When Richard Yukio's long-lost first love returned to China, I had already started calculating how much breakup compensation he would give me.
Coincidentally, Richard had just returned from a business trip.
I cheerfully greeted him but quickly realized I was too excited, so I forced myself to stay composed.
Usually, Richard was as emotionless as a brick wall, but today, he actually smiled, didn't he?
The power of love, indeed, must be the greatest miracle in medicine—it even cured his poker face!
"I need an explanation!" I feared he wouldn't know how to start, so I threw the topic out there to help him along.
"Let's eat first," he said.
My eyes brightened.
Alright, accompany the CEO for a final dinner!
"Upstairs," Richard said, elegantly wiping his mouth and tossing me a word.
I smiled so widely that my eyes narrowed into slits and mentally blessed him and his first love, Carol Green, with eternal happiness!
Then, I realized things weren't as simple as I had imagined.
We had several rounds of "discussions," but Richard's explanation wasn't quite what I expected!
The next day, as usual, he went for his morning run.
Meanwhile, naïve me lay in bed sniffling—Richard, it turns out, was the type of man who ate from one pot but kept an eye on the other.
Just then, the butler announced that his first love had arrived.
My attention immediately snapped to focus, and I sat up in bed.
Wasn't this the person who was supposed to come and bring me my breakup compensation?
“Quickly, invite her in!”
However, the moment I saw her, my hopes slightly shattered.
Richard was quite a handsome guy, and the first love he couldn't forget for all these years was surely a curvy beauty, right? But instead, she turned out to be... completely flat.
My mind raced with chaotic thoughts, but outwardly I kept a polite smile. “Miss Green, I've heard so much about you. Please, make yourself at home!”
Carol had been smiling softly, but the moment she saw me, her smile vanished.
Her lips trembled as her gaze locked on my neck, as if she were about to pounce and bite me any second.
“Nina White, you're shameless!”
The one who insulted me wasn't the delicate Carol, but her ever-present protector, Ida Brown.
Of course, this wasn't the first time she'd cursed me out.
While Carol had been abroad this past year, Ida had often used the excuse of being Richard's cousin to come over and disgust me, bringing up Richard and Carol's past over and over.
"How am I shameless? Feel free to elaborate."
My shameless demeanor shocked them both.
Ida's eyes widened.
"You... you do something so shameless and still ask others to explain it."
"I have no idea what I've supposedly done, so I'd really appreciate it if you could enlighten me, Miss Brown."
I put on a confused look as if I had no clue what she was talking about.
Ida's face turned red with rage, but she couldn't find the words to explain.
"Ida just struggles to express herself, but she didn't mean anything by it. Miss White, don't misunderstand," Carol said softly.
"I may not have read many books, but I've never heard 'shameless' used as a compliment. How about I return the favor and give those words to you instead?"
Seeing them both fumble made me oddly satisfied. After a year of torment, I'd developed PTSD from Carol!
But enough fun, there was still business to handle.
Straightening up, I asked, "Miss Green, did you come here for something important?"
"Just say what you need!" I patted my chest, eagerly watching her, signaling that I was ready!
Unexpectedly, Carol's eyes reddened instantly. She took a deep breath as if trying to hold back tears. "I came here with no ill intent. Why do you have to be so aggressive, Miss White?"
Huh? What did I say to make her think I was being aggressive?
Carol continued her performance without skipping a beat.
"I'm just here to deliver an invitation. I hope Miss White and Mr. Yukio can honor us with your presence the day after tomorrow." She placed the invitation on the table and turned to leave.
Was it that? I stared incredulously at the invitation on the table and called out to her, "Aren't you forgetting something? Like, maybe this..."
I held up my thumb and index finger, rubbing them together right in front of her face.
"You! How dare you insult me like this? You've gone too far!"
Watching her storm off, I was completely dumbfounded.
But she didn't get far before running straight into Richard, who had just returned.
Well, to be exact, she didn't quite run into him—Richard stretched out his hand and blocked her entire face with his palm. As a result, her face now bore a large white handprint.
At this sight, I couldn't hold back my laughter.
Feeling utterly humiliated, Carol covered her face and ran off in tears.
Carol fled, Ida was left speechless, but still tried her best to defend Carol.
"Richard, look at her! She is bullying Carol like this!"
Though I hadn't done much, I still felt nervous. After all, love can blind a man.
But Richard, staying as cool as ever, responded with just several words. "Not my problem."
Then he walked over to me, ruffled my hair like I was a pet, and said, "Stop hanging around these people. They'll only make you dumb."
Ah...
For a moment, I didn't know whether he was insulting me or his own cousin.
Ida ran off crying, too.
Now, it was just me and Richard left.
I figured, why break the pattern?
Just as I was about to cover my face and run, Richard shoved a piece of paper into my hand.
I looked down—it was the check I had been hoping for!
