I am the adopted daughter of General Stone, a ruthless warlord whose life was once saved by my father. General Stone offered me a choice: I could marry any one of his four sons. In my previous life, I blushed and chose his eldest, Julian Stone—gentle, refined, and seemingly perfect. But a year into our marriage, right after I gave birth to our son, Julian installed a lover in a hidden house—a slender, effeminate opera singer. I finally realized I was just a beard, a cover for his true desires. Later, General Stone discovered the affair and secretly executed the singer. Julian believed I was the one who orchestrated it. In his rage, he set our mansion on fire, dragging me and our son into the flames to be buried alongside his lover. As the fire consumed us, his last words were: "If there is a next life, never choose me again!" Then I opened my eyes, and I was back. It was the year of the selection. 1 "Luna, you're of age now. Take a look. Which one of these four rascals do you like?" "Whoever you like, I'll make him marry you!" "If he dares to refuse, he can get the hell out of the Stone family!" General Stone, dressed in his military uniform, made the declaration with an authority that brooked no argument. I looked up at this rough but fiercely loyal man and realized with a jolt—I had been reborn. And I was back on the very day General Stone asked me to choose a husband from his four sons. Standing in a line in the grand hall were my four candidates. The eldest, Julian Stone: wearing a long coat, gentle and refined. The second, Adrian Stone: in a sharp white suit, modern and westernized. The third, Marcus Stone: in his field uniform, radiating a wild, dangerous aura. The fourth, Elliot Stone: in a simple tunic suit, looking pale and dissolute. "I know, you're probably going to pick the eldest!" General Stone boomed. "Adrian just got back from studying abroad, Marcus is busy making a name for himself in the army, and Elliot... well, let's not mention him." "You've spent the most time with Julian over the years!" "You're always chasing after him, calling him 'Big Brother this' and 'Big Brother that.' Just pick him and be done with it..." Before he could finish, I grabbed his sleeve in a panic, shouting, "Wait!" General Stone froze, looking down at me in confusion. "Why?" My grip on his sleeve tightened. The image of me holding my child in the sea of fire flashed through my mind. Julian's words—If there is a next life, never choose me again—made my heart tremble. I steadied myself, trying to look normal. "General, I want to tell you privately..." General Stone assumed I was just being shy in front of the four candidates. He laughed and waved his hand. "You four, get out!" "Yes, sir!" They answered in unison and filed out in order of age. The third son, Marcus, glanced back at me from the doorway. He was tall, muscular, with eyes like a tiger's—large, deep-set, with amber irises. His gaze was intense, almost oppressive. In my previous life, right before I died, he had rushed back in his uniform, trying desperately to break into the burning house. Servants tried to stop him, but he kicked them aside. I didn't know if he was trying to save his brother or me, because by the time he broke in, I was already gone. I assumed he was trying to save his brother. We didn't have much of a relationship; usually, we just nodded at each other. When I called him "Third Brother," he rarely responded. "They're gone, Luna. Who do you choose?" General Stone's rough voice urged me to make a decision. My heart raced. I answered respectfully, "General, I choose the third son!" 2 General Stone's expression froze. He looked at me in disbelief. "Marcus?" I had no choice. Born into chaotic times as an orphan, I needed a protector. Julian liked men. Adrian was too progressive to accept an arranged marriage. Elliot was a lost cause, a playboy with a drug habit. Only Marcus was suitable. He was focused on his military career. He had no time for affairs, and he was too lazy to date. If I married him, I could just manage the household and stay out of his way. He wouldn't mistreat me. After all, in my past life, he tried to save the brother who fought him for the inheritance. That showed he was loyal, just like his father. "Marcus doesn't know the first thing about treating a woman right," General Stone warned. "If you saw him on the battlefield, you wouldn't pick him." "They call him 'The Reaper' in the army for a reason!" "Besides, bullets don't have eyes. I'm worried you'll end up a young widow!" General Stone truly loved me like a daughter. Of his four sons, only Marcus had joined the army. In a way, he had already given this son to the country. He looked at me cautiously. "Why not pick again?" "It's not chess. You can take back a move." "Remember, with me, you always have special privileges!" General Stone wasn't exactly a good man—he had multiple wives and a violent reputation—but he was genuinely good to me. But I shook my head, looking at him firmly. "No. I choose Marcus. I like him!" "I like him." Those three words silenced General Stone. He looked at me, sighed helplessly, and his eyes grew misty, perhaps remembering someone from his past. "Love is involuntary. If that's the case, I'll grant your wish!" "Go call Marcus in!" I quickly interjected, "General, let's not tell him yet. There's fighting in the South; I don't want to distract him. Let's just surprise him on the wedding day. It's just moving from one courtyard to another anyway." General Stone thought for a moment, then agreed. "Alright!" Walking out of the hall, I was immediately surrounded by the four brothers. "Luna, did you pick Big Brother?" Adrian asked eagerly. Elliot chimed in, "Obviously! She wouldn't pick me; even I wouldn't want to ruin her life." "And you," he pointed at Adrian, "with your half-baked western ideas, even the dogs find you annoying!" "Marcus is out of the question. All he does is fight. Marrying him is like being a widow." "Besides, Luna has liked Big Brother since we were kids. Everyone with eyes knows that!" Hearing this, I couldn't help but glance at Julian. He looked gentle and kind. He treated everyone well, including me. He would peel oranges for me, buy me imported hand cream, take me to the opera, and buy me expensive sodas. In my last life, I fell step by step into his gentle trap. In this life, I would not make the same mistake. Just as I was about to speak, Julian looked at me with pleading eyes. "Luna, can you tell my father not to choose me?" "I don't like you. Haven't you pestered me enough all these years?" I stood there, stunned. This wasn't how it happened before. 