Chapter 63
Mai
Rose covers her mouth and laughs, "hi hi." Her best friend buries a crimson flower under her brother's shoulder. The sister urges her brother to hurry in a mumbling voice, so she and Rose won't be late for the exam.
Kai cheerfully whistles a song about the affection between brother and sister. Rose teases her best friend and smiles brightly when she hears Sam cursing outside the dorm:
- Which dog dares to block the road and make my sister-in-law late for the exam? Dad will roast your meat and stew all your bones!
The crows and vultures skedaddle, and Kai and Rose dash toward the car that's already open. Sam raises his hand to cover Hanna's head, and Kai turns around and puts his sister into the car. Sam lowers his hand and involuntarily glances at Rose, who refuses to get in.
She purses her lips, her pissy face on full display, then glances at him sideways. Sam refuses to understand that girls always like to act mysterious. He doesn't have time to mess with the lioness. The rude guy sitting next to Kai says loudly:
- Hey, do lions prefer going into cages more than sitting in cars?
Hanna and Kai burst out laughing. Rose gets even angrier at the idiot, grabs his sides and gives him a sharp twist, making him scream in pain:
- What are you doing? Lions are obnoxious!
Rose yells and chases him away to sit next to the driver. The troubled couple quarrel loudly, and Sam still ends up losing. He slips through the gap between the two seats, slams his butt onto the chair, and angrily tells the driver to drive to Venus Maiden Academy — quickly.
***
The car appears in front of the academy gate, and the media and fans who have been waiting since morning immediately surround it.A group of female students don't care about the exam. They squeeze through the crowd, trying to get closer to the man-god.
The national brother and sister, as soon as they get out of the car, are swarmed by the herd, who deliberately ignore Sam's shouting and rush toward the delicious bait like people who have been starved for ages.
The sister is about to be late for the exam, and Kai extinguishes the chaos by announcing:
- In three days, I will be holding a press conference at the Global newspaper editorial office!
The herd cheers. The TV station suddenly swings its camcorder toward the distance — where four cars race toward the gate. They scream and rush toward the prey they've already eaten and drunk to the point of being full, yet still never stop drooling. Kai and his sister enter the school, and Sam stops because the crowd mentions familiar names:
- Wow, is Anh Dao still studying at this school?
A few seconds later, shrill howls erupt: "Princess!" — repeatedly poking Sam's head. He turns to see Anh Dao, Zero, and the bodyguard team getting out of the car. The bodyguards are arranged in two rows to block the over-excited crowd.
Sam squints and sees Beak moving faster than anyone else. The beak guy enthusiastically opens the car door and raises his hand to shield the heads of the princess sisters.
Four years ago, under similar circumstances, the lecher let Anh Dao taste his hands — "lovingly cherishing" the vulnerable parts — and his eyes — "devotedly caring" for the forbidden areas.
She was only sixteen years old at that time, a petite and pretty schoolgirl like her two nieces, but she wasn't embarrassed or afraid of those owl eyes, thirsty with lust.
Now, the family members reappear with that iron spirit. The cold and strong younger sister makes the pervert shiver with her sharp gaze. His back feels cold, as if he has fallen into an ice cellar.
He secretly glances at the gentle sister, but doesn't expect to be burned with lust by her hot eyes. Beak loudly commands his subordinates, using tricks to show off his authority and cover up the fear of psychological humiliation that has haunted him for four years.
On this day of that year, Anh Dao has erupted with strange feelings: her right eye has been emotionless like a bottomless hell, causing his body to freeze; her left eye has been burning with anger, scorching all dark intentions and sensual desire. Beak silently curses the repeated strange situations.
Coincidental time, coincidental place — every incredible coincidence has made Beak shiver. Cold sweat has seeped back into his chaotic brain in a fuzzy haze, as if people, events, details, time, and place have all been arranged by someone's invisible hand.
Beak pretends to have a headache due to the screams around him. He pats his forehead lightly. He wants to dispel the crazy thoughts that make him a paranoid guy.
