"Hey, student! You, why you are standing up? Sit down!" The middle-aged man glared at Chen Ge, but the later did not respond. He coughed twice before he caught Chen Ge's attention, and Chen Ge quickly returned to his seat.
"Bro, what was that?" the round-faced kid whispered to Chen Ge, but he did not reply as he kept his eyes glued to Zhang Ya on the podium.
Western Jiujiang Private Academy was closed down six years ago. Zhang Ya died one year before that. If the timeline is correct and if that tragedy didn't happen, she would look like this at twenty-five.
Being stared at by Chen Ge, the female teacher smiled at him before turning to other students. Taking a deep breath, Chen Ge forced himself to calm down. He hid the backpack under the table and opened it to inspect the item inside. Nothing had changed, but Zhang Ya's bedtime story had once again 'run' out from the compartment and placed itself atop everything else.
The middle-aged man left, and Zhang Ya started her first lesson. Chen Ge, who sat by the window, was reading Zhang Ya's bedtime story. The blood red book was filled with empty pages. All the gory stories had disappeared as if they had never been there in the first place.
After entering Fang Yu's world, the words seemed to have disappeared as well. What is the actual use of this book? Why do the words disappear every time I enter the world behind the door? Where have they gone? When I first pushed the door open, it felt like I was dropped inside a sea of blood. I might have died from asphyxiation if not for a pair of hands that gripped me. I remembered hearing a strange man's voice, asking me why I came to find him. Could that man be Yu Jian?
Chen Ge's mind was a muddied mess. He collapsed on the table, leaning against the book that even Red Specters were afraid of.
I need to arrange my thoughts. This world is too unique. The chance of the ghost fetus hiding here is too high.
Picking up the pen from the table, Chen Ge started to write in the book.
"The school and the buildings outside the school are all from my memory. So far, of the people that have appeared, two of them are from my memory. I have no recollection of the rest of the student body. This is the first time I've seen that middle-aged man that brought Zhang Ya into the classroom. Therefore, the world was probably built on the framework of my memory, but it was mixed with the memories of another person."
Chen Ge had encountered different memories creating a similar world before; it was the School of the Afterlife, a normal three-star scenario that turned into a four-star scenario after it kept on absorbing the students' memories and combining the scenarios. But the world behind Yu Jian's door was different in the sense that it did not feel oppressive. If Chen Ge was not certain that he had pushed open the door, he might have thought that he was still somewhere outside the door. Everything was too real, just like in reality.
"I seem to have missed something crucial. Currently, I lack too much information. I need to get more clues from Zhang Ya and the math class monitor…" Chen Ge listed down the known details in the notebook and planned what to do next when he suddenly realized that all the students had quieted down and were looking at him. Hands, on which his head rested, slowly moved down. Chen Ge looked to the side, and a flowery scent tickled his nose.
"Do pay attention during class." Zhang Ya stood behind Chen Ge and used her book to knock Chen Ge lightly on his head before she walked away. Watching Zhang Ya walk away, Chen Ge touched the spot where she had hit him earlier. The woman before him overlapped with that woman in his mind, and a mixed feeling was born in his heart.
The class soon ended. Chen Ge had done nothing but stared at the teacher. "If Zhang Ya really was my teacher in high school, I would have scored at least another one hundred marks in my test."
"Stop kidding yourself, bro. The class is already over, and you didn't even take out the textbook." The round face boy held his chin. "It's time to wake up, bro. Stop dreaming. You should pay attention to your studies once in a while."
"You don't get it. It's not me who's dreaming." Chen Ge grabbed his backpack and left to chase after the teacher. He knew that it was rude to call her name out in the corridor, so he purposely sidled up to the new teacher before asking, "Zhang Ya?"
Hearing his voice, Zhang Ya was startled before smiling at Chen Ge. "You have to call me Miss Zhang Ya. How can I help you?"
"You really don't remember me anymore?" Chen Ge asked probingly. The world behind the door was made from the door pusher's memoryies. Therefore, the people in it would remember the door pusher.
"Of course I remember you." Zhang Ya looked at Chen Ge seriously, and her expression changed. "You were that kid who was not paying attention in class earlier and was too busy doodling."
"Doodling?" Chen Ge looked at Zhang Ya before him. He had no idea what kind of impression he presented to Zhang Ya at that moment. Perhaps she had really forgotten all about him. "I was actually jotting down notes."
Taking the storybook out from the backpack, Chen Ge showed it to Zhang Ya. "What do you think about it?"
"Is this a plan for the story that you're working on?" Zhang Ya was surprised.
"When did I say that?" No matter what Chen Ge said, Zhang Ya treated him as a teacher would a student. She kept a smile on her face.
"Quick, head back to class. I support your novel writing hobby as long as it doesn't affect your schooling." The Zhang Ya before him had lost the shyness of youth and took on the maturity and gentleness that came with age.
"You really treat me like a child." Chen Ge took back with storybook.
"But aren't you a child?" Zhang Ya unintentionally revealed a cute expression.
"Since you're the teacher, I'll listen to you and go back to class." Chen Ge carried the backpack and ran back to the classroom. Halfway through, he turned back to look and saw Zhang Ya enter the teacher's lounge. "So, that is how Zhang Ya looks like when she smiles. It completely transforms her, and she is a bit ridiculously beautiful."
Looking at his shadow, Chen Ge sighed. "It's not often that I get to bully Zhang Ya, but she came as a teacher this time, and that is a bit of challenge."
Returning to the classroom, Chen Ge spaced out during class. He used Yin Yang Vision to observe the small town from his seat. This was definitely Li Wan City, but it was different from the chaotic and maddening Li Wan City that he remembered. The people were kind, and the atmosphere was friendly. He could not sense a trace of negative emotions, much less the ghost fetus.
Is this place like School of the Afterlife? Will it change after midnight?
"You by the window, please come and solve this problem on the blackboard." A man's voice came from the podium.
Chen Ge respected the teacher. He stood up, glanced at the blackboard, and loudly declared, "I don't know how to do that."


