My father and my childhood sweetheart’s mother died in the same bed.
When they were discovered, their bodies were still grotesquely entangled together.
In that instant, both of our worlds collapsed.
He drove a car straight into my father’s funeral hall, smashing the memorial to pieces.
And without saying a word, I carried his mother’s urn to the windy edge of the harbor and shattered it there.
Our hatred was too fierce, too deranged—like poison-tempered blades.
For ten years we stabbed at each other relentlessly, until finally we grew tired.
He took his men and disappeared into Southeast Asia.
I stayed in Harbor City and became the number-one bounty hunter.
…
After finishing today’s target, I hurried back to the dessert shop I used to conceal my identity and treat my wounds.
The wall-mounted television was broadcasting news about Adrian Lu’s return to the country.
Once the crown prince of Harbor City’s elite circle—now the top arms dealer in Southeast Asia. His return was naturally something the media couldn’t stop celebrating.
I wrapped my wound in a careless bandage, planning to light incense for my father at the small shrine as usual.
Suddenly, the shop door burst open with a gust of wind.
A young girl with short black hair cut to her jawline rushed in.
She looked cold-tempered, yet her voice was surprisingly loud. Holding a bouquet of red roses, she pointed at the cakes in the display case.
“I’ll take all of these!”
Right behind her was Victor Chen, Adrian’s brother-in-arms who had followed him through life and death.
The moment he saw me, his steps faltered, and his expression turned awkward.
“Lily… maybe we should go somewhere else?”
The girl refused immediately.
“No!”
“I once brought Adrian desserts from this shop before. He said they were delicious. It’s his birthday today—I need to buy more.”
She blinked up at me with wide, watery eyes.
“Miss, my fiancé just came back to the country today. He really loves the desserts here. Could I borrow the place for a bit to prepare a birthday surprise for him?”
I couldn’t refuse.
So I nodded.
“Miss, could you make a few more desserts too?”
“Sure,” I replied softly.
But from the corner of my eye, I noticed the wound I had just wrapped was bleeding through the bandage again.
Quietly, I hid my hand beneath my apron and walked toward the kitchen with trembling steps.
Not because I was afraid.
And not because I felt nostalgic.
My illness had flared up again.
The kind that had no cure.
“Victor Chen, I’m running out of time. Hurry and help me decorate! Adrian will be here soon—I don’t want him to be unhappy.”
Victor didn’t move.
He knew very well that Adrian Lu had never been happy to see me.
On the television screen, Adrian Lu curved his lips slightly at the reporters.
But there was no warmth in his eyes.
“She must be watching the news too, right?”
His voice was calm and low.
“I’m looking forward to it as well… meeting her again.
”
The camera zoomed in, and the scar on Adrian Lu’s brow became strikingly clear.
I had given him that scar.
There was no particular reason.
I had simply been in a bad mood that day and casually slashed him with a dagger.
As for the hideous scar across my neck—it was his doing. Back then he had crushed a wine glass with his bare hand and stabbed the shards straight into my throat.
There hadn’t been much reason for that either.
We had always believed in returning blow for blow.
Nothing pleased us more than seeing the other person grimace in pain.
On the television, the female host wore a suggestive smile.
“Mr. Lu, are you planning to stay in Harbor City this time? And I see you’re holding roses—are you going to meet someone important?”
He paused briefly before answering, his voice deep.
“My fiancée.”
Inside the shop, the girl was carefully arranging roses and candleholders. Hearing this, she turned toward the television.
“Victor Chen, I heard Adrian had a childhood sweetheart here in Harbor City—someone he’s been entangled with for ten years. Do you know about her?”
I lowered my head and wiped a dining knife clean. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Victor Chen glancing at me.
“Adrian!”
The girl suddenly cried out in excitement, breaking the strange tension that had begun to spread through the small space.
She rushed out the door in delight, even forgetting her umbrella.
“Lily.”
Outside, Adrian Lu caught her effortlessly in one arm, holding the umbrella over her as he pulled her into his embrace.
She rose on tiptoe and stole a rain-scented kiss from the corner of his lips.
Adrian seemed to lean back slightly.
Our eyes met suddenly through the rain-streaked glass window.
The girl was about to turn her head, but Adrian held her chin and kissed her deeply.
I withdrew my gaze and cut the pink ribbon in my hands.
Victor Chen had already walked up to me.
After hesitating for a long moment, he spoke quietly.
“Evelyn Jiang… I’m begging you. It’s his birthday today. At least today—don’t make him unhappy.”
He paused, then added as if something had just occurred to him.
“That girl is only nineteen. Very innocent. She resembles what you used to be like.”
I nodded.
My fingertips had gone numb with cold.
“She does resemble me,” I said calmly.
“She’s prettier than I was.”
