I dated Liam Carter for seven years, until his first love, Serena Sterling, returned. When the earthquake hit, the chandelier came crashing down, and without a second of hesitation, he dove to save her first. I was hit, losing my memory. When I woke up, I looked at him and asked, "Who are you?" He looked at me and said, "I'm your brother." I glanced at the guy standing next to him—his best friend—and told him: "Since you're my brother, you have to help me pursue Julian Hayes." He thought I was just playing hard to get, so he agreed. Until I pursued Julian all the way to the altar. Liam crashed the wedding reception like a rabid dog. I looked at him and said, "Brother, did you come to attend my wedding?" A wave of overwhelming grief washed over him, and he closed his eyes in agony. "Don't call me brother. I'm not your brother. Aria, you belong to me. I forbid you from marrying anyone else." 01 Liam broke his promise to accompany me to the awards ceremony. I was initially very disappointed, but thankfully, he called and told me to meet him at The Golden Lounge for a gathering. I thought he was throwing a celebration party for me. After all, I had just won the Best Actress award I had been dreaming of for years that night. It wasn't until I arrived that I realized the party had absolutely nothing to do with me. It was a welcome-home party for Serena Sterling. She immediately came over and hugged me. "Aria, long time no see." I nodded politely, pushed her away gently, and shifted my gaze to the man sitting on the sofa. I asked, "So, why did you break your promise today?" He paused mid-smoke, flicked his ash, and said nonchalantly, "Serena hasn't been back in seven years. I just went to pick her up from the airport. Doesn't the awards ceremony happen every year?" So, his broken promise was just to pick up Serena from the airport. A bitter mix of resentment and sorrow spread through my chest. Yes, the awards ceremony happens every year, but it took me seven years to finally hold that trophy. I wanted to share my joy with him the moment I received it. But the second I held the trophy in my hands... I searched the bustling crowd for his face, only to find him nowhere in sight. Do you know how disappointed I was? He didn't care at all. On the scale in his heart, would I always weigh less than Serena Sterling? Even though I was the one who had stayed by his side for the past seven years. 02 Serena raised her glass to toast me. "I apologize on Liam's behalf. It was all my fault that he missed your big moment. I'll drink this as an apology." I clearly saw the arrogance, triumph, and the joy of a victor hiding in her eyes. I didn't take the glass. I scoffed, "He's my boyfriend. What right do you have to apologize for him?" Serena’s hand, holding the glass, faltered slightly, looking a bit helpless. He was the first to stand up for her. "Don't mind her, Serena. Aria, that's enough. It's such a small thing, why are you throwing a tantrum?" I turned to leave. Serena said pitifully, "Aria is mad. You should go after her. I don't mind taking a little blame, just don't let this ruin your relationship." One of his friends couldn't stand it anymore. "Talk to her nicely. She always compromises for you. This time, you're the one in the wrong." Liam crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, looking disdainful. "If she has a problem, she can stay out of my sight forever. Who knows why she always follows me around like a stray dog, refusing to leave even when I tell her to." I quickened my pace to leave. He was right. In the past, I was almost always the one who compromised. He would just say a few sweet words casually, and my heart would soften. But this time, I didn't want to anymore. 03 From that day on, Liam and I fell into a cold war, and I filled my life with work schedules. But news about him and Serena still found its way to me through every possible crack. The night of her welcome party, he spent over a million dollars displaying ads on all the high-rises in the city: 【Welcome home, Serena Sterling.】 He secured the role in renowned director Arthur Chen's new movie, Ocean of Dreams, for Serena. That role was very likely meant to be mine. We were almost at the point of signing the contract, but the other party called two days ago to tell us they found a more suitable candidate. It turned out the more suitable candidate was Serena. She didn't study acting; she studied piano. I have no idea why she suddenly came back wanting to be an actress. A role I had to struggle for eight years in the industry even to get an audition for, she took from me effortlessly with just one word from him. I originally thought that having reached my current position, I wouldn't have roles stolen from me like when I first entered the industry. I never expected the one to deliver the crushing blow would be my boyfriend of seven years. It hurt so much I could barely breathe. My heart ached tremendously. He should know that all these years, acting was the thing I loved most besides him. I had poured so much of my blood, sweat, and tears into it. But he didn't care. Or rather, because the other person was Serena Sterling, he felt he could hurt me without any hesitation. When my manager saw the news, she came to ask me about it. "What's going on? Isn't Liam Carter your boyfriend? Why is he stealing your role for someone else? Are you two fighting?" I stared at the words scrolling non-stop on the building outside: 【Welcome home, Serena Sterling.】 