The sisters still pin their anger on the perverted guy. Anh Dao does not show surprise at the deathly blackened complexion. She is not even astonished by the blood-red eyes. The nieces also make the bodyguards flinch; many of them take a step back involuntarily.
They are terrified by the feeling that if they slow their feet for half a second, or lightly touch the thousand-gold body, the murderous aura will pierce their hearts.
Beak steps forward to avoid and deny fear. He swallows hard as cold sweat trickles down the corner of his mouth. He has already given in, but the fear still teases and humiliates him. The humiliation turns into a pile of sarcasm and pours into his disordered mind:
"Cowardly fellow, you are such a coward, dog!"
"Nothing is more humiliating than being looked down upon by women. Prostitutes see you as a shabby, cheap, low-class guy. You immediately become timid and don't even dare to breathe strongly. Dead your mother to reduce humiliation!"
"Their human fur has just ruffled... but you're so scared you contract your faucet, afraid of being sent back to your hometown to raise ducks. Men's dignity is humiliated because of fame. Fame lies under the crotch of prostitutes. Fuck, rotten, stink, humiliating. But you still keep sucking, humiliating... humiliating... humiliating... HUMILIATING... dead your great-grandfather, the dog wags its tail while licking a woman's leg."
Beak turns around, the tendons in his neck bulging, and screams angrily:
"What the hell are these bitches staring blood... Daddy can't stand it anymore!"
The offended person doesn't expect the dog to dare bite its owner — it sprays a lot of "saliva." The girls glare at him angrily. Beak, angry and challenged, gets mad, opens his arms, and slaps the faces of the three girls.
Everyone retreats in panic to avoid being implicated. The bodyguards — some roll their eyes back, while others admire their comrade who dares to do something they find an eyesore, but they can't vent.
Anh Dao and the niece remain motionless, their lips twitching in anger. Beak is smug, looking at a bunch of prostitutes carrying the label "young lady," who are so angry their faces turn pale. He moves his lips to curse. But the female owner fears the slave might break the golden branches and crush jade leaves, so no one dares to open their mouth.
Beak pulls the tiger badge — toying with a single dumbbell — off his shirt chest, tears off the armband of the deputy captain of the bodyguard, and throws it directly into a pile of bitches. He eloquently announces:
"Fuck it, your dad wasn't born to walk a dog. Dad fuck did!"
Beak pushes aside all who stand in his way, bravely throwing away money and fame to protect integrity. Many people admire and worship the guy who refuses to kowtow. Beak is visibly excited, feeling very proud of locking the muzzle bitch. He enjoys the pleasure he has always dreamed of. The oriole voice shouts loudly in his ears:
- Hey, are you clearing the way or blocking the way? Get out!
Normal voices are sweet and melodious — when angry, they echo through space. Every time the familiar voice reaches his ears, Beak startles. Now, he looks around in confusion, staring at the crowd, shining his eyes on everyone's face.
No one fears him, let alone worships him. Everyone looks confused, as if Beak has just lost his mind. The princess sisters show no ruffled fur toward him. The girls frown and stare at him like he's a sleepwalker.
Beak scratches his head, facing every strange look and hearing every headache-inducing whisper and tinnitus. He tries to shake off the hallucinations that are about to turn him into a paranoid wreck. The bodyguard bows his head apologetically to the lady and quickly steps aside, keeping his posture to hide his angry purple face. His pupils bulge out of his eyeballs. The sharp beak guy curses secretly:
"Fuck the half-season ladies, the sassy little urchins, the chickens, ducks, the scabby toads that turned into daughters of a peacock, grandsons of a phoenix — instantly luxurious dogs…"
Those rotten words flood his head and brain. He dares not vent them, which makes him feel as if he's mocking his own fame-hungry nature:
"A barking dog is a dog that doesn't bite. You're so angry about losing. But you don't dare bark, don't dare bite. You suffer more humiliation than a dog. Then you should wear a skirt, woman guy!"