The door opened again.
Adrian Lu stepped inside, closing his long black umbrella.
“Talking about my fiancée?”
His voice carried a faint smile.
But his eyes—cold as sharpened ice—fell directly on me.
Victor Chen held his breath as he watched me.
He was waiting—waiting to see whether I would go mad like I used to.
But I merely pushed the prepared cake toward them.
“Here you are. Your dark chocolate Starbucks cake. Please enjoy.”
Lily Su rested her chin in both hands, gazing at Adrian Lu with starry-eyed admiration.
“Adrian, try it. Isn’t it your favorite one?”
Adrian took a sip of coffee, his thumb slowly tracing the rim of the cup.
Then he cut off a piece with the small silver spoon and placed it in his mouth.
“So bitter,” he said lazily. “Bitter enough to make your tongue go numb. Not very good.”
His tone rose slightly at the end, teasing Lily.
She frowned suspiciously and took a bite herself.
“It’s clearly delicious! You’re lying again!”
She didn’t see that while she lowered her head, Adrian had been staring at me the entire time.
The next second, the bell above the dessert shop door rang sharply.
“Adrian! Welcome back to the country!”
Several men burst in laughing, but the moment they saw me, the smiles froze on their faces.
Their eyes followed my movements with caution and curiosity before collectively shifting toward Victor Chen.
Carrying a tray of prepared grapefruit tea, I walked over.
Almost simultaneously, several of them raised their hands defensively—as if afraid I might throw acid instead of tea.
During those years when Adrian and I tormented each other, I had also “taken care” of them along the way.
Nothing too serious—just a few harmless pranks.
Yet apparently those memories had been etched deeply into their muscle memory.
One of them quietly nudged Victor Chen’s shoulder, baffled.
“Brother Victor, what’s going on here?”
Victor merely shrugged and said nothing.
“Please enjoy.”
I turned to leave.
But Lily suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Miss, could you help us take a photo?”
“No.”
I gently brushed her hand away and refused without hesitation.
I had only turned halfway when a shadow fell before me.
I looked up.
Adrian Lu stood there with a dark expression, his tone indifferent.
“I know businesses like yours always talk about price. Just name it. How much would it cost to buy you…”
He paused deliberately, as if waiting for me to explode.
When I showed no reaction, he finished coldly,
“…to buy you into taking a photo for us.”
I looked him up and down once from head to toe. Without answering, I tried to walk past him.
Suddenly, a sharp grip pinched the nerve in my forearm.
My legs buckled and I dropped to my knees.
A black card struck my face, its edge slicing a thin line across my skin.
“There’s enough money on that card to buy your life,” he said coldly.
I forced myself to stand again. My fingers brushed the burning cut on my cheek as I stared straight at Adrian.
Lily quickly stepped between us with a bright smile, trying to smooth things over.
“Adrian, don’t be like that…”
“I’m sorry, miss. My fiancé probably had too much to drink.”
But there was no scent of alcohol on him.
He simply wanted to make trouble for me—just like he had for the past decade.
For the first time, I almost believed that these years abroad had truly made him carefree enough to forget exactly what kind of person I was.
I crouched down, picked up the black card, and stood before Adrian again.
Someone nearby snorted.
“Adrian, this woman really hasn’t changed at all. Still willing to bow her head for money!”
Confident in my supposed obedience, he handed me his phone.
I grabbed his chin.
Using the black card, I scraped a thick layer of cream from the cake and shoved it straight into his mouth.
Only when I smelled blood did I stop.
Then I grabbed the two glasses of alcohol from the table and poured them straight down his throat.
“Your mouth’s filthy,” I said calmly. “I don’t mind cleaning it for you.”
As I lifted my hand again, I slapped the man who had just spoken.
“Shut your mouth, you filthy dog. Don’t bark when you shouldn’t.”
Everything happened so fast that no one reacted in time.
Only the sound of rain tapping against the glass remained.
Victor Chen leaned against the corner, tilted his head back, and downed a large glass of liquor.
With a sigh, he muttered,
“Why did you provoke her?”
Lily finally snapped out of her shock and glared at me, her neck stiff with anger.
“Miss! Even if we were in the wrong first, what you did was way too much!”
Her brows shot upward as she raised her hand to strike.
“Ah!”
The moment she moved, I caught her wrist and slapped her clean across the face.
Her scream echoed through the cramped shop.
Adrian spat out a mouthful of blood and smiled coldly.
“Hit me all you want. But touching my fiancée—that’s where you crossed the line.”
He wrapped an arm around Lily’s swollen face.
“Shall I smash this shop for you to vent your anger?”
Lily covered her cheek, tears trembling in her eyes.
She nodded.
In an instant, several bodyguards in black rushed through the door.
