The internet was merciless.
@GossipGuru:A woman who can juggle two powerful men? Celia's playing a dangerous game.@CityLifeExposed:Has she forgotten she's just a nobody from the countryside? Celia, go back to the sticks!@TrendWatcher:Celia, go back to the sticks! 27 likes already!@SpillTheTea:Celia, go back to the sticks! +1!
It didn't take long before the hashtag #CeliaGoBackToTheCountryside was plastered across every trending page, fueled by reposts, sarcastic memes, and endless snark in the comments section.
——
Celia had just returned to the Yipinlan Villa when her phone chimed. It was a WeChat message from Julia Lin.
Julia Lin:Has that bastard been released?
Unbothered by the online chaos, Celia replied,Celia:According to the records, her sentence is up. She should've just gotten out.
Julia Lin:Rosalie must have brought that beast here. She's vicious. Want me to toss him into the sea and let the fish take care of him?
Celia's lips curved in a cold, knowing smile.Celia:No need. Rosalie loves to play with fire—let her burn herself.
Julia immediately caught on.Julia Lin:So Rosalie forgot she's just the fake daughter, and that beast is her real father.
Celia set her phone aside, took a shower, and stretched out on the bed. Sleep claimed her, but it was filled with haunting dreams.
She dreamt of her childhood in the countryside. Her stepfather, Li Chong, was a drunk and a gambler, rarely home. Her stepmother's voice was always sharp—scolding, hitting, yanking her hair, demanding to know why she hadn't been born a boy.
As she grew, her body began to take shape. Then her stepmother passed away from illness. One night, Li Chong stumbled home reeking of alcohol, his gaze turning predatory. He was a grown man, frighteningly strong, holding her down with crushing force. She fought back, earning his violent rage in return.
He grabbed a knife and slashed her right cheek from top to bottom, saying it would "make her obedient." In desperation, her fingers closed around a chopstick. She drove it into his right eye with all her strength.
His screams roused the neighbors, and soon after, he was sent to prison.
In the nightmare, the echo of her stepmother's blows mingled with the twisted leer of her stepfather's disfigured face—both closing in on her until she woke with a jolt.
Her eyes snapped open to the pitch-black room. Her skin was clammy, forehead damp with sweat. Sleep was impossible now.
Outside, thunder rolled and lightning tore through the sky as rain began to pound the windows. Another stormy night.
Celia curled beneath the quilt, but it felt cold, empty. She suddenly longed for Nathaniel Fu's solid, warm embrace. With him beside her, even a thin blanket felt like a heated cocoon. She would burrow into his chest, clinging to him like an octopus.
Why was she thinking about him now? They were over. This was a bad sign. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing Nathaniel's handsome face from her mind.
Just then, her phone rang—Li Chong.
She answered, her voice flat.
On the other end, his breath rasped through the line, slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the moment.Li Chong:Cici… city girls really are different. Softer skin… fuller curves… nothing like those scrawny country girls.His low chuckle slithered through the receiver, making the darkness around her feel heavier.You sent me to prison back then, but I'm back now. And you know me—when I want something, I don't let go.A pause. The faint clink of a lighter, the drag of a cigarette.I'll always be around… watching… unless you're willing to come back to the countryside and be a good girl for your dear old dad. We could live together… just the two of us. No one to interfere.Another laugh, darker this time. Think about it, sweetheart.
Celia's grip on the phone tightened. She hung up without a word, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile.Celia:There's a road to heaven, but you refuse to take it. There's no gate to hell, but you insist on breaking in.
——
The next morning, her phone rang again. It was Madam Su.
Madam Su:Celia, what kind of candy did you give Dou Dou? He's been vomiting and has diarrhea all morning! Get over here right now!