Just three months into dating, he proposed to me. What a coincidence, I was also planning to bleed him dry. After all, marrying me was going to cost him half his life. 01 On May 20th, Valentine's Day, Arthur and I went to get our marriage license. Just before the clerk stamped our certificate, Arthur pulled up his Venmo QR code: "The marriage license fee is $9. If we split it, it's $4.50 each." I nodded and smoothly scanned the code to pay him. The people around us stared in absolute shock and disdain. Taking advantage of the moment Arthur stepped aside to take a phone call, the clerk whispered to me: "Girl, are you really sure you want me to stamp this?" She looked at Arthur's retreating back with an expression that said a thousand words. It made sense. In this day and age, a man like Arthur, who insisted on splitting the cost of a marriage license down to the penny, was a rare breed. I thanked her for her concern and smiled, nodding: "My boyfriend just really likes going fifty-fifty. He treats me very well." As we took our marriage certificate and walked away, I could still hear the clerk's frustrated voice fading in the distance: "Another severely brainwashed, love-struck fool! "What does she even see in him, besides his decent face?" What she didn't know was that I wasn't just after Arthur's face. I was after his life. 02 My family, my entire bloodline, had been cursed for generations. Everyone in my clan was doomed to die before turning thirty. After a century of hardship, we finally found a way to break the curse—Life Borrowing. However, borrowing life ultimately defied the laws of nature. Therefore, we usually only borrowed life from individuals who had committed heinous, unforgivable crimes. People who had committed grave evils were no longer protected by the laws of the universe. But truly evil people aren't easy to come across every day. So, we had to find a loophole: borrowing just a little bit of lifespan first to survive our impending death dates. Arthur was my loophole. I met Arthur at a singles mixer. He was handsome and dressed well, but no one paid him any attention. I was curious, but my friend just scoffed: "Him? He's a notorious cheapskate. He uses 'going Dutch' as an excuse to take advantage of people. On a first date, he told a girl she lived too far away and demanded she pay for half his gas money. "The stories about him are endless. Who would want to be the sucker to date a guy like that?" My eyes lit up. To borrow life from an ordinary person, you need to establish a strong karmic connection with them. Arthur's habit of taking advantage of others was exactly what I needed. So, I took the initiative and reached out to him. A month later, we made our relationship official. During that month, aside from his obsession with money, Arthur was actually a decent boyfriend. Arthur claimed he firmly believed in splitting everything 50/50. So, we split the bill for every dinner and movie. If he bought me a coffee, I had to drink half and save the rest for him. For a gift, he gave me a $30 plush toy, but I had to pay him back $15. When it was my turn to give him a gift, he personally picked out a pair of $5,000 limited-edition sneakers. I paid the bill without batting an eye, while he conveniently pretended to forget about his "50/50" rule. Through continuous testing, Arthur became extremely satisfied with me. I was a naive, sweet girl from a wealthy family, utterly blinded by love. And I was very satisfied with him too—strong, healthy, and with a long lifespan. But this karmic connection still wasn't enough. So, I casually let slip the true extent of my family's wealth. Aside from tens of millions in cash, I also owned several properties. After visiting one of my mansions just once, Arthur became even more attentive. Three months into our relationship, he proposed to me. I covered my mouth, crying tears of joy. This time, I would finally be able to borrow a significant chunk of lifespan. That night, after transferring half the cost of a box of condoms to Arthur, we consummated our love for the first time in my mansion. The next morning, I received a text from my mom. [This one looks much stronger than the last one. How was it?] [Good stamina, decent brain. Might as well have a kid with him while you're at it.] 03 I had two years left until my thirtieth birthday. My mom was worried, on one hand, that I wouldn't have enough time to borrow life. On the other hand, she really wanted a grandchild. Knowing that I was satisfied with Arthur in every aspect, she was overjoyed. She urged me and Arthur to get married as soon as possible. Meanwhile, when Arthur's parents found out I was an only child from a wealthy, single-parent household, the way they looked at me changed too. It was a mix of greed and contempt. The day after his successful proposal, Arthur took me to meet his parents. "It's such a waste for a widow and an orphan girl to be sitting on so much money and property. "Arthur, as long as you get that marriage license with Chloe, all of that will belong to our family." Arthur's mother, Brenda, discussed her plans with Arthur in an excited tone: "She listens to everything you say right now. If she hesitates about getting the license, just threaten to break up with her. "Even better, get her pregnant as soon as possible!" They were fully intending to swallow my family's wealth whole and