The hearse with the weird odor slowed to a stop before the entrance. The sound of pebbles could be heard bouncing on the ceiling. There were footsteps coming from the corridor, and there seemed to be someone sawing next door. The door knob to the room rattled slightly, and the faucet in the bathroom kept dripping even though it had been screwed shut. There was a rubber ball that rolled on its own underneath the bed. Wet footsteps started to surface one after another on the floor. 
At 3 am, Chen Ge held a cleaver in his hand as he hid beside the room heater. The call he was trying to make was finally answered. "Landlord, is this what you meant by 'the house can be a little crowded at night'‽"

Alynna's steps were heavy.  She looked at Stella who was happily skip-hopping beside her as she held her hand.  Stella let go of her mother's hand and ran all the way upstairs.  She waited at the top of the stairs with her hands on her waist, as if she had done something triumphant.  She couldn't wait for her mother to get there so she could try to beat her to the bedroom again.

Alynna looked back to where the kitchen was, where Josh was.  She half-heartedly wished he would be behind her, following them upstairs but she knew he wouldn't be.  She looked at Stella who was now wriggling her hips, waiting excitedly for her mother.  Alynna slowly climbed the stairs.

As soon as Alynna got to the top of the stairs, Stella ran again as she had planned, beating her mother to the bedroom.  She went to the bathroom and turned on the shower.  Alynna quickly followed Stella and turned off the shower.

"No, dear, not like that.  The water's too cold.  Here, let me do it."  Alynna adjusted the temperature from the water heater.  She tested the water and when she thought it was okay, she called Stella and bathed her.

Stella loved showering at night. It was her favorite bedtime routine.  Cleaning up and brushing her teeth meant a story would follow afterwards.  She giggled at the bubbles foaming at her hair.  And when Alynna turned on the shower, she excitedly watched the bubbles gather at her feet before going down the drain.

Alynna toweled Stella dry.  She then brushed Stella's hair. 

"How time flies." She thought.  "Has it been three years?"

Stella brushed her teeth while Alynna prepared to shower herself.  She went in the shower and turned it on.  The warm water touched her bare skin.  She imagined all the dirt flowing down the drain, off her skin.  She looked at her body.  She saw some bruises and inspected them.  She always tried to remember how many bruises were on her body every time she showered.

"Alynna," Josh called from outside the bedroom.

"Yeah?" Shouted Alynna from the bathroom. "Wait, I'm almost done." She quickly soaped her body and shampooed her hair without turning off the shower.  Then she dried herself and put a robe on.

Josh was standing outside the bedroom with Stella when Alynna got out of the shower.

Josh thought she looked beautiful, her cheeks flushed from the bathing. Embarrassed, he quickly looked away.

"I was just gonna say the dishes are in the washer, and I'm done with the rest.  Would you like me to do anything else?" Josh said as he stroked Stella's damp hair.

"No, it's okay.  You can rest now.  I know how tired you are from working all day." 

"I'll rest as soon as I'm done with the dishes." He glanced at her, ever so quickly and then went down back to the kitchen.

Alynna put on her night gown and began blow drying her hair.  After that, she tucked Stella in and read her a story.  

Stella loved bedtime stories.  She would choose three books for her mother to read to her but sometimes, when her mother is too tired, they would only read one story and then it's sleeping time.

"Just one story for tonight, okay?" Alynna said as she picked the shortest story from Stella's choices of books for the night.

"Can it be two books, Mommy?" Stella asked, hopeful her mom would agree.

"Sorry, honey, not tonight. Tomorrow, okay?" Alynna smiled. She hated declining Stella's requests but for tonight she had to.  She and Josh needed to talk.

Alynna opened the book and started reading to Stella. The book was about a girl waiting for her mother to pick her up from school.  Her mother was late in picking her up and the girl started imagining all sorts of things that happened to her mother, like she was taken by eagles or snatched by dinosaurs.  Or maybe her mom road a turtle on the way to school because their car broke down.  But in the end, the mom finally came and when the girl asked why she was late, her mom told her that the car ran out of gasoline and she had to take a cab.

Stella loved that story.  She can't wait to go to school. And she would always make Alynna promise that she would never be late in picking her up from school. And Alynna would always promise that she would be there before class is dismissed.  Stella would smile and then go to sleep peacefully.

Alynna kissed Stella's forehead and tucked her in.  She turned off the lights but Stella's scared of the dark so she left her unicorn nightlight on.  She slowly walked out of the room and softly closed the door.

Alynna walked down the stairs and saw Josh putting the clean dishes in the cabinet.  Josh looked tired.  He turned around when he heard Alynna walk in the kitchen.

"I thought you're already sleeping?" Josh asked as he wiped a plate dry and placed it in the cabinet.

"Can we talk?"

"Is Stella asleep?" Josh asked again, purposely ignoring what Alynna last said.

"Yes, she is.  Can we talk?"

Josh took a deep breath and let the air out through his nose. It looks like he won't be able to dodge Alynna tonight.

"What is it? What's on your mind?" Josh said as he turned towards Alynna.  He saw that she was already wearing her nightgown, her frail body silhouetted underneath the thin fabric.  Her long wavy hair gathered on one side of her shoulders. She lost a lot of weight since the accident but her beauty is still evident.

"I just want to talk about us, Josh."

"What about us?"

"I mean, where are we headed?"

"I don't think it's the right time to talk about that, Alynna."

"When is the right time, Josh? Tell me.  And I will wait until then."  Alynna pulled out a chair from the dining table and sat down. Josh knelt in front of her, his hands on her knees.

"When you're okay. When the doctor says you've fully recovered, then we can talk about anything you want."

Alynna eyed Josh, studying him. She hurt so much she wanted to cry but Josh hated seeing her cry and would reprimand her saying she should be strong — not only for herself but for Stella.

She wanted to tell Josh how much she longed for him but Josh became emotionally distant since the accident.  He was physically with them but his soul is somewhere else.

"Do you love me, Josh?" Alynna boldly asked.

"Of course I do. I love you and Stella."

"I didn't ask you if you love me and Stella.  I asked you if you love me, Josh. ME."

"Frankly, I wish you would just stop asking me that constantly." Josh stood up. "I'm here with you and with Stella.  If that doesn't make you think that I love you, then I really don't think I can say or do anything that would convince you.  I'm here and that's what's important, right?"

