mom? He frowned. Mom's having tea with her friends tomorrow. How about another day?
I lowered my head to hide my sneer. My mother-in-law's so-called tea party with the ladies was nothing more than a stage for her to flaunt her geriatric pregnancy. Then I'll go with you, Mom. I have a surprise to announce. I touched my flat belly. My husband immediately tensed up. What surprise? You'll find out tomorrow. I gave him a mysterious smile and turned toward the bathroom, making sure he caught a glimpse of the hospital appointment slip peeking out of my pajama pocket. The next morning, I got up early on purpose to make my mother-in-law's favorite shrimp dumplings. By the time she slowly came downstairs, I had already set out the dishes and chopsticks. Why are you so attentive today? She asked, eyeing me suspiciously. Mom, today is a good day.
I served her some porridge. I'd like to take you to the tea party. She was about to refuse when she suddenly caught sight of the hospital appointment slip I had deliberately placed on the coffee table.
She grabbed it, her eyes widening. An abortion today. My husband's spoon clattered to the floor. What? My eyes instantly reened. I went for a follow-up yesterday. The doctor said the embryo has stopped developing. I pulled out a fake ultrasound report with trembling hands. I need the surgery as soon as possible. My mother-in-law's expression shifted rapidly from shock to concealed delight. Then she forced a bit of sympathy. Oh dear, this how sudden. Mom.
My husband rushed over and hugged me.
The first voluntary embrace in 6 months.
Why didn't you say something earlier? I didn't want to upset your mom. I sobbed against his shoulder, watching my mother-in-law's reaction from the corner of my eye. She was staring at the ultrasound report, the corners of her mouth uncontrollably turning upward.
I'll go with you to the hospital. My husband said, "No need. It's just a minor procedure. I wiped away non-existent tears. Doesn't mom have her tea party today? Don't make her miss it.
My mother-in-law immediately chimed in.
That's right, Minguan. Go with her. I'll just have sister Lee pick me up. She patted my shoulder with a force three times heavier than usual. Take care of yourself. There will be other chances. I lowered my head as if in sorrow, sneering inwardly. Of course, she wanted my husband to go with me. That way she could revel at her tea party in telling everyone about her daughter-in-law's unfortunate miscarriage while conveniently showing off her own robust for her age. Pregnant belly six. The surgery appointment was fake. The place I really need to go as the bank over the past month. I quietly sorted through all the transactions in our joint accounts and discovered that my husband transfers a monthly support payment to his mother far exceeding normal amounts at the bank counter. I handed over our marriage certificate and my ID. Please check all the accounts linked to my name. The teller typed for a moment, then looked up. There had been recent large withdrawals from the joint account under your and your husband's names. Would you like the details? Print everything. The pages kept coming out of the printer. Thicker and thicker. I scanned through them quickly, my heart racing. Aside from the known transfers, my husband had also secretly used our joint savings to buy a high-v valueue pension insurance policy for his mother.
Listing only himself as the beneficiary.
Print the transaction history for this card, too, I said, pointing to an unfamiliar card number at the very bottom. I found this in my husband's old wallet, but never had the chance to verify it before. The results made my breath catch. Over the past 2 years, this card had received monthly payments from Liha Decoration, totaling nearly 400,000. And Lihua Decoration was the Shell company under my mother-in-law's name that had never actually operated.
So that was it. My husband had been transferring our joint assets all along through fake transactions. A secret I had taken to my grave in my past life was now laid bare before my eyes. I took photos of the documents for evidence and locked the originals in a newly rented safe deposit box. As I stepped out of the bank, the sunlight was so blinding that I couldn't open my eyes. My phone rang. It was my husband. Is the surgery over? Your mom wants to know if you'd like some chicken soup. I almost laughed out loud. No, I just need some quiet. I lowered my voice, pretending to be weak.
Could you bring me some birds nest kanji from the east side of town tonight?
Okay, get some rest. The concern in his voice was impossible to tell if genuine or fake. I hung up, took a cab, and went to Ching Jyn's clinic. This former college classmate of mine was now an obstitrician gynecologist. In my past life, she had secretly told me that the confinement meal my mother-in-law had prepared for me was problematic. Sang Ningqing Gene was shocked to see me.
Weren't you scheduled for today? It's fake. I closed the door. I need a favor.
Half an hour later, I left with a real miscarriage certificate and several documents on the risks of advanced maternal age. Changing Gene also handed me a small bottle. The dosage is very low, but enough to cause severe morning sickness. Seven. When I got home, I was surprised to find my mother-in-law making soup in the kitchen. As she turned around, I clearly saw the smuggness she couldn't hide in time.
You're back. I made you some Angelica chicken soup. She ladled a bowl and handed it to me. It's good for your blood. Thanks, Mom. I pretended to take a sip. You should sit down and rest.
Don't tire yourself out. She nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly covered her mouth and wretched. I quickly helped her sit down and seized the chance to sprinkle the powder Ching Gene had given me into her thermos. Mom, you look pale.
Have some water. She drank a few sips unsuspectingly, and soon her face turned pale. How strange. I suddenly feel dizzy. That's how it is with an advanced maternal age pregnancy. I handed her the printed risk information with a worried look. The doctor was just saying that women your age are most prone to hyperemmesis gravidorum. My mother-in-law's fingers trembled slightly as she looked at the highlighted high-risk warnings in the document. Just then, my husband walked in carrying bird's nest porridge. Seeing the scene, he rushed over. What's wrong with mom? Maybe she's overexerted herself. I sighed. Mom insisted on making soup for me. The mother-in-law wanted to argue back but was interrupted by an even more violent wave of nausea.
The husband frantically flipped through the documents, his face growing darker.
"Mom," the doctor said, "you need absolute rest in this condition. I looked at this mother and son, one pale as a ghost, the other panicked, and felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction. This is just the beginning, dear mother-in-law. One by one, I will return every nightmare you so carefully designed on the seventh day after my miscarriage. My mother-in-law was already so nauseated she couldn't get out of bed. The anti-nausea medication prescribed by the doctor seemed to have no effect. Her sunken eyes made her look like a skeleton. Mom didn't eat anything again today. The husband frowned at the untouched meal tray when he returned from work. I was bringing a new vomit bag to my mother-in-law's room. That's how hyperemmesis gravidorum works. I looked it up. It can last into the second trimester. He tugged at his hair in frustration. Why wasn't it this bad for you back then? I was young, I said with a bitter smile. The doctor said the risk rises sharply after 35. Mom's at this age. I deliberately trailed off.
That was exactly the effect I wanted to make him start doubting his mother's decision subconsciously. Late at night, I quietly got up and fished out my mother-in-law's pregnancy diary hidden in the bedside drawer. It was a habit she had kept for decades in my past life. I once accidentally came across the vicious curses she had written about me. May 20th, that miscarried today serves her right. Minguan actually looked a little sad, pathetic. May 25th, throwing up badly. That must be jinxing me. She acts so filial. She probably put something in the soup. I let out a cold laugh and kept flipping through. June 1, an old classmate introduced me to a master who claims to be able to predict a baby's gender. The master asked for my and Minguan<unk>s birth dates and times. Calculated that it would be a boy, but warned us to beware of treachery. I quickly took photos of these pages with my phone, especially the so-called master's contact information. In her previous life, she had also sought out this charlatan, only to be swindled out of 100,000 yuan back then. I foolishly tried to comfort her. Now looking back, it's utterly ironic. Eight. The next morning during breakfast, my mother-in-law was so weak she could barely hold her spoon steady. My husband finally couldn't hold back anymore. Mom, how about considering the doctors?
Advice? What advice? She asked, looking up wearily. It means terminating the pregnancy. My husband said with difficulty. Your body really can't.
Nonsense. My mother-in-law slammed the table, splattering porridge from her bowl onto the tablecloth. Did that say something to you? I was just bringing out the juice when I heard this. I froze on the spot, my eyes turning red instantly. Mom, I'm just worried about you. Don't act so pitiful.
She grabbed a napkin and hurled it at me. Ever since you had the miscarriage, I've been feeling unwell. You must have done something. Rarely. My husband took my side. Mom Sang Ning waits on you every day. How can you say that? Seeing that her son wasn't taking her side. My mother-in-law quickly changed tactics, covering her face and sobbing. What sin have I committed? Old Lou is gone. And now even my son doesn't want me anymore.
My husband was suddenly at a loss. I promptly handed her a tissue and said softly, "It's just the pregnancy hormones affecting mom's mood. I understand." The farce ended with my mother-in-law going back to her room to rest. My husband looked at me guilty.
Sang Ning. Mom wasn't like this before.
I understand. I interrupted him softly.
By the way, manager Wong from the finance department is looking for you.
Something about an urgent project. His expression changed. How do you know? You left your phone in the bathroom, so I charged it for you. I lied without changing my expression. I heard it vibrate and took a look. Actually, I had gone through all his call logs and emails. That urgent project was actually a romantic date with a female colleague, something I had been completely in the dark about in my previous life. After my husband hurried out, I immediately began organizing all the evidence I had gathered, bank transfer records, pregnancy diary entries, flirtatious text messages. As the printer was working, my mother-in-law suddenly appeared at the study. Door, "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously, staring at the printer as it spewed out paper. Just some work stuff. I quickly switched screens. A friend referred a freelance design project to me. Thought I'd earn some extra cash to help with household expenses. She gave a dismissive snort. You're barely a few days post miscarriage and already thinking about money. Anyone would think the Lou family was mistreating you.
You're right to scold me. Mother, I lowered my head in apology.
While making sure she saw the bank balance I deliberately left open on the screen, a number that was less than a tenth of my actual savings, my mother-in-law took the bait. How is it that low? Didn't Minguan just get his bonus? Maybe some bad investments. I pretended to hesitate. Mchuan said you knew about it. Knew about what? Her voice shot up sharply. That insurance project. I stopped mid-sentence. Never mind. I probably misunderstood. My mother-in-law's expression flickered.
Between gloom and uncertainty, but in the end, she left without another word.
I knew she would definitely confront her husband about the money, and that was exactly what I wanted. 9. In the afternoon, I went to Ching Jyn<unk>s clinic for a follow-up. You're recovering well, she said after the examination. But psychological wounds take time to heal. I gave a rise smile.
Still, it's much better than my past life. Seeing no one around, I lowered my voice. That so-called master have you looked into him? Ching Jene nodded. Just a fraud. Pray specifically on pregnant women. He was reported last month and is currently under police investigation.
Perfect. I smiled. Can you help provide some anonymous tips like a list of the older pregnant clients he's been in contact with recently. As I left the clinic, I received a call from my husband. His voice sounded more flustered than I had ever heard it. Sang Ning. The police have taken mom away.
What? What's going on? I asked, figning.
Shock. They say it's suspected fraud.
Damn it. How could mom? He was incoherent. Come back now. We're going to the police station. At the police station, my mother-in-law sat in the interrogation room, pale as a ghost. It turned out that the so-called master had been reported for using birth details to commit fraud. The police followed the clues and found a recent list of victims. and the hundred,000 yuan my mother-in-law had transferred was right there on it. I just wanted to find out the baby's gender. She sobbed, clutching her. Son's hand, how was I supposed to know he was a con artist? My husband's face darkened. Mom, where did you get a h 100red,000 yuan? My mother-in-law hesitated, her eyes darting around. I seized the moment to interject. Was it the money dad left behind? She immediately latched on to the idea. Yes, yes, it was old Lou's inheritance. My husband was skeptical. I knew what he was thinking. There was hardly anything left of his father's inheritance. This crack would widen over time, and all I had to do was wait patiently after completing the formalities. My mother-in-law was too weak to walk. On the way home in the car, she suddenly grabbed the front seat and curled up in pain. Mom, my husband said, slamming on the brakes. My stomach, it hurts so much. She was drenched in cold sweat. I immediately called 120 and noticed blood seeping through her pants. A pregnant woman at an advanced age, frightened like this. It would be a miracle if nothing went wrong. As the ambulance screamed toward us, I gripped the voice recorder in my bag. Even as she was lifted onto the stretcher, my mother-in-law kept cursing. It's all that bitch's fault. She's bad luck for me. This time, my husband did not immediately argue. The look he gave me was complicated and hard to read. While I responded with an innocent yet worried expression in the hospital corridor, the doctor solemnly informed us. Threatened miscarriage. You need to be hospitalized for observation. My husband slumped down on the bench. I gently held his hand and said, "It'll be okay." But in my mind, I was counting how much of Cheng Jyn's medicine I had left. My mother-in-law managed to save the baby, but the doctor warned that she must remain on bed rest until delivery. When I went home to pack things for the hospital stay, I found the ward off evil talisman under her pillow. On it was clearly written my name and birth date. I lit the talisman with a lighter and watched it turn to ashes in a ceramic cup. Dear mother-in-law, your little tricks are far too childish.
The real revenge has only just begun.
10. The day my mother-in-law was discharged from the hospital. The bitter scent of Chinese medicine lingered throughout the house. She lay half reclining on the shea's lounge in the living room. Her abdomen already notably swollen. Her complexion as salow as an old newspaper. The doctor said she needs absolute rest. My husband said, handing me bags of Chinese herbs with a weariness I had never seen in him before. Sang Ning, this is going to be hard on you. It's<unk> only right. I replied, taking the medicine. This man who once made my heart race now turned my stomach. My mother-in-law suddenly opened her eyes. Minguan, what about my bird's nest soup? I'm keeping it warm in the kitchen. I turned to go fetch it, but she stopped me with a sharp yell.
Who asked you to get it? She struggled to sit up. Minguan, you go. Her hands are dirty. My husband furrowed his brows tightly, yet still obediently.
Headed to the kitchen. For the past month, he'd been running back and forth between his company and the hospital with deep dark circles under his eyes. I noticed a few new white hairs sprouting at the back of his head and sneered inwardly. In my past life, when I suffered from postpartum depression, he was never this attentive. Mom, don't keep getting angry. I sat beside her and deliberately lowered my voice. It's not good for the baby. She immediately clutched her stomach and glared at me.
Wearily, stop cursing my child. Why would I do that? I put on a hurt expression and took out a box of imported nuts from my bag. I bought these especially for you. They contain DHA, which is great for the baby's brain development. She took it skeptically and looked at the packaging. Isn't this too expensive? No price is too high for this. I smiled. It's a gift for you and dad. When my husband returned with the bird's nest, his mother had already eaten half a box of nuts. She proudly waved the box at her son. Look how filial your wife is. She's much better than you. My husband gave me a surprised look. and I responded with a gentle obedient smile. For the past month, I had been carefully playing the role of a devoted daughter-in-law. So much so that even the cleaning lady in the community praised my filop piety. By the way, mom, I mentioned casually, Dr. Jean suggests you get some proper exercise to prevent gestational diabetes. What diabetes? My mother-in-law immediately grew tense. Common illnesses in older pregnant women, I said worriedly. But don't worry, just control your diet and exercise more. My husband immediately agreed. Sang Ning is right.
