My husband’s friend from college has a “sports system,” and I’m the one it’s bound to. As long as I lie still, she can keep moving indefinitely, and all her fatigue gets transferred to me. So my husband ties me to the bed while she runs a marathon and wins. He slips sleeping pills into my milk so she can swim three thousand meters without getting tired. My body is deteriorating, but she’s racking up prize money and awards. My husband constantly belittles me. “Look at Lily, so young and full of energy. Then look at you, lying there until your limbs atrophy!” I rest, she moves? As long as I remain still, she can keep moving? Perfect. On New Year’s Eve, they made plans to “ring in the new year” together. I went straight to a medical research center, signed an agreement, and had myself cryogenically frozen for one year. I’m going to make sure your New Year’s celebration lasts the entire year. You can go break a world record. 1 William came toward me again, holding a wide strip of cloth. He always did this before one of Lily’s competitions. He would tie me up. Whenever I tried to struggle, he would whisper gently, “Honey, don’t talk. Just cooperate for a few hours. I’ll lie here with you.” I stared at him, bewildered. “William, what on earth are you doing?” He didn’t answer. He just held me down. I was pinned to the bed, unable to move. The TV was broadcasting a live marathon. Lily, my husband’s college friend, was running. I watched with a frown. Not ten minutes later, a sharp, aching soreness shot up from my calves, as if I had just run five miles myself. The pain was so intense I let out a groan. I tried to get up, but William held me down firmly. He cradled my head and smiled. “Just bear with it, honey. I’ll give you a massage.” He kneaded my aching muscles while his eyes, gleaming with excitement, were glued to the TV. On the screen, Lily ran with a steady, swift pace, not a drop of sweat on her face. She was a stark contrast to the panting, struggling runners beside her. She ran faster and faster, while the pain in my body intensified. With every step she took, the soreness grew, as if I were the one running. No, it was worse than if I had run it myself. Every time I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore, William would press down on me, refusing to let me get up. After what felt like an eternity, the announcer’s excited voice shouted “Champion!” as Lily crossed the finish line and was immediately swarmed by a crowd. William let out a sigh of relief and untied me. Lily accepted the trophy and yelled into the camera, “William, did you see that? I won! I really have you to thank. Day or night, having you by my side gives me peace of mind.” I looked up at William. He stood by the bed, his face a mixture of pride, relief, and excitement. I trembled with a rage that consumed my entire body. 2 I lay on the bed, too exhausted to even lift a finger. “William,” I asked, my voice weak, “why did you tie me up?” He was in the middle of changing his shoes. He paused, and when he turned around, the excitement was gone, replaced by sheer annoyance. “I told you to cooperate. Why do you ask so many questions?” I managed a weak smile. The soreness hadn’t faded, and every word was an effort. “Cooperate? You tie me up like a mummy and make me lie here in agony, and you call that cooperating? And what about you? ‘Day and night’ with your little friend. What exactly are you doing with her?” William’s brow furrowed, his expression cold. “What are you thinking? Lily is just a friend. She’s under a lot of pressure preparing for her competitions. What’s wrong with me looking after her? She’s fit, she wins awards, she brings honor to our country. And you? All you do is lie in bed and let your imagination run wild.” I repeated the words “looking after,” my heart clenching. “Looking after her? You go look after her, and you tie me up? Am I just part of your game?” “Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped, his tone hardening. “I told you not to overthink it. She’s like a sister to me. Lily winning the championship is a huge honor. If you’re not going to be happy for me, at least don’t be so jealous. It’s pathetic.” I opened my mouth to say more, but my throat tightened, and no words came out. It was always like this. Whenever Lily had a competition, he always had some excuse to make me stay in bed. He’d say I was tired and needed rest, or he’d come up with some bizarre reason to keep me from moving. I used to think I was just being paranoid. But this time, the pain of being tied down, the bone-deep exhaustion, and the sight of Lily running so effortlessly on TV—it was all like a series of needles, forcing me to wake up. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. My body was getting weaker and weaker. The slightest movement left me breathless. But Lily was becoming more and more energetic, winning award after award. There had to be a connection I wasn’t seeing. A knock on the door broke the silence. William’s face lit up as he rushed to open it, his voice filled with a warmth I hadn’t heard directed at me in a long time. “Lily! You’re here! Come in, you were amazing. I almost cried when you won.” Lily bounced into the room, her eyes landing on me. A mocking smile played on her lips. “Still in bed, are we? Why don’t you get up and move around a bit? It’s not healthy to lie around all day. Look at me, you have to exercise to have energy.” She waved the trophy in her hand, its gleam stabbing at my eyes. William looked at her with doting affection, then turned to me, his voice cold. “What are you waiting for? Get up and make Lily something to eat. If you keep lying there, your limbs are going to atrophy!” 3 Of course I wasn’t going to cook. William ended up making instant noodles for dinner. As I drifted in and out of sleep, I overheard them whispering. They must have thought I was completely out, because even though their voices were low, the words drifted into the bedroom. “William,” Lily said with a giggle, “I’m definitely going to win the three-thousand-meter swim tomorrow. After I get the prize, can we celebrate New Year’s Eve together tomorrow night? You know you’re my New Year’s wish!” William sounded a bit shy. “Lily, your stamina is incredible. You just ran a marathon, and tomorrow you can swim three thousand meters. But… about celebrating together… I’m not sure I can keep up with you.” Lily laughed softly. “Oh, William, I don’t mind. I just want to make you happy. Let’s spend the whole night together, okay?” After a brief silence, William’s voice was hesitant. “But… I still feel guilty. Maybe I should just divorce her. It feels wrong to do this to her.” Lily paused. “William, you can’t divorce her now. My sports system is bound to her. I can only compete without a care in the world if she’s lying perfectly still. All the fatigue gets transferred to her, and that’s how I win all these championships.” I froze. Lily has a system? And it’s bound to me? I held my breath, pressing myself against the headboard, and fumbled for my phone to start recording. Lily’s voice softened, coaxing him. “William, if you divorce her, how will you control her? If she runs off and stops cooperating, my system will be useless.” “Just wait a little longer, William. After I compete in a few more major events next year, the prize money and endorsements will be enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.” “By then, she’ll be completely broken down anyway. A cripple who can’t even walk. No one will suspect anything if she dies. And when she’s gone, we can finally be together, officially. I’ll marry you, okay?” William hesitated for a moment, then chuckled. “Okay, I’ll listen to you. You focus on your race tomorrow. I’ll make sure she behaves. And tomorrow night, we’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve together. I’ll even take something if I have to, just to keep up with you.” Lily giggled. “You’re the best, William. But you have to time it right. You have to let her get up after my race is over, otherwise I won’t be able to stop either.” “Don’t worry,” William replied softly. “I know what I’m doing. I won’t let her stay still for too long, otherwise you’ll keep moving. I get it.” I lay in the darkness, my body ice-cold, my blood frozen in my veins. So that was it. That’s why I was getting weaker, why Lily was always a bundle of endless energy, why William was always finding ways to make me lie down. I wasn’t paranoid. I wasn’t being ridiculous. I was a pawn in their game. A stepping stone for Lily’s success. A tool to be discarded when I was no longer useful. 4 The next morning, the TV in the living room was blasting. The sports channel was broadcasting the pre-race preparations for the three-thousand-meter swim. I was propped up against the headboard, the soreness from the day before still clinging to my muscles. William walked in, holding the same strip of cloth from yesterday, his face blank. “Honey, lie down. Time to cooperate.” I frowned, my voice hoarse. “No, William. I’m not doing it.” He stopped, his brow instantly furrowing. “What’s your problem? It’s just for a few hours. Just bear with it.” He reached for my arm, but I yanked it away. He stared at me for a few seconds, then, as if an idea had struck him, he turned and left the bedroom. He returned a moment later with a glass of milk, his voice softer, coaxing. “Alright, alright, no ropes. Just drink this milk, it’s good for you. You didn’t sleep well last night.” He held the glass out to me. A faint, chemical smell mingled with the scent of milk. My heart turned to ice. Sleeping pills. That was his game. I turned my head away. “I’m not