"If you say so, Josh. If you say so, then I believe you." Alynna slowly stood from that chair.  She bit her tongue to keep herself from saying anything she might regret later.  She was about to walk away but Josh hugged her. 

"Please stop worrying yourself.  It's not doing any good for you." Josh said as he let go of Alynna.

Alynna nodded, though deep inside her, she disagreed. 

"Goodnight, Josh." Alynna kissed Josh on the cheek.

"Have a restful sleep, Alynna." Josh said as he watched Alynna walk out of the kitchen, going back to the bedroom.  He then continued putting the dishes in the cabinet.  It was so late he thought he would fall asleep before he's finished with his chore.

.  .  .

Josh was laying down now, his arm over his forehead.  He had been so sleepy earlier but was now, lying wide awake as he remembered all the things that happened that day — Meeting Amanda, the confrontation with Lee, the lost documents that were later found, working late with Amanda, Alynna wanting an assurance that he loves her. 

"A lot happened today," Josh thought to himself, "but meeting Amanda was the best."  He smiled at the thought of Amanda.  He couldn't wait to see her at work next morning.  He resolved in going to work early, with the hopes of catching her walking on the street to the office building.  And since he knew where she parks her car, he thought of waiting up for her there.   He thought of what to wear for work.  He thought of a lot of things that are connected to Amanda.  He used to notice the bumps of the couch he slept on but tonight, the couch felt different — he felt different.  Something inside of him lights up every time he remembered Amanda and it made him feel different.  He turned to the side, folded one arm underneath his head and closed his eyes, wishing he would dream about Amanda that night.

Mandy's got it all. Being the lone heiress to a multinational  business, she could take life easy and just wait for her father to give her the key to the company when he retires.  But she doesn't want to take over their business.  She wants to pursue a different path.  But how could she say "no" to her dad?  He wants to prepare her for the work she will do in the future by working undercover in their own company as an Office Assistant.

Mandy tries everything to get out of the company, that is, until she meets two men - one is a fellow low-ranking employee and the other, a director.

Things get complicated when both men try to pursue her.

Will Mandy follow her dad's wishes to take over the business that he built from the ground, up? Will she ever be able to tell people who she really is?  Will Mandy be able to choose between the two men?

Husband and wife sat on their bed after a long day of awkwardness.
They somehow managed to get through it without anyone landing a fist on a face. Even the car ride home was quiet as Oxford slept on Han Yixin's lap.
Zhao Mingzhe was caressing his wife's hair after drying the locks. It had become his habit to do so after they had both taken a shower before bedtime.
"Ah Zhe..." Han Yixin suddenly called out to the man behind her. She was actually sitting in front of him, on the area of the bed between his legs. As his  hand plays with her hair, his other arm was wrapped around her waist, and his chin resting atop her shoulder.
If it was before they became intimate, she would have slapped him hard already. However, this time, she felt warmth and security in this gesture.
"Hmmm?" he lazily replied.
"You don't remember any of them, do you?"
"Who?"
"My friends...they're at our wedding...part of the entourage in fact." 
"That jerk ain't part of my entourage." he scoffed.
Han Yixin chuckled. "Yeah, yeah...you hate him. We all get it."
He embraced her tighter, like a sulking kid.
"But I can't believe you didn't remember Donna Yang. She was quite herself even at our wedding."
"I don't care about anyone else that day. I'm only looking at my wife."
Han Yixin blushed at his statement. It was as if he was in love with her.
"Why are you even friends with that actress?"
"Hey, I did not use that tone on your friends!" Han Yixin turned her body to better face her husband.
"You also met them at the wedding."
"My point stands." Han Yixin furrowed her brows. Donna Yang may be a handful, but she is still her friend.
"Yeah, yeah...but that guy with her..." Zhao Mingzhe clicked his tongue.
Han Yixin laughed at how childish he was behaving.
"Ah Zhe...you want some snack?
"Can I have dessert?" he cunningly replied.
And with that, his wife took him to the kitchen and made strawberry cobbler.
Zhao Mingzhe cannot help but laugh. She got away with it again while pretending to be naive.
Han Yixin definitely knew what he was implying, but she was not in the mood. She actually really wants to eat.
"Hey, are you going to LH again tomorrow?" Zhao Mingzhe asked.
For some reason, his wife has been into the company almost every weekday. He could only wonder if she was thinking of finally working there.
"Yep..." Han Yixin licked cream off her spoon. "Why d'ya ask?"
"Are you working for the main branch now?"
Han Yixin narrowed her eyes. "It's just a favor for my father."
"And does he compensate you for your efforts?" Zhao Mingzhe had a teasing smile.
"He said that he would give me the..." Her eyes widened as she realized something. "Sh**!" she could not help but swear.
Zhao Mingzhe laughed at his wife.
"Hey, it's not funny!" Realizing she was played, Han Yixin pouted.
"You want my suggestion now or not?" He had his smile raised to a side.
"The 'my own business' again? Zhao Mingzhe, a lot of established bakeshops and cafés had already invaded City B. How can a new one compete? The industry is gonna swallow me whole."
"And your father was actually planning to make you inherit everything...tsk, tsk. Maybe he should try his luck with your sister instead." Zhao Mingzhe had a wide grin.
Han Yixin struck him on the chest. "Then how are you gonna approach it, Mr. I'm so good at doing business?"
He chuckled. "Kiss me first."
"No." Han Yixin crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why not? Not interested?"
"I will not be paying for your idea!"
Zhao Mingzhe's face dimmed.
Han Yixin was troubled with the change in his expression so she added as she leaned in, "But I can reward you, depending on how good it is..."
Zhao Mingzhe's face lit up again with a victorious smile.
"Alright. What about this...establish a new made-to-order cake and pastry shop exclusive to registered members. That way, even if your father asks you to make some for a company celebration, you could take your products as something he paid for from a business. You will be independent of LH, and the elite would want the privilege of availing of your products...well, it depends on whether or not you impress them."
Han Yixin stayed silent to digest the idea.
"You will be working WITH LH and not FOR LH." Zhao Mingzhe continued.
Then, Han Yixin looked up to him, realizing something. "Hey, how did you know about..."
"My dear wife, you think I'm not good enough to receive an invitation?"
"Oh...right. Wait, so I just register this business out of the blue?"
"Why not? I can help you with the paperworks."
"Woah...seems like the CEO of LZ Airlines is not busy at all." Han Yixin grabbed the glasses and spoons and started washing them in the sink.
Zhao Mingzhe followed to remain close to his wife.
"Well, my priorities changed when I saw you in that white dress." He slithered an arm around her waist.
Han Yixin glared at him. "Zhao Mingzhe, do you want me to break these glasses? Stop fooling around!"
"We could always buy some more..." he teased.
"So it's fine even if I hurt my hands?"
Zhao Mingzhe suddenly frowned, then he took the glassware from her and washed them himself.
Han Yixin laughed.
It is fine even if he does not love her yet, as long as he stays by her side like this.
"Ah Zhe..." Han Yixin called out softly as she wiped her hands with a towel.
"I can buy anything, but once you're hurt, a wound would always leave a scar." he uttered as he continued to focus on washing the dishes.
To his surprise, his usually timid wife embraced his torso from the side. Then she managed to slid her head up from under his arm.
Han Yixin stared at his face.
Zhao Mingzhe paused his movements and stared back at her.
"Ah Zhe...if I fall in love with you, will I regret it?"

