In a dark alley near the pink-colored hotel, a woman stood silently, watching.
She was stalking someone.
Her gaze was fixed on a blond man whose arms were wrapped around two twins. She watched as his hands wandered over their bodies—sometimes gripping their waists, sometimes groping their butts without restraint.
The sight made her chest tighten.
Irritation, fury, and jealousy surged through her, and tears slipped down her face.
♤
She was my—
No.
She was Zhu Zhuqing—perfect, alluring, busty, gorgeous, beautiful. Have big gift. Loyal. Tsundere. Fierce. Strong. What else…?
Yeah. Etc. solves everything.
Zhu Zhuqing remained in the shadows, staring at the debauchery unfolding in front of her. She bit her lip so hard that blood seeped out, her fists clenched tightly as her nails dug into her palms.
Yet she didn't rush forward.
She only watched.
She watched the three figures walk away, their backs turned to her, and enter the hotel together.
The moment they disappeared inside, she couldn't hold it in anymore.
Tears flowed freely now—uncontrollable. Years of fighting, pain, and grief surged through her mind all at once. She had spent her entire life struggling to survive, believing—hoping—that the prince she was waiting for was also growing stronger, preparing for the battles ahead.
But what she saw shattered that illusion.
It had all been a delusion.
In the end, she was alone.
She had always been alone.
Using her blood-stained hands, she wiped her tears away and stared at the spot where that man had stood. Then, slowly, a smirk formed on her lips—one filled with defiance and revenge.
Her gaze wandered around the area.
That was when she felt it.
Someone was watching her.
It wasn't just a casual look or a passing glance—it was a dangerous, curious gaze. One that analyzed her, peeled her apart layer by layer.
Her body tensed immediately.
An assassin?
Sent by her sister?
She raised her guard, but the feeling was different. This gaze carried danger—but also curiosity, as if whoever it belonged to was studying her.
She scanned her surroundings carefully.
Then, in a corner near a tree, she saw her.
A pretty-looking, fucking corpse.
♤
Their gazes met.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her—purple hair, dark purple irises—and froze. The eyes staring back at her weren't filled with curiosity. No, it was something else: disappointment. An unbothered, almost cold judgment that cut deeper than any anger.
She questioned herself silently. Why… why is even a stranger looking at me like this?
Neither of them looked away. Neither dared to back down.
Zhu Zhuqing's chest ached. She wanted an answer—why was she seen as a disappointment? The hurt pierced her deeply. She had just seen her future husband with other women, and now a stranger looked at her as if she were nothing, a failure.
Her fury flared. Her gaze sharpened, directed straight at those dark purple eyes. The message was clear: she was not someone to be underestimated.
Lili, meanwhile, watched tang San and Xiao Wu enter the hotel. If he remembered correctly, just after the two lovebirds went in, a blond, lustful guy—someone who would fuck any willing body—also entered. Lili's gaze tracked the "lustful tiger" as he disappeared through the door.
Then, his attention shifted to a figure in the corner of the alley. There she was—Zhu Zhuqing. The most sinful body he had ever seen.
Merzaya, of course. His mind immediately noted: My mommy is on a completely different level of curves and allure.
[Merzaya: 😘]
Zhu Zhuqing's iconic tight black suit clung to her impossible curves. Her chest was perfectly round, her waist slim, her hips wide and inviting. Long, soft-looking thighs completed the picture—every inch of her designed to be sinful for the eyes.
But Lili wasn't distracted by lust. No, his disappointment ran deeper than that. How could someone so incredible still fall for a lustful man?.
♤
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out from the shadows, slowly advancing toward the woman who had been staring at her.
With every step, her anger grew. The more the woman looked at her, the more she felt the crushing weight of that silent disappointment pressing down on her chest.
Soon, she was only about six feet away from Lili. Using her finely honed communication skills—what else would you expect from Zhu Zhuqing?—she fixed her gaze on Lili and asked, "What's your problem?"
But the words she had expected to shout in confrontation barely escaped her lips. Up close, she could smell a fragrance unlike anything she had encountered before. It was soothing, strangely comforting, and it unsettled the fire in her heart.
Her gaze softened. Then, without warning, tears began to fall. Zhu Zhuqing was crying, painfully and quietly, yet she made no sound, no dramatic outburst. She simply stood there, her eyes locked on Lili's, the raw sorrow of her heart reflected in every trembling breath.
♤
Zhu Zhuqing's voice finally broke. Through her tears, she whispered,
"Why… why… why does fate hate me so much…? Why am I like this…? I—I just want to live… I just want to live… d-did I do something wrong…? I-is it wrong for me to live…? Why… why… why… just why…? I'm always left alone… why is it always me…? Why just me…?"
As Zhu Zhuqing spoke, her tears flowed even harder. All her frustration, her grief, her sorrow—everything she had buried deep inside—spilled out in front of this person she had only just met.
Maybe it was the fragrance. For Xiao Wu, it would have been heat and wildness, but for Zhu Zhuqing it was different. It was soothing, warm, gentle—like someone quietly telling her it's fine… I can hear you… take it easy.
And maybe that was why she finally let everything out.
Lili watched Zhu Zhuqing cry in front of him. He didn't fully understand why he had been confronted, or why things had unfolded this way, but when he looked at her—at the sorrow in her eyes, the pain etched into her expression—he understood one thing clearly.
She was afraid. Truly afraid.
He knew that feeling. He knew it too well. He had lived it. Experienced it himself. And hearing those words come from a girl like her stirred memories he didn't want to remember.
"Good for you," he muttered quietly, bitterness slipping into his voice. "At least you can still ask for help… unlike me… who was discarded and thrown aside."
Then—
Ding—
The sound rang out, but Lili ignored it.
He walked slowly toward Zhu Zhuqing, who was still crying, still angry at her life, still trembling from everything she had endured.
For the very first time, he did something completely out of character.
Lili pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms and held her.
His embrace was firm but careful, as if afraid she might break. Then, in a gentle yet hoarse voice, he whispered,
"I-it's alright… everything will be alright…
It's okay…
Everything will be okay…
If you need help… I—I'll be here… just for you…
S-so don't cry anymore… don't cry…"p-please d-dont cry...