Mom, you have to listen to the doctor.
My mother-in-law nodded reluctantly. I lowered my head to organize the medicine bag, hiding the smile at the corner of my mouth. In my past life, she used the doctor's advice to force me into a natural birth. Now it's her turn to taste that bitter pill. 11. After dinner, my husband did the dishes. A rare sight. I stood at the kitchen door watching his clumsy movements and suddenly said, "Minguan, I want to get back into design." His hand slipped and the plate nearly fell. "Now household expenses have gone up and mom needs nutritional supplements," I said softly.
"A longtime client just asked me to design some jewelry. I could work from home. My husband dried his hands." His brow furrowed. "Mom needs looking after now. I promise it. won't get in the way, I said quickly. And we'll split the income 7030. 70 for you, 30 for me. His eyes lit up. This greedy man would never turn down money. Fine, but don't let mom find out. Of course, I replied obediently, sneering inwardly. Of course, he didn't want his mother to know. Otherwise, that 70% share would be taken away. Back in the study, I opened the long- neglected design software. In my past life, I had been a moderately known jewelry designer. But after marriage, I was forced to give up my career by my mother-in-law. Now, those skills would become my weapon. The first order was a simple wedding ring design.
I deliberately added a few inconspicuous flaws. Just enough to dissatisfy the client, but not enough to get the piece returned immediately. I needed an excuse to frequently go out for meetings rather than actually wanting to earn money. At 2:00 a.m., while I was modifying the design blueprint, the study door suddenly swung open. My mother in-law stood in the doorway, her pregnant belly protruding.
Her robe loosely tied. Mom, why are you up? I quickly switched screens. Without answering, she walked straight up to me and flipped open my laptop. What the hell are you doing up in the middle of the night? On the screen was clearly my chat window with Chang Gene. The last message sent 10 minutes ago read, "Cut the dosage in half again, otherwise the liver and kidney damage will be irreversible." My mother-in-law's face darkened instantly. "What medicine are you trying to poison me?" "You've misunderstood, Mom." I stood up hastily, pretending to panic as I blocked the screen. This is a tonic prescribed by Dr. Chang. She slapped me, but I was ready. I pretended to stumble and knock into the bookshelf, sending several books crashing to the floor. My husband rushed in at the noise. What's going on? Your wife is trying to kill me. My mother-in-law pointed at the screen hysterically. She's drugging me.
My husband looked at the screen, but I started crying first. That's birth control medicine prescribed by Dr. Chang. After the miscarriage, I need 6 months of recovery before trying again.
I sobbed into my hands. I was afraid mom would be upset if she knew, so I kept it a secret. My husband studied the chat log with a complicated expression. It did indeed say, "Birth control and recovery. My mother-in-law refused to let it go. She's lying. I've been dizzy lately. It must be her." Mom, my husband suddenly raised his voice. Sang Ning has been taking care of you ever since her miscarriage. How can you think of her that way? I looked up in shock. It was the first time in 6 months that he had stood up to his mother for me. My mother-in-law was also stunned, then burst into rage. You're yelling at me for her. I'm carrying your own little brother in my belly. I just wish you would be reasonable. My husband said wearily, rubbing his temples. Sang Ning, go to bed. I lowered my head and left the study, hearing my mother-in-laws screams and the sound of things being thrown behind me. Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling and smiled silently. 12.
The next morning at breakfast, her mother-in-law refused to come downstairs. Her husband ate alone with dark circles under his eyes, then suddenly said, "Take that design job." I paused with my chopsticks. Mom agreed.
No need to tell her. He lowered his head to sip his porridge. Just handle it carefully. I nodded obediently, but I knew his change of heart wasn't out of consideration for me. He was simply exhausted from his mother's antics and desperately needed a punching bag. In the days that followed, I worked every morning, but I actually went to Ching Jyn's clinic or the lawyer's office. In the afternoons, I came home to attend to my mother-in-law, adding a little seasoning to her meals. Nothing that would harm the baby, but enough to make a pregnant woman extremely uncomfortable. My mother-in-law's condition worsened steadily the day the gestational diabetes diagnosis came through. She smashed everything in the living room she could get her hands on. This is all because of your curse. She yelled, pointing at my nose. Ever since you had the miscarriage, I haven't had a single good day. I stood among the shattered pieces and suddenly didn't want to pretend anymore. Mom, the doctor said this is a common condition for older pregnant women. What does it have to do with me? My mother-in-law hadn't expected me to talk back. And for a moment, she was speechless. My husband came out of the study when he heard the noise. What now? Your wife is getting too big for her britches. My mother-in-law immediately wailed. I have such a hard life. Old Lou is gone. And now my daughter-in-law is bullying me.
My husband looked at me with a weariness I had never seen before. I met his gaze calmly. I was just stating the facts.
That remark was like a spark to a fuse.
My mother-in-law grabbed the fruit bowl from the coffee table and hurled it at me. I sidestepped it. The bowl hit the wall with a crash and fruit scattered all over the floor. Enough. Her husband suddenly shouted, "Mom, can you just give it a rest?" The mother-in-law's eyes widened in shock. Then she clutched her stomach and groaned, "Oh, my stomach, the baby." This time, instead of panicking, I calmly dialed 120 before the ambulance arrived. I leaned close to her ear and whispered so only we could hear. Mom, did you know gestational diabetes is most vulnerable to emotional stress? She jerked her head up, a flash of fear in her eyes. I stepped back with a smile, dutifully packing her hospital bag like a devoted daughter-in-law in the hospital corridor, the doctor said sternly. Blood sugar is too high. Strict dietary control is necessary or the baby is at risk of macrosomia and the chance of difficult labor is very high. My mother-in-law turned pale. Can I have a natural delivery? Given your advanced age and diabetes, a C-section is recommended. The doctor flipped through her chart. Of course, the final decision is yours. After the doctor left, the grandmother took her son's hand and said, "Minguan, I insist on having a natural birth." The master said that babies born naturally are smart. This time, my husband didn't agree immediately. Instead, he looked at me hesitantly. I said softly. It's better to listen to the doctor. You shut up.
The grandmother screamed. You just want to kill my child. A nurse rushed over to stop her. I stepped back into the corner of the hallway, took a box of chocolates out of my bag, and deliberately rustled the rapper. What's that? The grandmother immediately looked over, a hungry gleam in her eyes. Diabetics crave sweets far more than the average person. Chocolate from a client, I said, pretending to put it away. Mom, you can't eat it right now. Give it to me. She struggled to get out of bed. Just one piece. Her husband stopped her. Mom, the doctor said, "No sweets. I want some." She was like a tantrum throwing child. You all just want to starve me helplessly. I handed over the box. Just a small piece. My mother-in-law snatched the chocolate and wolf down three pieces before my husband forcefully stopped her with chocolate still smeared at the corner of her mouth. She grinned at me triumphantly as if she had won a battle watching this pitiful woman. I wondered if she would still remember the taste of this box of chocolate when she lay on the delivery bed in agony. 13. My mother-in-law's blood sugar fluctuates wildly like a roller coaster. Mom, you're really not sneaking sweets, are you? My husband's tone was already impatient as he was called to the hospital for the third time. No, she denied flatly, but her eyes darted toward the bedside drawer.
That's where half a box of cookies I had accidentally left behind was hidden, Sang Ning. My husband suddenly asked, "How's work been for you lately?"
"Pretty good. I just landed a big order with an advanced payment of 30,000." His eyes lit up. "That much? Yeah, the client really loves my design," I added deliberately. "If all goes well, there's another 70,000 coming as the final payment." The mother-in-law immediately perked up her ears. What kind of design is that profitable? Private customization, I said casually, then changed the subject. By the way, Mom, about that master you mentioned last time. What's wrong? She asked immediately on guard. I found out he was arrested for fraud, I said worriedly. He cheated a lot of pregnant women out of their money. My mother-in-law's expression darkened. Nonsense. He clearly Mom, my husband interrupted her.
You didn't give him more money, did you?
Her hesitant look said at all. My husband turned livid with anger. Wasn't a h 100,000 enough. How much did you actually give him? Just 200,000? She said, her voice growing smaller.
200,000. My husband shot up. Where did that come from? My mother-in-law fell silent. Her eyes shifting uneasily.
Never mind, Mchuan. I stepped in to smooth things over. Mom just wants what's best for the child. You shut up.
My mother-in-law suddenly snapped at me.
It's all because of you. Ever since you married into this family, nothing good has happened this time. My husband didn't take his mother's side. He looked at her coldly and said, "Mom, if you keep this up, I'll send you to a postpartum care center until the baby is born." My mother-in-law went silent.
Instantly, like a chicken with its throat suddenly squeezed, the doctor came in for rounds and announced that my mother-in-law could be discharged, but had to strictly control her diet. On the way home, my husband uncharacteristically offered to carry my bag while my mother-in-law sat in the back seat brooding. That evening, my husband knocked on the study door. Could I take a look at that design project? I raised an eyebrow and opened my laptop to show him the draft. It was a pair of earrings designed for a difficult wealthy woman who had already rejected five drafts.
Pretty nice, he commented insincerely, then quickly changed the subject. By the way, about mom's 200,000, I'm guessing it came from the alimony you gave her. I said directly, my husband's face turned pale. How do you know about the alimony?
It showed up in the bank statements, I said calmly. And the transfer record to Jeang Liua decoration, sweat beaded on his forehead. Sang Ning, let me explain.
No need to explain. I closed my laptop.
I just want to know how much is left in our joint savings. He stammered, unable to speak. I sneered and pulled a stack of documents from the drawer. Let me tell you instead, less than 1/10enth. My husband turned pale. This evidence was enough to make him walk away with nothing in the divorce, and he knew it, Sang Ming. His voice trembled. I was momentarily confused. I can let it go, I said softly. But there are two conditions. Go ahead. First, from today on, mom's expenses will be covered by her own income. I raised one finger.
Second, my earnings belong to me alone.
14. My husband hesitated. I knew he was weighing the pros and cons. All right, he finally nodded. But don't let mom find out. Of course, I smiled. It's our little secret. This secret was like a knife. cutting the first crack into the seemingly unbreakable alliance between the Lou mother and her son. My mother-in-law soon noticed something was off. When she asked her son to buy birds nest again, my husband refused for the first time. Mom, the doctor said, "You need to watch your diet." He said, looking down at his phone, unable to meet her eyes. What do you mean? His mother's voice rose sharply. I'm carrying your little brother and I can't even have some bird's nest. It's<unk> not that I won't agree. My husband hesitated. It's just that money is a bit tight lately, tight on money. My mother-in-law sneered, turning to me.
Are you behind this? I was tampering with her glucose meter. I looked up and said, "Mom, please stop pointing fingers at me, bitch." She grabbed the glucose meter and hurled it at me. I turned my head to dodge it, and the device smashed against the wall. My husband finally exploded. "Mom, can you please stop making a scene? That glucose meter costs over 500 bucks. Are you yelling at me?
My mother-in-law's eyes went wide with disbelief. Yelling at your own mother over 500 bucks. It's not about the money. My husband grabbed his hair in frustration. If you keep this up, I really will send you to a postpartum care center. My mother-in-law froze as if struck by lightning. I quietly slipped out of the living room, leaving the mother and son to face off. In the kitchen, I opened the fridge, took out the durian cake I had prepared earlier, and deliberately placed it in plain sight. 10 minutes later, my mother-in-law stormed into the kitchen and spotted the cake immediately.
She looked around, quickly scooped up a large piece, and stuffed it into her mouth. I stood outside the door and captured the moment with my phone.
Evidence of a diabetic sneaking high sugar food. It would prove very useful later that night. My mother-in-law's blood sugar spiked to dangerous levels and we had to call an ambulance in the emergency room. The doctor warned sternly. If this continues, the baby will be in critical danger. My mother-in-law lay in the hospital bed, her face ashen. My husband stood by the bed with a coldness in his eyes that I had never seen before, and I quietly sitting in the corner watched the tragedy I had directed slowly unfold.
the grandmother went into premature labor in her 32nd week of pregnancy.
Call an ambulance. My husband said frantically while helping his mother, a patch of blood already spreading across the bed sheet. I calmly dialed 120 and then began packing the hospital bag.
This scene was so similar to my own difficult labor in my previous life except the roles were completely reversed. Sang Ning, what are you dogling for? My husband yelled at me.
Almost done. I shoved my mother-in-law's pregnancy diary into the bag, which recorded every sweet she had secretly eaten and every exercise she had refused to do. 15. The ambulance's siren cut through the rainy night as the medical workers carried away my mother-in-law.
She clung tightly to her son's hand and gasped. "Minguan must be born naturally," the master said. The master at a time like this, my husband shook off her hand. It was the first time I had seen him treat his mother so harshly. The hospital corridor was cold and endless. From the delivery room came my mother-in-law's agonizing screams.
While my husband and I sat on the bench like two strangers. "Do you think mom will make it?" he suddenly asked. I gently took his hand. "The doctors will do their best. No comfort. No guarantees." Just like the words he had said to me in a previous life, the delivery room door suddenly swung open and a nurse rushed out. family members.
The mother insists on a natural birth, but the baby is too large and stuck in the birth canal. We need your signature for a C-section. My husband stood frozen. I took the consent form and pen and pressed them into his hand. Sign it.
If you wait any longer, the baby will suffocate. He trembled as he signed the name, and the nurse immediately rushed back to the delivery room. After what felt like another century, a faint baby cry finally came through. It's born. The husband jumped up, his face showing a long lost joy. But when the doctor walked out, his expression was grave.
The baby weighs 4 8 kg, which classifies as macrosomia. There are signs of hypoglycemia, and the baby needs to be placed in an incubator. He paused. The mother is experiencing severe postpartum hemorrhage and is still being resuscitated. The smile on the husband's face froze. I stood quietly by, knowing full well that my mother-in-law would not die. Death would be too easy for her. I want her to live and taste the bitter fruit she has swn. At daybreak, my mother-in-law was wheeled out of the operating room, her face as pale as paper. The doctor told us that her uterus had been severely damaged, making it impossible for her to get pregnant again, and that she would be left with permanent urinary incontinence. Outside the neonatal intensive care unit, we saw the child for the first time. He was bright red all over, his face covered with bruises from the birth canal, like a wrinkled little old man. Why is he so ugly? My husband blurted out. The nurse explained with displeasure. All macrosomic babies look like this.