Married accordingly and conveniently, she was prepared to be tied within a loveless relationship. She had nothing to lose anyway.
However, since she never expected anything, she was caught off-guard by what she gained.

He obediently shackled himself, not bothering to take a second look at her. He just signed the papers, got into the venue and let everyone take photos.
She was not an eyesore, but they were only civil, at times pretentious.

If loving can only be done with the heart, is it impossible for someone to learn it?

Contrary to their expectations, Qiaoling did not make any more moves after that.
Wang Jing had her investigated but now that she had married into wealth, it was harder for him to gain any information on her. Still, he knew that she could strike anytime. As such, he continued to tighten security around Daiyu and had men constantly keep an eye on Qiaoling as well.
---
After Daiyu's birthday party, summer started once again.
Liu Jin continued with his internship so Daiyu decided to go back home to the Wang Mansion. With so much time to herself, she wrote another album.
By this time, people began expecting an album release from BBunnY every summer. She had gained a steady fanbase for herself over the years and they gave her the title, Summer Queen.
Since she kept her appearance hidden and her official social media account was likewise company controlled, she kept a clean reputation for herself and had no scandals whatsoever.
People speculated on her identity but with no clue where to start, they never found it out.
---
After Daiyu and Liu Jin's engagement party, Zhihao had talked to Victoria about his own engagement party with Ying Yue. Victoria was so happy to hear about it that she excitedly started planning it with him.
"Mom, can I marry her right after uni?" He asked.
"Of course."
"Really?!"
Victoria smiled and nodded.
"Then let's do it! I want to have so many kids with her! I want to make my own basketball team!"
Victoria laughed and Liwei secretly smiled as he listened to them from the couch.
---
Unbeknown to them, before Daiyu and Liu Jin, and even before Zhihao and Ying Yue's marriage, Yi Jie would have her own marriage first.
That summer, she went to work as usual. With the heat index recording an all-time high, she was getting dizzy spells ever so often. She tried to cool herself down with iced drinks but she would end up getting stomach cramps instead. She decided to try lowering the temperature in the office but her bones would ache and she'd end up really moody. When the condition persisted for more than a week, she went to get herself checked at the hospital.
"Miss, you're pregnant."
"…"
"…"
"Are you sure? Can you check again?"
"I am sure."
"…"
"…"
"Can you check again please?"
"… Alright."
After another round of tests, the results were the same. She was three months pregnant.
A rush of emotions enveloped her and she didn't know what to feel. Picking up her phone, she debated on who to call first. Ultimately, she decided to call Wang Jing.
"Grandpa… I'm pregnant…"
Wang Jing paused, the news slowly sinking in. He immediately stood up, overwhelmed with joy as his eyes started tearing up.
"What did the Ye brat say?"
"I haven't told him yet."
Wang Jing was even happier after finding out that he was first to hear the news. 
"Call him up now. Tell him to pick you up. Don't move around so much. Stay home here at the mansion. I'll have Tang Yun call up your office and you'll stop working for now. And –
"Grandpa! Calm down!!!"
Wang Jing laughed, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Yi Jie… I'm going to be a great grandparent!"
She laughed, wiping away her own tears.
"I'm hanging up now. I need to tell Shun too."
"You do that. And come home immediately."
"Yes. Bye grandpa."
With that, the phone call ended.
---
When Ye Shun found out about the news, he was at the Ye Corporation. He was having a meeting with his father and other executives when his phone rang. Upon seeing that it was from Yi Jie, he excused himself and left the room.
"Shun… I'm at the hospital right now."
"What?! What happened? Which hospital? Are you – 
"Shun."
"Yes?!"
"We're having a baby."
"…"
"I'm three months pregnant." She sniffed as she gently held her abdomen.
"…"
Upon hearing him sniffing from the other side, she laughed.
"Come pick us up."
"Right. I'll be on my way now. Wait for me."
He wiped his tears away and entered the room. He whispered a few words into his father's ears and the man immediately sent him away.
Seeing the commotion, the executives couldn't help but ask.
"Is there an emergency?"
Ye Shun's father paused before smiling.
"I'm about to be a grandfather."
Back at the hospital, Yi Jie smiled through her tears and gently stroked her tummy.
"Baby… daddy's on his way."
---
After the news broke out, everyone came over to congratulate Yi Jie and Ye Shun. They had a small party over at the Wang Mansion and everyone had a good time.
"Name it after me!" Zhihao suggested but everyone quickly shut the idea down.
"Why not?!"
They ignored him and continued on with the talks.
"When will the wedding be?" Bob asked.
"I want to help!"
"Me too."
Daiyu and Ying Yue volunteered.
"Then I'll be counting on you guys." Ye Shun smiled.
---
As per Wang Jing's strict orders, Yi Jie moved into the Wang Mansion and stopped working at the office. However, she couldn't handle the idle life and continued working from home.
Still, everyone fussed over her every day. She had a strict diet prepared by Daiyu and she had her doctor's appointments scheduled by Tang Yun. Wang Jing would visit her every night and read the baby a bedtime story while Mian Mian stayed beside her, guarding her attentively.
Of course, Ye Shun was excited too. With the baby on the way, he started rushing the wedding preparations and his family fully supported him. Ying Yue and Daiyu also helped out. They prepared the dresses and decorations while the Ye family handled the invitations.
---
As summer continued to progress, Daiyu and Liu Jin visited the summerhouse again. They carved their names onto the tree before resting underneath its shade.
"I can't believe I'm going to become an aunty!"
Liu Jin chuckled.
"I'm going to be the coolest aunty ever. I'm going to spoil the baby rotten and leave all the disciplining duties to its mother."
He laughed and pinched her nose.
"Naughty."
She giggled and rested her head onto Liu Jin's shoulder.
"I want a baby too." She pouted.
"Not yet."
"Why not? You said you'd give me as many as I want!"
He laughed. After a moment of silence, Daiyu spoke again.
"I want one soon… grandpa's getting older. He's turning seventy-seven next year."
Liu Jin paused and looked down.
"I want one soon too. But I don't want to have one while Qiaoling is still out there… I don't wanna risk things." He clenched his fists.
"… Will she really come to bother us? After the pictures… she did nothing else."
He smiled bitterly.
"The pictures were just a reminder for the old man. She hasn't even started moving yet."
Daiyu paused.
"What do you think she's after? If it's wealth, hasn't she already married into money?"
"Some people will never be satisfied, Xiao Yu. Their greed knows no limits. But still, maybe what she's after is not money but revenge. Maybe her anger against the old man runs deeper than we think."
Daiyu lowered her head.
"Don't worry. We'll protect grandpa. I won't let anything happen to him." Liu Jin comforted her and she smiled.
"Thank you, Jin."
---
Days continued to pass and the twins turned thirteen. To celebrate their coming of age, everyone celebrated their birthday with a big feast. The Liu Estate was busy all night and they had another cookout.
This year, Meili surprised everyone by introducing her boyfriend. Well, it was rather short lived though. With constant grilling from all the men of the Liu family, they broke up that very same night.
When Daiyu tried to comfort Meili, it turns out that she didn't need too.
"The men in the family are so immature. But if my boyfriend can't even handle that, then he doesn't deserve me."
A queen in the making, that's what Meili is.
---
Before long, Daiyu started her third year in university while Ye Shun, Zhihao, Liu Jin, and Ying Yue started their last.
By this time, Zhichen had started working at the Zheng Corporation and Liwei started training him to be the next head. Everyone knew he would do well but he exceeded everyone's expectations.
He had a friendly atmosphere about him which made people trust him easily. But he was quite black bellied too. He would not hesitate to drop projects if they were unprofitable and he did not hold back on his words when he criticized projects that were not well thought of. With his strict management of the company, he managed to cut back their losses and increased their revenue.
Upon seeing his efficiency, Liwei did not hesitate to hand over bigger projects for him to handle.
"Man. I can never be as good as you in earning money." Zhihao pouted.
Zhichen chuckled and ruffled his hair.
"Don't worry about that. Brother will take care of it."
"Hehe. You'll continue to give me allowance even after I marry?"
Liwei slapped the back of his head.
"OUCH!"