leave me with nothing. Separated only by a thin wall, I turned off the hidden surveillance app I had installed on Arthur's phone and took off my Bluetooth earbud. I smiled a deep, meaningful smile. What a pity. We'll see who ends up swallowing who. ... Arthur, following his mother's advice, brought up marriage with me. We hit it off immediately, skipped the engagement party, and went straight to get our license. After getting the certificate, I quietly rolled up my sleeve. On my porcelain-white wrist, there was a red line resembling a birthmark. At that moment, the red line was creeping forward, eerily and slowly. It didn't stop until it had grown about two inches. This red line was my lifeline, representing my remaining lifespan. The longer the red line, the longer I had to live. Since Arthur had become my husband, borrowing a bit of his life was no big deal. My lifespan had now increased from less than two years to ten years. Satisfied, I rolled my sleeve back down. Ordinary people couldn't see the red line. In Arthur's eyes, I was just scratching my arm. He waved his phone and smiled: "Baby, my mom says eating out isn't clean. She wants to cook a big celebratory dinner for us herself." I immediately expressed my excitement and anticipation. But when we arrived at the Arthur family home, there were only three dishes on the dining table. A plate of wilted, soggy greens, a plate of unscaled, muddy-looking fish, and a plate of suspicious, mushy meat. I understood immediately: this was a hostile banquet. 04 Brenda had completely dropped the enthusiastic facade she had before we got our license, treating me with cold indifference: "You're here. Grab a seat yourself. Do you really think you're some high-class princess who needs a formal invitation?" She was giving me a hard time right out of the gate, establishing her dominance as the mother-in-law before I even had the chance to call her "Mom." Brenda was truly impatient. I was compliant and agreeable with Arthur because that was necessary. After all, he was about to give half his life to me. But there was no way I was going to put up with this old hag. I stood frozen in place, looking at Arthur with innocent confusion: "Didn't you say your mom used to work as a cleaner? Why does she act like a Broadway quick-change artist?" Arthur was stunned, looking at me, not understanding what I meant. I continued with feigned innocence: "Otherwise, how could she change her face so quickly?" Brenda's expression darkened drastically. "You little tramp..." She pointed her finger right at my nose, ready to start cursing, but Arthur stopped her. Arthur apologetically pressed me down into a chair: "Chloe, my mom just sees you as her own daughter, so she’s being casual. Please don't take it to heart." After saying that, he shot his mother a warning look. Reluctantly, with a sour face, Brenda scooped a bowl of rice for me. I decided to play along and let it go for now. After dinner, Arthur and Brenda went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. I didn't know what they talked about. But when they came out, Brenda had a smile plastered on her face. She brought out a fruit platter, handed me a piece of pineapple on a fork, and said: "Chloe, dear, Auntie was just a little overwhelmed earlier, please don't mind me." I took the fork and considerately expressed my understanding. Brenda's face lit up, and she spoke bluntly: "Since you and Arthur both enjoy living a 50/50 lifestyle, us elders won't object. "But regarding your house and assets after marriage... shouldn't we redistribute them?" I raised an eyebrow. So they wanted to start by securing my assets first. The house the Arthur family currently lived in was a rental. What houses and assets did they have to distribute? They were just testing me. Using this excuse to coax my personal wealth into their hands first. The next step would be my family's wealth. 05 When it came to Arthur, I naturally had to play the part of the devoted, love-struck fool perfectly. I smiled and nodded: "You're absolutely right. I didn't think this through thoroughly enough. "However..." The joy on Brenda's face froze. "However what? If you don't agree, then I'll just tell Arthur to divorce you! A divorced woman like you will have a hard time finding anyone else to marry!" Before I could even finish my sentence, Brenda launched into a barrage of threats. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I said pitifully: "Arthur and I have our license, but we haven't had a wedding ceremony yet. Shouldn't we wait until after the wedding?" Getting the confirmation she wanted, Arthur conveniently made his appearance. He played the good cop, comforting me until I was docile and agreeable. Brenda was grinning from ear to ear: "I'll go pick out an auspicious date for you right now!" The wedding was set for a month later. Using the excuse of taking care of me, Arthur's entire family ended their lease on their small apartment and moved into my mansion. Perhaps afraid I would back out before the wedding, his family treated me like royalty, catering to my every whim. But behind my back, they held me in utter contempt. "My son is amazing. He didn't even have to pay for the wedding; the bride's side is covering it. We didn't spend a single cent to marry a rich girl. "This Chloe is so shameless, clinging to Arthur like a desperate leech." Brenda