3 In my previous life, Julian was desperate for me to choose him. He wanted to hide his sexuality and needed an heir to secure his inheritance. His signals were what made me choose him. He made me believe we were in love. But this time, he rejected me. Was he reborn too? Did the tragic death of his lover in the last life wake him up? Was he choosing love over power this time? "I didn't..." I started to say I hadn't chosen him. But his servant, Parker, ran over breathlessly. "Young Master, the show started ages ago! The Sixth Mistress has sent for you multiple times. Mr. Shang is performing today!" Hearing the name "Mr. Shang," Julian's eyes lit up, and he turned to follow the servant. I remembered then. The opera singer Julian kept in the golden cage was named Shang Yue. So they knew each other this early? "Let's go, we'll tag along!" Elliot threw his arms around Adrian and Marcus, dragging them along. I stood there alone. Elliot looked back. "Luna, aren't you coming?" Yes, of course I was going! I wanted to see what this singer looked like. In my last life, Julian hid him so well. By the time I found the address, Julian had already moved him. We never met, even in death. I entered the Stone family at six. I bore Julian a son at twenty. Fourteen years of companionship. Where did I lose? I clenched my fists and followed the three brothers. I didn't even realize how pale my face was. By the time we arrived, the performance was ending. Backstage, a figure in a water-blue costume was removing makeup. The thick paint obscured the gender, but those upturned eyes were soul-snatching. Julian sat on the table next to him, playing with a box of face paint. "This is almost empty. I'll buy you a new box tomorrow!" Mr. Shang glanced at him through the mirror. "If the Young Master is paying, I'll pick the biggest box!" Julian, completely entranced, grabbed his arm and leaned in for a kiss. We walked in right at that moment. Everyone except me was shocked. "Ah, you..." Elliot started to shout, but Adrian covered his mouth. "Shut up! Is this something to broadcast?" "If Father hears, he'll break his legs!" "Do you want to get Big Brother killed?" Only Julian, caught red-handed, remained calm. He even gently wiped the smudged lipstick from the singer's mouth. He looked at me, provocative. "You see? This is what I like. If you're smart, tell my father yourself!" "Tell him you don't like me! You won't marry me!" "You're just an adopted orphan anyway. Marrying any of us is climbing the social ladder." "You won't lose out no matter who you pick. Pick Elliot; he won't mind you!" Elliot pointed at himself. "Me?" With how much the General doted on Luna, he wouldn't dare dream of it. How could his brother say that? 4 Looking at Julian's provocative gaze and hearing his insults, I realized something painful. He was taking revenge on me. Revenge for the death of his lover in the previous life. But if I could find out about the singer, how could General Stone not know? If the Stone family had such a scandal, the General would clean house. What did that have to do with me? Was he transferring his hatred to me because he couldn't fight his father? Bullying an orphan because I couldn't fight back? My eyes reddened. The person who used to treat me so gently... even without love, there should be family affection. But now he was wielding a knife, stabbing my heart repeatedly. "Brother, you've gone too far!" The first one to stand up for me was Marcus. He walked forward silently, his boots heavy on the floor. He grabbed the singer's hand, ripped him out of Julian's arms, and threw him aside. "Insulting Luna for an actor? Did a dog eat your conscience?" Under Marcus's force, Shang Yue stumbled into me. I fell back several steps, barely steadied by Adrian and Elliot. Before I could speak, Shang Yue dropped to his knees like a frightened rabbit, kowtowing to me repeatedly. "I'm sorry, Miss Stone! I didn't mean to!" "My fault, I bumped into you. I'll kowtow!" Thud, thud. Hard and exaggerated. Soon, his forehead was bleeding. Julian exploded. He jumped off the table and shielded Shang Yue. "Don't call her Miss Stone! She's just an orphan my dad picked up!" He glared at me. "He just bumped you. Do you think you're made of glass?" "Don't you know an actor's face is his life? Look at him, he can't perform for weeks now!" Heartbroken and angry, I trembled, pointing at Shang Yue. "Did I say a single word? He knelt and banged his head on his own!" "I am an orphan, but why did I become one?" My father was a commander in the allied forces. Our families were close. When General Stone's army was surrounded, my father led the reinforcements. Later, during a joint operation, General Stone made a tactical error. My father covered him, taking a bullet meant for the General. I never mentioned this because General Stone treated me well, and I didn't want to reopen old wounds. I had seen him stand before my father's memorial tablet all night, many times. He felt guilty. But now, Julian was debasing me for a lover. I had to bring up the past to protect myself. Julian sneered. "So you're using that debt to force me to marry you?" I paused. He thought I still chose him in this life. Fine. I swallowed the truth. He plotted against me in the last life and hurt me in this one. Let him suffer a bit. I put my hands behind my back and said coldly: "So what? If you have the guts, tell the General about your boyfriend!" "Beg him to let you be together. If you have the courage to do that, I'll respect you as a man and give you up immediately!" What was the General's temper like? He ate bullets for breakfast. If he knew an actor ruined his son... Shang Yue would die tonight, and Julian would be whipped until his skin shredded. Julian didn't have the guts! He valued his life! Otherwise, he wouldn't have swapped lots to avoid the draft!
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