The female lead who died miserably under the hands of her scheming half-sister is reincarnated but does not choose revenge. Instead, she chooses to live for herself, to chase after her dreams, and to fall in love again. Author's Note: A slice of life, sweet and fluffy romance novel. Recommended for those who like light reading. Not recommended for those who want to dive into the action at once.

A few days had passed since Jenny had gotten Mr. Mureau to agree to reserve the watch and Jason still had no idea. Since then she had been very busy every day to prepare for the sport festival that was planned the week before Elizabeth's engagement party. She hadn't seen much of Jason these days and hadn't found a way to gather the remaining three thousand pounds for the watch either, so Jenny was feeling a bit down. She was starting to miss Jason and her mind was occupied with all that she still had to do. If she had known that being a class representative was this much work, she would have thought twice before accepting the position. She now understood why no one wanted this ungrateful job. 
All you were was a glorified lackey for the teachers and you were in charge of all the odd jobs for school events. No wonder it looked great on you resume, if you were able to deal with a year of this you would be able to deal with anything that a job threw at you. She felt sorry for all the class representatives that were in a relationship. Even though she was living with Jason, the only times she had seen him this past week was for a few minutes between dinner and bedtime, which in her case was much earlier than Jason. She had to leave early to try and get things done before school started and she had to continue when classes were over. Even her breaks weren't free. Because of this they didn't get to go to school together nor go home together.
 To try and have some time with each other Jason would come with her when she prepared for bed and laid in bed with her till she fell asleep, before heading back into the other room or downstairs to wait for it to be time for him to go to bed as well. But no matter how much they were telling themselves that it was just for a week and a half, it was really getting to them. If the lack of time for each other wasn't enough to put a strain on them as a couple, when Jenny would come home she would be exhausted and wanted nothing more than to throw herself on the sofa and do nothing. So, most of Jason's requests to go out for a few hours or for her to go to bed later one day would be rejected. She would be in no mood and who could blame her when she had almost no breaks all day every day. Where normally they would have Saturday or Sunday to make up for a busy week, right now weekends were no exception either. 
And while Jenny was not being in the best of moods throughout these days, logically Jason wasn't a being a sunshine either. Though his dispositions wasn't the friendliest to begin with, he was having a hard time keeping even that up now that he barely saw Jenny. He had promised to be supportive, but that felt pretty hard to do these days. But despite his unsatisfaction he hadn't complained once and had gritted his teeth as he counted down the days till the festival. However, just because he said nothing, did not mean that the people around him could not see nor feel the thunderclouds that were surrounding him. He seemed like a volcano ready to erupt. The smoke was already coming out the top and people weren't going to stand by it and wait for it to blow, so they kept their distance for the moment they had to evacuate. 
No one wanted to be the one to be the trigger that would make the smoke turn into lava, burning them all alive, so they were extra careful. Clearing his path before he had the chance to give them a glare. Asking him nothing, even breathing as silently as possible,waiting for Jenny to free them of this suffocating prison. Though most of them had stopped disliking Jenny and had started to support her relationship with Jason, they never thought they would see the day that they would actually miss her presence. Right now friend and foe were wishing for the days where they were in each other's arms to return. So much so in fact, that they had decided that they would help Jenny and Max to prepare for all future events, because even the thought of having to spend another week like this was a downright nightmare. 
While the people on the other side of the door were suffering in silence, Jenny was lost in her own thoughts as she was thinking about how well Jason had been acting during these days. Not only had he been behaving a lot better than she had thought he would, he had been dealing with all of this even better than she was. This though had triggered a cascade, where she went from one thought to another and had ended up getting stuck on the thought of wanting to spend time with him, while absentmindedly moving her paintbrush back and forth. Unknowingly she let out a sigh every few seconds while she and Max were working on the banner for their class and seemed listless in general. After a few sighs Max couldn't help himself and asked, "What's wrong Jenny? You seem down. Am I such poor company that it makes you want to sigh so often?"
Jenny was clearly startled by his question and had seemed to forgotten that he was present as well. She quickly shook her head and said, "No, of course not. I was just lost in thought. I am starting to miss Jason. I thought I would get through these days with no problems, but I guess this non stop working has gotten to me and to add to that I still have to find a way to make a big sum of money in time to buy a watch that I have reserved." Max laughed awkwardly as he was reminded that Jenny was already taken and decided to focus on something else she said. "Well I can't help you with Jason, but I might be able to help you with your money problem. If you are interested, I know a place that is looking for someone and they pay quite well. If I recommend you, getting hired should be no problem at all. Do you want me to call them?" 

