Chapter 18: A Debt Returned in Kind

Tang Xu stood silently before the door, his gaze lowered. After a moment, he looked up at Yan Ye with a faint, bitter smile.

“I think I know that once I open this door, some things will be beyond control.”

Tang Xu had a girlfriend during his university days.

They shared a deep affection.

Everything changed when he entered a talent competition and began to gain fame.

His girlfriend grew increasingly dissatisfied, hoping he would quit.

Tang Xu was reluctant to give up this hard-won opportunity, yet he tried to soothe her.

More and more people began to like Tang Xu; his fan club and followers surged, his personal page gaining hundreds of thousands of new fans.

Until one day, a bigger argument erupted between the couple. His girlfriend forced him to choose between her and his career. Tang Xu couldn’t understand why he couldn’t have both; he was even willing to go public for her sake.

She left him with a single word: break up—and never contacted him again.

Tang Xu was trapped by his contract.

They didn’t meet again for many years.

His ex-girlfriend had become a top star adored by millions, while he struggled in the lower tiers of the industry.

Privately, she was relentlessly exacting revenge on Tang Xu.

She arranged for him to be beaten and insulted.

Feeling guilty, Tang Xu barely resisted.

Until a few days ago, when they both attended an event and clashed fiercely in the dressing room.

It turned out Tang Xu’s contract was about to expire, and naturally, he wouldn’t renew it.

He had already begun planning his life after the contract.

But she refused to accept it, screaming hysterically at him, saying if not for him, she wouldn’t have ended up like this; he couldn’t leave, and if he did, she would die to show him.

To threaten Tang Xu, she stood by the window. Unexpectedly, her high heel caught on her skirt. She stumbled, her upper body falling out the window. Tang Xu lunged to save her but fell out the window himself, tumbling down the stairs.

“I don’t understand why it has to be you.”

...

“Dong Zhenzhen.”

...

Tang Xu pushed hard with both hands; the door swung open, and two people inside plotting loudly turned to look.

Dong Zhenzhen saw Tang Xu step back several paces, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Opposite her stood a very young face. Seeing Yan Ye at the door, he instinctively tilted sideways, pulling his hat and mask to conceal his features.

...

Yan Ye didn’t even glance at him.

“Tang Xu, you’re still alive?” She couldn’t believe it. He had clearly died; she had watched him fall. The body was even placed in the funeral parlor. “Did you all lie to me?” Her suspicious gaze shifted to the man beside her. “Did you tamper with it?”

The man gently shook his head.

“I told you from the start, if you want to borrow fortune, you must pay the price. What that price is, no one knows.”

Yan Ye entered the room, turned around once, and finally fixed her gaze on the young man. She approached slowly, looked directly into his eyes, and leaned in slightly.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense; despite dodging several times, he eventually lost the battle. The face hidden beneath the mask flushed deeply. He only dared steal a few glances at her when she wasn’t paying attention.

“You altered Tang Xu’s memories.”

...

“The technique’s a bit rusty. Whoever taught you isn’t good enough!” Si Yu blinked silently.

“A mute?”

Curious, Yan Ye leaned closer. The boy’s pupils dilated noticeably.

Yan Ye recalled the rustling sound when he spoke earlier.

“His throat’s injured.”

Still, he said nothing.

So boring.

Yan Ye turned and waved at Tang Xu.

“Speak. Now that you know the truth, what can you do about it?”

Tang Xu couldn’t help but step forward, looking at Dong Zhenzhen’s now unfamiliar face.

“Is this the life you wanted?”

Yan Ye rolled her eyes at the foolish romance.

Dong Zhenzhen smiled, a hint of mockery in it.

“At least I’m happier than I was with you. You insisted on entering that talent show. So many temptations before you. You said you were willing to go public for me. And then? Look at me fighting with those women who like you. Those people spent so much money on you. My only hold on you was love, but ironically, love is the least valuable thing.”

“You’re no different with Han Lu, fighting with women over him.”

“At least I got what I wanted. Do I have anything I want now?”

“What if one day Han Lu gets tired of you?”

“Shut up, he won’t. As long as I find someone to replace you.”

Tang Xu sensed a deeper meaning in her words.

“What do you mean?”

...

“It means this woman has been siphoning your fortune all along, causing your misfortune. If you hadn’t met her, becoming a top star would have been your destined ending. From the beginning, this relationship was a trap. And now that she’s drained almost all of it, death is inevitable.”

Yan Ye finished explaining and gave Tang Xu a kick, snapping him back to reality.

“Is what she said true?”

Dong Zhenzhen stopped pretending.

“Yes! From the start, I knew you were lucky. Whatever you do, success is highly likely. But I, ordinary and plain since childhood, invisible in a crowd, started to get lucky after being with you. Logically, I should have held on tight. But I found out there’s a kind of luck that comes by taking it from others.”

...

“You love me so much, what’s wrong with me taking a little of your luck?”

...

Tang Xu had never heard such outrageous words.

“Do you know what you’re saying? Are you crazy?” Once there was love, but after all this, only calm remained.

“I thought I owed you, that’s why I obeyed you blindly. Even when you treated me so badly, I…”

Tang Xu closed his eyes in pain.

Dong Zhenzhen’s moment of triumph lasted less than a minute before a sharp pain burned her throat. Fresh blood sprayed out. She desperately clutched her neck, her body twisting in agony, face full of terror. She reached out, trying to grab Tang Xu.

Terrified, Tang Xu darted behind Yan Ye.

“I told you! There’s a backlash. Taking what isn’t yours freely will bring retribution if discovered.”

No, this can’t be. Her good days had just passed; she couldn’t die now.

“Save me, please! I’ll pay you anything.”

Si Yu’s sleeve was creased as she gripped it tightly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be able to do everything? Aren’t you a master? Save me now!”

Si Yu was helpless.

“The side effects were told to you from the beginning; you just refused to listen.”

Countless golden lights burst forth from Dong Zhenzhen’s body. The luminous points seemed to find their rightful source, flowing back into Tang Xu’s body.

One playful light flickered before Yan Ye, who caught it on her fingertip. It gently brushed her finger, gave a tiny kiss, then quickly flew away.

Yan Ye smiled, amused.

At that smile, the countless moving lights all froze.

Si Yu quietly raised his phone, capturing the moment.