The siblings who took me in were the doomed side characters in a novel. The brother, Joey, was brooding and detached, destined to be captivated by the sunny, warm-hearted female lead. The sister, Jasmine, was sensitive and starved for affection, willing to sacrifice everything for the male lead. They believed they had found their saviors. They had no idea the main characters were just using them as stepping stones. To protect my new, cushy life, I decided to steal the main characters’ roles. When my brother was lost in one of his dark moods, I planted a kiss on his cheek. “Ooh, you’re soft and sweet! You’re like a little cream puff, Joey!” Even the coldest man in the world would crack a smile at that. When my sister cried herself to sleep at night, I cried right along with her. “My beautiful stars are drowning in tears! What are we going to do?” She burst into a tearful giggle and pulled me into a hug. Later, the main characters, frustrated that they couldn't get ahold of the siblings, showed up at our door unannounced. They were greeted by the sight of the two of them working through the night to help me finish my kindergarten craft project. 1 The moment I lost consciousness while saving a drowning child, I made a wish. I wished my next life would begin with the scent of my mother's expensive skincare, the sound of my old-money father's hearty laugh, and the feel of my chairman-of-the-board grandfather's warm hand. Instead, I woke up peacefully nestled in a garbage can. Seriously? I thought good deeds were supposed to be rewarded. Why was I starting on impossible mode? The lid was closed. The acrid stench of mixed garbage was suffocating. I stared at my own chubby, dimpled hands and remained silent for a long time. This was not going to work. To survive, I had only one option: cry. I have no idea how long I wailed, but eventually, someone seemed to notice the strange sound coming from the dilapidated alley. The scuff of expensive leather shoes on pavement grew closer. You have no idea the feeling of salvation that comes with seeing the light of day again. My eyes met those of a middle-aged man in a pristine suit and white gloves. My butler! My dear butler has come for me! I knew it! I was the long-lost heiress, switched at birth by a wicked nanny! I eagerly reached my little hands out to him. Hurry, take me back to my ten-thousand-square-foot mansion with the swimming pool! Mommy and Daddy must be worried sick! A few minutes later, I was in the back of a black luxury car, still having a staring contest, this time with two high schoolers in expensive-looking prep school uniforms. The butler spoke hesitantly. “Young Master, Young Miss, the slums are just over there, and there are a few vocational schools nearby. I suspect she’s an abandoned infant. Perhaps we should take her to the police station?” I felt my heart sink. This was bad. The two teenagers, whose faces were so exquisitely sculpted they hardly seemed real, gave a cool nod. A relieved smile spread across the butler’s face. “Then I’ll leave her in your care for a moment, if you don’t mind.” I was unceremoniously passed to the boy. He held me stiffly, his whole body rigid with uncertainty. But I’ve always been a sucker for a pretty face. Seeing a face more stunning than any celebrity up close, I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to touch his cheek. He caught the smirk on his sister’s face and his expression immediately darkened. He thrust me into her arms. “You take her. She’s a pain.” His sister instantly went just as stiff. Seeing their similar, god-tier looks, I couldn’t help but let out a happy gurgle of laughter. A smile touched her lips before she noticed her brother’s smug gaze. She immediately scowled. “Ugh, she smells like garbage. Gross.” With that, she plopped me down on the seat between them. The car was spacious, more than enough room for the three of us. But the thought of a miserable life in an orphanage was enough to make me start crying for real. I wailed. The boy, unable to stand the noise, sighed and picked me up. The moment I saw his face again, I was happy. A tearful giggle broke through. He put me down. I started crying again. The girl picked me up. I started laughing again. She put me down. I started crying again. A spark of interest lit up in their eyes. They started a game of pass-the-baby. “Hahaha—” “Waaaah—” “Hahaha—” “Waaaah—” After a few dozen rounds of this, the butler’s gentle voice floated from the front. “We’ve arrived at the police station.” I immediately let out a shriek so loud it felt like it could