I was the kept woman of the Crown Prince of New York. Julian Sterling had the looks, the body, and the stamina of a god. Unfortunately, his personality was pure poison—sharp-tongued, manipulative, and rotten to the core. Three years into our beautifully toxic arrangement, my safety net collapsed. —Julian Sterling was switched at birth. He wasn't the real heir to the Sterling empire. —He offended so many people for Chloe Tan. Let’s see how he survives now. —A peasant girl and a bastard. A match made in heaven. ... Everyone was celebrating his downfall. I wasn't particularly sad either. That night, Julian came home looking like a kicked puppy, only to be startled by me and the row of private security guards lining the villa. "Don't be sad, Julian. I know you're proud, but it's okay. Your sugar mama has arrived!" "I'm done pretending. Cards on the table: I'm filthy rich, and now you're my boy toy!" "You might have lost your crown in New York, but I'm still the Princess of Shanghai! Big sister's got you covered!" Julian: "...Why are you so hyped right now?" I flipped the script on Julian, humiliating and bullying him to my heart's content, laughing maniacally as he silently seethed. Until a week later, my adoptive father called me. "Come home quick, Chloe. We found your biological brother." Looking at the photo he sent, I fell silent. 1 When the news of Julian Sterling's bankruptcy broke, I was with my girlfriends, face masks on, getting pedicures. CEOs and tycoons have their cliques, and we "canaries" have ours. I listened leisurely as everyone passionately roasted their sugar daddies. Mr. Qi was a gossip, Mr. Shen was an idiot, Mr. Gu was cheap, Mr. Zhang was ugly... "And don't get me started on Old Man Li. He's old enough to be my dad," Bella complained, shaking her leg, a tattoo peeking out on her ankle. Summer rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Money is hard to earn, and shit is hard to eat. You have the nerve to complain? Everyone knows Shen treats you like a placeholder. His sickly white moonlight is coming back from abroad next week. Watch your kidneys." ... Two sighs echoed in my ears. "Chloe is the lucky one. Her Prince is young, rich, handsome, has stamina, and doesn't force her to cosplay his dead ex-girlfriend." "Yeah... he's just got a foul mouth." Foul was an understatement! "Oh my god! I've never met anyone with such a rotten personality. He's impossible to please." I sat up straight, ready to list Julian's eighteen deadly sins, when the WeChat group exploded with notifications. "What's happening? New member?" I opened my phone. 99+ messages. Just as I was about to dive into the gossip, a message popped up: You have been removed from the group chat. ? Three minutes later, Summer awkwardly handed me her phone. "Julian isn't the Chairman's biological son. Let's see what Chloe has to brag about now." "He's been kicked out of the Sterling family. Left without a word. Looks like he'll have to tuck his tail between his legs from now on." "Julian used to be so arrogant. He offended so many people for Chloe. Lol, let's see how this dog couple survives." "A hillbilly and a bastard. Next time I see them, I'm spitting on them." ... Bella patted my shoulder. "Don't be sad, Chloe. They've always been bitches. It's nothing. In our line of work, change is constant. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to someone better." I pursed my lips. "I need to go back first." Kicked out. Someone as proud as Julian... he must be devastated. But... I had already booked my ticket back to Shanghai. 2 I was conflicted. This accidental arrangement started as exactly that—an accident. Three years with Julian, causing chaos in New York, partners in crime. Emotionally, it was meh. But personality-wise, we were a match made in hell. He was rotten to the core, speaking his mind with zero filter. I rode his coattails, becoming the center of attention even though New York wasn't my turf. But a relationship that starts as a transaction can't change its nature. Sugar daddy, sugar baby. He wanted beauty, I wanted money. Even though I didn't need the money, I did it for fun. But people grow up, and fun ends. My contract with Julian was expiring. He was cold, his temper stank, and I never knew if I was special to him or just another accessory. Plus, news came from home. The Tan family was in chaos. My dad found his long-lost biological son, but the guy refused to return. I had to go back and keep the old man company. My phone buzzed again. Summer. She sent me contact cards for several rich second-generation heirs. I squinted. One of them was her stepson. Summer: [Add him. From now on, we're family.] Me: [Is he legal? Isn't this a crime? This is Lee, Julian's best friend.] Summer: [So what? I trained him myself. Obedient and well-behaved. Don't you hate foul-mouthed guys? This one is good. Very good.] Me: [No. No bottom line. My conscience would kill me.] Summer: [I get you, babe. But let me remind you. In this circle, don't tell me you're looking for true love. He wants your youth and beauty; you want his money. You pity Julian now, but when you're old and your looks fade, will he pity you? Besides, he's a fake prince. He didn't share his glory with us when he was up; why should you share his suffering and revenge when he's down?] I was silent. Summer was right. In the eyes of outsiders, even Julian's, this is how it should be. But lying on the sofa, staring at my flight info, I hesitated for a long time. Should a canary be loyal? I sighed and closed my eyes, drifting off. When I woke up, I had been moved from the sofa to the bedroom. My clothes were changed into pajamas, and the sound of sizzling came from the kitchen. Julian must be back. Still half-asleep, feeling like I was in a dream, I shuffled to the entryway and stared at his back. He wasn't wearing a shirt, just an apron over his bare skin. Strangely erotic. I yawned. "It's so late, you haven't eaten?" He didn't answer. I shook my head. "Are we doing it tonight? If not, I'm going back to sleep." "The old dishwasher broke. I bought a new one. Put the dishes in after you eat. If you don't know how, read the manual." He still didn't turn around. Just as I was about turn back, I heard a strange sound. Julian lowered his head, shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly. It took him a long time to compose himself before he looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "What is this? A breakup fuck?" His voice was soft, heartbreakingly careful. I shuddered, instantly awake. 3 Julian looked like he was about to shatter. Usually he strutted around like he owned the world. Now he looked pathetic and small. I remembered a celebration party two years ago. Everyone was drunk. Someone joked with him, "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as Miss Tan." Julian's face was cold. The guy laughed again. "When you're tired of playing with her, how about letting me have a turn?" He was drunk out of his mind. Sober, he wouldn't dare speak to Julian like that. But he didn't get an answer. He got a wine bottle smashed over his head. Premium red wine mixed with blood, dripping down his forehead. Julian sneered. "You worthy?" I thought he was sober and dragged him to a corner in panic. "Are you crazy? You're going to be on the news tomorrow." But he buried his face in my shoulder, looking aggrieved. "A boyfriend has to be loyal, right?" But when I brought it up the next day, he denied it flatly. "It's Sugar Daddy. You heard wrong. Come on, dummy, call me Daddy." ... I pursed my lips, snapping out of the memory. A brilliant smile involuntarily spread across my face. I looked at Julian's obviously crying eyes and said, "What's the big deal? Crying like a baby? Are you in elementary school?" Before he could retort, I filled a bowl of rice for him, pulled him to sit, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it like I was feeding a child. "Here, say ahh." Normally, Julian would be disgusted by now. Whenever he was grossed out, he'd launch into a roast session. Once he vented his spleen, everything was easy to solve. But he just lowered his eyes silently and actually ate the spoonful of rice. Eyelids trembling, long lashes fluttering, eyes misty. Every movement and expression fit that face perfectly. ...I shivered. Possessed? Well, a blow like this would break anyone. "Mr. Sterling, I have something to say to you." "Hm?" He looked startled. "Everyone is an individual. The world keeps spinning without anyone. No one stays with anyone forever. You're young, you have opportunities. Even though you have no money and no home now, at least you still have..." To prevent him from mocking my narcissism later, I swallowed the word "me." "At least you see people clearly now. You know who was fake and who treated you with sincerity." I spoke earnestly, but the air around Julian grew heavier. After a long time, he looked up, meeting my eyes with a gaze so deep I couldn't read it. "Is that so?" He smiled self-deprecatingly and whispered, "I understand." 4 He pushed aside the freshly made food, picked me up, and carried me to the bedroom. I saw the sudden darkness in his eyes and gasped. But he did nothing. He held me tight, resting his chin on my forehead. "Chloe." "Hm?" "Do you hate me?" I shook my head gently, sighed, then lifted his face with my hands. "Don't talk to me like that. It's scary." He shut up. Still worried, I knelt on the bed and kissed his face. Seeing his stunned expression, I comforted him softly, "So what if your parents don't want you? My parents dumped me when I was four, and I'm still alive and kicking." "We have hands and feet. Worst case, we work. If you really can't hack it, I'll go home and sell seafood to support you." He stared at me blankly. I wanted to be an actress and came to Beijing. My dad threw money at it, Julian threw money at it, but my three-minute passion burned out long ago. Looking at Julian's face, even I felt impressed. Me, the queen of short attention spans, actually liked this person for so long.
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