They'll be fine in a few weeks. Through the glass, I watched the child who in a past life had indirectly led to the deaths of my daughter and me. He was crying loudly, but his voice was as weak as a kitten's mew in my past life. My mother-in-law called him the hope of the Lou family. But now he just looked like a frail, premature baby. The first thing my mother-in-law said when she woke up was, "Where's the child? I want to see the child. Mom, the child needs special care." My husband explained the doctor said he needs to stay in an incubator for 2 weeks. The cost, any amount will do. The mother-in-law interrupted. This is Lu's postumous child. My husband's expression shifted slightly. I knew what he was thinking. Money. Ever since I exposed his asset transfer, his finances had been stretched thin. Minguan. I seized the right moment to speak. The final payment for my design project has come in. I can cover it for now. The mother-in-law immediately grew wary.
What design project? My husband quickly cut in. Mom, don't worry about that.
Just rest well," 16. But her mother-in-law wasn't so easy to fool.
After returning home from the hospital, she took advantage of her son being at work, hobbled into the study on her cane, and demanded, "What exactly are you up to?" I was on a video call with my lawyer, and quickly closed my laptop.
"Mom, you need to rest. Don't give me that." She flipped open my notebook, but the screen had already gone dark.
Minguan's been acting strange lately.
Are you trying to drive a wedge between us? I helped her sit down and handed her a glass of warm water. Mom, you're overthinking it. While she drank, I hesitated deliberately before saying, "It's just money has been a bit tight at home lately. Tight." She let out a cold laugh. Minguan makes half a million. A year. What's there to be tight about?
You didn't know. I widened my eyes. He lost everything in his investments and is even in debt. Her face changed.
Impossible. He clearly. What exactly? I stared at her intently. She suddenly fell silent, her eyes darting nervously.
Anyway, don't worry about it. I patted her hand. My design income is pretty good. It can support us for a while. My mother-in-law looked at me skeptically.
Since when are you making so much money?
I've always been able to. I smiled. I just never had a chance to show it before. The words pricricked her pride like needles. My mother-in-law had always suppressed me with the attitude that the Lou family supports you. But now that life fell apart on its own that evening, my husband came home very late after working overtime. My mother-in-law had already gone to bed, so I sat in the living room waiting for him. Mom asked about our finances today. I said directly. He paused while taking off his jacket. What did you say? I told her, "Your investment failed." I observed his reaction. She seemed very surprised. My husband slumped onto the sofa. Of course, she's surprised. I gave all that money to her. How much? I asked softly.
Around 2 million in total. He couldn't look me in the eye. I had already guessed the approximate figure from the bank statements. But hearing it still shook me. 2 million. Enough for my daughter and me to live a comfortable life. Yet, he had secretly funneled it all. To that venomous woman, Sang Ning.
He grabbed my hand. I know I was wrong.
I pulled my hand back after the child is discharged from the hospital. Who will take care of him? He was stunned for a moment. Of course, mom, she can't even take care of herself. I sneered. The doctor said that child is weak and needs careful attention. My husband fell silent. He knew exactly what that meant.
Endless crying at night, frequent trips to the hospital, and high costs for formula and medical bills.
17. Two weeks later, the child was discharged from the hospital. My mother-in-law insisted on taking care of the child herself. But by the end of the first day, she was already overwhelmed.
The baby woke up every 2 hours. Crying heartbreakingly, she dragged her postpartum weak body out of bed to feed the baby. But because she hadn't initiated breastfeeding in time, she couldn't express any milk. Go by formula. At 3:00 in the morning, she rushed into our bedroom and screamed.
Her husband drove out groggy only to find that the most expensive formula at the 24-hour pharmacy cost 398 yuan per can. He sent me a WeChat message complaining, but I didn't reply. In my past life, my daughter drank affordable formula at 68 yuan a can, and my mother-in-law still scolded me for wasting money. At breakfast the next day, my mother-in-law had dark circles under both eyes. And the baby in her arms wouldn't stop crying. "Is he sick?"
she asked in panic. I glanced over and said, just normal crying. Take the baby for me, she suddenly thrust the child into my arms. I have a headache. I didn't reach out to take him, letting the infant squirm in her arms. Mom, I'm in the middle of a design draft, and the client is pushing me. What lousy design is more important than a child? She shrieked. A design that earns money to support this family, I said calmly.
Otherwise, where will the money for the baby's formula come from? My mother-in-law was left speechless. Just then, my husband came out of the bathroom. She immediately turned to her son. Muan, get your wife under control.
My husband looked at me, then at the crying baby. Suddenly, he turned and headed out the door. I'm going to be late for work. My mother-in-law couldn't believe her eyes with one arm cradling her crying baby and the other bracing her aching C-section scar. She finally realized that in this house she was no longer the all powerful matriarch. As for me, I quietly finished the last sip of my coffee, got up, and went to the study to continue my design work. On the computer screen, a new email notification blinked. My jewelry design had been selected by a renowned magazine, and the column interview was scheduled for next week. The fruits of revenge were ripening. One by one, the baby's cries rang out precisely. At 3:00 a.m., I opened my eyes, listening to the cursing and the sounds of things being thrown from the master bedroom next door. A cold smile curling on my lips.
My mother-in-law hadn't had a full night's sleep in 2 weeks. The dark circles under her eyes were so deep she looked like she'd been punched. From the living room came the crash of something heavy falling, followed by the baby's even more heartbreaking whales. I pushed the door open and stepped out, only to see my mother-in-law collapsed on the floor. What are you looking at? She spotted me and immediately started yelling. It's all because of your curses. Ever since you married into this family, ever since I married into this family, you've been plotting to get rid of me. I interrupted her calmly, like putting poison in my postpartum meal. My mother-in-law looked like a chicken with its throat squeezed shut. Her lips began to tremble and her fingers unconsciously clutched her urine soaked night gown. Do you know why I remember it so clearly? I leaned down and whispered in her ear because I smelled sweet almond in that meal, the scent of cyanide. She shoved me away violently, her back slamming against the coffee table. Crazy. You're crazy. 17. The baby at her feet was crying desperately, its voice.
Haven't<unk> you always wondered why your youngest son is so sickly and weak?
I said flatly. Because every sweet treat you sneaked while pregnant and every exercise you refused have all been taken out on him. Shut up. She struggled to her feet and roared. Ming Chuan. Ming Chuan. Did you hear that? Your wife has lost her mind. The door to my husband's room remained tightly shut. My mother-in-law stumbled over to pound on the door, looking like a pathetic drowned rat. I carried the baby back to my room, took a small vial of liquid from the drawer, and dripped it into his bottle. This is a special nutrient solution made by Chenggin. At least it can spare the poor little thing some suffering. In my past life, my daughter didn't get a single drop of breast milk.
Now in this life, I have to feed my enemy's child. How ironic. After daybreak, I dressed neatly and prepared to go out. My mother-in-law blocked the doorway. Two puffy bags under her eyes.
Where are you going? A magazine interview. I waved the invitation in my hand. It's about my design winning an award. What award. She snatched the invitation and after a glance, her face drastically changed. An international jewelry design competition. Since when did you? I've always been capable. Just never had the chance. I took back the invitation and deliberately raised my voice. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. I've already signed with Ruining Jewelry with an annual salary of 600,000. The door to my husband's room swung open with disheveled hair. He poked his head out.
How much? 600,000. After taxes, I smiled at him. Oh, and one more thing. I'm going to Paris next Monday to accept the award for about a week. No way. My mother-in-law shrieked. Who will take care of the kid? Of course it's you, I said, figning surprise. Isn't this the Lou family heir you've been longing for?
My husband's gaze darted between my mother and me. I could almost hear the abacus clicking away in his mind.
600,000 more than his annual salary.
I'll take you to the airport, he said suddenly. My mother-in-laws eyes widened in disbelief. Minguan, you mom Sang Ning<unk>s career success is a good thing. He said stiffly, not daring to meet her eyes. I let out a soft laugh, grabbed my bag, and headed out. My husband quickly caught up, eagerly helping me with my coat and pressing the elevator button. this snobbish man. In the previous life, he had stood by and watched his wife and daughter die just to please my mother. Now for money, he would betray her too. In the car, he started to speak several times but stopped himself while waiting at a red light. He finally spoke. Sang Ning, can we start over? I turned to look at him.
This face, which once made my heart race, now only made me sick. How would we start over? Mom is getting older and she really can't manage the kids on her own. He stammered. We could hire a nanny using your income. My income? I laughed coldly. Honey, do you know why I suddenly told you my annual salary? He shook his head blankly. Because according to marriage law, your debts have nothing to do with me, but my income would have to be split with you in a divorce. I savored the sudden change in his expression unless I can prove that you hid marital assets. 18.
His face turned instantly pale. Sang Ning, I 2 million, I said softly. You transferred 2 million to your mother.
Yet you watched me and your daughter die. What daughter? He looked completely lost. Sang Ning, what are you even talking about? Realizing I had let it slip. I quickly composed myself. Never mind. We're here. Just stopped the car.
He didn't move. Gripping the steering wheel tightly. Have you been wanting a divorce for a long time? since the first time you took your mother's side against me. I pushed the door open and got out.
The lawyer's letter. We<unk>ll arrive at your office next week. The magazine interview went very well, dressed in a sharply tailored suit. I spoke eloquently about women's independence and artistic creation. After the interview, I went straight to the law firm. Based on the evidence you've provided, your husband must return at least one for million, she said, pushing up her glasses. As for your mother-in-law, no hurry. I opened my notebook. Let's look at this first. On the screen was a video of the mother-in-law mixing sleeping pills into infant formula. This was captured by a hidden camera I had installed in the living room. She didn't hesitate to drug the child just to make sure the baby slept through the night. Oh my god. Lawyer Jean gasped. That's child abuse. We can sue her for that. That's not what I want. I closed the laptop. I want her to watch everything she holds dear fall apart before her very eyes. The day the divorce papers were delivered to my husband. His mother called me like a mad woman. I blocked her directly and called the community committee to report someone for abusing an infant. That evening, social workers came to inspect the home through the camera. I watched my mother-in-law's hysterical outburst and my husband's awkward excuses while that poor child lay in the crib, neither crying nor moving. Thanks to the sleeping pills, the next day I got a call from my husband's company HR saying he had taken sudden leave. I knew immediately what had happened. The social worker must have threatened to call the police and they had no choice but to take the child to the hospital for examination. Ching Gene who works at the hospital quickly messaged me. The child's blood test shows traces of Valium. The police have been notified.
Your husband and his mother are at the station blaming each other. At the police station, the mother-in-law and husband were pointing fingers at each other. I stood behind the one-way glass, listening to their testimonies. It was mom's idea. My husband said, "Sweat dripping from his oily face." She said the kid was too noisy. My mother-in-law shrieked. "You bought the medicine." The officer looked at the mother and son with disgust. Under the Minor's Protection Act, you are suspected of abusing an infant and will face criminal charges. It's not my fault, my husband suddenly said, pointing at me. My wife is the one taking care of the kid. The officer followed his finger to me calmly. I showed the surveillance video on my phone. I've been away from home a lot over the past 3 months due to work.
These clips show my mother-in-law taking care of the child. In the video, the mother-in-law roughly shook the baby, poured powder into a bottle, and even used a pillow to muffle the crying child. The officer's face grew darker and darker. 19. That's not how it happened. The mother-in-law lunged for the phone. She set me up. I sidestepped her easily and pulled a document from my bag. Also, I'm filing for divorce.
Here's proof that your son transferred our joint property. My husband went pale as ash. While his mother let out a whale and collapsed to the floor, the police called an ambulance. And the diagnosis was a stroke in the hospital corridor.
The doctor told me left-sided paralysis and impaired speech function, long-term rehabilitation therapy will be needed.
How unfortunate, I said softly, then turned to my husband who sat dazed on a bench. How do you plan to take care of mom and the child? He looked up with unprecedented despair in his eyes. Sang Ning, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. Forgive you in your dreams. I dropped these words and turned to leave.
The stroke left my mother-in-law completely paralyzed on her left side with a perpetual threat of drool at the corner of her mouth. The court ultimately sentenced her to 6 months in prison. Suspended, my husband was not so lucky for his involvement in the abuse of an infant. He was sentenced to one year in prison. With a 2-year suspension, when the company found out, they immediately fired him and also pursued financial irregularities in the projects he had handled. My divorce proceedings went unusually smoothly. The court ordered my husband to return the 1 million yuan he had transferred out of our assets and to pay monthly child support even though the child is not biologically related to him. DNA testing revealed that the child's biological father was the so-called master whom the mother-in-law had paid 300,000 yuan to regulate her body resulting in this postumous child. On the day my husband learned the truth, he vomited right there in the courtroom. My mother-in-law, confined to a wheelchair, could only make guttural sounds, tears, and drool streaming down her twisted face. I saved those images on my phone and take them out to look at whenever I cannot sleep in the dead of night. This is not cruelty. It is necessary therapy.
After the divorce, my career flourished.
In the latest magazine interview, I spoke openly about that marriage for the first time for some wounds.
Forgiveness is not a virtue. Forgetting is sheer folly. One year later in late autumn, I went to the welfare home as a volunteer and happened to see that child again. He had learned to walk, though he was thinner and smaller than other children his age. At least he no longer had the dazed look caused by sleeping pills. "What's his name?" I asked the caregiver. Sang Yenning, the caregiver said with a smile, the director named him. He said, "A lady named Sang has been sponsoring us." I crouched down to be at eye level with the child. He looked at me curiously, then suddenly reached out and touched the phoenix brooch on my chest. Do you like it? I asked softly. This is a phoenix. It represents rebirth. The child giggled, revealing two dimples. At that moment, I felt as if I had seen the daughter who never got to grow up in a past life.
When I stood up, I noticed my hands were trembling walking out of the welfare home. The late autumn sunlight gently fell on my shoulders. My phone buzzed. A message from Chenggin. Mom doesn't have much time. The nursing home is asking if we want life support. I replied, "Handle it as usual, then deleted the chat at a red light." A familiar figure on an electric bike brushed past my car window. It was my husband. He looked 10 years older than the last time I saw him. The white hair at the back of his head glaring harshly in the sunlight, tied to the back seat, was a delivery box. It side printed with the faded words, "Flash delivery. He didn't recognize my car." or rather he had no attention to spare for his surroundings when the light turned green. He shot off like an arrow, nearly getting hit by a truck turning right. The truck driver leaned out and yelled at him, but he just numbly straightened his helmet and continued on his way. I turned on my left signal and headed in a completely different direction in the rear view mirror. My husband's figure grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing into the flow of traffic outside the window.
The setting sun painted the sky a brilliant orange red. I raised my teacup and gently clinkedked it against the air to rebirth. Story two. My sister is a cultivation prodigy, but she can only survive by drinking my blood. At seven, the sword immortal took me in as his disciple, not for my potential, but as a package deal with my sister. The master never taught me cultivation, only had me replenish blood. Your sister's health is failing. Draw another bowl of blood.