"Thank you, Mr. Yukio!" I cheerfully thanked him, but when I glanced at the amount, my hand trembled.
I almost tore the check in half.
How many zeros?
I counted them.
Tens, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands...
In disbelief, I counted one more time.
It was still ten thousand!
What? The CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the richest man in town, gave me only ten thousand as a breakup fee.
All those novels were full of lies! CEOs don't just hand out five million like it's nothing!
So, I stuffed the check into my chest and ran off, covering my face in shame.
Chapter 2The heavens must have been fed up with Richard's stinginess because, just before I was about to make my escape, they sent a god of wealth my way.
When Richard's mother appeared before me, poised and elegant, she didn't say a word. She simply handed me a black card.
My hands trembled as I reached out and took the card. Then, with resolve, I pounded my chest. "Auntie, say no more! I'm leaving right now! May Mr. Yukio and Miss Green have a long and happy life together with many children!"
After sincerely offering my blessings, I grabbed my bag and bolted while Richard's mother stood there in confusion.
"Wait a minute!"
Hearing Richard's mother call after me, I ran even faster!
As long as I ran fast enough, nothing could catch up to me!
But then...
The moment I stepped outside, I was thrown into a sack.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself in an abandoned factory, my hands bound behind my back.
A knife was pressed against my neck from behind.
"Pare my life!" I immediately dropped to my knees.
The man behind me sneered coldly. "You're dead today!"
Panic flooded me. "At least give me a reason first."
"Richard ruined my family. I want him to feel the pain of losing his loved one!"
"Big brother, you're absolutely right!" I said, sounding even more furious than him. "I've got a black card his mother gave me to get rid of me. You can max it out! Make that heartless capitalist cry!"
The kidnapper said nothing, silence engulfing us like the bridge of a peaceful poem.
"Not enough? Here's an idea. His beloved first love has returned. You know what to do, right? Kidnap her instead! Let's set a small goal—200 million for the ransom!"
My scheming ideas had the kidnapper lost in thought.
"I've never met someone so shameless!"
I was just about to thank him for the compliment when I realized the voice sounded familiar.
I turned my head to look, and behind me, bound as well, was none other than Richard's first love.
"Well, what a coincidence, you're here too."
6
I played it off cool, embodying the idea that as long as I wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment would fall on others.
Carol trembled with anger, seemingly unlocking some hidden power within her, and gave a suggestion of her own. "Money is too boring. You should put a green hat on Richard—take his woman!"
I was shocked.
"Are you crazy?" Who begs the kidnapper to do something like that? Is she trying to follow in the footsteps of a literary figure?
The kidnapper paused for a moment, and then, his sinister hand reached for me.
I shouted, "What's wrong with you!!!"
Carol let out a villainous laugh in the background, and for the first time, I couldn't hide my terror.
The kidnapper was momentarily stunned by my outburst and, with a confused expression, muttered, "Are you planning to watch?"
I froze.
Carol also froze.
In a daze, I awkwardly added, "Brother, you have good taste!"
Just as the kidnapper was about to drag me away for some nefarious purpose, Richard descended from the heavens!
He was like...
The obstacle to my survival!
And before I knew it, the kidnapper's hand was clamped around my neck again.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" the kidnapper yelled.
The pressure on my neck made me nearly roll my eyes back, while the sound of his voice echoed painfully in my ears.
Richard, you bastard, are you really going to watch me die?
"What do you want to let her go?"
Richard asked, his handsome face now devoid of any smile, with a trace of barely detectable panic in his eyes.
His imposing aura was so overwhelming that everyone else seemed to shrink in his presence.
"You can only choose one of these two women. Which one will it be?" the kidnapper growled.
When I heard this, I almost passed out from laughter!
The rule that villains perish because they talk too much—I wasn't going to let this kidnapper forget that!
"Brother! He's standing right in front of you! Why are you giving him a choice?" I interrupted, my voice unusually firm. "Nayi zutè! (Take him down!)"
Chapter 3The kidnapper was completely stunned.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, he was sent flying!
The Flying Tigers descended from the sky, swiftly kicking him down and successfully capturing him.
I was left standing there, utterly shocked!
Next thing I knew, a group of people surrounded us.
"You're quite brave and resourceful, young lady. Your coordination with your boyfriend was spot on. If it weren't for your words distracting him, we probably wouldn't have taken him down so smoothly," the team leader said, gazing at me with admiration.
I lowered my head in guilt.
The captain, thinking I was just shy, said no more.
Afterwards, Carol and I went our separate ways.
She went to find her mother.
As for me, I was dragged away by Richard.
He had a dark expression the entire way, like a walking icebox.
I shrank into a corner, trembling.
"Um..." I mustered the courage to speak.
But his icy glare immediately shut me up.
When the car pulled up to the villa, he grabbed me and marched inside.
My legs, already short, stumbled as I struggled to keep up with his pace, half-running to avoid being dragged.
And judging by his furious look, if I followed him inside, there was a good chance he'd kill me tonight!
I finally managed to pull my hand free.
"Richard, we're over!" I declared loudly.
He stopped in his tracks. Without a word, he turned and stared at me.
At first, I had the courage to meet his gaze, but in less than a minute, I crumbled.
"I don’t remember us breaking up," he said through gritted teeth.
I didn't dare respond. And then he said something that scared the life out of me. "Miss White, you pulled up your pants and walked away. Don't you think you owe me something?"
Excuse me?
"Don’t talk nonsense!" I shot up in shock, covering his mouth and glancing around nervously.
Thank goodness, no one was around!
If someone had overheard, I'd have had to leave Earth that very night!
Richard pried my hand away and pinned me against the wall, not forgetting to squeeze my waist.
"It's not about that. Is it that I wasn't good enough last night, so you're out for revenge?"
My face instantly turned crimson!
"Shut up! One more word and I'll sue you for slander!" How could Richard say something so embarrassing out loud?
Flustered, I suddenly remembered the black card I received today and quickly straightened up, saying sternly, "I'm a person with principles. Since I've accepted money from Mrs. Yukio, I'll definitely get the job done!"
Richard's expression grew more and more strange.
A bad feeling crept into my mind...
"Son, I gave your wife a card earlier as a meeting gift, but she took it, said a lot of strange things, and ran off. I couldn't catch up with her."
As soon as the voice message on his phone ended, an awkward silence filled the air.
Richard calmly pocketed his phone and pinched my cheek. "Miss Nina, you shouldn't take money without doing your part, you know that, right?"
I was dumbfounded! How did things turn out like this?
"Um..." I tried to speak, my voice weak. "Here's the card back. Can we still break up?"
But before he could answer, Richard's stomach growled.
I had witnessed the most embarrassing moment in a CEO's life. No more questions needed, I ran upstairs immediately!
"I'm going to take a shower. I'll make something for you to eat later!" I shouted as I dashed away, trying to save his dignity.
I leaned against the door, gasping for air. I'd done too much to protect the CEO's perfect image.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and went to the closet for clothes.
As soon as I opened it, I was shocked—it was completely empty!
Seriously? All I did was throw a dress in a fit of passion yesterday.
Why was everything gone?
That sly Richard—he may have said we weren't breaking up, but he'd already cleared out all my stuff!
Ugh, men!
I looked around and finally found a school uniform, probably overlooked when packing up.
My luggage was still at the police station as evidence, and I wouldn't get it back until tomorrow. My current clothes were too dirty to sleep in, so I had no choice but to wear this uniform.
When I went downstairs, I found Richard already cooked, as he came out of the kitchen.
When he saw me, he was visibly taken aback, even dropping his silver forks with a loud clatter.
"What's wrong?" I scratched my head, suddenly remembering Richard's history with Carol. Didn't they have a thing back in high school?
And here I was, wearing the very school uniform that probably stirred up all kinds of nostalgic feelings.
But whose fault was that? His own, of course!
Clearing out the wardrobe and bringing me back—was he expecting me to praise him for being so thorough?
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got!
No way! If I'm upset, I won't let Richard off easily either!
"What's the matter? Never seen an 18-year-old, youthful beauty before?" I taunted.
"Um." He replied, which only fueled my anger.
"You planned this, didn't you? You've been plotting all along!" I growled through gritted teeth.
The wardrobe had been full of clothes before. I didn't know if this uniform had been in there, but after he cleared it out, it was the only thing left.
What did that mean?
The more a man can't have something, the more he wants it. He didn't get to be with Carol in high school, so he found a substitute, dressed her in the old uniform, and acted out his unfulfilled desires!
I couldn't think like this! The more I thought, the dirtier his image became in my mind!
But based on my years of reading experience, I had a feeling I'd uncovered the truth!
Richard lowered his head, deep in thought. After a moment, he gave another "Emm."
It was confirmed!
"You pervert!" I muttered under my breath, unable to stop myself.
It's over! It seemed to trigger him!
He started walking toward me!
"Say one more word and I'll show you what a real pervert is," he said, licking his back teeth like a dangerous predator.
My face turned bright red!
I pushed him away and yelled, "You beast!"
"Beast!" came a loud, authoritative voice, making me jump and instinctively dive into Richard's arms!
When I looked back, I saw Mrs. Yukio from earlier in the morning, standing beside a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Richard.
The man's face was filled with fury as he glared at Richard, clearly disappointed.
"Richard, how could you do something like this?" The older man's voice was filled with disappointment as he pointed a finger at his son.
"What did I do?"
"You! How dare you ask?" The older man's gaze flicked between Richard and me, struggling to find the words. "No wonder you didn't bring your girlfriend home last year... because..."
The older man couldn't finish, giving me a look that said it all.