Clubs came crashing down.
Glass shattered.
The chandelier exploded overhead.
Cold rain and wind poured into the shop, drenching my face.
Adrian grabbed my chin and forced me to lift my head.
“You’re not wrong,” he said quietly.
“But I owe her an explanation.”
“Decide what compensation you want. Write it down and send it to me. I’ll pay whatever you ask.”
His gaze was heavy and dark, as though examining a discarded object.
I shoved him away and suddenly began coughing violently.
Frantically, I searched through the wreckage.
A small white medicine bottle rolled out.
My eyes lit up.
But Adrian bent down faster and picked it up first.
He studied the label for a moment.
“Six pills at once just to calm yourself down?” he said with a cold laugh.
“You really aren’t afraid of dying.”
Then he casually tossed the bottle into the puddle of rainwater and walked away with Lily in his arms.
I knelt beside the puddle, retrieved the bottle, and swallowed two more pills.
The medicine didn’t only calm the nerves.
It dulled the pain.
At first, half a pill was enough.
Now even eight couldn’t suppress it.
The pills were almost gone.
And so was my life.
Within those three years, my mother died as well.
I did work that could end my life at any moment. I had killed many people—and by now, I had become prey in someone else’s sights too.
All my savings had gone into buying this dessert shop.
Now that it was smashed to pieces, I suddenly had nowhere left to go.
Perhaps the pain had surged through my entire body again. I didn’t even have the strength to move anymore. So I simply sat in the wreckage, letting the night rain soak me through.
Overnight, every major newspaper headline in Harbor City became the same story—
“Heir of the Lu Family Returns to Harbor City, Takes Revenge on Former Lover.
”
When the sun rose, I prepared to leave.
Before going, I faced the destroyed ruins of the shop and slowly kowtowed three times.
Adrian Lu appeared at some unknown moment.
With one hand, he pulled me up from the ground.
“It’s just a broken dessert shop. Is it really worth this much to you?”
I brushed his hand away, steadied myself, then raised my arm and slapped him three times in quick succession.
The sound was crisp and sharp.
“My parents’ memorial tablets were in the shop,” I said calmly. “Now they’re gone. Of course I have to bow.”
He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek where I had struck him, then suddenly raised his brows and smiled.
“Really? Three slaps in exchange for your mother’s memorial tablet? Sounds like I got the better deal.”
I ignored him and stared at the wreckage in front of me.
Behind me, he continued speaking, deliberately choosing words meant to stab into my heart.
“Evelyn Jiang, I’m talking to you.”
I acted as though I hadn’t heard him and walked straight toward the exit.
He quickly caught up and blocked my path.
“Stop pretending you don’t care! Look at yourself—your face is pale as paper. Why are you still trying to act tough?”
“It’s just my old illness acting up again,” I replied, lifting my eyes with a faint smile that carried no warmth. “I look a bit haggard, that’s all.
”
“Adrian Lu, do you really think you’re important enough to affect me?”
But I knew the truth perfectly well.
This time he had come back solely to make trouble for me.
If my body were still the way it used to be, I wouldn’t mind playing with him again—letting him experience what broken bones and torn tendons felt like.
But now, simply standing here had already drained all the strength from my body.
The hospital smelled heavily of disinfectant.
Several doctors stared at my medical scans, exchanging uneasy glances.
“The medicine we prescribed last time—how much do you have left?” one of them asked.
“It’s gone.”
“Gone?!” Dr. Lee’s voice shot up instantly. “That was supposed to last three months! It’s only been a week!”
Dr. Lee had been treating me for a long time. The hesitant expression on his face told me everything.
My time was probably running out.
“Do you… have anyone else at home?” he asked cautiously.
“Dr. Lee, did you forget?” My tone remained flat. “My father died long ago. My mother’s gone too. It’s just me.”
He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose heavily.
“Your condition had been fairly stable these past three years. How did things get this bad in just one week…”
My eyes drifted to the news notification that popped up automatically on my phone.
It showed a photo of Adrian Lu attending a banquet with Lily Su in his arms.
The man I had once believed I no longer cared about could still wound me the deepest.
Adrian Lu was the sharpest blade in my life.
He killed without spilling blood.
“Your situation is extremely critical,” Dr. Lee said gravely. “After stopping the medication, seven days, one month, three months… any of those could become the end.
”
He handed me a small bottle of pills.
“Take three whenever the pain becomes unbearable. Remember—no more than three…”
Before he could finish, I twisted open the cap, poured a handful into my palm, and swallowed them dry.
The number didn’t matter.
As long as it could suppress the bone-deep agony.
Seven days or three months—it made no difference to me.
After taking the pills, I crouched in the most inconspicuous corner of the hospital corridor, my back pressed tightly against the cold tiled wall.
