The Return Of The Scorned Son In-law

The truck’s headlights blinded me.

Then came Lin Yue’s smile.

Across the street, she stood arm in arm with Chen Hao—her first love. The man she swore meant nothing. Her lips moved before the impact. Finally.

Then nothing.

Then everything.

I gasped and bolted upright. My heart pounded like it wanted out. My body drenched in sweat. Where I sat didn't look like a hospital nor the morgue. This room was too small. Almost too familiar.

Our old apartment.

I looked at my hands—no scars, no burns, no broken finger. They looked young and whole.

My phone buzzed.

It was an old model with cracked screen.

June 8th, 2015. 6:47 AM.

I froze. My wedding day.

A laugh ripped out of me, harsh and raw. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The woman who killed me. The man who ruined me. The family that broke me.

And I was back.

The door creaked.

“Feng?” Lin Yue’s soft voice floated in. She stepped in wearing that white dress. No designer brands yet—just simple, innocent, yet so deadly.

“You’re awake early,” she said. “Nervous?”

I forced a smile. “Excited.”

She smiled back, the same gentle smile that used to fool me. “Good. We’ll make breakfast before we go.”

She turned, walking into the kitchen. I stared at her, mind racing. Ten years of pain clawed at my chest, but the voice in my head was steady. Don’t lose it. Not yet.

My phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

[Welcome, Host. Rebirth Protocol activated. Future Knowledge System online.]

My jaw dropped. Another ping followed.

[First mission: Survive today without signing the prenuptial agreement.]

I muttered under my breath, “A system? Seriously?”

Another line blinked in.

[Failure: You sign away your future again.]

My pulse quickened. The prenup. How could I forget that trap?

“Just a formality,” her mother had said. And I’d signed my own death sentence.

“Breakfast’s ready,” Lin Yue called.

I walked out, forcing calm. She was plating eggs and toast, smiling like she hadn’t helped plan my funeral.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Please,” I said, sitting. “You always made it too strong.”

She laughed softly. “And you always complained.”

We both laughed. The sound felt foreign.

She sat across from me. “You’re quiet today. Cold feet?”

“Thinking about the future,” I said.

She tilted her head. “Our future?”

“Yeah,” I murmured. “Something like that.”

She reached for my hand. “Hey, no matter what happens, we’ll face it together. Okay?”

“Together,” I echoed, forcing the word through clenched teeth.

My phone buzzed again.

[Side Quest: Identify the true enemy. Reward: Classified.]

I glanced at her. She looked calm—but her fingers trembled slightly when she lifted her cup. She was nervous. Why?

I leaned back. “You seem... off today.”

“What do you mean?” she asked quickly.

“You’re trembling.”

“I’m not.” Her smile twitched. “It’s just a big day. Marriage, courthouse, my mom’s probably planning something ridiculous.”

“Like a prenup?” I said lightly.

Her eyes widened a fraction—barely—but I caught it. “You know?”

“Know what?” I smiled. “That your mother doesn’t do anything without a contract? I figured.”

She swallowed hard. “It’s just to protect the family business—”

“I’m not signing anything today,” I cut in.

The silence was sharp. Her fork clattered against the plate.

“What?” she whispered.

“I said, I’m not signing it.” I met her eyes. “I read it last time. It didn’t protect you—it erased me.”

She blinked rapidly. “Last time? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.” I forced a grin. “Just a hunch.”

She stood suddenly, chair scraping the floor. “Feng, you’re scaring me.”

“Good,” I said. “You should be scared. I am too.”

She stared at me, breathing fast. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Because,” I leaned forward, “you’re hiding something. Aren’t you?”

“I’m not—”

My phone buzzed again.

[Incoming variable detected: Lin Yue has contacted external agent – Chen Hao.]

I froze. “You texted him?”

Her face went pale. “Feng—listen—”

“When?” I snapped.

“It’s not what you think!”

“Then what is it?”

She stepped back, eyes glassy. “My mother told me to! She said if I didn’t, the wedding would be canceled. I just—didn’t want to lose you.”

I stood, the chair legs screeching against tile. “Don’t lie to me, Yue.”

“I’m not!” she shouted, tears spilling now. “You think I want this? You think I want to be trapped between you and them?”

My head spun. She wasn’t lying—or she was too good at pretending. I couldn’t tell anymore.

“Then prove it,” I said.

“How?”

“Call your mother. Tell her I’m not signing anything.”

“Feng—she’ll kill the wedding.”

“Then let her.”

The phone in her hand buzzed before she could move. She glanced at it, went pale again.

“It’s her,” she whispered.

“Answer it,” I said.

Her thumb trembled over the screen. “Mama?”

Even from across the table, I could hear the woman’s sharp, cold voice. “Make sure he signs. If he hesitates, tell him Chen Hao will take you home.”

Lin Yue’s eyes flicked up at me. My stomach turned.

“Understood?” her mother snapped.

Lin Yue’s lips parted. “Yes, Mama.”

“No,” I said flatly, snatching the phone from her. “Not this time.”

“Li Feng?” The woman’s voice hissed through the speaker. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Waking up,” I said coldly. “You can keep your contract. I’m not signing anything.”

“You ungrateful—”

“Save it,” I said and hung up.

Lin Yue’s eyes filled with panic. “You shouldn’t have done that—”

“Watch me.” I tossed the phone on the table. “Today, I choose me.”

Before she could respond, my phone buzzed again.

[Mission Update: Objective altered. Survival probability 67%. New variable entering scene: Chen Hao.]

A knock pounded on the door.

Lin Yue flinched.

I stared at her. “You invited him here?”

“I didn’t—” she stammered. “I swear—”

The knock came again, harder this time.

“Open up, Yue,” a familiar male voice drawled. “It’s me.”

My blood went ice-cold.

Chen Hao.

I stepped toward the door, jaw tight. “Stay behind me.”

“Feng, please,” she whispered. “He’ll make things worse—”

“Good,” I said, hand gripping the doorknob. “Let’s make it worse.”

I yanked the door open.

Chen Hao stood there in a black suit, smirking like he owned the place. “You look alive,” he said casually. “Didn’t expect that.”

I didn’t think. My fist connected with his jaw before he could blink. He staggered back, cursing.

Lin Yue gasped. “Feng!”

He straightened, wiping blood from his lip. “You’ll regret that.”

“I already have,” I growled.

Behind him, a black car idled at the curb. A woman’s silhouette sat inside—Lin Yue’s mother.

Chen Hao smirked again. “Still the same fool, huh? Sign the paper, and maybe she’ll let you keep your dignity.”

I stepped forward. “Or maybe I’ll rewrite everything you bastards built.”

He laughed once, low and amused. “You think you can change your pathetic story?”

“I already have,” I said, slamming the door shut in his face.

My phone buzzed again.

[Mission success: Prenup unsigned. Reward unlocked. Warning: Timeline instability detected. Chen Hao variable activated early.]

Lin Yue collapsed onto the couch, shaking. “You’ve ruined everything.”

“No,” I said, staring at the door. “I just started it.”

The door rattled under another furious knock.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Chen Hao’s voice came low through the wood.

“You want to play god, Feng? Then let’s see how long you can survive.”

My phone screen flashed red.

[System Alert: New mission – Stay alive for the next 24 hours.]