Three years into seducing the "Prince of Beijing" as a strategy game, I lost my memory. My memory reset to the time I was in a cold war with my ex-boyfriend. Right in front of the Prince, I dialed my ex's number. "Babe, don't be mad. I'll wear that new dress for you, okay?" The next second, the arrogant young CEO crushed a glass in his bare hand. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Say that again, Stella. I dare you." "Do you think I'm dead?" 1 "Stella, how long are you going to keep this up?" "I told you, there's nothing going on between us." "We grew up together. We haven't seen each other in forever. What's wrong with a little kiss?" I woke up in a hospital room. A strange man in a sharp suit was pacing, pulling at his hair in frustration. When he saw I wasn't speaking, he unclasped his watch and tossed it onto the bed in front of me. "Besides this, I'll give you an apartment. Is that enough?" I shook my head, picking up the diamond-encrusted watch and trying to focus my eyes. The man chuckled, sitting beside me and patting my head like I was a pet. "That's right. Running into traffic... look at yourself. Was it worth it?" "Pack your things. I'll take you back." Honestly, he was handsome—sharp brows, starry eyes, a very aggressive kind of good looks. But his temper was terrible. Not my type at all. I pushed his hand away and handed the watch back. "It's five-thirty. My boyfriend gets off work soon. I don't want to trouble you." I thought I was being polite, but the man's face instantly darkened. He narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Say that again, Stella." "Which boyfriend is getting off work?" I had been with Liam for three years. Who else would it be? Before I could answer, the man shoved my phone into my hand. "Call him! Call him right now. I want to see which man has the guts to pick you up!" I looked at him, aggrieved. Hitting my head in a car accident was bad enough; waking up to this lunatic was worse. The lunatic sat on the sofa opposite me, legs spread wide. Under his glare, I pulled Liam off my blocklist. Thinking back, Liam and I rarely fought. But sometimes he was too conservative. Last time, I bought a dress that was a little short, and he lectured me for days. The phone rang twice in the quiet room before someone picked up. Liam's voice was hesitant, but pleasant. "Stella, is that you?" I hummed a "Mhm." He sounded incredibly relieved and fired off a string of questions. "I heard you were in an accident. Is it serious?" "Which hospital are you at? I'm coming right now." With every sentence Liam spoke, the man's face grew darker. I quickly gave my location, and before hanging up, I couldn't resist a little coquettish apology. "Babe, I'll wear that new dress for you tomorrow, okay?" As soon as the words left my mouth, CRASH. I turned around. The man had crushed the glass in his hand. Blood and shards of glass dripped onto his expensive shoes. He didn't seem to feel the pain. He just stared at me, teeth clenched. "Stella, say that again. I dare you!" "Do you think I'm dead?" A nurse burst in, terrified by the scene. "Mr. Carter, please calm down! The patient needs rest." His hand looked gruesome. The nurse spent a long time bandaging it. Midway through, his phone rang. He took a deep breath, his eyelid twitching with rage. His tone was nasty. "I said I'm busy." A lazy, teasing voice came through the speaker: "Chloe is waiting for you. What could be more important than that?" Ethan Carter stared at me unblinkingly and said slowly: "Catching a cheater. Is that important enough?" 2 The nurse's ears perked up like satellite dishes. I felt awkward under his gaze, staring at the ceiling. The hospital ceiling was very... ceiling-y. "Don't get the wound wet." "Come back in three days to change the dressing." Ethan waved her away dismissively. Before the nurse could close the door, a frantic figure rushed in. His coat was half-on, the belt of his black trench coat dangling. Liam is five years older than me. He's usually calm and steady. When we lived together, he'd squeeze toothpaste onto my brush every morning. The towels were always folded perfectly. I had never seen him this disheveled. I looked up, grabbed his belt, and nuzzled into his waist. "Take me home. I already did the discharge paperwork." Liam froze. His Adam's apple bobbed. His cool hand hovered over my head. "Stella, I..." Before he could finish, slow, mocking applause came from the sofa. Ethan sat in the shadows, eyes narrowed. "Truly touching." "Stella followed me around like a dog for three years. And in the end, this guy named Liam is the boyfriend?" I found his words bizarre. Before I could stand up, Liam pushed my hand away and punched Ethan right in the face. "Ethan Carter, watch your mouth." Forget Ethan, I was stunned. Liam never raised his voice, let alone his fists. I quickly hugged Liam's waist, dragging him out of the room before Ethan could retaliate. Ethan was furious. He kicked the metal door. "Stella, you're siding with him?" "Fuck! Stella, get back here!" "..." We left his shouting behind. In the passenger seat, I rubbed Liam's hand. "Does it hurt? Why were you so impulsive?" "What if you hurt your hand?" In the dim car, Liam didn't answer. He just leaned over and kissed me. Unlike his usual kisses, today he was urgent. Almost... aggrieved. I was breathless, face flushed. Liam wasn't much better. He cupped the back of my