It was a trick I had figured out myself.
Freezing my body numb helped ease the pain.
Cold sweat soaked through my thin clothes.
In ten minutes, I heard countless prayers and cries from the family members waiting outside the operating room next door.
Their most desperate wishes were all placed on the thin line between life and death.
“Mom, isn’t that the sister who stayed in the bed next to ours before? Should we go say goodbye to her?”
“No,” the woman replied softly. “Her illness… can’t be cured anymore. Let’s not disturb her.”
She sighed quietly.
“Poor child. Both her parents are gone, and she’s so sick. When the time comes… she might not even have anyone to collect her body.”
The little girl looked up in confusion.
“But there must be someone in the world who cares about her, right?”
I blinked hard, forcing my blurry vision to focus on the phone screen.
A message from Adrian Lu.
Since last night, he had been relentlessly texting, demanding to know what compensation I wanted.
I thought about it for a moment.
Perhaps no one would care about me.
But someone who could collect my corpse… was right in front of me.
I dialed the number I had long memorized.
The call was answered almost instantly.
“Have you decided what you want?” Adrian’s voice came through.
I took a breath, swallowing the metallic taste rising in my throat.
“If compensation is necessary…”
“Adrian Lu.”
“When I die… collect my body for me.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a full three seconds.
Then Adrian Lu let out a mocking laugh.
“Evelyn Jiang, someone as vicious as you—with a life as tough as a cockroach—usually lives a very long time. But if one day you really die before me, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re buried with full honors.
I’ll have the whole Harbor City light eternal lamps for you.”
Satisfied with that answer, I hung up.
When I walked out of the hospital, the mother and daughter from earlier were still standing at the entrance.
The little girl patted her chest confidently, her tone innocent yet resolute.
“Who says that just because she has no family no one will care about her? I care about her!”
“Alright, let’s go. The bus will be here soon—hey, the bus!” Her mother hurriedly grabbed her hand as they rushed after it.
I walked toward the parking garage and started my black car.
When I saw they hadn’t caught the bus, I lowered my window without thinking.
“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”
I drove them to Central City.
They thanked me repeatedly before getting out of the car.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard a voice that made my stomach turn.
“Well, well. Evelyn Jiang actually doing a good deed? Makes sense—you should start building up some good karma.
”
Adrian Lu’s group of cronies had just come out of the club nearby.
Lily Su clung tightly to Adrian’s arm, her gaze stabbing into me like poisoned needles.
I didn’t want to get tangled up with them.
I rolled up the window and prepared to leave.
But Lily quickly stepped forward and pressed her hand against the glass.
A hypocritical smile hung on her lips, though her eyes were cold.
“Miss, I just learned about your past with Adrian.
Yesterday… I hope I didn’t offend you?”
I had no interest in watching her performance.
I tried to close the window again.
But she clung stubbornly to the frame.
“Miss, I actually brought you something. I truly mean no harm.”
“I don’t have the patience for your nonsense,” I said coldly. “Get lost.”
My patience had run out.
Suddenly, Lily let go.
At the exact moment I started the engine, she took out a small, delicate urn from her bag.
“I heard the memorial tablet for your mother was destroyed in the shop. I was afraid you’d have nothing left to remember her by, so this morning I went to the ruins and gathered some ashes for you.”
Her voice sounded sweet.
Her actions were vicious.
She reached her hand through the open window and poured the gray ashes directly onto my driver’s seat.
“Oh! Miss, you… you didn’t catch it?” she exclaimed, stepping back with exaggerated surprise.
Her face showed both innocence and malicious delight.
“You’re not going to blame me, are you?”
Watching her act, a surge of anger rose from deep within my chest.
For a brief moment, it burned away my pain.
Good.
She had provoked me first.
The group outside Central City had no idea what had really happened and were still praising her.
“Our sister-in-law is really thoughtful. Not even afraid of bad luck—talking to her and even giving her a gift.
”
Lily turned proudly and walked toward the brand-new Porsche parked in front of me, casually swinging the car key in her hand.
I lowered my window again and called out,
“Lily Su, I have a gift for you too.”
She crossed her arms and looked at me leisurely.
“Oh? What are you giving me?”
I fastened my seatbelt and locked my gaze on her.
“Sending you to hell.”
Before the last word finished, I slammed my foot on the accelerator.
Bang—!
The violent crash rang out.
My car rammed straight into the rear of the Porsche.
Lily’s car slid forward uncontrollably.
I reversed quickly, stepped on the gas again, and slammed into it once more.
In the rearview mirror, the men who had been tipsy moments ago were instantly sober.
“She’s crazy! She’s completely insane!”
“I told you she’s a lunatic! You idiots just had to provoke her!”
“Relax, she wouldn’t really do anything.