I've been hearing these saying words for 17 years. Bloodletting day came again and this time I laced the blood with deadly poison. The Chilean beast stood surrounded by the corpses of cultivators. 17Q Chinyang sect disciples launched a joint attack only to end with 10 dead and seven wounded. While the Chilean beast emerged merely angered without so much as a scratch on its hide. I desperately need the frostfire herb guarded by the Chilean beast to mend my spiritual roots. I've strived for 10 years just for this moment when I narrowly escaped death to defeat the Chilean beast and obtain the frostfire herb. Everything felt worth it. Yet suddenly the herb in my hand was enveloped by a familiar spiritual energy and vanish before my eyes. One floating midair in pristine white robes. Master Baron regarded me with icy detachment.
Your senior sister needs this herb urgently. I'll take it for her treatment first. You may choose any treasure from my vault as compensation. My eyes burned with bloody tears as I screamed, "Master, I nearly died retrieving this.
Only this can restore my spiritual roots. Without them, I can't cultivate, no matter how much she needs it. My need is greater. Yet deep down I knew he'd never return it." True to form, he showed not a shred of remorse, only irritation. I've offered you the vault's treasures. What more do you want? Stop this childish tantrum. With a flick of his sleeve, a surge of tyrannical spiritual energy sent me flying, shattering my sword in the process. I crashed against a tree trunk. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he left with a cold snort. His distant voice echoing, "Returned to the sect at once. The bloodletting ceremony begins in 3 days.
Should your senior sister's treatment be delayed, you'll answer to me, no one would ever care what it truly cost me to obtain this herb. I spent my entire life savings on a soul freezing pearl just to slow the Kieran beast's movements by three seconds. In those fleeting seconds, my chi refining cultivation barely withstood the near deity transformation pressure as I snatched the herb. By the time I secured it, my body was riddled with gaping wounds. The last remnants of my spiritual energy only allowed me to flee in utter disarray. My master strike shattered all hope of escape. The enraged Kieran beast, deprived of its frostfire herb, came charging at me with thunderous roars. I couldn't even lift a finger in my weakened state. Yet the Kieran beast halted abruptly when it reached me. I heard his telepathic voice dripping with infinite pity and mockery. Pathetic.
Truly pathetic. You staked your entire life only to have your last hope crushed by your own master. How utterly tragic you are, human. The moment I opened my mouth, blood came gushing out uncontrollably, my speech was already slurred. "Thank you. You're the first to ever pity me, though. You don't seem human yourself." The Kieran beast froze.
My life was slipping away bit by bit, and darkness gradually clouded my vision. You're dying. I knew, but I no longer had the strength to respond if possible. I'd love to have a proper conversation with him, too. It's been ages since anyone truly took the time to talk with me. The Kieran's voice carried frustration. Ah, I actually held back earlier, meaning to let you have that herb. Many have come for the herb, but I could tell at first glance you're different from the rest. Perhaps others seek power merely to climb higher, but I fight to change my fate, to break free from being a bloodth. The Kieran beast might still be speaking, yet I can neither see nor hear anything now. The sense of smell is gradually fading away.
For the deceased themselves, death is quiet, bloodless, and undisturbed. Maybe it's for the best. No longer being her bloodth. Hey, wake up already, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly pulsed through my mind, stabbing my temples with excruciating pain, my eyes flew open, stunned by the sight before me.
The ambient spiritual energy had grown so dense that deep blue luminescence became visible. And within this glowing oran, expansive field of frostfire herbs, the one guarded by the Kieran beast before was nearly a century old. But now this place teams with plants that have thrived for millennia, even tens of thousands of years. The Kieran's voice echoed in my mind. Quit gawking like a fool. Hurry and mend your spiritual roots with these herbs. I'll stand guard too, I whispered gratefully. You saved me. Thank you, the Kieran beast said casually. Not exactly. My lifespan was nearly spent anyway by merging with you.
I've gained decades more to live.
Senior, do you have a name? His voice carried self-mockery and sorrow. Finn.
Ha. It's been years since anyone asked my name. What's your name, Nora? Haha.
Then I'll call you Coral from now on. I paused. Okay. Long ago, there were two people who loved me dearly and used to call me that. I selected a thousand-year frostfire herb most suited to me and prepared to meditate. Finn nodded approvingly. Good. You understand your limits with my weak spiritual power.
Forcibly bonding with a 10,000year frostfire herb could shatter my spiritual roots, leaving me permanently crippled for cultivation. After my spiritual roots healed, I directly advanced from the peak of chi refining stage to the peak of foundation establishment stage. Finn gasped in shock. You actually practiced forbidden arts. Exactly. I reached the great perfection of chi refinement at 12, but my spiritual roots blocked further progress. To continue cultivating, I learned external storage techniques, channeling excess spiritual energy into my internal organs, Finn said gravely.
You make it sound simple. Do you realize the slightest mistake could rupture your organs and kill you? I knew the risks when I chose this path. This worthless life of mine can bear any consequences.
Finn chuckled. Good. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. When one fears not even death, nothing can stand in their way.
After half a month of cultivation in Finn's secret realm, I broke through to the golden core stage with the frostfire herb I gave her. Mia should have reached the golden core stage by now. I plucked some spirit herbs from his secret realm and sold them to the pawn shop. A 200-year-old Frostfire herb is worth 10,000 premium spirit stones. The pawn broker resold them to my master for 20,000 premium spirit stones. He stored the herbs away and turned to me. Norah, do you know what crime you've committed?
I cuped my hands respectfully and said, "Master, this disciple is unaware of any wrongdoing." He roared in anger. Since you're alive, why didn't you return? Do you realize your senior sister failed her golden core breakthrough without your blood? I responded with a nonchalant. Oh, enraged beyond measure, he unleashed the crushing pressure of his deity transformation realm cultivation, making surrounding cultivators writhe in agony. I just stood there with complete composure.
What the hell? Who does that? Are they insane? So, what if you've got strong spiritual power, zero manners? I'm writing to the Celestial Bureau right now to report this nent soul cultivator for flouting divine laws. The sound of bitter complaints and curses came through loud and clear. Baron immediately reigned himself in. Emotions that had always been reserved for Mia alone now rippled through him because of me. You broke through. Strands of his spiritual energy reached toward me only to be completely blocked out. He frowned. What magical artifact did you use? I merely wish to assess your current cultivation level. I lowered my gaze, remaining silent. Enough. Come back with me first. with your aptitude.
You've barely reached the foundation establishment stage. I called out to him, "Master, when you took the frostfire herb, you promised I could choose anything from your treasury, but I don't want your treasures. My sword is broken. Will you take me to the sword mosselum to select a new blade? Three."
He nodded and offered a sanctimonious explanation. It wasn't my intention to destroy your sword, apprentice.
You brought this upon yourself by testing my patience. TheQing sect sword moselum was an ancient battlefield from 10,000 years ago where one could immediately sense the lingering hostility and blood lust upon entering.
Finn guided me deeper into the ruins. He claimed the finest ancient sword awaited there. If I can master him, I'll inherit the sword spirit legacy. Baron's sword is already among the top treasures in the cultivation world. Yet, it still lacks a sword spirit. That shows how rare a sword spirit truly is. When I touched that sword, I felt my very soul being torn from my body, clenching my teeth, I barely managed to resist being repelled by the sword with Finn's assistance. By the time I pulled the sword free, blood was streaming from all my orififices. Immediately afterward, the entire sword mound began collapsing rapidly. As Baron used his spiritual energy to hold back the overwhelming pressure, I didn't hesitate to make my escape first. I always knew pulling this sword out would make the tomb collapse.
This blade belonged to the general who defended our borders in the war. A sword of protection, a sword of justice. He fell alone, surrounded by enemies. So every other weapon in this tomb is a sword of slaughter. Except this one, those slaughter blades pack deadly force. They erode a cultivator's spirit.
The Chingyong sect still pedals tomb access to disciples at outrageous prices. Passing these cursed weapons off as spirit swords, Baron has also emerged from the sword moselum. Though he looked utterly disheveled, not even the hem of my robe was soiled. Just then, a large group of disciples came running from nearby, venerable Baron. Disaster strikes. A divine transformation beast is attacking disciples outside the sect.
Baron spat out blood and struggled to say, "Stay calm. I'll go check." A disciple exclaimed in shock, "Venerable one, you actually destroyed the sword mosselum. I I'll report this to the sect leader." Baron glanced back at me. He's no fool. It dawned on him why I'd asked him to accompany me to the sword mound.
The earth shaking roar of a divine transformation level spirit beast echoed nearby. It was a white tiger mountain deity with at least a millennium of cultivation. Baron soared away on his sword and I followed suit. A divine beast at the deity transformation stage is like a revered elder. Such behavior would be beneath them unless someone crossed the line. Baron stood before the disciples like a celestial guardian, carrying the hopes of everyone, elder divine beast. Before Baron could finish speaking, the divine beast launched its strike. Baron raised his guard. Yet within mere seconds, he was sent flying dozens of meters, coughing up blood the moment he hit the ground. The disciples panicked. Immortal venerable Baron represented the pinnacle of Chingyang<unk>s sex combat prowess. if even he could be effortlessly defeated.
Were they truly facing annihilation today? The divine beast's voice boomed with overwhelming pressure. Immortal venerable Baron, I'm no petty troublemaker. Hand over your disciple or I'll wipe your entire sect from existence. Did I immortal venerable baron's disciple offend the divine beast elder? Which disciple could it be? The senior brother has always been steady, and the second sister is kind-hearted.
Only that worthless bloodth would be reckless enough to provoke others and bring doom upon our sect. Baron turned to me. Norah, was it you? Why would you do such a thing? You knew your sister couldn't survive without you. Yet you angered a high tier spirit beast to demand your life. You'd rather suffer a thousand losses than repay your sister's kindness in helping you become a disciple. What a venomous heart you have. With that, Baron coughed up another mouthful of blood. The disciples all rose in righteous indignation. Look what this worthless trash has done to our revered master baron. This bloodth desperate cry for attention is downright horrifying. They're going to get us all killed. What a despicable worm. If they had even half of second sisters gentleness. They wouldn't be universally loathed. At that moment, a white light began approaching from the horizon. It was senior brother Lance clad in emerald robes with his long hair tied in a top knot. A perpetual hint of amusement played at the corners of his lips. His demeanor radiated the gentle warmth of jade. Every gesture exuding the poise of a noble scholar landing. Swiftly he steadied Baron with concern. Master, are you all right? Baron frowned and shook his head. Never mind me. That demon mustn't take Nora. Your junior sister still needs her blood. Lance cuped his hands respectfully. Master need not worry. This disciple will ensure junior sister Mia's safety. Amidst the cheers of fellow disciples, Lance strode toward the spirit beast, then before all the expectant disciples, he suffered a crushing defeat, tumbling gracelessly across the ground before. Colliding with my leg, for I looked down at him with icy disdain, his hairpiece sat as you lock spilling in disarray as cracks appeared in his usually immaculate composure. A dark splatter of blood burst from his lips, staining both his face and robes. I clipped my tongue.
eldest senior brother. What a sorry sight. Big sister wouldn't fancy you like this. Lance was always gentle.
Except with me. He believed I'd wormed my way into Chingyang<unk>s sect through Mia's connections. Just some loathsome nepotism.
Higher. He couldn't be bothered with his eyes filled with disgust as he heard my words. Don't measure the stature of great men with your petty mind. Your sister and you were never cut from the same cloth. I snorted a humorless laugh.
Of course, fortune never favored me. If I want something, I have to carve my own path through blood. Just as I stepped forward to confront the spirit beast, Mia came soaring through the air on her sword, clad in flowing pink gauze over shadow silver armor. Her raven hair streaming behind her like a celestial maiden descending to earth. She stole every gaze in the clearing. Some male cultivators even gasped in admiration.
Mia paid no heed to the surrounding praises, rushing over the moment she landed with visible worry etched across her pale face. Master, senior brother, are you both all right? Baron and Lance's faces softened into warm smiles at the sight of her. Lance accepted the handkerchief Mia offered, wiping blood from his lips as he grumbled. Nothing serious, but that Nora, what a nuisance.
Of all things to provoke, she had to pick a divine transformation stage spirit beast. A flicker of unease crossed Mia's face. The spirit beast roared furiously. Baron, since your disciple is here, let her come with me or I'll bury your entire sect with you.
Baron propped himself up with his sword and fine. She's no one important anyway.
Take her, Lance interjected urgently.
Master, what about Mia's blood if she leaves? Baron said coldly. Hand her over or Mia won't leave this place alive today. Listening to their conversation, I couldn't help but sneer. They truly couldn't care less about the lives of sect disciples. A powerful suction force surged forth and before everyone's eyes.
Mia alone was dragged toward the spirit beast. Lance gasped and grabbed Mia's hand. Junior sister. Panic flashed across Mia's beautiful face. Senior brother, save me. The crowd was stunned.
It was actually second senior sister who offended the spirit beast. But that makes sense. How could that useless fool possibly provoke a deity transformation stage expert? Is this really the time for that? Second senior sister nearly got our entire sect wiped out. What on earth did she do? Baron was also shocked. Mia, what's going on here? Mia sobbed an apology. I'm sorry, master. I was wrong, though at his limit. Baron still mustered strength to neutralize the suction force, shielding Mia behind him. The spirit beast roared in fury.
What's the meaning of this? We had an agreement. Baron<unk>s voice turned icy.
If it's this disciple you seek, then Baron won't hesitate to fight you to the death. The spirit beast roared with laughter. Splendid. What a righteous sect indeed. I thought you prided yourselves on fairness. Yet here you are playing favorites. Tell me, which disciple were you about to sacrifice moments ago? The sects impartiality being questioned visibly soured everyone's expressions. Yet the spirit beast spoke undeniable truths. Even Baron found himself at a loss for words.
Stepping forward, I clasped my hands and said, "Elder, it was me. I am the third disciple under Baron, though disciple is too generous. I'm just a bloodth existing solely to feed his favorite second disciple." Lance grabbed my arm.
What's the meaning of this talk here?
Pitiful creature. Do you actually expect sympathy from a spirit beast? How pathetic. If not for your ability to donate blood to Mia, you wouldn't even have been allowed through Chingyong.
Sex gates, don't<unk>t push your luck after getting such a favor, Baron scolded. Neither your senior brother nor I are Mia's blood relatives, yet we both do our utmost to consider her needs. As her younger sister, shouldn't you show more respect and care for your elder sibling? Nora, neither life nor cultivation should be this selfish. Finn couldn't take it anymore and started yelling in my consciousness. You've been bleeding yourself for 17 years and you call that selfish. Then there's no such thing as a selfless person in this world. Such verbal attacks no longer affect me. What truly interests me is five. How remarkably fair and selfless of our revered master and senior brother to protect my sister at the expense of the entire sex disciples. Given your profound devotion to my sister, perhaps you two should just marry her together.
Having the master as husband and the senior disciple as concubine, what a perfect way to honor the mutual affection between you. Three. My words sent the entire hall into an uproar.
Even the demonic beast couldn't suppress a chuckle. Mia's delicate brows furrowed as she bit back her words. In the end, she nearly turned away, hiding her face behind Baron while stifling quiet sobs.
As for Baron, the mocking gazes from disciples around him made his face turn deathly pale. as the supreme marshall representative ofQing<unk>s sect, the foremost sect under heaven. None had ever dared defy him, let alone subject him to scandalous rumors about improper relationships before juniors. Overcome with rage, he coughed up blood, his complexion now ashen. Witnessing this, Lance must have been consumed by guilt. His uncontrollable heart had fallen for that unattainable prodigy girl. To compete with his master for a woman was outright defiance. How could this not torment him? He was a perfectionist by nature, the mightiest master, the fairest junior sister, and the universally praised senior brother, the epitome of refinement in everyone's eyes.
Everything was perfect, except for me, that nepotism case. Third disciple, just by reading his expression, I could easily decipher their thoughts. So pedantic, so hypocritical, so revolting, Baron couldn't bear his beloved disciples sobs. He hurled a wisp of spiritual consciousness at me, attempting to assault my soul. The sheer might of his divine transformation realm could drive me into instant madness, reducing me to a trembling wreck, losing control of bodily functions. As someone of such lowly status, mere words can no longer wound me. To truly humiliate me now, he'd have to strip away my fundamental human autonomy over body and mind. pity for him. His plans will fail.
For I'm no longer that weak chi condensation trash to be pushed around.
Just as I gathered spiritual energy and mental focus to defend an even more formidable divine transformation barrier manifested before me, tracing its origin. I saw the beast elder approaching us with measured steps. So your disrespecting me then don't expect any courtesy in return. Sword Saint Baron. As the words faded, the demonic beasts energy formed claw phase through Baron, reaching for Mia's throat. Such blatant contempt twisted Baron<unk>s expression into something ugly. The next instant, he mustered his strength from his sword grave wounded body and shoved the monstrous claw away. Blood trickled from Baron<unk>s lips again as he spoke.
If my beloved disciple aired, we shall correct it. You, a divine transformation cultivator, breached the human demon accords by trespassing into mortal lands first. Then you sought to murder my disciple. Should this matter reach the celestial court? What justification could you possibly offer? The demon beast sneered. You understand protecting your apprentice. But do you truly comprehend? Elder Yao Beast. Mia suddenly spoke up, cutting off the beasts words. Since things have come to this, if you want everyone to be safe, you should back down first. Her stubborn expression and resolute voice paired with those reened eyes made it impossible not to feel for her. Others might miss the underlying meaning in her words, but I understood perfectly. Six.
She was making a threat. Finn, can you sense where the little spirit beast is?
Finn's spiritual awareness expanded rapidly, locating the answer in an instant. It's inside her storage ring. A smirk played on my lips. Then Lance's voice cut in. Norah is Nia's blood sister. If Mia makes any mistakes.
Norah can take the blame instead. She only has a place in our sect because she's riding on her sister's coattails.
If she could die for Mia today, it would be a death as weighty as Mount Thai.
Senior, I beg for your blessing. Lance finished speaking and bowed with hands clasped. Countless disciples turned their gazes upon me. They're having doubts. The distance between Mia and me mirrors their gap from Baron's inner circle disciples. If death can claim me, why not them? Baron's stubborn resistance, Mia's threats. And Lance's sacrificial gambit actually made the primordial beast originally bent on mutual destruction. Hesitate. No one, human or otherwise, gives a damn about my life, death, or moral standing. The strong prey on the weak. There's no right or wrong in that. No master disciple bond, no brotherhood among peers, not even sisterly affection. The great Dao is emptiness. Clutching my sword, I teleported before Mia, the ancient sword unshathed, seizing the ring to Mia's followers. That moment must have felt like the world went dark, leaving nothing but bloodshed. I severed Mia's hand as Finn channeled furious spiritual energy, shattering the dimensional ring's barrier. Amidst the scattered artifacts, the cub wobbled up with its fuzzy head, eyes still closed as it scampered toward the greater spirit beast by scent alone, just solving problems. Child's play. The brief, eerie silence dissipated as Nia's piercing scream echoed. I sheath my sword. Nora, how dare you do this to me?
Nora, what are you doing? You repay kindness with cruelty. You cut off your own sister's hand. I blinked slowly, meeting Lance's tearfilled eyes, and said calmly, "Yes, I cut off her hand.
She's my halfsister. I meant to chop her hand off. No mistake there. No need to remind me." His eyes burned with rage as he snarled. "I'll kill you," I replied coldly. "Go ahead and try." A spent arrow at its limit. "If he insists on fighting me, they'll be the one to die the next instant." He indeed drew his sword from the corner of my eye. I saw the little demon beast leap into the arms of the larger one. The ancient sword parried, sending land staggering back. Seven. The ancient swords formidable aura resonated perfectly with my spiritual energy. Though inwardly thrilled, I maintained a composed demeanor while analyzing lethal techniques. Lance's sword strikes grew increasingly ferocious with each blow.
With every swing of his blade came a reprimand. To harm your elder sister is the height of inhumity. To insult your master shows utter disrespect to raise your sword against your sworn brothers is pure treachery. To consort with demons is the ultimate betrayal. Such treacherous, dishonorable scum deserves death. His blade surged with spiritual energy, aimed straight from my vital point. His peripheral vision locked with Mia's gaze as if saying, "Look, Mia, see how I've slain her for you. Avenged you, eldest brother. You're so kind to me.
Once you kill him, I'll give myself to you. Yet I could see it. Lance's death looming before him. The ancient sword struck hard, sending Lance. Tumbling backward, I pursued relentlessly. Strike after strike. Wounding but never killing. No more words. When he was drenched in blood, I drove my great sword through his heart and lifted him off the ground. Just two words.
Pathetic. I'd been slaughtering too fiercely. When I turned around, Baron was standing shockingly close. Oh, right now I remember. He'd shouted something at me. No, he's the senior disciple who raised you. You can't kill him. Or maybe no one shouted. I wasn't really listening. The ancient sword was pointed directly at Baron's forehead. I stared coldly at him. What's this? A suicide cue? But Baron's eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. Norah, why did you kill your senior brother? He only meant to teach you a lesson. How dare you show such disrespect and take his life? He was your senior brother. I arched a brow with a cold chuckle. The corpse has already gone cold. And now you bring this up, Norah. Lower your sword and you'll still be my disciple. Barrens apprentice, endure your punishment. Keep supplying blood for your sister, and I may overlook your senior brother's death. I couldn't help but laugh. Oh, and what punishment do you think I deserve for slaying your fellow disciples? A century of frozen torment in eternal frost mountain should suffice. In your dreams, I wanted to kill him, but some inexplicable oppressive force held me completely immobilized. Looking up, I saw the sect master soaring towards us on his sword. He was leading battle peak disciples against the demonic cultivators assault. How did he get here so fast? Such terrifying power. Nora, you've caused enough havoc. I braced myself with my sword, channeling every ounce of strength to resist his oppressive aura. Yet it wasn't enough.
Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. My vision blurred as countless eyes fixed upon me, some curious, others fearful, a few even gloating with cruel satisfaction. Then it struck me, the sect leader's crushing pressure was directed at me alone. Finn sighed, "Just fall if you must push further, and that golden core you've painstakingly formed will shatter. I know when to cut my losses. I withdrew all my defensive spiritual energy, focusing it entirely on my dantion. The sect leader's punishment struck me instantly, making me vomit blood violently. I felt as if all my internal organs had been shattered. Finn, am I going to die?
Don't worry, I've got your back. I remember nothing of what happened afterward. I woke again to bitter cold before me. The blizzard raged, icicles hammered against the mountain walls with rhythmic cracks. Finn, are you there? He responded immediately. I'm here. The sect leader wanted to execute you, but your master intervened. I smirked coldly, raising my wrist to reveal fresh scars. Of course, he would. Who else would supply blood for his precious disciple? After a long silence, Finn spoke. He said, "It was his failure in discipline that drove you to commit such an extreme transgression, the sect leader decreed 81 lashes. He took them in yourstead. How touching. I'd gladly drain every last drop of my blood for Mia to repay my master's devotion to his disciple. I leaned against the snowy mountain wall and spoke in a flat tone.
I reached out my hand when an icicle struck it, slicing open my palm and leaving it dripping with blood. What are you doing? Cultivators can't use spiritual energy here. You'd better not get injured. I wiped the blood from my hands onto my already soiled dress.
Suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to say something to Finn. I never met my father. All I remember is how hard my mother worked. Washing clothes by day, mending fabrics by lamplight at night.
Mia wasn't her biological child. Yet mother treated her as her own, never favoring me, never going easy on her discipline. Back then in the south, we never saw snow. Mia once picked up a picture book from a peddler's shoulder pole, and through its pages, we discovered winters. Unlike ours, with snow, hail, and icicles, we excitedly shared the news with mother, only to be beaten. She struck each of us 10 times with a bamboo rod. Through tears, I pleaded. We didn't steal them. Sister found the books. Punish her instead. My sister sobbed too, insisting, "It was me. Beat me, not my little sister."
Mother chased the book peddler with us in tow. All the way from the south to the north ate. The first time we saw snow, Mia fell gravely ill during the plague. My mother and I couldn't fight them off and she was cast into the mass grave. One night, my mother climbed the mountain alone and brought Mia back. It was a corpse. I remember it clearly. No heartbeat, no breath. The body was cold with dilated pupils. Mother wouldn't hear any of it. If we die, we die together, she said. I won't let my child be torn apart by wild dogs on that mountain alone. 3 days later, Mia woke up. Mother fell ill and was dumped in the mass grave. Sister, I said, let's go bring mother home tonight. Just like how she brought you back, she gasped in shock. Are you insane? Go by yourself if you must. That mass grave is crawling with diseased people. You'll die for sure. Many years later, after studying medical texts, I finally understood. The dead don't come back to life. That's when I realized Mia had ceased to be my sister long ago. The cold knocked me unconscious until a sharp pain in my arm jolted me awake. My eyes fluttered open to meet the sect leader's piercing gaze.
His gaze was utterly frigid, as if staring at a corpse. You destroyed what was hers. Now you'll repay it. I watched him silently, offering no resistance.
His hand slid up my forearm, tightening gradually before suddenly wrenching my entire arm from its socket with brutal force. I bit my lower lip hard, not letting out a single whimper of pain.
Staring at my bloodied, mangled limb, I burst into hysterical laughter, he snapped in disgust. You mad man, I'll end you right now. His grip tightened around my throat, each breath becoming more labored than the last. At the most desperate moment, an icicle came flying.
The sect master barely dodged as it grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody trail. I sat leaning against the cliff face curled up like a winnowing basket following the icicle's trajectory. I saw the nent soul-le spirit beast straightening my collar. I knew it was time for me to leave. Sect master, you've had your vengeance. I'll be taking this man with me now. I clung to the spirit beasts back. Gripping its fur tightly. Behind us, Morris's furious voice grew distant. The Asher Peak sect isn't some place you can waltz in and out of as you please. Once we crossed the eternal frost mountains, my spiritual energy surged back. I hastily stanched the bleeding from my wounds.
The spirit beast beneath me was still galloping at full speed. We<unk>d soon cross beyond the borders ofQing Mountain. As you sow, so shall you reap.
The path I walk defied fate's design, plunging me repeatedly into life or death perils, only to be saved each time by timely intervention from extraordinary beings. Not just me. Finn, who was faded to perish. The spirit beast destined to lose its offspring.
Together, we waited through fire and flood to be reborn. Once a spirit beast bonds with a master, the pact cannot be undone. This incident revealed the existence of the young spirit beast to the world. Even as a deity transformation realm expert, he couldn't guarantee his cub's safety. Thus, he had his offspring bond with me as its master. a spiritual beast's bond requires a suitable magical artifact to serve as the conduit between master and creature. The tiger father pulled out one of his own ribs, transforming it into an arrow which he handed to me.
This became the sacred bond between me and the white tiger cub. The reluctant white tiger cub left its father's side and approached me with visible hesitation. "Forget it," I said. "I'm going back to Green Mountain. Taking him along would just slow me down." White Tiger's gaze fell on my mimed arm as he asked in confusion, "Going back to die," staring vacantly toward Green Mountain, I murmured, "this arm doesn't belong on someone else's body. But I can't survive Green Mountain and scathed alone. I need to borrow something from the elder." The summit of Moonfrost Peak was perpetually ravaged by blizzards. That year, when I first joined the sect, Baron wrapped Mia in his warm fox cloak and ascended the peak through celestial arts. He handed me over to the senior disciple. But Lance wanted nothing to do with me, he said. Find your own way up then.
Consider this your first lesson. Moon Frost Peaks gates aren't so easily entered. And so I climbed, step by arduous step. When I looked back, my footprints had vanished beneath the blizzards fury on the summit. Baron rebuked. How can mortal flesh endure this storm? Lance, she's your junior disciple. Lance gazed down at me with glacial detachment. She is not returning to this place with spiritual energy shielding me. I soared straight upward through divine sense. I located the master and disciple pair the medicinal pool. I saw it clearly. Mia completely unclothed in the steam shrouded waters.
Clung to Baron's shoulders with an expression of unbearable agony. I feel sick because one of those severed arms is mine. Baron caught me staring for too long. The next instant he materialized before me fully dressed, though his hair remained damp and his face still flushed. I chuckled darkly. Our eldest Marshall brother just died. Yet instead of mourning, our master seems rather spirited. Baron overwhelmed me with his sheer presence, his oppressive aura bearing down. "You dare to return?" I shrugged. "Probably because my sister still needs my blood.
You know she's the only family I have left." Baron's brow furrowed slightly.
his eyes tinged with sorrow. Nora, child, I've never been able to understand you, master, do you wish me to stay? As I spoke, I retrieved a bowl from my spatial ring, levitating it with spiritual energy while slitting my wrist to draw blood. He accepted the blood-filled bowl and praised my obedience once more. If you want me to spare your life, very well, but the condition is this. You'll be confined here and must provide a bowl of essence blood daily. I bowed in acquiescence.
