MTL - This Star Doesn’t Work Overtime - Chapter 43 42. Going to eat first? Go away after this episode!

I came home from college expecting to deal with my emotionally unavailable father, an empty fridge, and a summer full of boredom.What I didn’t expect was to walk into the kitchen and find a barefoot, stunning woman in my dad’s shirt stirring eggs like she owned the place.Spoiler: She does.Her name is Elena, and apparently, she’s my brand-new stepmother—seven years older than me, way too cheerful, and totally off-limits.But try telling that to my brain when she’s bending over to grab orange juice or accidentally falling on top of me in the laundry room. Try telling that to my heart when she’s laughing at my jokes, defending me at dinner, or wearing my hoodie because “it smells like comfort.”My dad doesn’t see her. Not really.But I do.And that’s the problem.Now I’m stuck in a house full of tension, sarcasm, and slow-burn chaos.She’s married to my father.I’m supposed to be focusing on my future.But somehow, I’m falling for the one woman I absolutely, definitely, 100% should not be falling for.Oops.

The first thing my childhood sweetheart's did after becoming a wealthy woman was to ask me to marry her, in my poor and destitute state, went to her family to become the son-in-law.“Marry me, and you can live in luxury cars and mansions as you please.No need for work or household choresPlenty of pocket money every day, amounting to a five-figure sumAnd if you want kids, I'll bear as many as you wish.”But when I became this toy boy, I gradually discovered the sickly yandere and perverted control side of my childhood sweetheart...An accident brought me back to the past, live my life again.This time, facing the temptation of childhood sweethearts, I decisively refused!In this new life, my slogan is, drum up the wallet, and stay away from the rich woman!Me: “Sorry, I am the man you can never get in this life no matter how much money you spend!”

One day, You Huo and his famiIy was puIIed into an exam caIIed the GIobaI University Entrance Examination. Going through exams together with other unfortunate examinees, their Iives are put at stake and they can only Iive by passing each exam. However, something about these exams and the system controIIing it didn’t seem right — lt seemed to be trying to trap the examinees with ridiculous ruIes and strange questions…

I see dead people.But hey, it’s the zombie apocalypse, everyone is seeing dead people, including a blind girl. It’s not like I am that special.For a while, I thought I was going to be Cinderella, complete with the cruel stepfamily and the little mice for helpers. But instead of mice, I got demons from hell with a taste for chaos.Then again, there is nothing wrong with a little chaos in the middle of the apocalypse. It’s what makes life worth living.Unfortunately for others, they don’t quite see it that way. You see, I have a gift. One that isn’t exactly mine, but I can use it however I see fit.My gift is granting wishes.I'm a genie without a bottle, but it would be nice if people appreciated me more. All the humans ask for is the same thing… more food here, shelter there, kill these people, torture those. And I do it all, for a small price.I don’t ask for money or food, I can get that on my own. No, I want favors, souls, something that means everything for the other person. And they give it to me. Their momentary desire worth their long term happiness.But by the time they discover that, I’m long gone, already moved on to my next… client.I know I look young, starvation and abuse will do that to a girl. Humans tell me that I shouldn’t be wandering out there alone. Some try to help me… most don’t. But whoever said I was by myself? Just because others couldn’t see them didn’t mean my demons ever left. I still hear their voices in my head, whispering words of encouragement and love. For them, I’d do anything. Kill anyone. Destroy anything.After all, life is just a game, right? Those still alive at the end of the day were the lucky ones. Those who died were not. Everything is just a game of chance, all a human has to do is roll the dice.My only word of advice is to be careful what you wish for… you just might get it.My name is Hattie, welcome to my world.Would you like a cup of tea?