On the rooftop of the white villa, Xia Miao wore a bohemian-style floral dress and a wide-brimmed woven hat, her long hair braided into two fishtail plaits. The wind caught her skirt, making it flutter and outline her graceful figure.
Occasionally, the hem of her dress lifted, revealing traces of last night’s reckless indulgence that hadn’t yet faded—marks that gleamed provocatively. But since there were no living outsiders on this island, she didn’t bother to hide them.
Xia Miao peered through the lens of her telephoto camera, focusing on distant birds. Just as she found the perfect shot and prepared to press the shutter, a lively patter of footsteps interrupted her.
She sighed, knowing exactly who was causing the disturbance.
"Miao Miao! Miao Miao!"
A young man burst through the door with unrestrained enthusiasm, rushing toward her. He bent down from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around the petite Xia Miao, his body arching over her as he laughed joyfully.
The camera in Xia Miao’s hands nearly fell. Annoyed, she stomped on his foot. "What’s gotten into you this time?"
He didn’t answer, only giggled, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent greedily, as if unwilling to waste even a second of the chance to breathe her in.
Xia Miao squirmed at the ticklish sensation, struggling to turn around. When she finally faced him, she noticed something was off.
"Where have you been rolling around? You’re filthy, covered in wounds, and you’ve even changed your clothes from this morning."
Fu Lan looked disheveled—his gaudy outfit stained with blood, his deathly pale skin marred by injuries that looked ghastly. Yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, grinning brightly, the usual gloom in his expression momentarily replaced by radiant cheer.
He cupped Xia Miao’s face, pressing eager, heated kisses all over her.
The boy acted like a victor fresh from battle, now impatiently claiming his prize—her.
Just like every other time he appeared in such a "wretched" state, his first instinct was to pick her up, regardless of place or propriety. After all, this was a deserted island. He simply pinned her to the nearest surface, yanked down her pants, and plunged them both into the abyss.
"Mine… mine… only mine…"
Between ragged breaths, he murmured these words against her ear—pleasure and satisfaction lacing his voice, his sticky laughter echoing, a testament to the overwhelming love threatening to spill from his very being.
—She had no idea that every "boyfriend" who earned the right to approach her had to emerge victorious from a previous bloodbath.
That was why he was so frantic, so exhilarated. The love he’d hoarded for so long could finally be poured entirely into her. Nothing in this world could be more blissful or fulfilling!
And so, Xia Miao’s observation plans were once again ruined by his antics.
At first, she had been furious at the interruptions. But as they became more frequent, she learned to accept them with calm resignation.
Sometimes, she even wondered if she was sick too—if she had somehow become abnormal. Otherwise, how could she keep indulging his reckless behavior?
The evening scenery was the most beautiful. The sunset’s glow melted into the sea, reflecting shimmering ripples back onto the water. The white villa, encircled by lush green forests, was bathed in golden light. A gentle sea breeze completed the idyllic scene.
Finally sated, the young man lifted the drowsy girl into his arms. Though he appeared slender, his grip was strong. Even after being thoroughly satisfied, he couldn’t resist pressing countless kisses onto the girl nestled in his embrace.
Xia Miao pushed his face away in disgust. "Enough, you’re getting saliva everywhere!"
Fu Lan wasn’t fazed. He nuzzled her cheek. "Miao Miao, I love you. No one in this world loves you more than I do."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
He giggled again. "Miao Miao, let’s take a bath together, okay?"
Xia Miao lazily hummed in agreement.
His eyes lit up. "Yay!"
As he carried his lover downstairs with energetic strides, Xia Miao pulled out her phone. A message from a merchant on the mainland had arrived earlier.
[Sorry, I just want to confirm—Ms. Xia, are you really ordering such a large quantity of men’s clothing?]
She replied, [Yes.]
Merchant: [Are you planning to start a clothing business?]
[No. They’re for my boyfriends to wear.]
In a corner of the distant city, the young merchant rubbed his eyes in disbelief before exclaiming, "Holy crap, this rich girl is buying men’s clothes in bulk? Does her boyfriend change outfits every minute? Wait—what does ‘boyfriends’ mean?"
A trainee employee poked her head out. "Why do you care so much about the young miss’s affairs? Just do as she says!"
Others chimed in, "Xiaoluo’s right. Only a fool would turn down easy money."
Someone else asked curiously, "Hey, Xiaoluo, aren’t you friends with Ms. Xia? You must know something, right?"
"I don’t."
Luo Xiaoluo brushed them off without a second thought, focusing on her sketches. She was preparing for a major fashion design competition and had no time for gossip.
The others, sensing the dead end, dropped the subject.
When night fell, the villa’s lights went out.
Figures lurking in the shadows slowly emerged—like an endless swarm of locusts. Every fight, every drop of blood spilled, was part of a vicious cycle of reproduction, splitting into more of themselves.
A single one of them unleashed upon the world would be enough to drive humanity to madness.
But because their girlfriend was here, they gathered in silent agreement.
Their minds burned with images of deceitful imposters using their faces to trick her—embracing her, kissing her. They seethed with jealousy, their pitch-black eyes simmering with venomous hatred, as if dark poison would soon drip from their tear-stained cheeks.
—That stupid imposter dared to mimic his appearance and hold his girlfriend.
—That despicable imposter dared to wear his face while sleeping beside her.
—That damned imposter dared to steal his identity and take her, again and again.
These "monsters," who had once reveled in human jealousy, now writhed in the flames of their own envy.
Yet all they could do was lie in wait.
Next time… next time, he would definitely kill that imposter and become the one to step forward, the one to hold her in his arms!