revealed her true colors: "Son, work hard. Let's try to get her pregnant right after the wedding so I can have a big, healthy grandson. This first child absolutely must be a boy." "Your mother is right. If she gets pregnant with a girl, she has to abort it. It'll ruin our family's feng shui," Arthur's father chimed in. "If Chloe can't produce a son, you can just find another woman on the outside to give us one. With all her money, there will be plenty of women lining up to give us a grandson." Arthur nodded in deep agreement. These calculating conversations were broadcast to me via the hidden surveillance cameras inside the mansion. I couldn't help but sigh; this family was truly garbage. If I really were a naive, love-struck fool, I would have been swallowed whole by the Arthur family. Fortunately, they were the ones about to be swallowed. As long as Arthur made that vow at the wedding, I could borrow half his lifespan. As for Arthur's parents... My mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder and sneered: "Let them jump around a little longer. After the wedding, I'll deal with them personally." I silently pitied Arthur's parents. It wasn't easy to make my mom angry enough to want to kill. My mom's eyes possessed the ability to see the aura of fortune above ordinary people's heads. Originally, I hadn't planned on actually marrying Arthur. I just wanted him to take a bit more advantage of me so I could borrow a little more lifespan. For someone destined to live a long life, losing a little lifespan was insignificant. But when my mom met Arthur's parents, she discovered something terrifying— Above Arthur's parents' heads, a massive, dark, rolling cloud was brewing. These two were burdened with immense karmic debt involving human lives. They were exactly the kind of heinous individuals we had been desperately searching for. So, borrowing all their lifespan wouldn't be excessive at all. 06 The day of the wedding arrived quickly. Sticking to his "50/50" principle, Arthur had proposed before the wedding that neither side should provide a dowry or bride price. "Baby, after we're married, both our families' assets will belong to us. Why bother with all those superficial formalities?" After making love, Arthur cradled my face and coaxed me. I groggily kissed his handsome face: "I'll listen to whatever you say, hubby." Anyway, everything would eventually return to my hands. On the day of the wedding, the Arthur family invited every distant relative they could find. Brenda fluttered through the crowd of relatives like a social butterfly. Learning that Arthur was marrying the only daughter of a wealthy family without even paying a bride price, the relatives were filled with envy, praising Brenda for raising such a successful son. "That's because my Arthur has charm. My daughter-in-law was willing to pay out of her own pocket just to marry into our family." Brenda put on airs, showing off to everyone. When I appeared in my wedding dress, the Arthur family relatives looked at me with disdain. "This new bride has no self-respect. I heard she chased Arthur so hard he couldn't get rid of her." "If she didn't have a bit of money, Arthur probably wouldn't even look at her." I didn't know what kind of exaggerated stories Brenda had been spinning. But the whispers that reached my ears were full of such contempt. I ignored them completely, my smile wider than a Cheshire cat's. Thinking about my impending, massively increased lifespan, I trembled with excitement. Finally, it was time for the vows. The officiant was one of our own people. He specifically mentioned that Arthur and I bonded over his "50/50" rule. Arthur's face flashed with momentary discomfort. However, the Arthur family relatives in the audience were all praising Arthur for being capable and smart. Arthur's back instantly straightened. He even took the microphone and declared shamelessly: "50/50 is the modern lifestyle for young people. "Chloe and I have discussed it, and we will continue our 50/50 lifestyle after marriage." The officiant took the opportunity to joke: "Everything is 50/50, does that include your life?" Under my expectant gaze, Arthur nodded without hesitation. He opened his mouth to answer: "Of cour—" "Hold on!" A woman's voice abruptly interrupted. I turned toward the sound, annoyed... 07 A strange, middle-aged woman stood up. She frowned, sizing me up. Her gaze made me very uncomfortable. My heart skipped a beat. This wasn't some cliché "stopping the wedding" soap opera plot, was it? Looking at this woman, she was plain-looking and quite old. No matter how cheap Arthur was, he wouldn't stoop that low, would he? Arthur looked displeased that the wedding was interrupted. He furrowed his brows, thinking for a long time but couldn't remember who the woman was. So he asked suspiciously: "Who are you? What do you want?" The middle-aged woman's gaze finally shifted to Arthur: "I advise you not to make that vow. Otherwise, you'll regret it." She warned Arthur with a serious tone. Completely disregarding my face as the bride. My mom and I exchanged a look, both of us surprised. This middle-aged woman seemed to know something. My mom immediately stood up and said angrily: "Arthur, what is the meaning of this? My daughter finally gets to have her wedding, and you allow someone to cause a scene like this?" Arthur frantically waved