Beak grits his teeth. He memorizes every curse, every insult that should be vented on the prostitutes. The dog that doesn't bark has to swallow all the stench he wastes out.
He is so angry he wants to vomit blood, yet Beak still fears being discovered for his attitude toward his master. The guy flattering for dresses only dares to glance at the three girls. The girls don't respond, and the lady sisters stride into the school.
Since getting off the bus, Nguy Hoang has been observing Beak, secretly laughing at the guy who has died for the "girl". When Beak has shown off his "loyalty," Nguy Hoang has seen Anh Dao protecting the right side.
Originally, Beak has protected the left side. A moment ago, Anh Dao reminded him, and Beak has immediately stepped forward with Zero to clear the way. Nguy Hoang has quickly filled in his name in the blank.
The opportunist stands nearby, ready to stop the crazy fans in time. But he does not get too close, fearing ridicule for appearing as if he is finding an excuse to touch the lady.
He is careful with every move, fearing that the lady might "misunderstand." But he is already worrying too much, because Anh Dao watches Beak closely and isn't on guard against Nguy Hoang.
The blonde girl is sure that the polite and amiable scholar can keep his lustful eyes from clouding his reason. The figure of nobility and courtesy that he has worked so hard to build has not been easily destroyed.
Anh Dao is concerned about her nieces. She has remembered that over the past few days, whether at home or on the street, the Lan sisters have dressed carefully and avoided showing skin, yet they have still been nitpicked by perverts.
People have secretly peeked into the restricted area, and the fascinated have "watched" the Garden of Eden. Secretly or openly, all kinds of eager ghosts have tried to invade the holy land, greedy to taste the fairy peach, and have swallowed their desires dry.
Every time a bunch of perverts has released the goats, the girls have pointed their sharp eyes at them, making them shudder and fear the cold dread like a blade close to their throats.
Anh Dao has been sure that if despicable people still dare to play tricks, her gentle and lovely niece had already been ready to dig out the eyes of those lustful onlookers of those lustful onlookers and cut the blood jelly of the goat herd.
Now, that situation repeats with just one pervert. The sisters make Anh Dao — the woman of steel — flinch, fearing they might rush in and tear him into a hundred pieces. She trembles on Beak's behalf — the guy is suffocating with hatred and resentment.
Considering the current situation, Beak's behavior is no more vulgar than that of the others. He likes to "watch" beautiful girls just like all the other despicable people. His crime is being a bodyguard in JK Corporation — the sworn enemy that causes heart wounds.
Beak had nothing to do with that fateful night; he was not among the bodyguards who tried to rape Ngoc and her two daughters. But the image of the bodyguards has remained a nightmare for the two sisters. Except for Zero, all the bodyguards have become thorns piercing into hostile eyes, hated as a bunch of perverts, and have carried deep feelings for someone.
The feeling has prohibited all men from scrutinizing or touching. The hearts, bound by karmic emotions, have belonged to the first and only man in their lives — only he could leave a mark in their "silhouette."
The stronger the emotion has been, the deeper the pain has grown. The pain has pierced the wound of the heart, tormenting a lifetime. The guilty one has wanted to heal all the wounds, but her family has chosen to live with them. The relatives have wanted the pain to become an indelible scar.
Let sinners torment their consciences. Let emotion and gratitude soothe the wounds of their hearts.
Once again, Anh Dao ponders the matter: family members do not forgive, and outsiders do not pity. The aunt understands their feelings thoroughly, but she is... benevolent righteousness, not... "affection."
Benevolent righteousness can comfort but cannot be shared; the unspeakable secrets can only be shared through affection.
Anh Dao looks at her family with melancholy. When she hears Zero calling, she realizes she has fallen far behind. The blonde hurries to follow. Bodyguards surround the inner and outer circles. Anh Dao still worries about the lack of relatives around her, afraid her niece might encounter something bad, so she squeezes into the crowd that is pushing and shoving. They try every way to get close to the princess.