The sacred artifact I obtained from the tiger god conceals my presence, allowing me to move freely throughout the Moonfrost Peak. There stands a forbidden library at top Moonrost Peak, housing nothing but dark toss and forbidden arts. And that's precisely why I've returned. I will uncover how Mia's body was stolen and reclaim my sister's vessel. According to Finn's clues, similar dark arts are all related to soul devouring and body snatching. I found a book called The Art of Rebirth which confirmed the reason for Mia's body being taken over. The perpetrator must have practiced the blood sustained body borrowing technique. This technique is the lowest form among all rebirth arts. While it doesn't take lives, the cost is long-term. It requires regular blood offerings from the host's blood relatives, monthly at first, then decreasing over time. Only after a century can the practitioner fully detach from blood dependency. I need to refine two elixirs. One to banish spirits, ensuring wandering souls are utterly destroyed, and another to fortify the body, making it impervious to parasitic souls. Every day I must drain a bowl of blood, then take a blood replenishment pill. After a full year's effort, the great work was finally complete. Baron examined the crystal chalice and finding no issues took the blood with relief. I remained seated in silence when Nia's piercing scream echoed in the distance. I calmly rose to reclaim the body I'd nourished with blood for years. The medicinal pool rire of putrid roodendrin blossoms nauseiating to the core. Baron's face had withered. His raven hair turned snow white. The once ethereal immortal now resembled a modeled dying old man leaning against the pool's edge. He gasped weakly. What have you done? Still don't understand. You used Mia as your Inyang cauldron only to become my flesh crucible. Harvesting human flesh for spiritual cultivation is far more sinister than the inabsorption technique. This dark art demands extraordinary mental discipline. A single misstep leads to demonic possession, transforming practitioners into bestial creatures that maul their own cauldrons until unrecognizable. Only through decades of tempering at Chingyang Mountain have I gained such unshakable confidence in my spiritual fortitude, I suspect Baron died. Still believing I'd come to him as a homeless wanderer seeking protection. I channeled my spiritual energy to extract Baron<unk>s core and concealed it within my storage ring, Baron stared at me and suddenly burst into laughter, his aged voice dripping with regret. After a lifetime of brilliance, I, Baron, meet my end at the hands of a worthless wretch like you. How laughable. Utterly laughable.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha his laughter ceased as death took him.
His corpse dissolved into nothingness leaving only void. I purified the medicinal pool with my spiritual energy.
Mia's body floating on the surface.
Enveloped in my power. Soul summoning activated. Return for but a moment.
Fulfill my life's dream after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
She awoke. Will I grow up to be this beautiful? Mia opened her mouth. But a child's voice came out. Finn was utterly astonished. You actually succeeded on your first try. In all recorded history of spirit summoning, no one has ever recalled ancestors soul. I'm the only known exception.
Necromancy is an arduous practice that takes years to master. By the time a cultivator becomes proficient, the departed soul may have already reincarnated into a new life, but the real Mia never moved on to rebirth. Even after all these years, I recognized it instantly. That voice belonged to my sister when she was seven, the age when her life was cut short. Mia, I tentatively called out to her. How disrespectful. Though I'm not mother's own child, she always said, I'll forever be your elder sister. You must call me Ja. I immediately complied. Ja m. That's more like it. How long can you stay in this body? My sister shook her head. I'm not sure, but probably not for long, though I'd love to stay with you. I can't practice soul possession just for your sake. It would corrupt my spiritual nature. As she spoke, she glanced at the empty space beside her. Yet her gaze seemed to rest on something tangible.
Coral, mother is standing right next to me. You can't see her, but we've always been able to see you. When you were six, crawling alone through the mass graves to carry mother back. When you climbed Frost Peak Summit, battered by blizzards, that time you went for the frost fire herb. You almost saw mother and me then and your severed arm. Mia's voice echoed through my mind, staring at the void beside her. My eyes gradually reened. You've been with me all along.
Have I never truly been alone in that moment? All the loneliness I'd endured seemed to vanish. Even those bloodstained memories too painful to behold now felt warm and comforting.
Mother, sister, have you been with me all along? I bled bowl after bowl.
Endured countless scornful glances and cruel treatment. Surviving in wretched humiliation. But someone out there cares for me. Right, Mom. You'd kiss my forehead when I licked my wounds. I just couldn't feel it. Could I? Mia said with a smile, but we won't be accompanying you any longer. You've got longer roads to travel and higher mountains to climb.
You can't dwell on the past. Mother is taking me away from you forever. When we meet again, may you still remember us as we were, while we've long forgotten you?
Is she saying I'll ascend to immortality while she and mother reincarnate? Will I truly achieve immortality? You will, Finn responded to me in silence. Don't dwell on the past, nor lose yourself in the present. Nora, you're far more loved than you realize, my sisters.
Breathing grew fainter. Wait a second.
Summoning my courage, I blurted out, "Let me hug you." She opened her arms to me. I threw myself into her embrace, holding her tight. Remember, Nora is such a wonderful name. Goodbye, Coral.
She collapsed into my arms. Mother, sister, this is truly goodbye. Though our farewell was final, my heart is at peace. During my stay at Moon Frost Peak, each night's dream followed the same pattern. After enduring relentless torment, I bury myself in mother's arms, seeking solace. Then my dreams would turn translucent. In time, I became prisoner neither to nightmares nor captive to sweet dreams. I carried Mia's corpse to Morris. He's the last one I need to kill. This is mine and Mia's father, a despicable hypocrite. The only decent thing in his wretched life was marrying my mother. It's such a cliche story. My mother was a wealthy ays who fell for my down and out father against her family's wishes. He took my mother by force and only then did her father.
Provide a dowry before casting her out.
At first he remained devoted to my mother. But after becoming a clergyman with steady income, his true colors showed Mia was the child he had with another woman. When that woman refused to raise her, she was dumped on my mother. He vanished without a trace. My mother never searched for him, treating him as dead. She struggled alone to raise two children. I next saw this man at Chingyong Mountain. Though he changed his name, his face remained identical to the portrait that once hung in our home.
I recognized him instantly. He didn't recognize me, which made sense. I'd been just days old when he disappeared.
Mother told us all about this. I don't know when Mia started treating the enemy as family, but I suspect she might actually be Morris's biological daughter. Unaware that Guanghan Peak had been wiped out. Morris just gave me a mocking smile. The only reason you're still alive is because you're useful to Mia. I suggest you make the most of your remaining time. Don't try anything stupid, I said expressionlessly.
I came today to tell you something, he frowned, looking at me. I rolled up my sleeve and showed him the fish-shaped birthark on my forearm. Let me guess, did she tell you this birthark faded as she grew up? Morris eyes turned red as he nodded woodenly. I want to know why did you abandon your wife right after childbirth and vanish without a trace.
Morris remained silent. Fine, I'll speak for him. because he didn't want to take responsibility. As the young master of Chingyang Mountain, his mortal disguise was just for indulging in pleasures. My mother was merely one of his play things. When it was time to return and inherit the family legacy, he left without a second thought. After all, my mother was just a mortal. What could she possibly do against him? As for the favor shown to my mother's child, it was likely just out of pity. Truth be told, it's hardly worth mentioning. I I'll kill Mia. He stared at my empty sleeve, lips trembling as he spoke. "Then go."
Nine, I grabbed my sword and left without hesitation. Yet I knew once he set foot on Moonfrost Peak, he'd never return. He and the Moon Frost Peak shall vanish from this world together, clutching my sword. I departed from Chingyong Mountain. Without its alpha wolf, Chingyong Mountain will likely cease to exist. It matters not. I'm going to pick up my little spirit companion. From now on, we'll journey farther and climb the highest peaks.
I'll be with you, Finn murmured quietly.
The end. Next story. In 203, a radiation disease outbreak forced humanity to consider migrating to Mars. In my previous life, I had to sell all my assets just to secure a ticket on a starship behind my back. My mother gave my ticket to my sister. She's never been as good as you.
You're so capable. You're sure to find another way. My sister only had minor intestinal discomfort while I was on the brink of death as I awaited my inevitable demise in despair. My mother made sure to tell me that my fiance who had decided to stay with me had also obtained a ticket. Jonathan has always loved your sister. You should bless them in this new life. I kept those words close to my heart and gathered all my strength to help them get to Mars. They will never know. The so-called Mars migration is a complete hoax, a death trap for those who fall for it, looking at the smoked fish before me. I finally understood why my radiation disease had progressed so rapidly in my previous life. Just as my sister Arya reached out with her chopsticks, my mother slapped her hand away. That's for your sister.
This is yours. Ever since nuclear contamination leaked inland 2 years ago, fish had become a rare commodity.
Looking at my portion as large as a palm and hers thin as a finger, Arya threw down her chopsticks and threw a tantrum.
Why does she get the better piece? In my previous life, I thought my mother was showing me compassion, seeing how I had struggled to keep our nearly bankrupt company afloat after our father's departure. I thought she favored me in these small ways. There was indeed favoritism, but it wasn't directed towards me. The larger portion was contaminated fish, big and cheap. The smaller portion was eco-friendly fish.
Small yet surprisingly expensive.
Unaware of the truth, I repeatedly mistook poison for honey. Within 3 months, my digestive system was in ruins and my skin flaked off like bark. The experts told me that staying on Earth with its nuclear radiation would only worsen my condition. The only solution was to go to Mars to stay in the cleanest environment offered a sliver of hope for survival. Tickets to Mars on the starships were incredibly hard to come by, costing what ordinary people might save in three lifetimes.
Fortunately, the company was back on track. I sold all my assets, just barely covering the cost. Yet behind my back, my mother gave it to Arya. Mom didn't tell you, but your sister is sick, too.
It doesn't matter if I die, but without this ticket, she can't survive. My mother sobbed as she preached about the greatness of a mother's love. Then she added another twist of the knife. From the start, she's never been as good as you. You're so capable, so strong. You even revived your dad's company. You must have another way, right? It wasn't impossible. But then she turned around and cut off all the company's financial flow to support Arya. During my final days, I couldn't even afford hospital care. I could only lie at home, acutely aware of my body slowly decaying and disintegrating until my life ended. I thought I would die resentful. However, the moment I entered another world, a stream of chaotic consciousness pierced through my mind. It revealed to me that the so-called Mars migration was nothing but a scam. This isn't Noah's ark, but rather a lure and a scam that hastens death. Humanity has only one home, and that is Earth, and I am the chosen guardian with uncertainty. I nodded in agreement. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to a time before the illness struck. My healthy body filled me with excitement and I made a silent resolution. Of course, the Earth must be protected. But before that, I need to listen to my mother and send Arya to Mars first. Arya has been jealous of me since childhood. I used to think it was just childishness, but later I realized it was genuine hostility. I am not the biological daughter of Arya's family.
The woman I called Aunt Emily is actually my real mother. I only found out when I was terminally ill in my previous life. I have a rare blood type and urgently needed a transfusion, but my mother absolutely refused to accept the doctor's suggestion to donate blood.
Left with no other choice, Arya let something slip. Victoria, our family has raised you for so many years. We have done more than enough. That's when I understood why. At the age of 18, my mother, or rather my foster mother, Nora, insisted I sign a share transfer agreement benefiting Arya. Don't think it's Arya's family who owes you. It's you, your mother. Who owes my mother?
Aria's family. If it weren't for your mother stubbornly becoming the other woman, how would my father have died?
Jason died in a car accident. It was sudden. He crashed into a barrier and fell off a cliff where the sea acid corroded him instantly. My mother, who has been dead for over 20 years? How could she be linked to his death? Arya, seeing my disbelief, produced a mobile phone. I recognized it at once. It was Jason's, your mother. unable to face anyone, pretended to be dead so my parents would raise you all these years, never even glancing at you, just caring about living her own cheerful life. In the photo album, a few photos were pinned to the top, apart from one which is a map, nearly the exact location of his accident. The rest, without exception, are of a sophisticated woman with stylish short hair. Her features resemble Jason's by about 70% dressed in a white lab coat standing in front of a technologically advanced warehouse. Nora and Arya assert that Jason's accident occurred while he was searching for my mother. I don't know the truth, but one thing is clear. They are using my mother's so-called lies to manipulate me at this time. Merely wanting me to release the biological lock. The starship's verification method scans a bound pupil to allow boarding. I am not willing to give in. And I have never relented. Victoria, believe me, this is not the end of the world. There must be a way out. Jonathan, as usual, brought a basket of apples he grew himself to take care of me. He is my fiance. Initially, it was a business marriage. Although not very business-savvy, his relentless pursuit somewhat won me over. Regarding this family, I do not wish to believe a word anymore, but I believe what he says. I know you deeply despise it, but only by repaying this debt can we be truly even. Don't worry, you still have me. I'll stay here. Planting apple trees for you, guarding you until the very last moment. I, head over heels in love, agreed. However, the day after I fell ill and lost consciousness, he disappeared. Norah made a point to tell me he had stolen all my clients. Ran off with the orders and the payments and even bought a ticket for a starship. He planned to elope with Arya to start a new life on Mars, building a love nest together. Actually, Jonathan was initially interested in your sister.
They were just concerned about your feelings, which is why they delayed this. You should bless them. Norah said she was right. I should bless them.
After all, journeying to the afterlife is better. Done in pairs alone. It's just too lonely. Just as I had made an excuse to throw out the food, Jonathan knocked on the door. Today was Sunday and according to the rules we had set earlier, we were supposed to go on a date to build trust and understanding.
But if I remember correctly, at this time in our past life, we hadn't spent any time together for 2 months. Each absence was due to some emergency at the company that needed my attention. At that time, I was truly sorry. But now, watching Arya naturally take the apple he handed her, their panicked exchanges of glances, I counted silently in my head. 1 2 3 as expected. Right when I reached three, my phone rang. It's okay, sis. You go ahead if you're busy. Your husband, I'll take care of him. Arya smiled innocently at me, looking sweet and kind. Jonathan quickly agreed. Yes, Victoria. It's fine. There's always next week. I'll wait for you. I didn't move.
I just tapped my fingers on the table, my eyes smiling as they swept over their stiff faces. Oh, I almost forgot.
There's also the apple. To ease the awkwardness, Jonathan quickly snatched the basket from Arya's hands and stuffed it into mine. The stuff outside isn't safe. I grew these myself. Absolutely no issues. Take them to the office to eat.
And don't forget to look after yourself, no matter how busy you are. Such tempting apples. One bite in gratitude.