Jason seems like your typical rich guy. With money to spare, looks to kill and a heart breaker like no other, he seems to be lacking nothing. But why is everyone so terrified of him? Why won't anyone dare mention his name? That is until he meets his match. She breaks down his walls one by one and he is powerless around her.

The group was resting in Hessianite Family territory to recover from the damage taken in the energy vortex. They were lucky that the storm took time gathering its momentum instead of carving a path of carnage instantly. That gave them precious time to react and avoid the worst of the damage.
At the same time, more and more information as well as reports were coming from all corners of the city to the heads of the families. Hessiana and Lucas had many eyes and ears across the city and these two frenemies were finally working together for once. Their spies scoured the sanctuary for any movement of the Shadelings and slowly but surely, a clearer picture was being pieced together. Vampires who were originally posted across the city started gathering in turf upon receiving wind of the matter. They were gearing up for war.
"The Shadelings are gone. I suppose most of them have retreated back to their lairs. We just managed to capture a few small fries.." Vivian was seated on a luxurious velvet chair as she toyed with a gleaming, silver dagger. She looked one third the part of a vampire noble, and two thirds the part of a female mafioso. "Based on what we've managed to glean from those poor sots, Bethanos has been planning something ever since Lady Vivian got here. F*ck... that old fox sure did it. I didn't realise anything at all. But I can be sure that the energy vortex we ran into in the ruins has something to do with him. It's too much of a coincidence; the keys being stolen, the dimension gate locking, an energy vortex forming within the ruins, two Blood Clan leaders and an Elder being trapped and killed in the vortex... Hehehe, he sure went all out."
"I want payback... revenge... payback..." Lily was pacing impatiently around the room as she let out an angry growl. Hao Ren was curious. "It's rare that I see you so serious. Finally going berserk?"
Lily popped her tail out and sheepishly showed it to Hao Ren. A third of it was still curled up and there was a faint burnt smell. "Look at my beautiful tail! It's ruined!"
"..."
So her tail had been singed by the energy vortex.
Lily went towards Hessiana and demanded, "When do we fight? What are you all waiting for?!"
"Bethanos and his men are currently cooped up in their base." Zeon Lucas stood by the giant window as he calmly poured himself a glass of wine from a nearby decanter. "I know that old coot. My late brother has also said that when fighting the Shadelings, you need to let them act first. They are masters in booby traps, misdirections and ambushes. All of the weakness that they show you are just setups. These are a bunch of goons with the cunning of men and the power of demons. After wreaking such havoc, they have yet to attack. Instead, they are hiding out in their fortress. An attack just screams suicide."
"He's dead meat regardless." Hessiana gnashed her teeth. "He even dared to lay his hands on Lady Vivian. He really thinks that the Ancient Ones are just a scary bedtime story. I've sent word to all of the Ancients Ones guarding the gates. They won't suffer such an insult. Right, Lady Vivian?"
Vivian was busy applying ointment on Wuyue's burnt scales and looked up in confusion when she heard her name. "Huh?"
"..."
Well it seems like the Ancient One is really just a scary bedtime story...
"I've hidden the news of our safe return and sent word that the two Blood Clan heads were lost while investigating the ruins." Zeon Lucas smiled confidently. "Our men outside are spreading misinformation and creating chaos as well. Bethanos will take us for being headless and he will strike once he thinks it's safe to do so. I believe that he'll be heading towards the gate of the ruins once the fight starts or maybe, he's found another spot to activate the gate. However, the key itself will still require a few hours of recharging. That will probably be the time he strikes."
Hao Ren's opinion of the stubborn old vampire changed somewhat. He thought that Lucas was just a stubborn old coot, an arrogant one at that; a conservative who refused to change with the times and thus, his bad impression of him was formed. But it did seem like the old gentleman had a rather dependable side to him. He would be someone you wanted as an ally.
If you could stand his pompous and arrogant arse of an attitude that is.
A sudden shriek came from above as two bats darted through an open window into the room. One of it transformed into a voluptuous figure—it was Andrea. Another one could not transform into its human form after a while and just reported to Hessiana in a high pitch shriek. "Mistress! I'll just speak to you like this..."
Hessiana leapt up from her chair. "Turcan! Are you drinking on the job again you slimy scum?!"
Well there you have it, the gulf of difference between the old vampiric aristocracy and the new age outlaws....
"Master, a group of Shadelings have departed Bethanos' stronghold and they are heading towards our holdings." Andrea took a glance at Turcan before she reported her findings to Zeon Lucas. "That aside, some of our men are already fighting in the streets near the Shadeling's fortress and from what we could gather, there's a breach on the west side of the stronghold. Doesn't seem like a trap."
Zeon Lucas flung the goblet in his hand out of the window as he swung around with his cape. A cold smirk appeared on his face. "Hmph, It's time."
Hessiana dashed towards Zeon and grabbed him by the neck. "That's my f*cking globet from the Plantagenets! You f*cking threw it away for a f*cking pose?!"
Zeon Lucas did not even have the chance to wipe the smirk of his face before he was assailed by Hessiana. Hao Ren could only facepalm and look away. This is why the old aristocracy could not work with the new bloods; it was almost like watching someone grating a chalk over the blackboard...
The ruckus between the two leaders aside, both vampires had already made preparations to attack long before they gotten word of the breach. Hessiana quickly ran towards her office desk. After inspecting some mechanism there with a slight nod, she faced a doll and cleared her throat. A deafening siren wailed across the entire stronghold as Hessiana's voice followed. "Attention-Attention-Attention... Prepare for battle-battle-battle.. The Daredevils gather at the plaza-plaza-plaza... The rest of you, work your magic-magic-magic.."
The rest was just echo.
Hao Ren was stunned. "Whoa, you guys are using modern, eh?"
Hessiana took a small communication device and hung it over her neck as she walked like a warlord towards her room. Her fingers signalled the rest to follow. "Nonsense. Of course we use it. It's the modern times you know. Human technology is advancing so fast, that only a blind fool would ignore it. You think those who came in to report flew all the way from the outside? They were just manning the telephones downstairs, and came up the moment they got the message. I even installed a signal tower in the city. That old coot has a 50% share of it."
Andrea walked past Hao Ren as she turned to smiled at him. "Don't assume that the otherworldlings in this shelter are some rock age barbarians. I for one am at the forefront of fashion.."
"Andrea, be serious," Zeon Lucas kept a straight face as he admonished his underling. "You spend too much time with Hessiana's goons."
In a daze, Hao Ren just followed Hessiana past a group of armed soldiers. As they left the house, they headed towards an even bigger armed group. At the same time, flapping sounds came from above as the vampires started forming into squads to head into combat. The shelter was still peaceful just the day before (at least on the surface), but now they were about to face a storm of steel and blood. The change of pace was so sudden that it took many by surprise, and this was all because of one megalomaniacal Shadeling.
Lily looked up at the vampires above her. She had not seen so many unusual creatures gearing up for a fight before and that left her both excited as well as scared. "Will they shoot at me when the fighting starts? I'm a werewolf after all..."
Hessiana waved her concerns off. "No worries, the old coot and I have briefed our boys. 'The werewolf with silver fur and a totally burnt tail is an ally. This has been spread across the city."
Lily almost cried when she heard that. "It's not totally burnt! Only a third..."
"So, you want me to torch it just to be safe?"
"..."
The group had reached the plaza by then and Hessiana's elite strike force, the Daredevils were gathered there. Hao Ren finally met the infamous, most inglorious vampiric fighting force.
And the difference between them and their commander was like O_o!
A group of well built and unusually tall vampires clad in full combat gear were awaiting orders in the plaza. Their combat garb had embroideries of crucifixes and runes of warding. Hanging from their waists were silver longswords. Each of them had a RPG-7 in each hand and a bandolier of small arms ammunitions across the chest with a bullpup assault rifle hanging from it. More shockingly on their backs were....
F*cking aerial bombs!
Hessiana smirked as she stepped onto a big rock and inspected her group of Daredevils. "Listen up boys, I hear that the Shadeling's fortress is a tough nut to crack... so... Priest, anoint the RPGs with holy water!"
Hao Ren was stunned as he looked at Hessiana. "This doesn't look right at all...."