It stung my eyes, making them burn and ache. She came back, and he was so happy he wanted the whole world to know. I took out my phone and proactively sent him a message: 【I guess we're broken up now, right?】 After all these years, I was tired too. I never thought I would be the one to say those words first. A heart that couldn't be warmed after seven years should just stop trying. He didn't reply. I laughed self-deprecatingly: "Maybe it is a breakup." My manager patted my back to comfort me. "You're just too stubborn. When you two were good, I told you to coax him for some resources, but you refused. Look now, as soon as she steps in, she gets a movie with a famous director." "Forget it, if it's over, it's over. With your looks, it won't be hard to find someone better." "There's a gala tonight. Maybe you'll find someone suitable there." 04 At the gala. When Liam made his entrance with Serena, many eyes turned to me, ready to watch the drama unfold. After all, my relationship with him was public knowledge. Usually, he would bring me to events like this. Serena stopped in front of me: "Aria, you look beautiful tonight. A lot of people are staring." Liam's eyes darkened. He glanced around and scoffed, "Not as beautiful as you." I didn't want to entertain their public display of affection, so I walked away. The gala was filled with prominent figures, including famous directors and producers. I wanted to exchange contact info with a few well-known directors in the industry, hoping they would think of me if they had suitable roles in the future. When I saw Director Chen, I still wanted to try and fight for a role in Ocean of Dreams. I loved that story of a shattered romance being pieced back together too much, and there were other roles yet to be cast. I walked over and had barely exchanged two sentences when Liam interrupted. "Don't waste your breath. Serena doesn't really like having acquaintances on set, so you won't get a chance." Didn't like acquaintances? She wasn't even in the industry. Wasn't this clearly targeting me? I gripped my wine glass and took a large gulp. Trying hard to suppress the resentment in my heart and the urge to slap him across the face. The setting was inappropriate. I turned to leave, but Liam grabbed my arm. "Wait a minute. When you see Serena later, have a better attitude. She's very upset because you ignored her." I fought back the stinging in my eyes and said coldly, "Let go. I have no obligation to coddle her feelings." He stubbornly held onto my hand, his face showing displeasure. Serena quickly hurried over, speaking to him in a reproachful tone: "I just went to the restroom for a second, and here you are bullying Aria again." Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. I don't know who shouted, "It's an earthquake!" The guests began to scatter and flee in panic. The chandelier above us swayed precariously. The moment it started to fall. The hand gripping my wrist let go. Liam didn't hesitate for a second to grab Serena and roll out of the way. The chandelier crashed down onto my head, blood turning my vision red. In the face of life and death, a person's first reaction is their truest. Between saving me and saving her, he didn't even hesitate for a fraction of a second, even though he was holding my hand. It really hurt. In that moment, the intense pain radiating from my heart far surpassed the pain in my head. The excruciating headache plunged me into unconsciousness. 05 When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. I opened my eyes to see a man wearing a white dress shirt. He had brown eyes, black hair, and was incredibly handsome. He looked like a noble Ragdoll cat. He was sitting with his legs crossed, reading a book. Hearing me stir, he looked over. When those alluring eyes met mine, I felt my heart racing. I blurted out: "Handsome, what's your number?" He smiled. He looked even better. My heart beat faster. "Aria, stop messing around. Don't we already have each other's numbers?" "Aria, is that my name?" I realized my mind was completely blank. Aside from the handsome face in front of me, I knew absolutely nothing. The handsome man looked panicked. He immediately stood up: "Don't wander off, I'm going to get the doctor." After he left, another man walked in, holding a glass of water. He was also handsome, but his style was different from the first guy's. He wore a sharp suit and had sharp, slightly brooding features. Looking at him, I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort in my chest. Why were there so many handsome guys around me? His right palm was wrapped in bandages. He put down the water, looked down at me, and said faintly: "You're awake?" I looked at Liam in confusion: "Who are you?" The corner of his mouth curved into a smirk, and no matter how I looked at it, that smile seemed to carry a hint of mockery. He said: "Why the sudden amnesia act? Don't think this will get you back by my side." "Do we know each other well? I really don't remember anything, except that my name is Aria." He leaned down slightly, closing the distance between us, and studied me for a moment: "If you want to act, I'll play along." He muttered something under his breath that I didn't quite catch. "What?" He looked at me with zero seriousness and said: "I'm your brother." The handsome guy returned with the doctor. He turned to leave. 