She breathes a sigh of relief and watches Sam growl at the fans — glaring, threatening the bodyguards, showing an aggressive attitude. After taking a look at his face, distorted to the extreme, everyone immediately understands the meaning:
"Which cage-faced guy dares to grope my niece — your life will reach its closing ceremony."
A person is not crazy enough to provoke a young buffalo, so it is best to avoid a rabid dog in rage. Their eyes scan the surroundings. As the shadows of the two sisters are about to come into view, the bodyguards turn in another direction.
Zero is not worried at first, and then he is not afraid. The bodyguard completes the task in his own way. He stops people from approaching. He sternly reminds those who deliberately record clips and take photos of sensitive areas, forcing them to delete everything before letting them leave.
Even when the crowd pushes and physical contact is unavoidable to protect the young lady, Zero still stands close to his mistress, then steps forward to clear the way. The road is relatively far from the classroom, but the insensitive robot absolutely executes the order.
Sam laughs at the rigid attitude that seems like programming. The guardian nods in satisfaction, then is immediately startled — panicking and shielding his nieces.
Nguy Hoang is just as fast. The opportunist stands in front of the ladies, his head, shoulders, and chest hit by countless debris flying from all directions.
The back of his vest is covered with stains, his shoulders ache, and his head bleeds. But the most handsome guy on the team gives a sweet smile, admiring the two princesses with fascination.
The dreamy and handsome guy shakes the hearts of beautiful girls. But the sisters do not blush, are not shy, and do not want to look at him. Nguy Hoang is immediately dumbfounded for a few seconds.
No girl has ever been indifferent to him. Every time he smiles charmingly, girls' hearts palpitate. Every time the handsome guy pours honey into their ears, every woman has wanted to ovulate all over. However, the sisters look at him as if he is more tasteless than a bunch of uneducated people.
Rage blocks his throat. The hot, spicy air in his nose burns so fiercely it feels like it could tear his eyes apart. On the surface, he still looks worried and asks the young ladies. The sisters ignore him, but he continues to sacrifice himself for his master. Eyes as bright as the full moon suddenly turn gloomy—so cold they send a chill down the spine. Every expression that flashes for half a second vanishes instantly.
The girls neither notice nor care about the outsider. The niece fears Aunt Dao might get hurt, fears her hot-tempered uncle might explode at the aggressive crowd. But they still act dangerously—shouting, cursing, demanding acceptance of this, forcing agreement to that.
Despite the horrifying, life-threatening screams, Anh Dao chooses her words carefully to offer advice. They don't want to listen, which drives Sam berserk—he curses loudly.
Those people become immediately touchy after being mocked for their low intelligence, still obsessed with virtual fame. The herd pushes, scrambles, and fights just to brush against the princess's skirt or top.
The situation spirals out of control. The loudspeaker echoes across the campus, making the mad dogs pause their rage and prick up their ears to hear a deep male voice, soft but firm:
- Hi everyone, I'm Kai. This Saturday, I will hold a press conference at the Global editorial office. But today is the semester exam, and students need a quiet space. Yet you guys are here, celebrating like it's a carnival — which feels… ahem… a little… unreasonable.
The angry crowd howls even louder, but after a few seconds, they laugh at the humorous tone:
- Hanna has an exam, and I'm afraid she'll be distracted by the lively atmosphere. Let's hold back our joy and save the excitement for Saturday.
Kai's voice shifts—no longer gentle if they remain aggressive:
- You guys keep turning the campus into a carnival — my sister gets so excited she fails her exam. And this Saturday? It'll be nothing special — just another normal day.
Everyone remains confused, unsure what the hell is going on. Sam snaps:
- You're a bunch of stupid dogs! You've got reading comprehension problems—are your ears rotting too? - Sam yells to enlighten the garbage-flooded minds - You all also make trouble, making my sister-in-law and niece fail the exams. My brother definitely fuck holds press conference, communicate blood…!