She’s just scaring us. Once she vents her anger she’ll—”
He never finished his sentence.
Yes.
I would stop once my anger was vented.
But right now—
I wasn’t done yet.
Lily stumbled out of the smoking car, her face pale, once again putting on that fragile act.
“Adrian… did I… did I do something wrong?”
Adrian’s forehead had been cut by shattered glass, blood seeping down his temple.
He rushed to the other side of the car, trying to shield Lily behind him.
With a single glance, he instantly understood my intention.
“Evelyn Jiang! Don’t you dare!!”
How ridiculous.
What was there that I wouldn’t dare?
I stared at Lily coldly.
My foot pressed the accelerator all the way down.
The engine roared as the car shot forward—
Straight toward her.
I unfastened my seatbelt and stepped out of the car, looking down coldly at Lily Su lying a few steps away.
Her thighs and arms were covered in scrapes and blood. She looked utterly miserable.
“You should be grateful I slowed down just now,” I said calmly. “Otherwise you’d have more than a few scratches.”
She lifted her head and glared at me stubbornly, hatred burning in her eyes.
“Adrian Lu won’t let you get away with this!”
I picked up my handbag from the passenger seat, which had been dirtied by the ashes.
Using the corner of the bag, I tilted her chin up.
“That’s better. You look much nicer when you stop pretending.”
I took back the bag and brushed the dust off it in disgust.
By then, the others had rushed over.
Adrian hurriedly helped Lily to her feet.
I took out my phone and dialed the emergency number, then tossed the handbag at Lily.
“That bag sells for about 120,000 secondhand. It’s more than enough to cover her medical bills and the car repairs.
”
“Evelyn Jiang!” Adrian’s voice was thick with suppressed fury.
I ignored him and turned to leave.
The taste of iron churned in my mouth.
I pressed my lips together tightly and quickened my steps.
I almost ran from the scene.
When I turned the corner and confirmed they could no longer see me, I grabbed the wall for support and suddenly coughed.
A mouthful of blood sprayed onto the mottled corner of the wall.
A ringing filled my ears. My vision blurred.
I forced myself onward, relying purely on instinct until I reached my temporary apartment.
If my body hadn’t given out, I might have gone back and caused Adrian Lu more trouble.
I desperately wanted to see the look on his face—furious yet completely helpless against me.
I collapsed beside the cold coffee table in the living room and poured myself a glass of water.
But after taking just one sip, the water came spraying out again, mixed with blood.
Half the glass instantly turned crimson.
I lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.
It felt as if an invisible hand were twisting my organs together. The pain was so intense it drove me nearly mad, yet I didn’t even have the strength to clench my teeth.
I had no idea how long passed before the buzzing of my phone and violent pounding on the door dragged a fragment of consciousness back to me.
I had thought I wouldn’t survive the night.
The name flashing on the screen was Adrian Lu.
“Evelyn Jiang! Open the door! I know you’re inside!”
His voice came through the door, heavy with unmistakable threat.
“If you don’t open it, I’ll tear the door down!”
I knew he meant it.
But I would never let him see me like this—pathetic, dying.
Never.
With the last of my strength, I crawled into the bedroom, dragged the wardrobe aside, and slipped into the narrow hidden compartment behind it.
Outside, the door burst open with a loud crash.
Chaotic footsteps filled the apartment.
One text message after another popped up on my screen.
[Hiding? Do you really think you can hide from me?]
[Come out. We need to talk.]
[If anything happens to Lily Su, I’ll make you pay with your life.]
I lowered my head and stared at the phone.
A drop of blood from my nose suddenly fell onto the screen, spreading into a dark red flower.
My consciousness sank once more into darkness.
When I woke up again, it felt as if every ounce of strength had been drained from my body.
Daylight had already filled the room.
Struggling to my feet, I crawled out of the hidden compartment. I changed into a clean black dress and carefully applied the brightest shade of red lipstick I had, trying to conceal the ghostly pallor of my face.
I planned to go to the hospital for another checkup.
But when I passed through the living room, I realized the only family photograph on the wall was gone.
In the picture were my mother, who had passed away years ago, myself—and, from many years back, a young Adrian Lu.
My mother had insisted on keeping it, saying it was a reminder of old times.
I had no idea why Adrian had taken it.
My brain, ravaged by pain, didn’t have the strength to think about it further.
I hadn’t expected my body to deteriorate this badly.
After barely making it down two rickety flights of stairs, darkness suddenly swallowed my vision.
I collapsed without warning.
The last thing I heard was the startled shout of the kindly old woman who lived downstairs and the sound of her calling for an ambulance.
My memories became fragmented.
Scenes flashed through my mind like a spinning lantern.
I could feel warm blood continuously spilling from my mouth, soaking my clothes and the stretcher beneath me.