As a person who is down-to-earth as well as a good Samaritan, Hao Ren desires to live the rest of his life as a benevolent landlord. Stumbling into a curious yet mysterious lady, he began his journey of “collecting” abnormal and supernatural tenants. 
His life only became more chaotic when he receives a labor contract from “God”. Discover the many races, myths and worlds that lie beyond what humans define as normal! This bizzare fantasy full of fun is sure to bring you on a crazy rollercoaster of emotions!

That week flew by for the both of them. When Saturday came Cera received at text from Tom asking if she was interested in coming down to his unit to make supper together. She agreed since had nothing going on.

Since it was only noon when she got his text she decided to call May to see if she had any plans for lunch, "Hello May, are you busy?"

"Oh hey Cera. I am not to busy…." Cera heard a man yawning in the background and then what sounded like sheets rustling. She immediately regretted calling May.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Sampson and I just got up. He wants to take me to Rine to meet his parents!"

"Wow, when are you going?"

"Next month around Christmas time!" May sounded so happy, and then Cera caught the sound of them kissing. She couldn't help but blush.

"You seem busy! I will call you later!" Cera immediately hung up the phone not waiting for a reply from May. 'Well that was embarrassing! Okay, scratch that, no lunch date with May. What to do to kill some time?' She had woken up at 8 this morning after catching up on some sleep. She felt refreshed after taking a long hot shower, and making herself some breakfast, then lazed around texting Tom until just now. Since lunch with May was out the window she decided to go for a quick run. She changed into her running gear and was now leaning against the kitchen island wearing her tight spandex running pants, and a teal pullover hoodie, with matching teal running shoes. Even though it was only 40 degrees outside she knew once she started running that she would warm up fast. And she was right. 

After leaving the apartment complex she ran in the direction of the company. It was only a few blocks away, and she made it there in no time. She paused to look up at the beautiful eight story building that she had spent two weeks at. She let out a large sigh realizing that she had only spent such a short time working here, and she had already fallen for her boss. 'I wanted to prove to my father that I could be just as successful as him, but my heart is weak. I don't know why I can't resist MinYue, I always tell myself when I am alone that I can turn him down, but when I am with him or see him my mind goes blank and I want to be with him. How can I become successful and love you at the same time?'

Monday came, and the workload was twice the size as the previous week. Cera and MinYue both walked into the lobby at 4 in the morning. Al, Ryan, Tom, Mary, and Daniel were all waiting for them at the receptionist desk while chatting with Matt. Before any of them went to their own office's for the day, they all met in the meeting room with a game plan for the week. As they were sitting down the last person to walk in the room was Mark. He looked very tired, and said nothing as he sat down at his usual spot. MinYue turned to Mark, "Kids kept you up late?"