The crowd erupts in cheers and parts to the sides. On the way to class, the insiders stay on high alert. Spectators only take photos and record clips, praising the princess for being beautiful and charming, dressed simply yet fashionably.
Some stand apart, unwilling to let the gossiping crowd shove words into their mouths. Names, ages, and images are cooked into pig slop for the omnivores to feast on. They still fear that blinding radiance will scramble the mind, worried that fame might distort consciousness into a herd mentality.
One true admirer gazes thoughtfully at the familiar figure, silently offering blessings from afar. As exam time approaches, the person still waits for the two best friends to enter the classroom. The bodyguards head to the canteen one by one, following the female owner's instructions. Anh Dao says to Sam:
- It was so noisy a few minutes ago. Now it's dead silent. I can hear the sweat dripping off people's faces onto the ground.
Sam raises his eyes, not quite understanding, but sees her annoyance with the gossip association. He notices everyone sweating, timid, barely daring to breathe. In the exam room, the sister-in-law and nieces feel out of place.
Hanna and Lan are confused—their classmates are too nervous, afraid the angry guy might go crazy and ruin everyone's concentration. Rose rests her chin on her hand, sighs, and looks at him wearily.
Sam glances at the classroom next door, where Suong's situation isn't much better. He exhales, catching Anh Dao's hidden meaning: if the fierce god were still here, the heavy atmosphere might crush the contestants' spirits.
She wants him to feel less embarrassed, so she speaks by understatement, avoiding speaking directly. He exhales and chuckles softly instead of thanking her. She bursts out laughing when she hears him shoo away the flies and remind her:
- Whoever comes near, sister kicks its ass for me!
Sam says and goes to the broadcasting room. He disappears, the crowd disperses, and someone comes to greet Anh Dao. The blonde girl raises her eyebrows, her eyes wide with astonishment. She thinks she must be seeing things—unable to believe that the person greeting her looks exactly like someone she knows, as if cast from the same mold. In a brief moment of confusion, she nods slightly and steps aside to let the other person enter the classroom.
Every time they have met, the besties have smiled brightly but have hidden their confided thoughts. Male classmates have volunteered to kneel under that heartbreakingly beautiful smile, and have believed each of them is the Prince Charming who possesses the princess's heart.
Nice guys have doted on them, secretly dreaming of walking the same path with the beautiful and talented muses. Bad boys have openly doted on them, hoping to usurp the beauties' bodies. A bunch of boy-crazy-for-girl types have collided in the middle of the road and fought in the street, just because someone has dared to taunt and despise the princesses of their dreams.
In the past, hundreds of people have cherished—and hated—the fragile muses, as holy as angels. Today, the princesses have become golden branches and jade leaves, shining with the halo of fame. Thousands of obsessed people have aspired to become craftsmen who cut branches and trim leaves.
Tens of thousands of jealous people have wanted to break the jade leaves and uproot the golden branches, always stabbing straight into eyes filled with deep contempt and etched with envy.
Whether in the past or now, fate has forced the best friends to become princesses—loved sincerely by admirers, and fantasized about day and night by shameless people with perverted dreams.
The cursed fate has also turned the simple roof into a gorgeous forbidden palace, has turned Cinderella into a princess, has turned every place the princess has been into a perfect world from a fairy tale, and has turned the crowd of greed, anger, and delusion into witches.
From the virtual world to reality, witches have been anyone—male or female, rich or poor, noble or lowly. Most people were no longer human on the day Cinderella became a princess.
The witches have craved eminence, have coveted wealth, and have envied beauty. They have dreamed of shedding their skins and becoming "princesses" sitting high on the peak of fame.
The crowds disguised as humans have not feared the loneliness of high status—climb high, fall hard. They've still dreamed of royal life in a lavish forbidden palace. For those who have made no effort in their lifetime but have wanted to be born at the finish line, the forbidden palace has been a carefree paradise.