neck. "Sleep. We're almost home." I was exhausted. I didn't have the energy to question his strange behavior. My brain felt like tofu pudding. Just as we arrived, a cheerful, electronic voice exploded in my head. [Master! Master! You're finally awake!] [Capture progress for Ethan Carter is at 60%!] [Victory is in sight!] Wait, what? Me? Capturing Ethan Carter? The voice, calling itself a "System," chattered away. I was confused and couldn't get a word in. I was about to bang my head against the wall to wake up when a damp hand pressed against my forehead. I opened my eyes to eight-pack abs. 3 Liam usually wrapped himself up tight. Today, he was wearing only a towel. Water droplets traced the lines of his muscles. "Headache? Let me massage it." I looked up, tracing his throat down to his chest. System? Strategy? Forgotten. My knees went weak, and I collapsed into his arms. I fell for Liam at first sight. When we went public, my friend Mia said I was crazy. "Stella, you wild child. Can Professor Liam satisfy you?" Turns out, Professor Liam can. Very much so. The only downside was his self-control. I always had to initiate. Liam tilted his head, exposing his neck. His Adam's apple bobbed, a droplet of water hanging precariously. The atmosphere was perfect. Not doing it would be a crime. But just as my hand found the belt, a jarring ringtone sounded from behind me. It wasn't anyone else. It was Ethan Carter. Why did I have his number? Was the System telling the truth? Suppressing my doubts, I hung up. But Ethan was like a ghost, calling again and again. Liam stared at the screen for a second, pressed his lips together, and walked out of the room without looking back. Seeing my meal walk away, I angrily answered the phone. "Ethan Carter, this better be life or death." He scoffed. He was talking to someone else. "Looks like your dare is a bust, Little Carter." It was the voice from the hospital. The phone switched hands. Ethan and the System spoke simultaneously. "Utopia Bar. Pick me up." [Master, you are Ethan's pinned contact!] [Whenever he gets drunk, he calls you first. His favorability went from negative to zero because you picked him up in the rain on Dragon Boat Festival.] The System helpfully jogged my memory. A scene flashed in my mind. Heavy rain. I saw Liam standing behind me. He held a black umbrella, looking lonely and thin in the headlights. If I remembered correctly, Liam's birthday was on Dragon Boat Festival. Did I really break up with Liam three years ago to chase this guy, like the System said? The voice in my ear urged me on, as if picking Ethan up at 3 AM was my duty. Rage surged. I yelled into the phone. "Pick yourself up! I quit!" I hung up before he could react. The System shrieked in my head. I covered my ears and burrowed into Liam's arms like a kitten. In the dark, he was burning up. His eyes were wet. "If you want to go... I'll drive you." 4 That ignited a fire in me. Specifically, in my lower abdomen. I nuzzled into Liam's chest, my voice soft. "You're here. Where would I go?" [Master! Your priority is picking him up, not ogling abs and biceps! Gasp~] I ignored it. My fingers traced the corner of Liam's eye. In three years, he was always calm. Only when I pushed him to the edge would he let out a groan. His voice was hoarse. "Really? Not going?" I threw my phone on the carpet and kissed his Adam's apple messily. "Not going. Never leaving again." ... I silenced the System for the night. Liam wore me out. When I woke up, he was gone. On the nightstand was warm milk, breakfast, and a note in elegant handwriting. Remember to eat. There's medicine in the drawer if you're sore. Sorry. I couldn't suppress my smile. The System chimed in. [Tsk tsk. You locked me in a dark room all night!] [ALL NIGHT!!!] I rubbed my ear. Now that Liam was gone, time to figure this out. "So, you say I need to capture Ethan Carter?" The System sounded smug. [Hmph. Finally focused? Do you know Ethan waited for you until 4 AM? His favorability dropped to...] [Wait. It went up to 68%? WTF?] I picked up my phone. Eight missed calls from Ethan. Ten texts. The System peeked. [He's never texted you first before! Breaking the passing grade makes a difference.] I scrolled up. For three years, it was just me asking if he was okay. When he was annoyed, he'd call. The calls lasted less than 30 seconds, and his tone was always awful. I got angrier as I scrolled. The System fanned the flames. [Master, you used to be so diligent. You were his driver. No matter how late, you were always the first face he saw.] [Remember anything? We need to get back to work.] I reached the top of the chat. I was shocked. I didn't understand. Even for Liam, my patience capped at three months. "What's the reward?" I asked. "A dozen top-tier male models." Heh. I knew it. Definitely something I said during my cold war with Liam. "And the punishment?" "No punishment. If you fail, I stay with you. Forever." My mouth twitched. I felt suffocated. I texted Liam. "Babe, when do you get off work?" "I'll pick you up." Liam had classes all day. I didn't expect a quick reply. When I came back from brushing my teeth, I had a string of messages. "Stella, I'll overlook yesterday." "5:10 PM. Material Tower. Be there or you're dead." I stared at the screen for ten seconds. Shit. Wrong person.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "388428", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel