Confession

I approached the young girl, curiosity lacing my words, "We're here for research. How long have you lived here?"

In her thick accent, she replied calmly, "I don't know, I was born here."

My professor chimed in, concern etched on his face, "Is it really safe here during heavy rains?"

The composed little girl assured us, "It's safe. Our homes might get flooded, but we deal with it."

I marveled at her resilience, unable to say anything else. 

As night fell, a kind elderly villager invited us to stay overnight in a well-maintained shelter built a few years ago. It provided us a chance to freshen up and spend the night before departing the next day. The practical suggestion resonated with us, especially considering the impending rain.

Ignoring the shelter's appearance, I settled onto a wooden bed, my body weary from trudging along mountain paths. My companions, Professor and Randy, joined me in the cramped room. We exchanged exhausted glances, a silent acknowledgment of the day's challenges.

"My eyelid has been twitching. How about yours?" I inquired, attempting to lighten the mood.

Randy, ever the considerate one, offered me some bread, his eyes still glued to his book. "You probably haven't slept well! Here, have some bread!"

I glanced at his choice of reading material, unable to stifle a chuckle. "Randy, are you still engrossed in my low-quality harem novel?"

The professor, oblivious to the term, questioned, "What does 'harem' mean?"

I cast a wry smile at him. "Professor, sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Randy, always eager to enlighten, explained, " 'Harem' means one man dating multiple women at the same time!"

The professor frowned, his disapproval evident. "Oh, this won't do! One should be faithful!"

"It's just a novel! But what intrigues me about this one is the male lead; I've never seen a protagonist in a harem novel this hard to pursue!" Randy said.

I snorted and reclined on the bed. "I don't know why my main readership is male, and they've requested me to write harem. But if one of the female leads were me, I'd report the male lead for bigamy!"

Randy chuckled, "Skr, ruthless!"

Having spent significant time with Randy, his delayed graduation had its merits. He stumbled upon my forgotten novels, and his favorite happened to be the one I wrote years ago.

The sky, previously murky, suddenly turned pitch black as heavy clouds loomed. The shelter's lights had long ceased to function.

I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, a deluge engulfed the village, its intensity matched by fierce winds. My two companions and I leaped from our beds and hurried to the window.

"The rain's relentless. We might be in deep trouble. Let's hope this shelter holds," I murmured.

Both the professor and I swiftly grabbing our phones and flashlights before rushing out of the room.

"Quick, help the villagers evacuate! Hurry!" the professor bellowed.

Randy, sensing the urgency, darted out as well. Upon leaving the shelter, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, seek refuge in the shelter!"

Due to the torrential rain, the villagers remained indoors, their doors tightly shut. Most of them didn't comprehend Randy's urgent pleas.

I was frantic. The rain pelted my face, making it difficult to keep my eyes open. Nevertheless, I pushed through, knocking on nearby doors. "Leave your homes! Head to the shelter!"

House after house, I persisted, while the professor and Randy guided the villagers toward safety.

As the rain intensified, I reached the closest house to the landslide. The mountainside began to crumble, fear gripping my heart. Inside, only an elderly person and a little girl remained. Without a second thought, I carried them to safety, my strength surprising even myself.

"The rain is so heavy!" the little girl exclaimed, her innocent voice cutting through the chaos.

I reassured her, my own voice trembling, "Close your eyes, dear. Be brave, and don't be afraid."

Suddenly, the mountainside collapsed, a surge of mud and rocks rushing toward us like a tidal wave. The elderly person urged, "Put me down, take my granddaughter and run!"

"No... no, I can carry you both," I protested, tears mixing with the rainwater.

But it was too late. The mudslide engulfed us, and in the chaos, I lost sight of the elderly person and the child.

"Seraphina!" Randy's desperate voice reached my ears, but before I could respond, the relentless rush of mud carried me away.

"Seraphina!!!"

I was drained of strength. On the verge of death, a thick book floated toward me.

"I'm about to die, and this wretched book…"

I didn't finish my sentence. The hefty book, with millions of words, pressed onto my face, forcing my head downward.

