Chapter 1

Cindy had just changed out of her bloodstained clothes, but the smell of blood still lingered in the villa.

When Dawson entered and saw her, he subtly exhaled a breath of relief, though Cindy could have sworn she saw concern in his eyes.

Dawson showed her the emergency SOS message she had sent, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"You're 21 now. Grown up, huh? When I don't answer your calls, you scare me with these SOS messages?"

Cindy whispered, "I didn't…"

Dawson interrupted her explanation coldly. "Didn't I tell you? Mandy's dog is sick, and I need to help take care of it. Why do you keep bothering me?"

Cindy lowered her head, silent. Dawson didn't leave, though. His questioning gaze never left her face.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Sorry, Dawson. I pressed the wrong button."

Hearing her use the old term of address for him again made Dawson a little dazed.

"Don't ever joke like that again."

Cindy obediently nodded.

Once satisfied with her response, Dawson turned to head upstairs. But as he glanced down, he noticed the deep cuts on her wrist.

That was when he finally caught the scent of blood in the air.

His expression grew complicated, a mixture of panic and anger, which soon turned into reproach.

"Are you trying to force my hand with this? Do you think I'll fall for it? Let me tell you, it's not going to work! I'm about to marry Mandy. After three years of neglect, you still haven't learned, have you? If you ever entertain any inappropriate thoughts about me again, pack your things and move out!"

Without another glance, Dawson stormed upstairs, slamming the door shut behind him.

It wasn't a suicide attempt. The cuts were the result of her hand being severed before her death.

Cindy's heart ached, and she whispered softly, "Dawson, I won't do it again. Because I'm already dead."

Dawson seemed to sense something, pausing for a moment, but just then, a gust of wind blew in from the window.

Her words were carried away by the wind, and he didn't catch them.

Back in her room, Cindy hung seven human-shaped wind chimes by the window, each containing one of her seven souls.

In seven days, she would completely disappear.

After finishing everything, her eyes unconsciously landed on the framed photo on the table.

In it, seventeen-year-old Dawson Evans was holding the much shorter Cindy, the golden sunset bathing them in a warm glow.

That year, she was only ten years old. Without Dawson, she wouldn't have survived.

The servants once mocked her as a parasite, treating her poorly. When Dawson found out, he, normally so gentle, flew into a rage and fired them all. No matter how busy he was with his studies, he made time to come home every day to be with her, even cooking for her himself.

When Cindy's eyes were damaged by the smoke, Dawson would read her textbooks to her. His voice grew hoarse, and he lost his ability to sing.

Cindy felt deeply guilty, but Dawson comforted her gently. "I'm not angry with you."

At eighteen, the age of innocent love, Cindy hopelessly fell in love with the man who had raised her.

That year, Dawson threw her a grand coming-of-age ceremony.

At the banquet, Dawson, drunk and disoriented, caught Cindy's gaze. She, for the first time, drank alcohol. Looking at him—handsome and captivating—her heart raced uncontrollably.

Unable to resist, she kissed him, but Dawson snapped awake immediately, biting her harshly.

Cindy's lips were bloodied, but she stubbornly confessed her love to him.

That was the first time Dawson spoke harshly to her.

"Cindy Ellis, I'm seven years older than you, and I'm your brother. Loving me is wrong."

But in Cindy's eyes, the flames of desire only burned brighter.

"My last name is Ellis, yours is Evans. We aren't blood-related, so why can't it work?"

Dawson threw his wine glass in her face, extinguishing her passion completely.

"I've always seen you as my sister. Nothing more."

That night, Dawson drank until morning. Cindy, unable to sleep, waited for him to return. He was gone by the time she woke up, having left for overseas.

For three years, she waited—night after night.

When they finally met again, Mandy Collins was clinging to Dawson's side, asking her to call her "sister-in-law."

Cindy couldn't bear it. With a bitter heart, she asked him, "Did you bring her here just to make me give up?"

Dawson shot her a cold glance. "Don't flatter yourself. I fell for Mandy the moment I saw her dance."

Mandy was a well-known dancer, and Dawson had always been a fan of dance.

In the following weeks, he kept bringing Mandy around, showing affection openly in front of Cindy.

While being tortured by the criminals, Cindy's phone had once been answered. Mandy was the first to speak.

"Cindy, Dawson's busy grooming his dog. I'll have him call you back later."

Cindy's screams were drowned out by the sound of a hairdryer. Mandy hung up, and Dawson never returned her calls.

It wasn't until the knife pierced her heart that she truly understood: Dawson wouldn't come.

In the underworld, she saw that Dawson had only half a year left to live. Moved by her unrequited love, she traded three of her souls for seventy more years of his life.

