When I learned that the high school student I was sponsoring was the future villain of the story, he knocked on my door. I opened it to see a nervous boy carrying a bag of local specialties from the mountains, his eyes bright with hope. Rows of comments floated across my vision: [Is this the future human trafficker villain in the book?] [Tsk tsk, the mad dog in his domestic phase.] [Just wait until he becomes successful; he’ll be the biggest stumbling block for the male and female leads.] [The villain will seek his own death and end up being destroyed by the male lead, leaving nothing but ashes.] I paused, instinctively taking two steps back. Liam’s eyes dimmed, revealing a bitter smile. "Sorry, I just wanted to come and thank you, Miss Carter." He put down the fertilizer sack he was using as a bag and turned to leave. I frowned and called out to him, "Wait!" 1 Liam froze, slowly turning around. He kept his head down, not looking at me, his voice low and hoarse. "Is there anything else you need me to do, Miss Carter?" I asked him, "You're leaving just like that?" Liam nodded. "School is on summer break, and I just wanted to see you. Now that I have, it's time to go back." Comments floated by: [The villain is actually kinda pitiful. If he could keep this loyal dog persona, he’d definitely be a top-tier character!] [Seriously, bro? You took a motorcycle from the village to town, a bus from town to the county seat, another bus to the city transit center, then a subway to the train station, and endured a 13-hour hard seat ride to New York, just to give your sponsor a bag of local produce?] [This produce is what the villain got in exchange for helping an old lady in the village with farm work. How did such a good seedling grow crooked?] [I really feel for the villain now. God knows how many eye rolls and disdain he suffered carrying that fertilizer sack on the way here!] My throat tightened. Looking at his sweat-streaked face, I couldn't help but say, "Never mind. Come in and cool off for a bit." Liam was clearly reluctant, stepping back a few paces. "My... my shoes are a bit dirty." I looked down. His white sneakers, washed until the fabric was fuzzy, were grey with dust. But it was clear they had been scrubbed clean by their owner many times. I didn't say anything, just pointed at the fertilizer sack. "Help me carry that in. I have slippers for you." Liam looked up sharply, stunned. I took out a new pair of slippers for him. "Put these on." Liam put down the produce and stood awkwardly in the living room. I poured him a cold drink and smiled, "Sit on the sofa. What are you standing there for?" Liam gave me a forced smile. He seemed terrified, as if afraid of dirtying my sofa. I asked about his studies, finally diverting his attention. As soon as studies were mentioned, Liam visibly relaxed. His grades were excellent. He was top of his class at the best high school in his county. I listened quietly, suddenly feeling that this boy was nothing like what the comments described. His eyes were very dark and bright, hiding a resilient strength. That was clearly a hope for the future, a desire to make something of himself. How could a kid like this become the kind of person who would bleed for a woman, as the comments claimed? 2 After he finished, I asked him, "What are your plans for the summer?" Liam paused, scratching his head a little sheepishly. "I plan to do some practice problems, preview the next semester's content..." [The villain really has a talent for lying from a young age. He was clearly planning to tutor someone else.] [Don't delay the SATs, big bro! Even if you're a villain, the obsession with college entrance exams is carved into our bones!] [Ten dollars an hour? Even slave labor isn't this cheap, right?] [And that parent has a terrible temper and is hard to talk to. If their kid's grades don't improve, they scold the villain. The villain suffers endless eye rolls and ridicule, and his heart starts to twist!] [Upstairs, he has no choice. The villain only wants to spend the sponsor sister's money on his studies; he insists on earning his own living expenses.] I interrupted Liam's lie. Choosing my words carefully, I asked, "My friend's bookstore is hiring. If you're willing..." Before I could finish, an anxious look appeared on Liam's face. "Is it a very important friend? Can I really help?" My probing words got stuck in my throat. Staring at the boy's overly handsome face for a few seconds, I slowly nodded. "Can you watch the store for her? I'll pay you 100 a day." Before Liam could speak, the comments exploded. [What is this sponsor sister doing? If the villain doesn't go through those hardships, how will he become that paranoid, gloomy business tycoon later?] [Exactly! If the villain doesn't go back to tutor the rich kid in the city, how will he accidentally meet the female lead who is traveling there?!] My heart moved slightly. Suffering has never been a necessity for success. If possible, who wouldn't want to walk in the sunlight? As for the female lead mentioned in the comments... If she would only bring pain to Liam. Then what meaning did their meeting have? Why should Liam, with such a bright future, become the touchstone for the main couple's love? Liam nervously picked at the seam of his jeans, "I... I haven't done this before. I'm afraid I won't do a good job..." I smiled at him and patted his shoulder encouragingly. "It's okay. There's always a first time for everything. I believe in you." Liam was a little stunned. His droopy puppy eyes suddenly widened. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something. But he was interrupted by the sudden sound of the door opening. "Cousin! I had a huge fight with my mom!" The comments suddenly started scrolling. [Great! The female lead is here!] [Oh ho! Turns out the sponsor sister is the female lead's cousin!] 3 Female lead? Who? My cousin? I looked up at Chloe at the door, a flash of surprise on my face. But I quickly understood. Chloe is my aunt's daughter. Her parents are loving, and the Su family has been in business for generations—a standard wealthy family. She has a naive and straightforward personality, holding a natural kindness towards everyone and everything. Looking at it this way, she really is the standard configuration for a novel's female lead. [Damn it! Our male lead is still on his way, why did the villain meet her so early?] [It's okay. When the female lead goes abroad to study, the Su family will face a crisis, and the female lead can get engaged to the male lead!] [The main couple marries first and loves later, falling for each other without knowing it. Luckily, the villain became a business upstart by then, appearing beside the female lead to make the male lead feel threatened.] Me: ? Wait— According to the comments. The Su family's company is operating well; how could a crisis suddenly appear? Liam is already successful and famous. How can he still be a part of the main couple's play?? In the blink of an eye, Chloe had already walked up to me. "Sis, I want to go to an ancient town in the Southwest to sketch, but my mom just won't agree. You have to persuade her!" After saying that, she realized there was someone else in the living room. Chloe paused, holding my hand: "Oh, we have a guest." I came back to my senses and introduced, "This is Liam, the student I'm sponsoring." Turning to Liam, I said, "This is my cousin, Chloe." They greeted each other. I watched helplessly as Liam's gaze stayed on Chloe's face. Then it traveled down, fixing on our joined hands. The comments were excited: [Who can resist the aura of the little sunshine female lead!] [Haha, the villain must be lovestruck already.] [The place the female lead wants to go is where she meets the male lead, right? So the plot is advancing ahead of schedule.] [Oh my god, sponsor sister, quickly separate the female lead and the villain! Our female lead baby belongs to the male lead!] I frowned slightly in discomfort. Afraid Liam would feel uncomfortable, I told Chloe to wait for me in the study upstairs. After she left, I looked at Liam: "Since I asked you to stay, you can live here. There are many guest rooms on the third floor; pick one." Liam gazed at me and slowly nodded. "I'll listen to you, Miss Carter." After settling Liam, I immediately went to the second-floor study. Listening to Chloe chatter about the causes and consequences, I finally understood. It turned out she went sketching to put together a portfolio to apply to prestigious art schools abroad. Superior family background, prestigious school degree. It seemed indeed to be a good path. I nodded, "I'll help you persuade Auntie." Before leaving, Chloe asked me: "Sis, you're a college student. Why sponsor a high school student?" 4 Choosing to sponsor Liam was a coincidence. I am a person with very low material desires. Just started college, my mom gave me fifty thousand dollars a month for pocket money. Accidentally scrolled onto a post seeking sponsorship. Found many children from impoverished areas leaving messages in the comments. I felt at the time that money sitting in my card was just a dead object; better to use it for something more meaningful. I left a sentence in the comments section, stating I could sponsor. Nearly a thousand people messaged me privately. Liam was just one of them. I started sponsoring 30 students. Later I found out that only a very small number of them were truly poor. So 30 people were reduced to 18. Liam was still among them. But I only had a very shallow impression of him. We truly became familiar because after he finished his high school entrance exams, he got first place in the county and received a scholarship of a thousand dollars. He transferred all that thousand to me. [Miss Carter, I know this money isn't much, but I earned it myself. Could you please accept it?] It was from that moment that I noticed this orphan child. Destitute but proud. Insecure yet resilient. Every holiday, I would receive his greetings on time. For the money sent every month, he would also be meticulous, sending me a breakdown of expenses. But what he sent more often were his grades, ranking first in his grade every time. I checked the high school Liam attended. It was a key county school. Although the teaching resources were limited, it was a solid good school. The competitive pressure was immense, making the first place in the grade even more rare. I told Chloe all this. She was a bit surprised, murmuring: "...So that's how it is." Chloe changed the subject. "But just because of that, you let him live in your house?" I paused. Outside the window, the sun was bright, and the cicadas were loud. For no reason, I thought of Liam carrying his schoolbag and the fertilizer sack. And then I thought of the comments saying Liam would do anything for Chloe, becoming crazy and demonic. I exhaled heavily. I don't know if I was saying it to myself or to Chloe. "Maybe, it's because I feel he shouldn't have that ending."
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