"Yeah, I don't know how much longer I can keep rereading the same bedtime story." He smiled as he turned his tired eyes to MinYue.

"They must love the sound of your voice." Cera's soft voice rang through the room and everyone smiled, except for the only other female in the room. 'Ever since you came here the only time I see CEO Park is during meetings. Before I would go to his office personally to turn in my work, but now my assistant just emails you! How convenient for you?'

"You guys ready to cram five days of work into just three days!?" Daniel tried his best to sound pumped, but what he received back was a room full of sighs

"It's nice to have a four day weekend, but the next three days kill me." Al said as he set a pile of papers on the table.

"Let's get started." MinYue said before taking his seat at the head of the table.

MinYue Park spent his teens and twenties in Ahmeri studying and running Park Industries, one of the many companies his father Ming-Fa owned. 

He tried dating in the past, but no one caught his eye. Now that he is twenty-eight years old his father is pushing him to marry. 

How can he marry when he hasn't even met the woman he wants to give his world to?

At His brother and sister-in-law's gender reveal themed baby shower he steps to the side to enjoy his alone time, but his father has other plans. Ming-Fa brings over his two friends to talk business, when suddenly the man named Leo Lu points out his daughter.

When MinYue locks eyes with the girl, her pale blues grab his attention, and he feels something in his chest that he had never felt before. He finally found the one.

---

Cera Lu (21) wasn't much for social gatherings, but since her mother insisted that she make an appearance from time to time to help with her modeling career, she finds herself at a baby shower for the eldest son of the Park family and his wife.

The first thing she does is find her best friend May Lin. They chat for a bit, when suddenly she feels something telling her to turn around and look up at the second level of the ballroom.

Sure enough her father Leo is pointing her out.

Real mother…
The man could not help shuddering at his son's choice of words.
What kind of description is that?
However, it was true that the two little fellows were missing their mother very much.
Even though Yun Shishi was separated from the phone by the man, she managed to catch Yichen's grievance.
'I really miss mommy…' She heard this part. Her son's yearning made her eyes rim red with tears.
She had been working continuously for a string of intense assignments over a number of days. After recording the reality show, 'The Love Diary', she was sent to a recording studio for voiceover assignment, and immediately afterward, the manager ushered her onto a flight bound for Milan before she had a chance to step into her house.
Counting the days, she realized that she had not seen the two lads for half a month.
Her heart was hung up with them, too.
She snatched the phone from the man. "Yichen…"
There was a long pause after she spoke before the boy's excited voice could be heard again. "Mommy, mommy!"
The childish voice rang loud and clear.
Brimming with tears, she said, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to tell bedtime stories to you and Youyou… Mommy really misses you both…"
The boy asked softly, "Mommy, when are you coming back?"
His helpless question hit her softest spot.
Her chest tightened and she blurted out automatically, "I'll be back tomorrow!"
Just as she finished her words, she suddenly remembered Qin Zhou's reminder not to miss any shows tomorrow, which were all important.
Still…
She was uneasy leaving the two kids at home; besides, she missed the two of them terribly.
Well, there's no choice.
The two little lads were far more important than her career.
The moment he heard that his mother would be returning tomorrow, he sputtered in joy. Jumping around with the phone in his hand, he asked, full of anticipation, "Great, great! Then, mommy, what time will you be back home tomorrow?"
"I haven't booked the flight yet, so I don't know."
"Oh… Is that so…" He toned down instantly; disappointment was evident in his voice.
She could not bear to see him disappointed and quickly added, "Still, I'll definitely try my best to rush home, all right?"
"All right!" His voice regained its vitality after hearing her promise.
"You must take good care of your younger brother when I'm not around; understand?" She reminded him solemnly.
Replying with 'eh-eh', he clapped his chest with confidence. "My dear mommy, don't worry! I'm taking good care of little bro!"
"Eh, good boy; wait at home for mommy!"
"All right!" he promised once more.
After putting down the phone, her eyes stared vacuously into the air. Remembering how her manager had once brutally rejected her request for early return was enough to give her a headache.
"Is it too late to get an air ticket now?"
"There's no need to book a flight."
"?"
She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Mu Yazhe: "I have a private jet."
Yun Shishi: "…"
The man added, "We'll fly back to the capital directly tomorrow."
She suddenly teased him with a faddish phrase from the Internet, "Tuhao[1], don't you have enough bootlickers?"
The man smiled unscrupulously, pinched her chin, drew his face close to her lips seductively, and panted, "No, but I lack a bed warmer."
Yun Shishi: "…"
What… a lowly man!
[1] Tuhao (土豪), which originally refers to people of wealth, has presently become a popular Internet slang for 'uncouth nouveau riche', 'tacky', or 'extravagant'.


She became a surrogate mother in exchange for over a million yuan.

As the esteemed CEO of the most powerful Empire in the capital, he holds absolute power, while she is just an adopted daughter to a family of lowly status. She agreed to bear him his offspring, simply because her adoptive father's business was failing.
 
On the day of her delivery, the elder brother was born healthy, but the younger one was stillborn. Having fulfilled the contract, she disappeared from his sight along with the astronomical sum of money. 


Six years later, he is still that arrogant and high-profile CEO. When she accidentally gets embroiled with him again – like a canary trapped in his cage, he closes in on her. “Woman, do you think you can escape from my clutches?!" 

However, he does not expect a little kid to interfere; the boy pompously points his little finger at him and warns, “Mu Yazhe, you’d better leave her alone! She's mine – this baby's woman!” 

The man is alarmed, simply because the little kid's facial features are identical to his...

Tags: Adorable Child, CEO, Sweet Romance, Scheming, Wealthy Aristocrats, Fluff, Two-faced, Child, Rich and Powerful, Treachery

Seven-year-old Bella Swan is on a quest: Finding Prince Charming. Who would she stumble upon if not a willing, if a little uncertain, fourteen-year-old stranger by the name of Jasper to step up to the task? Witness their growth along the way as they become the woman and man they'll need to be in order to stay in each others lives. Hopefully, where there's a Prince, there's a Knight bound to be in waiting.

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