Yet strangely, my body no longer felt pain—only numbness.
“Move aside! Make way! Emergency!”
The urgent broadcast echoed through the hospital corridor.
I was pushed rapidly toward the emergency room.
Through my blurred vision, I saw Dr. Lee rushing toward us.
The person he had just pushed aside…
It seemed to be Adrian Lu.
He was helping Lily Su practice walking in the corridor, supporting her sprained ankle.
“Why is that person bleeding so much?”
“It looks like she’s vomiting blood. She’s so young… what a pity.”
Medical staff quickly surrounded me.
Through the narrow gap between them, Adrian’s gaze passed through the crowd and landed on my face.
There was a flicker of something—surprise, perhaps.
But only for an instant.
He withdrew his gaze almost immediately, tightening his hold on Lily and lowering his head to look at his phone.
Meanwhile, the phone in my own palm continued to vibrate occasionally, receiving more messages from him—each one filled with interrogation and threats.
Of course.
Adrian Lu could never have imagined that the Evelyn Jiang who had gone mad in public yesterday—arrogant and fearless—
was the same person now lying on the emergency bed, covered in blood and barely breathing.
The red light above the emergency room door flicked on.
Several senior specialists had been summoned by Dr. Lee.
They stood together discussing my treatment plan, their expressions grim.
Weakly, I tugged at the sleeve of Dr. Lee’s white coat.
He quickly bent down and patted my hand reassuringly.
“Kid, don’t be afraid. Don’t worry. We’ve already come up with a backup plan.”
“Will I… get better?” My voice was barely audible.
“Of course! You’ll definitely be able to take care of yourself!” he said, trying to sound confident.
I smiled faintly and shook my head.
Using the last of my strength, I spoke clearly.
“Dr. Lee… I’m giving up treatment.”
The doctors outside the glass window stared at me in shock.
“You’re still young! Child, as long as you’re alive there’s hope! Once your condition stabilizes, I can help you adjust your treatment plan!”
“I, Evelyn Jiang… can die.”
“But I will never… live like a wretch.”
Every word came slowly, yet each one was firm.
“I give up treatment.”
I paused, my gaze drifting toward the window—as if I could see through the walls to the person downstairs.
“The man you ran into just now… his name is Adrian Lu.”
“He promised… he’d collect my body.”
Human beings come from hell and return to hell after death.
These past years, I had lived wildly and fiercely. My hands were stained with blood, my heart filled with hatred.
It was enough.
I had no children to tie me down, no family waiting for me.
Whether I stayed or left—it made no difference.
My consciousness seemed to peel away from the heavy shell of my body, floating somewhere above.
I watched as Dr. Lee’s hands trembled while he gently lowered my arm—no longer showing any sign of life. Then he turned away and quietly wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.
My illness had already devoured everything.
Continuing treatment would only mean being covered in tubes, enduring endless rounds of chemotherapy until my hair fell out and my body wasted away—clinging to life in unbearable pain and humiliation.
I didn’t want that kind of life.
On the television mounted in the hospital corridor, the news was showing Adrian Lu surrounded by reporters outside the hospital.
“Mr. Lu, regarding the recent car crash that injured someone, how do you intend to handle it? Considering your past relationship, will you show mercy to your former lover of ten years?”
Adrian faced the cameras and pulled his lips into a cold, ruthless smile.
“Of course not. I’ll crush every bone in her body one by one. Otherwise, it won’t ease my fiancée’s anger.”
After saying that, he seemed extremely satisfied.
His smile grew wider.
“Unfortunately, she ran away yesterday. Once I catch her, I’ll let Lily break her bones herself—one by one.”
With Adrian backing her, the camera briefly swept over Lily Su.
She wore a delicate, satisfied smile that was both smug and fragile.
The two of them looked perfectly polished in front of the media.
Yet somehow, their smiles felt unbearably disgusting.
At that moment, I deeply regretted my decision to give up treatment.
Or perhaps I regretted not running them over yesterday—then stitching their mouths shut afterward.
Just then, Adrian’s phone rang.
He frowned and hung up twice before finally answering with impatience.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Adrian Lu?” The voice on the other end was formal and distant.
“Yes. Speak.”
“This is the morgue at Central Hospital. May I ask when you’ll have time to come identify Miss Evelyn Jiang’s body?”
Adrian’s expression froze instantly.
Then he laughed as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
“Running away won’t solve anything. Tell her to stop hiding and come see me within three days.”
Without waiting for a response, he hung up.
Victor Chen leaned against the doorway of the ward and muttered quietly,
“With her personality… using something like this to hide doesn’t seem like her style.
”
“Didn’t you notice?” Adrian frowned slightly, as if trying to convince himself. “Since I came back this time… she’s been different.”