shatter the windows. The brother and sister exchanged a look. After a few seconds, they spoke in unison. “We’ll keep her.” 2 Mr. Davison, the butler, was incredibly efficient. The adoption papers were processed in no time. I also learned the identities of my new siblings: Joey and Jasmine Cheng, the fraternal twins of the city’s wealthiest and most powerful family. And I was now their little sister, Chloe Cheng. Don’t be jealous just yet. Because these two were the biggest, most tragic minor characters in a power fantasy novel about a pair of childhood sweethearts. The Cheng twins had the family name and the looks, but they couldn’t piece together a functioning family. Their parents had divorced shortly after they were born and had quickly run back to their old flames. In their eyes, the twins were merely a product of a business arrangement, a link they had long since disregarded. For years, they had shown them no affection whatsoever. You can’t expect children who have never been loved to grow up into paragons of virtue. To put it mildly, Joey and Jasmine were both deeply troubled, each in their own twisted way. Despite being blood-related, they couldn’t stand each other. To make matters worse, they were about to meet the novel’s protagonists, a ruthless pair of childhood sweethearts who had fought their way out of poverty. These two would deliberately orchestrate ways to get close to the twins, working together to drive a permanent wedge between them. The brother, brooding and detached, would be drawn to the female lead’s sunny warmth. The sister, sensitive and starved for affection, would become willing to sacrifice everything for the male lead. They would think they’d found salvation. In reality, they were just stepping stones on the protagonists’ path to success. In the end, after they had been squeezed dry of all their value, they would be cast aside. Readers loved the morally grey protagonists and the complex, self-serving-yet-genuine relationship between them, calling it a masterpiece of satisfying revenge fiction. Satisfying? I wasn’t feeling very satisfied right now. Even the expensive, imported formula the nanny had meticulously prepared for me had lost its appeal. That’s the thing about babies. The slightest unhappiness, and the waterworks turn on. My cries quickly brought Joey and Jasmine running. The nanny, holding me, was at her wit's end. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Little Miss. Nothing seems to calm her down.” The moment Joey took me, I stopped crying. Everyone stared. The nanny let out a laugh. “Young Master, it seems Little Miss is very attached to you.” A ghost of a smile touched his lips before he quickly suppressed it. “You’re such a handful. One more peep and you’re going back in the trash.” Excuse me? That was just cruel. I immediately reached my arms out to Jasmine. She looked pleasantly surprised and cautiously reached for me. But Joey turned and walked away, still holding me. “She’s tired. You can hold her next time.” Jasmine gritted her teeth. “She clearly wants me to hold her! Give her to me!” “You’re clumsy. What if you drop her?” “Joey!” Listening to them bicker, I grew sleepy and closed my eyes, my little fists clenched. My brother and sister are good, kind kids. I will not let those two main characters get anywhere near them. 3 The only perk of being a baby is that you can be as demanding as you want. If I didn’t see Joey and Jasmine for more than a few hours, I’d cry. The nanny would glance at the clock, see that school was out, and expertly place the call. The line connected instantly. “How’s Chloe today?” Hearing Jasmine’s voice, I’d gurgle and reach for the phone. “Ahh! Ahh!” “Say ‘Jasmine.’” “Goo goo!” A light laugh came from the other end, and then Joey took the phone. He gave the nanny detailed instructions about my vaccination schedule, asked about my formula intake and bowel movements, and reminded her to give me regular baby massages. In a short time, he had become a total pro. The moment he got home, he’d be the one feeding me and changing my diapers. Jasmine would play with my rattle, cooing at me to help develop my language skills. They had a clear division of labor. And though they still fought over whose turn it was to hold me, the vast, empty mansion was slowly starting to feel like a home. Today, they didn't come home on time. Mr. Davison cooed at me gently. “Your brother and sister went to the old family estate for their birthday today. They’ll be back a little later!” In the original story, their parents had, for the first time in