The underworld sympathized with her, accepting three souls while leaving her remaining four to return to the mortal world to sever her obsession.

When the clock struck midnight, the wind chimes fell with a crash, shattering into pieces.

"Dawson, this is the first day of my goodbye."

In the middle of the night, Dawson Evans awoke with a start, his heart racing at the sound of shattering.

Chapter 2

The next day, Cindy began to handle her affairs.

She didn't want to burden Dawson any further, not in life, and not in death.

First, she returned to the crime scene to collect her remains.

The overgrown weeds only added to the eerie atmosphere.

The criminals, vicious and ruthless, were repeat offenders. Her body had been dissolved using a special method, leaving only fragments behind.

She dug through the dirt, gathering what remained of her bones. Even after death, Cindy still felt the pain.

Finding the shell bracelet lodged in her palm, she carefully wiped off the bloodstains.

The criminals hadn't thought it valuable, which was why they hadn't taken it. But to Cindy, the bracelet was priceless.

She had made it by hand, learning the craft because Dawson loved collecting shells. Each shell had been polished by her, one by one.

Six days later, it would be Dawson's twenty-eighth birthday, and her seven days of resurrection would come to an end.

To be able to personally deliver his birthday gift to him, she would have no regrets.

She carefully wrapped the remaining bones in a black bag. If one didn't look closely, it might seem like a bag of meat.

Cindy had planned to go straight to the crematorium and cancel her household registration. In her rush, she'd forgotten her ID, so she had to return home to retrieve it.

When she opened the door, she found Dawson at home. She bowed slightly to greet him, no longer as enthusiastic as before.

Dawson noticed that Cindy seemed different, and he was unsettled by her silence. Unable to resist, he spoke first.

"What did you buy?"

Cindy grew anxious, her eyes nervously darting upwards. In a soft voice, she replied, "Meat."

It was a sign that she was lying.

Dawson's thoughts were pulled back to a week ago, when Mandy had come over to cook for him. Her culinary skills were exceptional, and he enjoyed her cooking.

At the dinner table, she fed him, saying, "To win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach."

Cindy, hiding in the corner, remembered those words.

That night, she stayed awake all night, searching for cooking tutorials.

The next morning, she snuck into the kitchen before he woke up, but when she turned on the gas, the flames leaped up and burned her eyes.

Her parents had died in a fire. Maybe this was some kind of punishment. Or maybe fate had already sealed her fate.

But in the end, she loved Dawson Evans too much to let go.

When he finally returned, everything would be clear.

Under Cindy Ellis's questioning gaze, she casually replied, "The dance studio."

After being adopted, she found out that Dawson Evans enjoyed watching dance.

So, when he asked her what her dream was, she confidently answered, "A dancer."

For eight years, she practiced tirelessly, even when injured—she would get a painkiller shot and continue to practice, never asking for a single day off.

Finally, this year, she passed the entrance exam and was accepted into the best dance academy in the city.

Once, Dawson had encouraged her. "I believe you'll be the best dancer in the future."

Now, her brilliance was overshadowed by Mandy Collins.

On the day Dawson returned to the country, Cindy Ellis excitedly took out her admission letter. But before she could share her joy, he pulled Mandy forward, gazing at her with adoration as he introduced her.

"I met Mandy at the theater. She's the best dancer in my eyes."

Dawson truly liked Mandy. All along the way, he kept talking to Cindy about Mandy's dance style.

Cindy nodded obediently, though her heart no longer ached as it once did. Maybe she was already dead inside.

She was so compliant that Dawson found it surprising.

Just recently, every time Mandy Collins was mentioned, her reactions had been intense.

"Your sister-in-law dances beautifully. She's a senior. You should learn from her."

"Okay, Dawson."

This time, when she called him "Dawson," it was sincere.

Seeing that Mandy and Dawson were well-matched, even if she left in the future, she would be happy for him.

The dance studio was in the opposite direction from the account cancellation office, and the Maybach just passed the intersection.

Cindy glanced at her watch. There was still time. After Dawson left, she would turn back.

Mandy's video call came through, and Dawson answered it instantly.

"Dawson, I miss you so much."

"We'll see each other tonight, won't we?"

The two chatted animatedly, talking about their future after marriage. As they grew more intimate, Mandy blew Dawson a kiss and formed a heart shape with her hands.

Cindy turned her face away, gazing out the window. The sky was dark, and the storm was coming.

When the car was almost at the dance studio, Mandy suddenly said she wanted to eat the small fried meat from the West District, but the dance studio was in the East District.

Looking at the navigation, only three kilometers remained. Dawson slammed on the brakes and turned to Cindy.