06 The handsome guy said to my "brother": "Liam, take good care of Aria. Stop running off to other people's rooms. If you had waited any longer to treat Serena's wound, it would have healed on its own." He looked annoyed: "If you want to take care of her, you do it. Don't you like hanging around her room anyway?" After my brother said that, he turned to leave the room. Before walking out, he glanced at me. Hurry up and leave so I can spend more time bonding with the handsome guy. Seeing me staring intently at him, he frowned, turned around, and left. Finally gone. Looking at him, I didn't know why, but I felt extremely oppressed and suffocated. Could it be the natural sibling rivalry? After the doctor examined me, he said that apart from needing a dozen stitches on my head and some scrapes on my body, there were no other issues. I could be discharged after the stitches were removed in a few days. There were no blood clots in my brain. As for the amnesia, medical science doesn't have a specific treatment for it yet. I just needed to stay in the hospital for one more day of observation, and then I could go home. They suggested taking me to places I used to live; maybe I would remember something one day. "Handsome, what's your name? Tell me, so I can find you in my contacts." "Julian Hayes." My old phone was broken. The new phone did have Julian Hayes in the contacts. Strangely, Liam was pinned to the top. We must have a really good sibling relationship to put him there. Julian stayed with me all afternoon. Since I had just woken up, my head was still dizzy. I originally wanted to ask him about his interests, but I felt sleepy and dozed off. When I woke up again, Julian was gone, and Liam was there. I displayed a look of sheer disappointment. If I had known, I wouldn't have slept. I should have seized the time to win over my crush. Liam stared at me, his brow furrowed, his tone dark: "What's with that expression? Are you disappointed to see me?" "Brother, you and Julian are bros, right?" Otherwise, why would he take such good care of me? He paused for a moment: "What did you call me?" "You said you're my brother. Since you're my brother, you have to help me pursue Julian. My future happiness depends on you." He took out a cigarette, looking frustrated and wanting a smoke. Perhaps remembering this was a hospital room, he eventually just rolled it between his fingers near his nose, inhaling the scent of tobacco. He lowered his voice. The fact that he couldn't smoke seemed to make him unhappy. "Stop messing around. You'll get yourself into trouble. Julian isn't your type." "He is. How could he not be? It was love at first sight for me." I like tall, handsome guys with warm, beautiful smiles and dimples. He had it all. He let out a strange, low chuckle. Then he completely snapped the cigarette in his hand, scattering tobacco everywhere, and threw it into the trash can. "Fine, I'll help you." 07 When I was discharged, Liam asked Julian to drive me home. He had to accompany another girl named Serena Sterling to a film set. I walked up to Liam. Serena looked at me apologetically: "Aria, I'm so sorry. Liam has to come with me to the set. It's my first time filming, and I'm really nervous." I looked completely unbothered: "It's fine. He wants to do it." Anyone could see Liam was trying to pursue her. Why should I care? I turned to Liam, my face full of sincere joy: "Thank you. You really put a lot of thought into creating this opportunity for me to be alone with him." His expression was dark and unpredictable as he gritted his teeth and said: "You're welcome." Just as I was about to get in the car, a swarm of reporters rushed out and surrounded us. I already knew I used to be in the entertainment industry and seemed to be doing quite well. But my manager said my schedules had been put on hold for a while to let me take a vacation. I could resume working once I felt better. The reporters' microphones were practically shoved into my mouth. "Ms. Carter, regarding the earthquake that day when Mr. Carter saved Ms. Sterling first, what are your thoughts?" "Are Mr. Carter and Ms. Sterling dating? How long has it been? Do you know?" I didn't understand why the media was so excited. And Liam—why was he glaring at me so intensely? His eyes were dark and unreadable, making me feel flustered. Even if I was his sister, I couldn't morally blackmail him into saving me first. At most, he was just a bit disloyal. Was he afraid I would badmouth him in front of the media, making him look bad in front of the girl he liked? "Whoever he wants to save is his business. Whether they're dating is something you should ask them, why ask me? It has nothing to do with me." After hearing this, Liam clenched his jaw, looking like he wanted to punch someone. He silently mouthed at me, "Aria, you're really something." If you're going to praise me, praise me. Why make it look like you want to hit me? He forcefully slammed the car door and left with Serena. I was trapped by the crowd, unable to move, trying to squeeze out and get into Julian's car. "This is Mr. Hayes's car. Is Ms. Carter getting a