“When she ran away yesterday, something about her looked wrong.”
Victor nodded in agreement.
Lily leaned weakly into Adrian’s arms, her voice innocent yet venomous.
“Finding her wouldn’t be hard. Her mother’s ashes might be gone, but her father’s grave should still be there, right? We could go—”
Before she finished, she noticed the expressions around her had suddenly changed.
Adrian’s face turned cold in an instant, his gaze sharp as a blade.
“Haven’t you learned enough from yesterday?”
“Adrian!” Lily pouted, aggrieved. “The Lu family practically rules Harbor City. Are we really supposed to be afraid of her?”
“Even if the Lu family can rule the sky,” Adrian said with an irritation he himself didn’t seem to understand, “Evelyn Jiang will never bow her head.
”
I followed Adrian up to the empty rooftop terrace of the hospital.
Under the dark night sky, only he and Victor Chen remained there.
“Victor Chen.”
“Yeah?”
Adrian hesitated several times before speaking. Instead, he kept drinking from the glass in his hand.
“Victor Chen.”
“I…”
He took a deep breath.
“I don’t want to keep fighting with Evelyn Jiang anymore.”
Adrian Lu turned his head.
Victor Chen showed no surprise. Instead, he simply asked,
“Then what about Lily Su? She’s trouble.”
“Trouble that money can solve isn’t real trouble,” Adrian said as he sat down, his expression unusually serious. “Tell me… if I went to find her now, do you think she’d be willing to leave with me?”
Victor Chen sighed softly.
“She has no family left in this world. But after all these years of hatred between you two… maybe you should go ask her yourself.
”
Adrian loosened two buttons of his shirt and leaned back, staring up at the dark sky.
There was an unmistakable longing on his face.
“Victor Chen… do you know how much I’ve wanted… to have a home with her?”
Even Victor couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.
Even I, the person involved, had almost forgotten that once—perhaps—we had shared some warmth.
Hatred had buried too many things.
He hated me for taking advantage of his father’s death years ago and seizing the Lu family’s last smuggling route.
I hated him for abandoning my mother when she was gravely ill and taking away all the money that could have saved her life.
He regretted missing my father’s funeral and failing to witness the downfall of his enemy.
And without saying a word, I had caused an “accident” on the road when his mother was on her way to pray at a temple—leaving her paralyzed to this day.
Our love had long since twisted and warped beneath the weight of hatred, beyond any hope of repair.
For him to say he wanted to build a home with me and live peacefully together…
Even he probably didn’t believe it in his heart.
Adrian lowered his head and typed on his phone.
[Come back tomorrow. Let’s talk.]
[Can’t we live like normal people?]
[This time I’ll be the one to bow my head. Let’s stop tormenting each other.]
[…Marry me.]
“Lily’s here,” Victor Chen said quietly.
Adrian lifted his head.
Standing at the entrance to the terrace was Lily Su.
Her eyes were red, and she clutched the hem of her dress tightly, unable to speak.
It was obvious from her expression that she had heard most of the conversation.
Adrian didn’t bother hiding it anymore.
“Five million. Leave Harbor City.”
Tears burst from Lily’s eyes instantly.
Her skin was pale, and when she cried her eye sockets and nose turned bright red.
“Why? Why don’t you want me?”
“She’s been with you for ten years! What about me? I’ve been with you since I was nineteen!”
“Why?!”
Rain had begun to fall outside.
She stood in the rain, screaming in despair.
But Adrian remained seated, silent and unmoved, as cold as a statue.
He had always been good at driving people insane.
I watched coldly as Lily arrived full of excitement and careful preparation, only to leave broken—her hair messy, limping, completely defeated.
Adrian kept staring down at the message box that would never receive a reply.
The pretended devotion on his face was nauseating.
Adrian Lu.
I had already died.
Your false affection came too late—and it was revolting.
If there were another life, I would never want to meet you again.
The rain continued until the next afternoon.
When Adrian walked out of the company building, Dr. Lee was waiting downstairs with a grave expression.
“Are you Mr. Adrian Lu?”
“I’ve seen you before. At the hospital,” Adrian said, frowning.
“I’m Dr. Li Ming from Central Hospital. One of my colleagues contacted you earlier. I’m here to formally ask whether you intend to claim Miss Evelyn Jiang’s body.”
“If you refuse, since she has no family left, we will proceed with cremation according to protocol.”
Adrian stopped abruptly and turned around.
“Who did you say?”
“Evelyn Jiang. Do you know her?”
Before Dr. Lee could finish, Adrian had already snatched the document folder from his hands.
Inside were thick medical records… and a death certificate.
He flipped through the pages frantically, too quickly to read anything clearly.