Curse this book!

The mudslide covered my face. I inhaled water saturated with sand, a searing pain engulfing my lungs. I didn't have time to experience the struggle of death before I suffocated and succumbed.

After the excruciating pain of being submerged in the mudslide, I found myself amidst a funeral. Wearing a black dress, I stood in the middle, gazing at two memorial photos before me. The atmosphere was stifling.

Whose funeral is this?

Mine?

Am I witnessing my own funeral?

Am I a ghost?

I touched myself. Solid! I'm not a ghost!

A man nearby observed my movement. He approached and gently patted my shoulder. "I'm here."

I shuddered violently. In this eerie place, sudden human contact frightened me to the core.

The man sensed he had frightened me and offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry for scaring you, Zephyrine."

A woman approached and stroked my head gently. "Quentin will sneak back today. Would you like to come with me to the airport to pick him up?"

"Quentin?" The name struck a chord of familiarity, echoing the male protagonist from my harem novel.

"Quentin Bennett? The famous star Quentin Bennett?"

"Yes," the woman gently touched my forehead. "No fever."

I possessed an unusually high level of acceptance. Blinking, I realized I must have transmigrated. So, the reason that awful book was covering my face when I died served a purpose!

Before my demise, I had been telling Randy that I would sue Quentin Bennett for bigamy!

I never expected to end up in this novel. What was this? Was I here to sue Quentin Bennett for bigamy?

I felt like crying. I had just been venting! If I genuinely sued someone for bigamy, I didn't know if divine retribution awaited me. After all, according to the plot, the male lead have an extraordinary background.

According to the novel, "Zephyrine Everlynn's" parents died in a laboratory explosion. Later, she was taken in by Quentin Bennett's parents, becoming the first person to cohabit with Quentin Bennett...

The woman repeated the same question, and absentmindedly, I agreed. Staying here was futile. I didn't have any emotional attachment to the deceased couple; after all, I wasn't the real Zephyrine Everlynn. I was more intrigued by Quentin Bennett. According to the setup, Quentin Bennett was exceptionally handsome. After all, he was a big star.

On the way to the airport, I hadn't contemplated the progress of my relationship with Quentin Bennett at this point.

Just after dying, my mind was likely clouded with the mudslide, and I couldn't recall the plot.

She informed me, "Quentin went for a shoot a few days ago. When he heard about your parents yesterday, he rushed back by plane."

I asked, "If we go to pick him up, won't we be surrounded?"

"He came back secretly. It's fine."

I nodded and didn't say anything more.

This kind of plot in lousy harem novels was utterly absurd. Normally, even if a popular star returned secretly, someone would uncover their flight information.

At the airport, we didn't have to wait long before we saw a man wearing sunglasses and a mask walking confidently.

"Mom? Why did you bring her?" Quentin Bennett walked over, switching the luggage to one hand.

She leaned close to Quentin's ear and said softly but I can still hear, "The funeral was too oppressive. Zephyrine must be missing her parents and feeling down."

Based on the limited plot I knew, I understood that Quentin Bennett was different from other male protagonists in harem novels. He wasn't proactive or responsible. If someone approached him, he showed no interest or love—stay away from me. It was hard to seduce him. The five semes pursuing him put in a lot of effort! Those five semes were the standard characters in traditional harem novels: the sickly student Zephyrine Everlynn, the beastly university professor Daniela Barnett, the gentle and sweet police officer Evie Richards, the domineering CEO Briella Cortez, and the romantic painter Carissa Davidson.

Zephyrine was three years younger than Quentin. They were childhood friends who grew up together. In this process, Zephyrine unknowingly fell in love with Quentin. She confessed, got rejected by Quentin, and then...

Zephyrine's parents died, and she moved into Quentin's house!!

Damn it!

My mind was finally clear of the mudslide. I remembered this plot point, feeling incredibly frustrated. Clutching my chest, I almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

The plot has already reached the confession stage! 

How can I confront Quentin, the person to whom I confessed my feelings, only to be rejected in his eyes?