Chapter 1
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The moment I learned my domineering older brother, Daniel, was acting like a “simp” for the leading lady, I curled up at the villain’s door, clutching my little blanket When he intended to send me back, his gaze fell upon the faint marks on my wrist
“Did your brother abuse you?
I nodded, my eyes still heavy with sleep. It wasn’t until Daniel was dumped by the leading lady yet again that he suddenly remembered the little “ancestor he had neglected back home By then, the villain had already attended my kindergarten parent teacher conference in his stead
Daniel’s vision instantly went black 1 was only gone for a month! I wasn’t dead! Why won’t you acknowledge me anymore?”
The villain, meanwhile, offered me a lollipop “Good girl How about a new brother, huh?”
1
When I was three, I had a dream. In it, I learned my brother was just one of the leading lady’s many “simps.” He’d endlessly debase himself for her–running errands, obsessing, getting beaten to a pulp for her. And in the end, he’d willingly give her his entire family fortune as a wedding gift. He and I left with nothing, would be crammed into a cramped, thirty–square–foot apartment, listening to the bitter, daily arguments of the couple next door
To change this outcome, I used my limited childlike cunning to try a series of efforts for instance, when the leading lady called late at night saying she was scared, d deliberately wail loudly to try and keep him home, when the leading lady had her period and complained of stomach cramps, I’d feign spitting up to make him change my clothes, during the leading lady’s graduation performance, I hummed “Brother is the Best in the World” to try and awaken his conscience…..
But I overlooked a crucial fact our house had a nanny, while the leading lady was a helpless orphan. My brother always left me with the nanny and ran off to comf- ort the leading lady. Seeing him descend further into “lovestruck idiocy,” I made a solemn decision: I needed a new brother,
Ultimately, I chose a boy from the neighboring villa complex–he was the villain, and also my brother’s sworn enemy, notorious for tripping up the leading lady’s ” simp squad.” He was gloomy and cunning, a true dog trainer in human form! And he indeed owned a Border Collie.
One time, my brother went to buy fruit for the leading lady and forgot me at the fruit stand. The villain happened to be there too. I reached for an apple on the shelf and offered it to his Border Collie. In return, he had his dog “fetch” me back home. I wanted him to “discipline” my brother.
Yesterday was my third birthday. The nanny specially dressed me in a princess dress, waiting for my brother to come home. But he was off watching a movie with the leading lady. The nanny tried to soothe me, “Once Clara becomes your sister–in–law, two people will love you, sweetie.” But I knew she wouldn’t become my sister- in–law–the leading lady was destined for the male protagonist!
So, I decided to run away and put some pressure on my “simp” brother. Late at night, I successfully dodged the nanny, who was busy gossiping on the phone in the bathroom, and squeezed through the dog hole in the fence. I hugged my little blanket and, barefoot, walked towards the neighboring villa complex. Twenty minutes later, I stood at Alex’s doorstep.
This villa was even grander than mine, but its dim lights gave off a cold, aloof aura. I took a deep breath, spread my little blanket on the doorstep, and curled up. lying down. Just as I was drifting to sleep, I heard dog barks and footsteps from inside. The door creaked open, and a slipper almost landed on my face.
“What in the world?r Alex’s voice abruptly stopped. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, meeting a pair of eyes wide with surprise. In the moonlight, his tall figure loomed over me. He wore a bathrobe, slightly open at the collar, revealing his sculpted collarbone.
“What are you doing here? Alex asked, a frown on his face. Before he finished speaking, a black and white blur shot from beside his legs, enthusiastically pouncing on me it was Snowball, its wet nose rubbing against my face, its tail wagging like a tiny motor.
“Snowball Alex snapped, “She’s not a kitten! You can’t keep hert Snowball whimpered indignantly but stubbornly rested its front paws on my shoulders, ‘washing” my face with its tongue giggled, seizing the opportunity to climb up and hug Alex’s leg “Big Brother, hug“”
He stiffened, as if a pause button had been pressed Snowball, seizing its chance, clamped its teeth on the back of my collar and began dragging me inside.
Hey! Stupid dog! Let gor Alex tried to stop it, but Snowball had already dragged me into the foyer I immediately let go of my collar and scrambled onto him, using
both hands and feet
“Get down,” he commanded in a cold voice I shook my head, burying my face in his neck. “Nanny is cold…*