ride from Mr. Hayes?" "I came to pick her up from the hospital." Julian arrived beside me, shielding me so I wouldn't be knocked over by the media. "Surrounding a hospital like this will inconvenience other patients. I believe you media professionals wouldn't be so lacking in basic decency." Those two sentences forced the crowd to step back. When it comes to moral high-grounding, you're the master, Julian. He knows exactly how to handle people. I love him even more now. 08 That evening, I dragged Julian into a co-op game lobby online, just as Liam came home. "Julian, I'll play support, you play the carry." "Okay." I smiled brilliantly, following him around the whole game. If someone killed me, I complained to him. He chased them across the map to get revenge. "Julian, you're so good at this game. Can you play with me more often? I want to rank up soon." "Just call me Julian." A shadow loomed over me. I looked up to see Liam blocking my view, his expression cold enough to freeze water. This guy never had a pleasant look on his face all day. So annoying. "Stop playing. I haven't eaten." I answered him dismissively: "It's almost 7:30 and you haven't eaten? I just saw some instant noodles in the cabinet. Go make yourself a bowl." "I don't eat instant noodles." "Then order takeout." He grabbed my phone, forcefully grabbed my shoulder, and pinned me against the sofa. "In the past, you would never let me eat instant noodles, saying it wasn't nutritious. You wouldn't let me eat takeout either, saying it wasn't healthy. You would go out of your way to cook what I liked." Wow, as a sister, I really played the role of a nagging mother. I saw my character in the game fall behind. I was about to die. I shoved Liam away and snatched my phone back. "Then stay hungry." By the time the game finished, Julian said he had something to do and logged off. I looked at Liam clutching his stomach, leaning against the sofa, glaring at me fiercely yet with a hint of grievance. Like an abused wolfdog, his intimidating aura was much weaker. No, how could such a grown man feel so wronged just because he wasn't fed? That look really didn't suit him. But it wasn't my problem. He wouldn't starve to death. If he got hungry enough, he'd realize instant noodles might lack nutrition, but they fill the stomach. I got up, planning to go upstairs, shower, and sleep. "Aria, my stomach hurts." Behind me, his aggrieved voice sounded. "Then order a delivery service to bring you some stomach medicine. I'm tired. I have a lunch date with Julian tomorrow." Walking halfway, I turned to look at him. His eyes lit up. I said to him: "Thank you for telling him I like playing games. Later, can you also tell him what my favorite foods are?" He shivered on the sofa, lowered his eyes, and said to me in a hoarse voice: "I don't know." "Oh, well. I'll just ask him myself. Getting to know each other might even improve our relationship." He seemed to be in immense pain, his body curled up, the knuckles gripping the sofa turning white. 09 For lunch, I chose a private kitchen, which offered good privacy. We unexpectedly ran into Liam and Serena, who also came to this restaurant. Serena insisted we all eat together, saying it would be livelier. Liam didn't object. As soon as she sat down, she pulled me into a conversation, showing her concern: "Aria, will that wound leave a scar on your head? They say hair never grows back where you get stitches." I immediately reciprocated her concern. "I have plenty of hair, a little bald spot is fine. But you should be careful, sister. I just looked at you, and your part line is almost a finger wide. You should worry less and try not to lose any more hair." Julian heard me and comforted me: "It won't leave a scar. There are many techniques nowadays that can remove scars." Liam, on the other hand, sat down and didn't say a word. The waiter brought an iPad for us to order. I asked Julian: "Julian, what do you like to eat?" "Fish, no offal, I like spicy food. Nothing else special, anything's fine." "Then let's get the signature sweet and sour fish, and a steamed fish head with diced hot peppers." "You decide, I'll pay." "No way, I said I'm treating." "Then I'll treat next time." I ordered a few of my favorites, then passed the iPad to Serena. She ordered while saying: "Aria, you and Julian seem to be getting along really well now. Isn't that right, Liam?" Liam didn't answer. I said: "Yeah, it feels like we've known each other forever. This might be that 'imprinting' thing. You feel especially dependent on the first person you see when you open your eyes." Julian didn't look too pleased. He commented: "You see me as your mother?" "How is that possible? You're obviously a guy." "Good." Liam pushed his chair back, the sound grating. "Going out for a smoke." Julian said he was going too. I sat for a while and felt like Serena and I really weren't on the same wavelength. We had nothing to talk about, so I got up and went to the restroom to hide for a bit. At the corner, I saw Julian holding a cigarette, leaning against the hallway wall. He took a drag and tilted his head back to exhale the smoke. This was the first time I had seen him smoke. It was surprisingly sexy. He spoke: "Liam, you and Aria are broken up now, right?" Liam didn't reply. The cigarette in his hand had burned down