"It's not on the way. You should get off here."

Cindy's heart ached, but she silently opened the door and got out of the car.

Just as she was about to leave, Dawson rolled down the window and handed her an umbrella.

"It's going to rain heavily."

It had been a long time since he had shown her any care. Cindy froze for a moment, a warmth rising in her chest.

Dawson turned his face, not looking at her, and his tone carried an unreadable meaning.

Chapter 3

"If you catch a cold in the rain, don't expect me to take care of you. I'll be busy planning the wedding with Mandy."

After the Maybach drove away, Cindy stood for a long time, the words Dawson had just said replaying in her mind.

So, they were getting married soon. It seemed her brother really loved Mandy.

Cindy had just walked a few steps when the heavy rain began.

The downpour was so intense that even with the umbrella, her clothes were soaked.

Because it was such a long journey, she didn't reach the account office until noon, only to find it locked.

She stood alone in the storm, feeling isolated and desolate.

Finally, when the office reopened in the afternoon, she pushed open the door.

Dawson was still her legal guardian, and in order to avoid causing him trouble, she decided to cancel her account first.

The staff were stunned. Who would come to cancel their account while still alive?

Cindy gave a wry smile. "Because I'm about to die."

The staff looked embarrassed. They had never handled such a case and had to consult their superior.

When the superior heard her story, they asked her to meet them in the conference room.

Cindy walked in and found her middle school teacher waiting for her.

After exchanging pleasantries, the teacher looked at her in confusion.

"Why do you want to die? Does your brother know?"

Cindy shrugged, lying. "I have a terminal illness. I haven't told Dawson."

Seeing the sorrow in her eyes, the teacher didn't press the issue but still couldn't help advising her.

"Your brother has been so good to you. Back then, you had excellent academic results, but you insisted on becoming a dancer.

The teacher and principal disagreed, but Dawson came to the school and supported you without question.

When your competition spot was taken by someone else, he even gave up an international project just to help you reclaim it…"

The teacher rambled on, reminding Cindy of the past.

In the end, the teacher sighed and patted her on the shoulder.

"I really think you should tell Dawson about your illness, or you'll regret it."

Cindy silently nodded. "I'll tell him in a while. Please keep it a secret for now."

Once she received the teacher's approval, she sighed in relief.

On the way to the crematorium, her mind replayed scenes from the past.

She and Dawson could never go back to the way things were. He had found someone new, and she was already dead.

The flames of the cremation burned Cindy's eyes. Even as the flames consumed the remnants, she still felt the pain.

After handling everything, she carried the urn and walked forward, not expecting to run into a familiar face.

Dawson Evans and Mandy Collins were walking side by side.

When they saw her, Dawson froze for a moment, then asked, "Didn't you say you were going to the dance studio?"

Cindy Ellis lifted her head, and their eyes met. It was an awkward silence.

Mandy Collins smiled at her. "What a coincidence, we meet here. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to send off a friend."

She quickly hid her tension and looked at Dawson, adding,

"I just got the news that a friend of mine passed away. She was murdered by criminals. She was an orphan, so I'm here to claim her body."

Dawson's expression was strange, a hint of something awkward rising in him. He was about to ask further when Mandy interrupted.

Her face showed sadness. "Your friend was probably around your age, wasn't she? Such a tragedy."

Dawson glanced at Cindy, but didn't say anything more. He simply took Mandy's hand and walked away.

Cindy sighed in relief. Just as she was about to leave, Dawson's cold voice came from behind.

"Mandy's dog passed away today from a heart attack. I'll be staying with her. You don't need to wait up for me tonight."

In the past, when Dawson went off to be with Mandy, Cindy would stubbornly wait in the living room all night, her eyes red from lack of sleep.

But now, she thought of him only as a brother. Moreover, she had already died. The one who would stand by him in the future wouldn't be her.

Cindy turned her face away and nodded calmly.

"Okay, Dawson."

After returning home alone, she changed out of her soaked clothes.

A few days later, when the gravestone was ready, she would bury herself beside her parents. Then, all the matters of this world would be finished.

She sat quietly in her room until midnight. The sound of a wind chime breaking pierced the silence of the night.

Her soul would only remain for five more days.

The next evening, Dawson's car finally entered the yard. Cindy stood by the window, gazing at the distant scene.

Dawson carried several bags, while Mandy linked her arm with his, the two of them laughing happily.

Cindy felt a twinge of sadness. It had been three years since she had seen Dawson smile so genuinely.

But soon, she let it go.

Her brother had found his true love. She should be happy for him. In five days, even if her soul was scattered, she would be at peace.