drinking it.” William’s patience finally snapped. His face twisted into a snarl. “Honey, are you determined to fight me on this?” The commentator’s excited voice boomed from the TV, announcing that the swimmers were in position and the race was about to begin. William grew even more agitated. His eyes were locked on me. Suddenly, he pointed out the window. I instinctively turned to look. A sharp, searing pain exploded at the back of my head. I whipped my head back around and saw him holding an ashtray, its edge stained with my blood. I gasped. “William, you’re insane!” Then, everything went black. I don’t know how much time passed before he shook me awake. The back of my head still throbbed, and a wave of dizziness made it hard to open my eyes. “Wake up! Stop playing dead!” It was William’s voice, sounding cheerful. I struggled to open my eyes. Through my blurred vision, I saw the awards ceremony on the TV. Lily was holding up another trophy, a triumphant smile on her face. William stood by the bed, his own face beaming with pride. “Lily won again! See? I told you she could do it.” I tried to move, to push myself up, but I felt something sticky on my cheek. I reached up and my hand came away covered in blood. William’s eyes were still glued to Lily on the screen. He didn’t even turn around. “You’re bleeding. Should you go to the hospital?” I gritted my teeth and summoned every last bit of my strength to crawl out of bed. Every movement sent a fresh wave of pain through my skull, and my vision kept blacking out. I stumbled to the doorway and looked back at William. He was still standing there, transfixed by the television, without the slightest intention of even helping me to the door. “I’m celebrating New Year’s Eve with Lily tonight. I won’t be back,” he said, still not looking at me, his voice filled with anticipation. I leaned against the doorframe, a chilling cold seeping deep into my bones. You’re celebrating New Year’s Eve together? I rest, she moves? She can keep moving… indefinitely? Perfect. I will give you a New Year’s celebration you will never forget. 5 Before I left the house, I slipped a small recording device into William’s bag. Then I went to the hospital to get my head wound treated. After I was bandaged up, I walked straight to the hospital’s research wing. I had once seen an ad on my phone for volunteers for a long-term cryogenic freezing experiment. It was for one year, and during that time, no one had the authority to terminate the experiment. I’d thought it was just a strange piece of news back then. I never imagined it would come in handy. The head researcher’s office was simple, her desk piled high with files. When I walked in, she was organizing some documents. She looked up at me. “Here to inquire about the cryo-freeze experiment?” I nodded and asked if it could start tonight. She pushed up her glasses and handed me a contract. “Yes, that’s possible. The rules are, once the experiment begins, you will be frozen for one year. There will be no contact and no early termination. Are you sure about this?” I took the pen and signed my name without a moment’s hesitation. Just before midnight, my phone buzzed. It was a video call from Lily. I stared at the screen for a second before answering. The screen showed the balcony of a high-end hotel room. In the distance, the colorful lights of an amusement park glowed, the Ferris wheel a glittering circle in the night sky. Lily was wearing a bathrobe, her hair damp, a pill in her hand. She leaned into the camera, a sickly-sweet smile on her face. “Sorry about tonight, sis.” She panned the camera around to show a large bed behind her. “William’s in the shower,” she chirped. “And he’s agreed to be my New Year’s gift. Tonight is going to be unforgettable. I won’t live-stream the rest for you, though. Wouldn’t want you to overthink things, hehe.” Just then, William’s voice called from the bathroom. “Lily, can you grab me a towel?” Lily bit her lip and whispered to me, “William’s calling me. Got to go.” The phone screen shook as she laughed. “I’m coming, William!” The call ended. At that moment, the head researcher informed me that everything was ready. I stood up and walked to the cryogenic pod. Then, I took the recording device from William's bag and activated its live-streaming function. I’d read that this model had low power consumption and could last for a month on a full charge. If only it could last a whole year. That would be even better. I lay down inside the pod and gave the doctor a thumbs-up. She nodded and pressed the start button. A cold mist began to fill the chamber. I closed my eyes, waiting for my consciousness to freeze, with only one thought in my mind: Have a happy New Year, Lily. And you too, William. Enjoy every single second of it.
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