halfway. Only when it almost burned his fingers did he finally speak. "What do you mean by that?" "I want a straight answer from you. If you're broken up, I'm going to pursue her." Liam used his left hand to snuff out the cigarette butt, throwing it into the nearby trash can. He let out a low, cold laugh. His expression was indifferent, his tone arrogant. "If you don't mind picking up my sloppy seconds, then go ahead." Julian raised his hand and punched him right in the stomach: "It's truly despicable how you insult a girl who dated you for seven years and poured her heart out to you." Liam was hit hard and took a moment to recover before standing up and raising his hand to strike back: "Who the fuck are you to hit me?" But his hand was calmly caught by Julian: "Don't make a scene. We still have to eat. If the media catches wind of this, it'll look even worse. Since you personally admitted to breaking up with her, I'll have her move out and stop contacting you." After saying that, he shook off Liam's hand, took the last drag of his cigarette, turned, and walked into the private room. 10 Having just heard two explosive pieces of news, I walked into the restroom feeling completely dazed. Liam wasn't my brother; he was my ex-boyfriend. And Julian was actually planning to pursue me actively. It's true what they say: the highest-level hunters often appear as prey. He was totally playing the long game. Liam saying he was my brother was clearly because he was afraid I'd keep pestering him and refuse to break up, which would interfere with his pursuit of Serena. No wonder every time I saw him, I instinctively felt uncomfortable. No wonder the media was so excited to ask me about their relationship that day. Turns out I was wearing a metaphorical green hat. No wonder Liam's WeChat was pinned to the top. I must have really cared about every message he sent. The things in the mansion were all in pairs, looking like couple's items. Turns out, they were couple's items. Now, all these questions were answered. I washed my face to make myself look calmer before returning to the private room. They were all sitting in their original seats as if nothing had happened. When the food arrived, Liam barely touched it. Just as we finished eating and were getting up, he clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees on the floor. It must be his stomach pain flaring up again. Serena panicked, trying to pull him up and calling his name. I said: "Make a call. Call an ambulance." Serena did as I suggested. I grabbed Julian and turned to leave, but my left hand was grabbed. I turned back to see Liam, kneeling on one knee, holding my hand. His face was as white as paper, his whole body trembling in pain. "You're not going to accompany me to the hospital?" "Brother, no. You have Serena with you. I wouldn't be much help if I went anyway. Julian and I have a movie to catch; it's starting soon. We'll be late if we delay." While he was distracted, I pushed his hand away. I heard him whisper softly: "Before, if I was sick, you would be more anxious than anyone. Now you won't even spare me a second glance." Too bad for him, as he said, that was "before." Now, I've forgotten. No matter how much pain he was in, I felt nothing. Like an outsider. 11 After the movie, as we were taking a walk, Julian was just about to hold my hand when his phone rang. I saw it was Liam calling. Julian didn't answer, but Liam kept calling incessantly. When I finally answered, I heard him weakly say to me: "My stomach is bleeding." I asked, slightly annoyed: "Is there anything else?" He was interrupting the progress of my romance. The other end of the line was silent for a long time: "Are you not coming to see me?" "There's no need. I'm neither a doctor nor medicine. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." He breathed heavily, clearly furious, and roared: "Aria, if you have any guts, never contact me again." I heard the sound of something crashing to the ground through the phone. Serena was crying out anxiously: "Liam, you're on an IV! How could you kick the IV pole? You're bleeding everywhere! Nurse..." I hung up the phone. My head throbbed briefly, and blurry images flashed before my eyes. It seemed I was sick and on an IV, constantly dialing a number. When the person finally answered, they just said: "I'm busy. Don't bother me unless it's important." I asked him tentatively: "I'm sick, my head is spinning. Can you come see me?" He didn't show a shred of concern: "If you're sick, find a doctor. Don't look for me, you're delaying my street racing." I held my phone, crying sadly. Thinking back to this, I felt moisture on my face. "Why are you crying?" Julian looked at me nervously, a bit helplessly reaching out to wipe my face. I just said: "My head hurts." "I'll take you to the hospital." "No need, it'll pass in a moment." He offered to massage my head to help relieve the pain. When I felt better, he drove me back to the mansion. He said: "Although it feels a bit like taking advantage of your vulnerability now since you have no memories, and your reliance on me might just be because I was the first person you saw, I want our relationship to go a step further. I want to pursue you. I tried a long time ago, but I want to try again. Can I?"
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