I've been having the same strange dream repeatedly. In the dream, I'm entangled with a man, indulging in endless nights of passion. But I don't know him. Later, I reported a female classmate for cheating on her final exams, nearly costing her her degree. Furious, she called in her powerful, influential uncle to back her up. Everyone thought I was finished. I looked up and saw the man. I thought, yeah, I'm definitely finished. Last night in my dream, I kissed him too hard and bit his lip— Wait. Why does he actually have a cut on his lip?! 1 The moment Julian Sterling appeared, I thought I was dreaming again. I pinched my thigh hard to make sure I was awake. Chloe Sterling stood beside him, smug and triumphant. "Willow, my uncle is here. It's not too late to apologize." I didn't hear a word she said. I was just staring at Julian's face. How could this be? He looked exactly like the man in my dreams. Striking features, an impeccable suit. And the most damning part—his mouth. There was a tiny red mark at the corner of his lips. Exactly where I had bitten him in my dream last night. Is this a coincidence? "Willow, are you listening to me?" Chloe grew impatient, raising her voice. "I said apologize! And you need to make a public statement that reporting me for hiring a test-taker was slander, that you deliberately threw dirt on my name!" I pulled my gaze away and looked at the claws-out Chloe. "I refuse." "Are you crazy?! Do you know who my uncle is?! He's a shareholder at Apex Corp. With a snap of his fingers, your new offer from Apex is gone. You'll be blacklisted by every major company. You'll be finished!" "Then let me be finished." I looked up, locking eyes with Julian. Word by word, I said, "Either way, I will never back down." 2 Walking out of the dean's office, my classmates guiltily avoided my gaze. Because just now, they all gave false testimonies. Everyone knew Chloe hired someone to take her exams. Including the counselor and some professors. But they chose to turn a blind eye. Even after I reported her, they actively lied for her. The reason was simple: Chloe was our school's famous nepo baby. The Sterling family was already rich. But ever since her uncle, Julian, took over the family business, their wealth skyrocketed like a rocket. From malls to theme parks in this city, he built them. Julian also had stakes in many major corporations. Offending Chloe meant offending Julian. Even though this tycoon wasn't even thirty yet, he was already a powerful figure no one dared to cross. Except me, the thorn in everyone's side. If the report was substantiated, Chloe might not graduate. Panicked, she summoned her uncle, who was on a business trip abroad, to back her up. My roommate followed me, trying to persuade me earnestly. "Why bother? We're about to graduate. Just endure it and it'll pass." "You endure it if you want. I won't." "Sigh, her uncle is powerful. There's nothing we can do." "That's not what you said when she copied your thesis." My roommate choked, unable to refute. Chloe was in our dorm. She was arrogant and looked down on everyone. But she bullied me the hardest. At first, I didn't understand why. Later I found out it was because of a senior. Chloe used to have a huge crush on him. One day, I accidentally wore the same jacket as him. People teased us, saying we were wearing couple outfits. The senior smiled and said just two words: "My honor." Chloe held a grudge against me for that. Yes, for something that petty. In fact, I didn't even have that senior's number. Chloe liked many boys afterward, but her hatred for me never changed. I returned to the dorm and continued organizing evidence of Chloe's cheating. Around me, my roommates started gossiping. "Did you guys see Julian Sterling today?" "I did! He's even younger than I thought." "I heard he's only seven years older than Chloe." "So handsome, oh my god. Does anyone know if he's married? Does he have a girlfriend?" "Chloe says he does. But even if he were single, we wouldn't stand a chance. People like that are too far out of our league." "True." Listening to their conversation, I zoned out slightly. I thought of the strange dreams I'd been having lately. In the dream, "Julian" shed his impeccable suit, and I let go of all my defenses. Sinking, venting. We couldn't speak in the dream, only possessing each other through action. But the strange thing was, before today, I didn't know Julian. So how could I dream of him? 3 Thinking about it, there was only one possibility. Maybe I had glimpsed his photo inadvertently somewhere? I thought I forgot, but my subconscious remembered him firmly. And then projected him into my dreams. That's the only explanation. As for the wound on Julian's lip. It must just be a coincidence. Wet dreams are embarrassing to talk about, but as long as I don't say anything, no one will know. To avoid dreaming of him again, I didn't sleep until dawn. At noon, my roommate woke me up. "Willow, wake up. Someone's looking for you." "Who?" "Julian Sterling." I opened my eyes instantly, meeting my roommate's gossipy expression. "He's downstairs. Hurry up." I washed up quickly and went downstairs. Julian was exceptionally tall, his back straight. Even standing in the corner, he attracted most people's attention. He looked me over and said, "Insomnia last night?" My eardrums felt like they vibrated. Because of those dreams, I had guessed countless times what his voice would sound like. Now I finally heard it. Deep, magnetic. "How did you know?" I asked. "You have dark circles under your eyes." "Oh. What do you want?" "I heard from Chloe that you want to post her story online?" "If the school continues to cover for her, I will." Julian pondered for a moment. "The company is fighting a PR battle recently. Can you make an exception? Name your conditions." "No." I refused flatly. "Bowing to people like you once means never standing up again." "People like us?" Julian raised an eyebrow, confused. "Yes, privileged people like you. You package yourselves as glamorous, but underneath, you're rotten flesh, living by sucking the blood of ordinary people." Julian didn't get angry. But after a moment of silence, he asked a baffling question: "Is that how you see me?" "Duh. You and Chloe are a loving family. Given what your niece is like, as her elder, could you be a good person?" Leaving that sentence behind, I turned to go upstairs. Julian suddenly called me again. "Willow." "What else?" He paused for a moment and said, "Go to bed early tonight. Get a good sleep." 4 Sleeping early was impossible. I had a part-time shift tonight. Chloe wasn't exaggerating. I really could lose my offer and be unable to find a job for a while. Therefore, saving money to move to another city became very important. The convenience store was open 24 hours, and I had the night shift. Standing guard until 6 AM, I finally got off work. But I was too sleepy. My eyelids were so heavy they felt glued together. No, maybe... I really fell asleep. Because I saw Julian. A black Maybach was parked on the deserted roadside, and he was staring straight at me. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. I walked straight over and said, "Don't you only appear in dreams at night? It's 6 AM, why are you still here?" Tested and verified, I only dream of him when I sleep at night. Not during the day. Julian didn't speak. This was normal because, in the dream, no matter what we said, the other person couldn't hear. Seeing his abstinent look, I gritted my teeth in hatred. "You look fine here, why are you so detestable in reality?" I reached out to rub his face. He didn't resist. He even patted the leather seat, signaling me to get in. I climbed into the car decisively and straddled him. A familiar position. We had tried this many times in dreams. Julian habitually adjusted his legs and angles to make me more comfortable. "Your niece bullied me, the counselor covered for her, and you covered for her too. "But you have no idea what she did to me. "I just accidentally bought the same dress as her, and she cut mine into shreds. "She said I was shameless for wearing a knockoff. But how would I know that brand? Even if it was a knockoff, I saved money to buy it." Julian's gaze trembled slightly. "And now? I just revealed a fact, and you want those companies to blacklist me..." Since "Julian" couldn't hear, I poured out all my grievances from reality. Finally, I bit his shoulder hard. "I don't want to dream of you anymore. This is the last time." Julian suddenly grabbed me, his grip strong. "No, I don't agree." I froze. How did he speak? Wait, how could I hear him speak? Hold on, my head is spinning— Just then, Julian spoke again. "Willow, you're not asleep. This isn't a dream." This time, I heard it clearly. At the same time, there was a knock on the car window. "Uncle, why did you call me out so early?" Chloe mumbled.
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