“Evelyn Jiang is dead? Do you realize spreading rumors like this is a crime?” His voice was hoarse, anger masking the panic beneath.
“I stand by every word I’ve said,” Dr.
Lee replied calmly. “Please give me a clear answer. Will you claim Evelyn Jiang’s body—or not?”
A terrifying chill radiated from Adrian.
His fingers tightened around the documents until they turned white.
Without another word, he rushed toward his sports car.
He sped through the streets, forcing himself to remain calm.
“Evelyn Jiang… you’re ruthless. This trick is really something!”
“Come out! I admit defeat, alright?!”
But his hands trembled on the steering wheel.
He ran five red lights in a row and even rear-ended a van.
Without even looking, he threw a stack of cash out the window and drove like a madman toward the hospital.
“Evelyn Jiang! Evelyn Jiang!”
He roared through the hospital corridors, drawing countless stares.
He kept dialing my number.
“I admit you win! Come out! Evelyn Jiang!”
Victor Chen arrived shortly afterward.
Under Dr. Lee’s silent guidance, they walked down to the basement.
The morgue.
Adrian’s hand hovered above the white sheet covering the body.
It trembled violently.
He didn’t dare lift it.
Time seemed to freeze.
In the end, Victor Chen stepped forward, took a deep breath, and pulled the sheet away.
The harsh white lights shone mercilessly on my pale, lifeless face.
Adrian staggered backward two steps.
He tried to brace himself against the wall but his legs gave out.
He collapsed heavily onto the cold floor.
He struggled several times to stand but failed.
Tears rolled down from his bloodshot eyes without warning.
Sure enough—
His crying face was the most pleasing sight of all.
I stared intently at his broken, disheveled figure, unwilling to miss even a single moment of his pain.
Thirteen years.
This was the most out-of-control I had ever seen him.
Adrian Lu.
So you could end up like this too.
His most miserable moment—I witnessed it all.
But the countless times I had struggled in agony, coughing blood and curling up alone in pain…
He would never see them.
“Evelyn Jiang! Is this your revenge on me?! Is it?!”
He screamed at my body.
“Get up! Didn’t you want to cut me? Didn’t you want to torture me? Then get up!”
Before leaving, Dr. Lee still said what he believed to be “something he shouldn’t have said.
”
“Mr. Lu, forgive me for speaking out of turn. I saw the news. Evelyn Jiang’s condition was severe, but it had been relatively stable for three years.”
“After you returned to the country, her emotional fluctuations caused her illness to worsen dramatically several times.”
“The day you brought your fiancée to the hospital… the patient who vomited blood and was rushed in by emergency services…”
“That was Evelyn Jiang.
”
“You… actually saw her for the last time.”
Adrian looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
His eyes filled with blood as he desperately tried to recall that day.
That vague figure, covered in blood—the one he had ignored.
He kept repeating the words “I was wrong.”
His voice shattered into pieces.
But every word he said—
I no longer believed.
Still, having someone bury me was already enough.
When I made that call back then, it had only been a gamble.
I had even thought he might abandon my body in some wilderness.
Yet I had guessed correctly.
He kept his promise.
He gave me an extravagant funeral that shook the entire city.
Many people came.
Most of them I didn’t recognize.
Even Lily Su came.
She lit a stick of incense for me, then walked over to Adrian Lu, who looked gaunt and hollow.
“She’s dead. Will you marry me now?”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice was hoarse, but he answered without hesitation.
After hearing the answer, Lily turned away calmly.
“I want twenty million.”
“Alright.”
She took the check and left without another glance.
At the cemetery gate, she ran into Victor Chen.
“Leaving?”
“Yeah.” She smiled faintly, a mixture of relief and exhaustion. “I couldn’t win him. I’m not someone like Evelyn Jiang.”
“Twenty million is enough for the rest of my life. If we meet again sometime, drinks are on me.
”
“Deal,” Victor replied.
I sat on my own tombstone, watching Adrian Lu trace the name carved into the stone again and again.
“Evelyn Jiang,” he said hoarsely. “In the next life… can the two of us live well together?”
He couldn’t see me.
But I still shook my head solemnly as I looked at him.
“Adrian Lu.”
“There is no next life for us.”
“There will never be another life for us.”
As the funeral ended and the guests gradually left, I felt the last traces of my existence in this world slowly fading away.
If there truly was another life, I hoped the roses would bloom only for me.
That brighter colors would come closer to my world.
I wouldn’t be an ambitious bounty hunter.
Perhaps I’d simply live a life of ordinary meals and warm lights in the night.
Or even stand alone in the rain—loving only myself.
As long as in the next life we never cross paths again,
no matter what ending awaits me—
I would accept it.
Life passes quietly.
And my short yet fierce existence…
Perhaps it had all been fate.
END