Two bites and I'm addicted. Three bites might mean death. But watching Arya glaring at me with envy as I luxuriously tossed the apple she wanted into the trash after taking a bite. I must say juicy, sweet, truly delicious. You're being too wasteful, child. My mother emerged from the kitchen. She was about to scold me for squandering when Arya accidentally bumped into her. Noticing the still ringing phone on the table, she immediately calmed down and handed the phone to me. Why aren't you answering the phone? What if it's something important at the company? I took it in front of her. I slid to hang up. Then I locked the screen. Victoria, what are you doing? She couldn't fathom my intentions. I retorted. Mom, are you doubting my capabilities? Then let's have Arya manage the company. Arya, spoiled by our parents, barely managed to get a diploma. talking about running a company. She might not even be wanted as an office worker. This company is their only guarantee for the latter half of their lives. Deceiving me to work for them was their best choice for a carefree life. Arya can't handle such responsibilities. Norah immediately objected. Seeing my indifferent expression, she switched to a more appeasing tone. I'm just thinking of you. You saved this company at great personal cost. It's practically your life. What if something happens? Yes, I'm worried too. I cut her off. This confused about my real intentions. She fell silent and exchanged glances with Arya. So, I've made up my mind. I've decided to step back from managing the company. What did you say? The three people in the room suddenly looked alarmed, but it was Arya who couldn't hold back. Victoria, do you have no sense of responsibility? Don't forget what you promised, Mom. Are you asking for divine punishment? Arya was referring to the company shares that were forcibly left in my name. Sorry, ma'am, but the company's initial setup included a safeguard clause. Any gratuitous transfer cannot exceed 50% of the original shares. Norah sought help from three top law firms, but eventually gave up in the dark corridor of the office building. I will forever remember her cursing as she tore up the full transfer contract she had prepared right next to a trash can, calling me names.
She slapped me when I approached to see if she was okay, making me swear to heaven to respect them, yield to Arya, and dedicate my life to running this company. If only the nuclear radiation hadn't spread so quickly, I thought this was my lifelong destiny, and I would never know that the company was left to me by my mom. It was because they coveted the company that Jason and Nora took me in. I'm planning to hand the company over to Jonathan. That statement shut Arya up. Me? Jonathan pointed to himself in disbelief, but the excitement in his eyes couldn't be hidden. He rushed over to confirm repeatedly. Why would you suddenly decide to hand over the company to me? Thanks to you, the company is what it is today. Are you sure you trust me with it? Of course, to make him drop his guard, I resisted my disgust, grabbed his arm, and leaned my head on his shoulder. Seeing this, Arya, jealous, tried to react, but was firmly held back by Nora. You're my fiance. The company would eventually be ours together anyway. There's no difference if you manage it or if I do. A reason that seemed all too normal. Jonathan was utterly convinced. The next day, without any greetings, I walked straight into the company building. The secretary, carrying a basket of apples, asked me nervously what to do. I took the apples and left the CEO's office without looking back. It's just a company. If he wants it, just give it to him. Driven by the desire to make his failing family proud and his extreme eagerness for success, Jonathan embraced the fertile land and began sewing seeds wildly, he took on one aggressive project after another, spending money like it was dirt. Privately, many board members complained to me in secret. I brushed them off, claiming I was not feeling well. Then I checked the amount of capital injected into my new company. in no more than half a month. The company's financial chain would definitely break.
Before that happens, I must cut ties with Arya's family as soon as possible.
Sis, are you really moving out? Knowing I was planning to move, Arya pretended to persuade me to stay. In reality, she was delighted. Living under the same roof made her affair with Jonathan inconvenient. But once I left, she could do as she pleased, both at the company and at home. Yes. You know the villa in the eastern suburbs, right? Come visit when you have time. The villa in the hills area's self-satisfied expressions suddenly turned pale after hesitating is that the old house owned by Jonathan's family. Wealth doesn't last more than three generations, especially when it's in the hands of a fool. The hillside villa was the only significant asset Jonathan could boast of. Her expression said it all. She definitely wanted it. I simply admitted, "Anyway, we're getting married soon. It's not bad to move in early to get used to it. Jonathan said that it will be our marital home. With a loud bang, the door was slammed so hard the floor shook. Nora, afraid I might suspect something, didn't try to persuade me to stay any longer at night, standing alone in front of the floor to ceiling windows of the hillside villa.
It all felt so surreal, not because the villa was luxurious, but because of the lush greenery outside the window during the 30 years of nuclear testing. The impact on the ecology was not very obvious. But from now on, it wouldn't be long. Before the ecology rapidly deteriorated, greenery would become the most expensive luxury on this planet.
And I got this house from Jonathan for just a third of its market value. My new company offered him an irresistibly low price. Eager to bid, and pessimistic about the future of the villa, he sold it off directly. The false prosperity made him swell with pride. No need for major maneuvers. Just a pinch with a needle, a gentle poke, a chain reaction explosion would be fully activated. By then, Nora, Arya, and Jonathan, all trying to survive the apocalypse, wouldn't escape when people are angered.
They act rashly after acting rashly.
They give others something to use against them. When I showed up with photos and video evidence, Jonathan was terrified. Arya, on the other hand, was calm, even a bit eager, with her lips curled into a mocking smile. She half sat on Jonathan's lap. It's good that you know, saves me from pretending.
Sorry, sis. Love can't be forced.
Jonathan was only with you four.
Business. I am his true love. I responded with a faint smile and glanced at Jonathan. Is that so? No. No, it is.
His subconscious reaction betrayed the truth. Jonathan's ambiguity embarrassed Arya, provoked by my teasing gaze, she quickly lost her temper and turned on Jonathan. Oh, Jonathan, you said Victoria was an old maid without charm, and I felt sorry for you, and now you just want to leave after pulling up your pants. I knew her words were intended for me, meant to sever any lingering feelings I might have for Jonathan, but really, there was no need I could give up the company, let alone a mere man.
I'm sorry, Victoria. I couldn't help myself. I'm willing to make amends for the hurt I've caused you by leaving the company. I had underestimated Jonathan.
He knew how to retreat in order to advance. He had set a trap, just waiting for Arya to fall into it. Why should she dictate whether you leave or not? Arya jumped without regret, spurred by Jonathan<unk>s wary look and arrogantly asserted her authority. Victoria, mother just pitted you. That's why she let you help manage the company. This company was always mine. I decide who works here. Not you. Oh, really? I smirked coldly. But what can we do? The shares, though half were transferred to you, the other half are indeed in my name. I toyed with the document proving my share ownership in my hand. You alone don't have the final say. Growing up together, I knew Aria's vulnerabilities all too well. She couldn't stand. Being outdone by me in front of others, especially not by Jonathan, she lunged at me like a mad woman, trying to scratch me. Jonathan, in all his mess, barely managed to restrain her. The filter of past lovers shattered, leaving nothing but disgust and disdain, and my mocking gaze only added to his annoyance. All this, and Arya was oblivious, the engagement can be anoldled, and I can also step away from the company. I came here not to watch the drama unfold idly. What would be the fun in that? What do you want?
Arya glared at me angrily. It's as you both have repeatedly claimed a mutual affection. I just want to help you out.
The only condition I slipped the share certificate into Jonathan's shirt pocket by my shares at a 50% premium. The condition I proposed was outrageous. But Jonathan would surely agree past experiences, as painful as they were, were not without their benefits. If Jonathan truly loved Arya, he could have made it clear to me with my personality.
Not only would I not obstruct, but I would also respect him more. Yet, he chose to flirt with me on one hand and secretly share his feelings with Arya on the other. I suspect from the start he knew the real situation regarding the company's shares. His actions were a gamble. Now, a great opportunity lay before him. Arya was foolish enough to sell herself short and even count the money for others. He only needed to sacrifice a little benefit to take control of the entire company. Sure enough, Jonathan responded within 3 days as expected ostensibly. It was at Area's urging. In reality, it was the new project I threw at him that released favorable news. I gave him a tight deadline of just one week. Jonathan had no other choice but to deal with his last card at a low price. Yes, I was the one who took over. So after all the hassle, I simply used a front to laid the shares, siphoned off the cash flow, and acquired a profitable company set to earn a fortune soon, and they were left with nothing but an empty shell of a company still dreaming of laying golden eggs out of oldtime sake. I even let their blissful ignorance last a little longer until Starship announced the sale of its first batch of tickets. Like many others, Arya started to feel unwell. The company under my name cut off the funding chain and brought out a Floridaen contract designed long ago, terminating all project collaborations and demanding substantial compensation.
Overnight, a chain reaction ensued. The company's building collapsed, debts mounting like mountains, Norah came to my hillside villa to find me. Without speaking, she raised her arm to slap me.
Is this the attitude to ask for help?
With a sneer, I blocked her hand. She staggered and fell heavily down the three steps. I might be your mother, you ungrateful wretch. She wasn't hurt, scrambling up, she tried to hit me again, suddenly noticing passers by, she burst into tears and sat back down. How could you abandon us in our time of need after what you promised back then? How could God be so blind to afflict my Arya with this illness? If it were before, by manipulating public opinion and media fermentation, I might have been a notable figure, perhaps even unable to escape being blasted online. But now, everyone was fighting against nuclear threats, finding ways to delay the spread of radiation and save their own lives, who would care about her trivial issues. Survival was the top priority.
After three passers by, she forcefully involved refused. She stopped her act.
She got up and tried to guilt. Treat me with filop piety. I interrupted her with mockery. My mother is Emily and you calling you aunt is already polite.
Calling you a Robert isn't wrong either.
Norah was shocked into silence. She opened her mouth several times but no words came out. It's impossible. You couldn't possibly know. Yes, without this disaster I would never have known.
Everyone lamented that nature was retaliating that humanity would be punished for its past sins. But I feel perhaps this is an opportunity, an opportunity for transformation, to awaken and fight back, to save ourselves. At a southwest angle of 50°, what should have been an obscure celestial body shown astonishingly bright in the cloud-covered night sky? I had no patience to keep entangling with Nora. Enough. After all, we're relatives. I can show Arya a clear path.
Like clutching at a lifeline, Norah grabbed my arm tightly. Hurry up and tell me. I gestured for her to look up.
Then I stuffed a brochure, which was usually out of reach for ordinary people, into her hands. Act quickly or the tickets will be gone after much thought. Still, I feel that nothing is more desparing than giving hope to someone and then cruy snuffing it out.
I've tasted it. It's time for Arya to experience it too soon. The company let out rumors of selling assets and bankruptcy liquidation. I had spent 10 years of my youth there, and it was the only thing my mother left me. I couldn't bear to watch it disappear completely. I wanted to buy it back quietly from the bottom. But then news broke that Jonathan had fled with the funds. Is this the start of an internal conflict?
I'm not surprised, though. After all, this isn't the first time Jonathan has done something like this. Moreover, this time the radiation sickness struck him and Arya together. I had always thought that food was the primary culprit causing mutations because all symptoms start from the gut. It was only after moving to the hillside villa that I realized it was the air. Radioactive elements in the sea had long evaporated with the rain, spreading in the air at a high concentration and decaying rapidly into forms too subtle for technological devices to detect. But the damage remains like trillions of bullets. Each breath breaches the immune barrier, attacking the DNA replication chain. As the intestinal cells have the shortest lifespan, they are the first to be breached, and the only thing that can suppress this is green plants. The neighbors living in the hillside villa, realizing that few fell ill, gradually came to understand this. Relatives flocked to us with bags in tow. But every ecosystem has its tolerance level.
The clean air is not enough. This place will soon become a living hell. I've gathered everything that belongs to me.
I can't just sit back and wait to die since someone like a deity delivered to me the information about the Mars scam while I was on the verge of death and miraculously revived me. I have reasons and I must believe. There must be a place, the last ember and hope of Earth.
Whether it can successfully continue, no one knows. But amid the current chaos, I am confident that it will provide me the best protection and security. But the question is, where is this ember?
Without any usable clues, I had to rely on the latest generation of smart computers I had stocked up. I initiated the chat GPT34 zero high-speed iterative mode, repeatedly planning survival paths. Ultimately, Earth's last hope is extinguished. The only way forward is Mars. A chill runs up my spine, spreading throughout my body. I should have realized this sooner. The world as seen through our eyes is filled with lies. A distorted truth long lost. Every action is a disguise collectively pointing towards a non-existent outcome.
But is it possible? Could there really be such a massive organization among humans capable of monopolizing the whole world? It appears that the starship is more than just a profit-driven slaughterhouse orchestrated by mankind.
So what is the truth behind all this? I rack my brains, but no thoughts come to mind. Suddenly interrupted by a rush of urgent ringing. Victoria, how dare they mess with me like this? The roar from the receiver came much later than I expected. It snaps me out of my terror.
It seems I overestimated him. Jonathan, apart from impotent rage, he's just a coward. Don't think just because you've done this to me. I can't do anything about you, he said through gritted teeth. Everyone has their weaknesses.
Sure, I want money and I admit it. But what about you, Victoria? What do you want? And do you dare admit it? Tell me.
What do you want to do? I don't believe he, now akin to a homeless dog, poses any threat to me yet. Victoria, you're wrong. It's not about what I want, but what you want. His voice suddenly softens. A serpent-like gentleness mixed with a ponderous laugh. We've been together so long. Others may not understand you, but how could I not? Do you know why you'll never measure up? To Arya, my heart tightens. Because you're not Ariel's biological family. Nora isn't your mom. Your real mom is Emily?
Yes, that aunt of yours who turned to ashes. She didn't die at all. She's still very much alive. Jonathan wants to meet. Money in one hand, goods in the other. I thought he had some new lead on finding my mom. Turns out it was just Jason's phone after being reborn. I tried searching. I turned Arya and Norah's rooms upside down. To no avail.
I didn't expect it to be in his possession. You want to live? Then stay here and die, he said as the desire to survive makes anyone shed their disguise, revealing their most primitive evil. Vulgarly, he spits at me. Then Jonathan picks up the money box and enters the airport terminal. A nondescript check-in counter sells the most expensive thing in the world. It creates an air of mystery known only to the wealthy and beyond the grasp of ordinary people. Congratulations, sir.
You've been granted the privilege of rebirth.
Welcome to wise Mars. Please follow the instructions to complete the binding.
Once he has what he needs, Jonathan quickly hides in a secluded corner to operate the device. Just as he finishes putting it on, a group of tall, menacing men with tattooed arms hold him down by the head. He was tossed into the restroom. Even though it caused a bit of a commotion, passers by had long grown accustomed to such disturbances. In a world where the order had collapsed, it was hard to distinguish between the police and criminals belief and humanity.
even among loved ones could be easily discarded. Everyone had only one thought on their minds. To survive. Good news.
This kid's loaded, the leader said, twirling a dagger in his hand and whistling at me. His followers swarmed behind him, grabbing Jonathan's cash box. Speak up. How do you want to split this? I smiled knowingly, stepping forward. I reached into the cash box and took just one item. Is this it? The other side was skeptical. Yes, I don't want the money. Just this. A pair of VR glasses. That's all. No one would have guessed that a Starship ticket costing a fortune was actually a pair of VR glasses. In my past life, I hadn't had the chance to study them closely before Norah stole them for Arya. This time, I observed them for a while. Apart from being equipped with top-end biometric features, there was nothing special.