his hands in explanation: "Mom, you misunderstand. I don't even know her." Then he quickly yelled for security: "Where did this crazy woman come from, disrupting someone's wedding? Get her out of here quickly!" Being kicked out by the host in front of so many people, the middle-aged woman's face flushed with embarrassment. She turned red, pointed at Arthur, and sneered: "Good advice is wasted on a doomed ghost." This sentence made Arthur's face change drastically. He couldn't hold back anymore, his face darkening as he prepared to step off the stage. Security finally arrived, apologizing profusely as they shoved the middle-aged woman out. Before leaving, the middle-aged woman kept her eyes fixed on me. The wariness in her eyes was glaringly obvious. I pretended not to notice and looked away. But from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Arthur's parents looking quite unsettled. Something was wrong. Their son's wedding was being disrupted, yet given their personalities, they shouldn't just be watching. Especially Brenda, she should have been jumping up and screaming by now. I suppressed the doubts in my heart and focused my attention back on the wedding. Arthur put his smile back on, ready to continue the ceremony. The red line on my arm was faintly burning. As long as Arthur finished his vow, an abundance of life force would pour into my body. Nothing comes faster than life force voluntarily offered by the person being borrowed from. "Wait, wait!" The ceremony was interrupted again. I cursed silently, forcing down the irritation bubbling inside me. When I looked up, my expression was back to normal. This time, it was Brenda. She piled on a fake smile and said to the officiant: "We've been delayed for so long, everyone must be hungry. Let's skip the ceremony and move straight to the next part." The officiant looked at me, caught in a difficult position. With things at this point, insisting on continuing would raise suspicion. I swallowed the heartache of missing this opportunity and smiled magnanimously: "Mom is right, let's do as Mom says." The suspicion on Brenda's face didn't fade with my response. 08 It wasn't until nightfall that my doubts were finally answered. Inside the guest room of the mansion. Brenda's expression was grave: "Arthur, you don't know, but Auntie Sue actually has some mystical abilities. "What she said today wasn't just nonsense. "There's something off about this Chloe." Arthur tiredly rubbed his temples, his tone slightly impatient: "Forget it, Mom. What era are we living in? Why do you still believe in all this superstitious nonsense? "If there's nothing else, I'm heading back. It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted. I still have to go take care of Chloe." At the mention of me, Brenda's face twisted. "That little bitch. Just ordering my son around. Just wait until I show her who's boss!" But she was still uneasy, pulling at Arthur: "My heart is racing. Don't go to her room tonight. I'll go ask Auntie Sue about this tomorrow." Arthur hesitated, but ultimately followed Brenda's advice. He didn't even enter the room, just called me saying Brenda was suddenly feeling unwell. He said he needed to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine and told me to go to sleep first. I considerately gave him a few reminders and hung up the phone. Then I quietly went to my mom's room. "Since the Arthur family is getting suspicious, we'll dispel their suspicions." My mom made the final call. So, the next day. Before Brenda even had time to leave the house, she was stopped by my mom. "In-law, perfect timing. Today I need the newlyweds to accompany me to the temple to fulfill a vow. Why don't you come along with us?" My mom invited her warmly. Brenda rolled her eyes, then agreed readily. Shenshan Temple was a famously efficacious temple in our area. It was said to house many powerful, ascetic monks. This was exactly why Brenda was willing to come along. If my identity was truly suspect, the monks at the temple would be more than capable of subduing me. Thinking about Brenda and Arthur's conversation, I couldn't help but want to laugh. I'm not some demon or monster; why would I be afraid of enlightened monks? Brenda kept a close eye on me, instantly finding an excuse to criticize me. Right in front of my mom, she started scolding: "Chloe, why are you so ill-mannered? This is a sacred Buddhist site, you must be respectful! Keep your mouth shut and don't make a sound!" I covered my mouth, nodding as if embarrassed. Finally winning a round against me, Brenda was so smug her tail was practically wagging in the air. She even smugly lectured my mom, saying I needed to be properly disciplined to learn my lesson. Seeing my mom's fists clenching in anger, I quickly pulled her away. Today's mission wasn't finished yet. ... After we wandered around the temple, making circle after circle... Brenda finally let go of her suspicions. She deliberately fell a few steps behind us, whispering to Arthur to confirm: "No problem. I secretly tested the peach wood and talismans on Chloe. The master also took a look and said there's nothing wrong." Arthur also breathed a sigh of relief. Walking ahead, my mom and I exchanged a knowing smile. Since the Arthur family has no problem, it's time for us to start making problems.
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