years, promised to come home to celebrate their birthday with them. The twins pretended to be annoyed, but deep down, they were secretly looking forward to it. They waited for hours. When they finally called, they discovered their parents had completely forgotten. There was no apology, no guilt, just a dismissive wire transfer. Did they need money? No. What they needed was the love and care they had been denied their whole lives. And that’s why they were willing to throw themselves into the fire for the scraps of warmth the protagonists offered them. Sure enough, when they returned, Joey was cloaked in gloom, and Jasmine looked utterly desolate. They went straight to their rooms without even stopping by the nursery to see me. I sighed. Time to bring out the big guns. “Waaaaah—” A door slammed open, and a foul-tempered Joey appeared by my crib to check my diaper. “You’re dry. What are you crying about now?” I just kept crying. Even when he picked me up, I wouldn’t be soothed. Defeated, he went to get Jasmine. Her eyes were red-rimmed. Already in a terrible mood, she became even more irritated seeing me like this. She roughly placed me back in the bassinet. “Go to sleep!” I started batting at the mobile hanging over my head, making a concerted effort to form words. “Ha-ppy… ha-ppy… ha-ppy…” The sound of a baby’s babbling mixed with the gentle chime of the mobile. It almost sounded like a birthday song. They both froze. After a long moment, Joey covered his face with his hand and let out a choked laugh. Jasmine was infected by his mood. She turned away with a huff, but the corners of her mouth curved upward. I finally relaxed. Just as I was about to drift off, I saw Joey take out his phone and open the camera. “Do it again,” he said. “I don't want you complaining on social media when you're older that we never documented your childhood.” Oh, please. You just want to brag on Instagram, just say it. 4 Soon, Joey and Jasmine started their sophomore year. We had successfully avoided the plot point where they were supposed to meet the main characters. Just as I was letting my guard down, Joey disappeared. Mr. Davison sent people out to search for him all night. The next day, he finally returned, covered in bruises and scrapes. Trailing behind him was a girl in a white dress, looking equally disheveled. She had an innocent face, but as she took in the understated luxury of our home, her eyes held a flicker of shrewd calculation. Oh no. My inheritance. It’s in danger! After the family doctor had tended to their injuries, Joey explained. He’d gone hiking on a whim and had run into the female lead, Amelia. They had both accidentally slipped down a steep embankment, breaking their phones in the process. Luckily, neither was seriously injured. Right. I totally believed this had nothing to do with Amelia. When Amelia came out of the guest room, she saw Joey playing with me. She feigned surprise. “Is this your sister? She’s so adorable!” Joey was always in a good mood when people praised me. He smiled at her. “Do you want to hold her?” “I’d love to!” Get away from me, you witch! As she reached for me, I let out a wail, louder and more heartbroken than ever before. Joey froze, glancing at Amelia’s embarrassed face. “Sorry,” he said. “She can be a little shy with strangers.” Amelia quickly composed herself, being incredibly understanding. She even praised my wariness, saying it was a good way to protect myself. Her words clearly pleased Joey. His gaze softened, and he instructed Mr. Davison to personally drive her home. She really was the female lead. She had my brother wrapped around her little finger with just a few simple tricks. I closed my eyes, exhausted. Jasmine didn’t get home until evening. She kept glancing at her phone, an expectant look on her face, unable to hide the giddy smile on her lips. This look of a girl in the first throes of love set off alarm bells in my head. Joey noticed it too. He frowned. “Where were you today?” Jasmine shot him a glare. “None of your business!” “Are you seeing someone?” “You have the nerve to question me? What were you doing out in the middle of nowhere, spending the night alone with a girl and then bringing her home? You’re the one who’s seeing someone!” “We were worried sick all night, and you were out having fun.” Joey was speechless. Jasmine gave him a scornful look and went to her room. I waved my little hands in the air. It was happening. The moment the main characters appeared, the bond between the siblings began to fracture.
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