Perhaps they were indeed just a pair of VR glasses. I smirked and tossed them aside. But the moment they left my hand, a peculiar, uneven texture shocked my fingertips. A vaguely familiar pattern evoked flashes of memory. I had seen it somewhere before. After much thought, it still didn't make sense. I gave up and picked up Jason's phone to clear my mind, but I froze the moment I saw it.
The same logo appeared in a photo of my mother, Emily. From the graffiti on the walls of the warehouse to the badge on her lab coat, it was unmistakable. So, Emily, who exactly was she? Why did she fake her death? And why reappear at this critical moment? Unfortunately, I couldn't find any answers. But one thing was certain. She had become an executioner on Mars, plotting against all of humanity. From childhood, Aria's plate always had one more egg than mine.
She wore clothes she disliked, and I had to wear handme-downs on the dark pathway. Arya was always picked up by Nora while I had to run forward for my life, never daring to stop and look back. After long suppression, I began to question Norah would just scoff and brush me off. In every family, the elder makes. Way for the younger, you think too highly of yourself. My mother, in my concept, lacked warmth. So, learning that I was not her biological child provided a perfect excuse for the harsh treatment I had endured. I began to hope again, Emily. In what warm way would she fill the voids in my heart? But in reality, she simply did not possess such character. Perhaps she did not care that somewhere in this world there was a little me. Otherwise, why would she have abandoned me with Arya's family for so many years? People have their own aspirations. No need to. I keep trying to console myself. Yet in a days, I could still hear a devilish laughter slowly escaping from my mouth, eventually filling the entire villa.
Just then, a piercing scream from next door jolted me back to reality. Looking through the window, I saw the door flung open and a child around four or 5 years old was thrown out. His body was decayed. His skin-like bark resembling a dried corpse. It was the last stage of radiation.
Sickness, a condition I was all too familiar with. At some point, people began demonizing radiation sickness, believing it was not only caused by radiation, but also contagious between humans. Zombie movies became the reality everyone talked about. No one had seen it, but everyone believed it to be true.
The child's body continued to twitch.
His parents, after mourning, with a few glances, sobbed and closed the door.
Neighbors hearing the commotion, swiftly shut their doors, turned off their lights and locked up. The whole world was as silent as the grave. I went outside. I crouched down and held the child's trembling hand. Don't worry, they will all be punished. I assured him, knowing his consciousness was still very clear. But remember, next time, grow up faster. An unprecedented calmness took over. I picked up a rock from the roadside and crushed his skull.
His face distorted by his features somehow wore a slight smile. It seemed he understood my words. Survival has always been cruel. Everyone can truly only rely on themselves. Ms. Victoria, I am pleased to inform you that you have awakened as new know one. The sky mending project is now officially underway. An electronic voice suddenly announced in my ear. The dark horizon lit up with a faint glow. I held my breath, nervously checking in my mind if this sound matched the deity of rebirth I heard before. My phone then received a text message. Your first task, send someone to Mars. At the villa's entrance, there was a Starship ticket that looked no different from the one Jonathan had snatched. Upon closer inspection, two gems were embedded in the rivet holes at the back, dazzling and luxurious, concealing a simultaneous translation device. This task wasn't challenging, but I hesitated to act.
After all, choosing between three candidates seemed unfair, so I decided to leave the choice to them. I hadn't set foot in my original home for 3 months. The place was as desolate as a grave filled with uncleaned rubbish and filth. Norah, limping with her rotting foot, was watering the last two pots of devil's ivy, unaware. Nowadays, the more she waters the plants, the faster they die. A pot of devil<unk>'s ivy, barely covered with soil and previously vibrant, visibly withers and dies.
"Please don't die," she pleads weakly, but she can't prevent the last leaf from wilting. kneeling on the ground. She breaks down in tears. God, why won't you look after us? Do you really want to see my daughter and me dead before you're satisfied? I can't help but laugh. You blame God for not looking after you.
Yet, you're still here despite the odds.
Wrapped in a heavy protective suit, Norah doesn't recognize me at first.
Then, she recognizes my voice and quickly gets up, straightening her back.
Victoria, just like your shameless mother. You stole my daughter's company and her man. What are you back here for?
You want to see us fail, right? Well, there's no chance of that happening, she says. Her face turning red with agitation and taking in more air.
Jonathan told us everything. It was you who wanted his starship tickets, and you tricked him in a moment of carelessness.
He said he'll soon get new tickets and take Arya with him. My Arya won't end up like you. Unwanted and pathetic. Just you wait. You'll rot here on Earth. turn into a zombie. Her words are slurred, almost dreamlike, yet poignant. But from what she says, it seems Jonathan is here, too. As I ponder this, a commotion arises.
From the bedroom, a mass of putrid flesh kneeling at the bedroom door crawls towards me. Victoria, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have deceived you. I'm a bastard. I'm shameless. I'm vile. I'm not even worthy to carry your shoes. It hasn't been long, yet half of Jonathan's skin is already necrotic.
He's in too much pain to stand upright.
Yet, he desperately slaps himself to please me. Norah stands there dazed, as if the slaps were landing on her own face. Really, I'll do anything if you forgive me. Please, for old times sake, spare me and return the tickets to me.
Jonathan pleads earnestly, continuously bowing his head to me. Norah collapses to the ground. She finally realizes that Jonathan's new plan for getting the tickets was to beg me. She sobs bitterly, unable to utter another curse.
Then there's more noise from the bedroom. It's Arya looking as sick as Jonathan, but stubbornly enduring. She injects herself with a dose of morphine and shakily stands before me. No one needs your charity. Just leave. Even now, Arya can't let go of her competitive spirit. With me? Fine. Then I turn and walk away. And casually, I pull out two starship tickets. I wanted to give us all peace of mind. But since you disdain it so much, I'll let you reunite in the heavens. After all, a family together isn't such a bad thing.
Wait, Jonathan and Nora call out to me in unison. I lift the corners of my mouth in a smile, but I did not stop in my tracks. It was not until I stepped out of the door that I heard sobs, suppressed by them, reluctantly bowing her head. I slowly turned back. If you had been sensible like this earlier, it would have all been over. Amid Arya's sobbing, I began to recall for her how many times when I was the one who aired.
Yet it was always you who suffered the blows. Norah clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and fiercely slapped Arya on the left cheek. I struggled to make ends meet for our family. Yet you just reaped the benefits and seduced my fiance.
Jonathan like a machine furiously slapped area's right cheek spreading rumors about me causing me to be bullied by classmates and mocked by colleagues and bribing my secretary to spy on my movements one by one I recalled and one by one they struck until Arya learned her lesson the look in her eyes when she saw me was nothing but fear and horror Victoria we know we were wrong Jonathan like a drooling dog coveted my hand see isn't this the boat ticket. Pleased, I tossed the ticket to the other side of them. The three of them crawled on their knees, scrambling to grab it. Their eyes were sharp. There were three people, but only two tickets. The outcome was not surprising. Arya, a second ago numb and dazed, suddenly displayed a resolve as if embracing death, and lunged forward.
She fell heavily on the floor. Yet she clutched the two tickets tightly in her arms. She glared fiercely at the two approaching her, one her true love. the other, her own mother. Don't come any closer or I'll destroy them. It's strange how human thoughts work when we never had something. We don't yearn for things that don't exist. But once hope is within sight, it's hard not to believe that it should rightfully belong to us. Norah used the same excuses on Arya that she had used on me. I gave birth to you, raised you for 25 years.
I've given half my life to you, never shortchanged you a bit, Arya. You can't be unfilio. Jonathan also played his card of tender emotions. My dear, I'd give up everything for you. Trust me, on Mars, I will love and cherish you even more. I am your future. Arya laughed like a mad woman. Why didn't you say these things when you were hitting me just now? The two of them could not rebut in agreement. They shifted the blame onto me, trying to seek forgiveness, completely forgetting who actually owns the tickets. But I did not want to argue anymore. I just hoped their trip to Mars would start as soon as possible. The car is ready. I'll come to pick you up at 10 tomorrow, leaving them with my final warning. I left the battlefield of human nature. Cries of scolding, pleading, anger, and gratitude echoed back and forth. But I believe this night there will always be a result. 13 Yet I still underestimated the evil in human nature. Curious, I arrived half an hour early for the appointment, eager to know the final answer. But as soon as I got out of the car, the door was wide open, stained with blood. And Norah's corpse lay right in the doorway. Judging from the stench of decay and body temperature, she had been dead for over 12 hours, which means not long after I left yesterday. The dust had settled, both emotionally and logically. I couldn't miss the chance to see Arya off on her final journey. When I arrived at the launch site, it was crowded with people emitting a foul smell, all hunched over in a long queue.
There were quite a few familiar faces, big social media influencers, top tier celebrities, and rising stars in the startup world. No one was coddling them with privileges anymore. Some who tried to cut the line by flashing their fame were quickly beaten down to their last breath. Yet, I was still puzzled. It shouldn't have been them. The elusive capitalists, the prominent tycoons, none were in sight. Or perhaps there was a special passage, a first class section on this starship. Miss, you don't have a ticket. Please leave immediately. As I looked around, two bodyguards wearing sunglasses stood coldly behind me. I pulled out a brochure and waved my credit card that I held in my hand.
Didn't. They say it was possible to take a tour. I want to see if it's safe, and if it is, I'll buy a ticket right here.
So, you're using us as guinea pigs. How kind of you? The security guards quickly left. And Arya and Jonathan, whom I had been unable to find, appeared behind me.
They seemed in high spirits, as people often are during happy occasions. Arya was wrapped in a long fur coat, looking much better, her lips curved into a bold smile, showing no signs of someone who had just lost her mother. Jonathan, on the other hand, was as nervous as if he was facing a great enemy. His eyes darted between the tickets in his and Ariel's hands, suddenly catching something. He clenched his teeth in frustration. What a pity. The starship just announced that the price for the next batch of tickets will be 10 times higher. Arya flaunted her ticket just to provoke me. What's the use of all your scheming against me when it only backfires? I've done the math for you, even if you had three more companies.
You couldn't afford it, let alone now that you have none. Victoria, you might as well stay on Earth and fend for yourself while I go off in search of happiness. She casually slung one arm through Jonathan's while making a show of putting on the ticket for the biological binding. Wait. Jonathan stopped her. Arya looked up. Puzzled, Jonathan gently stroked her hair in a tender, intimate gesture. Don't mess up your hair. Let me do it. What Arya wanted most was to regain her dignity.
In front of me proudly, she tilted her chin up, letting Jonathan fiddle with the ticket. Meanwhile, Jonathan quickly switched the tickets behind her back. He put the one that was originally his on area's head and hurriedly dawned the other on himself. Congratulations.
Binding complete. Please proceed to the boarding gate for verification. As the announcement sounded, Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief. He removed his half, giving me a grateful look, grateful for my forgiveness and for my silence.
But actually, I didn't need it because I was always meant to send someone to Mars. And in the end, there was only one spot. How can it be fake? You must be mistaken. Let me in. Let me in. Arya was stopped by someone. I initially thought that removing one of the convex lenses would only invalidate the ticket, but I didn't expect it. The boarding entrance immediately went into high alert.
Numerous blackclad bodyguards subdued Arya. Madam, Starship tickets are very expensive. Why would you deliberately sabotage it? Asked the check-in attendant, her smile turning sinister as she repeated the question. A flustered Arya finally regained her composure and realized something. I know now it was all her doing. It was I cautiously hid in the corner. Yet I never heard Arya call out my name. It was Jonathan. After passing the check, he decisively freed himself from Arya's grasp and without looking back entered the turnstyle gate.
It was you, Jonathan. It was you. You knew my ticket was fake. You secretly switched it, didn't you? You said you loved me, that you would take care of me forever. I even left my mother for you.
How could you do this to me? Come back.
Come back to me. Arya broke down hysterically. Instead of a glance of happiness, she was met with a stunned gun by the blackclad bodyguards. She whimpered, her body going limp, dragged into another corridor. Compared to the brightness here, that place was pitch dark. Nothing could be seen, and the alert did not subside, but grew even more tense with violent searches conducted on each innocent passenger. It wasn't hard to guess the kind of treatment Arya, who was taken away, would suffer, but it no longer concerned me. At this moment, I was more interested in the true nature of the Mars scam, putting on the sunglasses that came with the ticket. Soon, the scenes captured by Jonathan would be transmitted here through radio waves.
That's right. The diamond Jonathan had captured was nothing but a fitted camera. He thought possessing it brought him closer to a hope for life, but in reality, it only brought a more desperate death. An hour later, the first Starship finally took off. I intently watched the images on the glasses, not wanting to miss a second.
However, as it entered the various layers of the atmosphere, everything was stable. Nothing happened. I was hugely disappointed calculating the Starship speed. The fastest arrival on Mars would be in three months. I quickly adjusted my mindset, ready for the long haul. But suddenly, the scene before me drastically changed. A huge mechanical eye enveloped. The entire frame, there was no sound in the image. But through the intense vibrations, I could imagine the kind of fear and panic Jonathan felt. What was eerier was that the passengers he scanned seemed to show no signs of distress, like dreaming babies, quietly bound to their seats, awaiting the slaughter of a monstrous beast. No, not a beast. As the eye gradually receded, it looked more like an insect with thousands of legs and arms. Even the thinnest one was probably as thick as a human body, more terrifyingly, it seemed to have noticed Jonathan was awake. It broke through the window directly, clenching his throat. The last image froze on two hands in a gaping m oozing with oil like viscous blood. A helpless and hopeless struggle abruptly pulling me back to a memory from a past life. Don't worry, Victoria. I will protect you till the very end. It said that after human bodies are atomized.
They can achieve eternal material existence in the void of outer space. It was time for Jonathan to fulfill his promise. Easter egg. A massive amount of information exploded in my mind. I gasped for air as I took off the glasses. It turns out in the vast sea of the universe, we are not alone. Life has once again occurred by chance, and it is happening on the planet closest to us.
The harsh reality of immigrating to Mars is that it involves sacrifice. Feeding those creatures with living humans.
Attention, attention. Seal all passages.
All personnel, arm yourselves. A series of alarm bells interrupted my thoughts.
Chaos erupted at the boarding gate.
Numerous passengers waiting for the next ship were targeted by men in black.
Their quantum guns aimed at their foreheads. I hastily blocked the signal to my glasses and tightened my coat pocket as I moved towards the spreading chaos. Didn't Jason tell you? Curiosity killed the cat. A cold female voice suddenly sounded behind me. I held my breath and turned around. A face, both strange and familiar, approached me step by step. I struggled to control my trembling and forced a strange smile.
You've mistaken me for someone else. I don't know any Jason. Is that so? She continued walking toward me. In the distance, the blackclad bodyguards noticed something a miss and swarmed in.
You can't fool me. She grabbed my arm and pulled out the glasses from my pocket. Then, with a mysterious smile, she leaned close to my ear. I created you, Newwan.
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