The spirit of the confidant has fallen to the bottom of depression. From the past until now, although the relatives have suffered and the family has been buried in misfortune, the gloomy eyes of the best friend have never been as lifeless as they are today. No—more precisely, from the day of reunion until now, the confidant has vaguely felt that the best friend's sadness has not entirely come from the noble status that has separated their friendship. That sadness has also carried countless buried confessions—whether about family or a soulmate—that the best friend has not been able to share with anyone.
It seems that noble status has become a psychological burden, and the luxurious family background has been a painful hell—imprisoning the body and torturing the spirit of the bestie. In the past, she has been strong and unyielding. Now, she has become shaky and may collapse at any time.
The confidant doesn't understand—with such a fragile and delicate mindset, which anchor could possibly help their friend stay strong. Because family is always there, but the feelings of the dearest person remain tangled in hundreds and thousands of threads.
Strange thoughts are swirling in the confidant's mind. This is not a dilemma. Fate has changed, but the best friend has not. The confidant still cannot defy the sneers and gossip of the world, doubting whether the three have truly remained consistent—just to find an excuse to insult character, smear the friendship as mere deception and mutual exploitation, crave fame and fortune, and polish names that have already dazzled the world's eyes.
She has regretted the time spent together, suppressed her melancholy, and looked calmly at the familiar spot… which no longer belongs to her. On ordinary days, she would sit at the front of the table, just a few steps away from where her bestie waved and greeted her.
Right before her eyes, dignity holds back hesitant, trembling feet, afraid to step near the place that fate pushes to—a spot she can never reach in a lifetime. Those who value honor seek the emptiest corner of the lecture hall.
The smile vanishes from her lips, and the bestie turns to her confidant in panic. The confidant faces the fear of separation with a cold expression, not averting the expectant gaze that silently begs her to change her mind. The only friend still regards the one frozen in place as… a stranger.
Tragedies have led to shattered home, to people who have lived in disgrace, to people who have died miserably, to broken family bonds, and to karmic entanglements. Fate has preferred to offer false happiness, and every day has had to be lived behind a mask of joy. Every hour has been spent playing the role of a pure princess. Every minute has required putting on a sunny smile. Every second, they have had to get along with a crowd of monsters—human-faced, beast-hearted—in the doomsday world of human emotions.
Cinderella has lost everything since the day she became a princess. She has still believed that friendship remains intact, giving her hope that her life still has meaning. Now she painfully realizes that she deceives her mind to calm her spirit.
Sentiment descends into damnation, friendship is abandoned, and only tears remain her companions. The person of steel forces himself to be ruthless, but can no longer be heartless. The hand holding the pen cannot write a single word, and the unconscious tool slips to the ground, shaken by fragile emotions. The confidant bends down to retrieve the pen, using the motion to conceal the sound of sobbing.
She sees nothing but red tears that blur the space, hears nothing but the cry of mourning for her best friend and the sound of blaming herself. The exam bell rings, and sentimentality vanishes from her calm face. The soulmate focuses on the exam questions, working hard to prepare for the lessons—trying to escape the cruel reality.
The lecture hall falls into silence. The ticking clock strikes with every hurried, tense beat. The examinee feels the hour and minute hands racing and shouting, urging everyone. Time waits for no one, yet dies in a cold mood.
The two best friends look up at the podium. The blue board and white letters are still there. The teacher's handwriting still dances in the chalk dust. The rustling of pens and paper still collides in the quiet air. The confidant remains unmoved by everything once familiar.
Her best friend doesn't even realize someone is beside her. The person gently touches her shoulder. The stone statue can no longer recognize the pure flower she once admired so deeply.
The flower wants to speak but instantly falls silent, unable to utter a word to the version of herself frozen in those eyes drained of all color, left only with a blank, lifeless white.
Hope shatters. Belief collapses. Every word spoken to the statue becomes meaningless. The one who once offered encouragement can no longer comfort a dead heart.
The flower feels empathy for the statue, but still cannot yet be friends with the statue.