The curse shot across the room like a snake made of black fire. It slamd right into the immobilizing talisman on Yu i’s chest.
With a loud hiss, the talisman burned up instantly, turning to ash right before Yu Holea’s eyes.
Yu i gasped and stumbled forward. She could move again.
Yu Holea stared in shock. "You—! How?"
But before she could take a step, Yu i’s mother raised one hand and snapped her fingers.
POP!
A flash of smoke exploded around Yu i and her mother. The room was filled with a thick mist that slled like burned flowers and ashes.
When the smoke cleared—
They were gone.
Vanished into thin air.
Yu Holea stood still, her heart pounding in her chest. Her barrier shimred softly around her, still glowing gold.
"...They escaped," she whispered, her voice low.
She looked down at the ashes of the talisman and clenched her fists.
Till now, she always thought that her talismans were very powerful...but now...she was doubting her own power.
But more than that...Yu Holea’s mind flashed with what Yu i had said.
She wasn’t Mr. Yu’s daughter! But soone else’s...
Yu Holea didn’t know how to feel.
She doesn’t have any way to confirm the truth.
Or maybe...she has...
Didn’t Yu i say that the family belonged to the capital? And they were a prestigious family?
She just needs to know the date when Mrs. Yu conceived her, and then...she would ask Qiao Jun to investigate the date.
As long as she finds soone who ets those requirents, she could easily make out...who her true father was...
Yu Holea walked back to her room slowly, her head full of thoughts.
She closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor.
She pulled her knees up and hugged them, her eyes a little wet.
Just then, she felt arms wrap gently around her from behind.
Qiao Jun.
He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered softly, "Why are you sad, Holea?"
Yu Holea didn’t answer at first. She just leaned against him, feeling safe in his arms.
Then she said quietly, "Yu i told sothing weird... She said I’m not Mr. Yu’s real daughter."
Qiao Jun didn’t speak, so she kept going.
"She said my mom was tricked... and I was born from soone else. Soone from a big family in the capital. But... I don’t know if it’s true."
Qiao Jun nodded slowly. His voice was calm and gentle.
"...My family might know who your real father is."
Yu Holea turned to look at him, shocked. "What? You knew? Why didn’t anyone tell ?"
Qiao Jun looked a bit sad. "I can’t explain everything right now. So things are... really complicated."
He reached out and held her hands tightly. "But I promise, I’ll help you. I’ll find your real father. You deserve to know the truth."
Yu Holea stared at him, her eyes wide. Then she nodded and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Really."
.......
The next morning
"Holea, are you sure you want to do this?" Yu Holea’s manager asked with tears in her eyes.
Yu Holea nodded.
"Did soone bully you? Just tell , I would deal with them!" Her manager continued, her voice sounded a bit choked.
Yu Holea was helpless and said,
"No one bullied , I am just tired."
Her manager bit her lips but didn’t say anything.
Yu Holea stood in front of the cara. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail. Her face was calm, but her eyes were serious.
She took a deep breath and spoke.
"This is Yu Holea. I want to thank everyone who’s supported . But today, I’m here to tell you... I’ve decided to withdraw from the entertainnt industry."
As soon as the video went online, the internet exploded.
#CoolLeaPleaseStay started trending in minutes.
Fans were stunned.
"WHAT?! Is this for real?? Cool Lea is leaving??"
"Noooo!!! I just beca her fan last week!!"
"She’s the best actress, and her cooking show was AMAZING. I even tried her fried rice recipe!!"
"Did soone threaten her? I feel like sothing’s going on behind the scenes..."
Thousands of comnts poured in.
"Lea, we love you!! Please don’t go!!"
"You are such an inspiration! Please co back!"
Even people who didn’t watch her shows started to talk about her, calling her "The Coolest Star Who Left Too Soon."
Fan pages were filled with edits, clips of her drama scenes, her cooking videos, and even her cute monts behind the scenes.
But Yu Holea didn’t post anything else.
She wanted to focus on the problems surrounding her life.
Her identity. The Yu family. Yu i, Yu i’s mother, and the curse.
She decided to spend ti away from her family, because she didn’t know how she could face them.
Yu Holea took a deep breath as she stood in front of the small villa she had just bought.
She was hoping to rest here for a while, away from all the noise and drama.
As she opened the door and stepped inside—
"Surprise!"
Yu Holea jumped back, eyes wide.
Inside the living room were Mrs. Yu, Yu Sicong, Yu Shuchang, Yu Sile, Grandpa Yu, Sheng Yin, and Qiao Jun!
The room was decorated with balloons and flowers. On the table was a cake that said
"Welco Ho, Holea!"
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She blinked in shock. "W-What are you all doing here...?"
Mrs. Yu ca forward first, giving her a warm smile.
"You didn’t think we’d let you live all alone, right? We wanted to surprise you and check if you’re okay."
Qiao Jun stood next to her and smiled. "We were worried about you."
Yu Holea’s eyes began to water a little. She didn’t expect this at all. A warm feeling spread in her chest.
But when her eyes accidentally t Grandpa Yu’s, she quickly looked away.
And when Yu Sicong, Yu Shuchang, and Yu Sile stepped forward to greet her, she quietly took a step back.
She gave a small smile and said, "Thank you... for coming."
The three brothers looked at each other, confused.
Yu Sicong was the first to ask, "Holea, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting strange. You won’t even look at Grandpa."
Yu Shuchang added, "And you’re avoiding us. Did we do sothing wrong?"
Yu Sile looked hurt. "Did I say sothing that made you mad?"
Yu Holea froze. She didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but her heart felt so heavy.
"I... I’m fine," she whispered, shaking her head. "Really."
But her voice sounded weak, like she didn’t believe it herself.
She walked past them slowly and sat down on the couch. Qiao Jun followed her and sat next to her, giving her a gentle look.
Everyone else stayed quiet for a few monts, the happy mood slowly fading.
Yu Holea didn’t want to tell them—Not yet.
She didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling.
She didn’t even know if she was part of their family anymore.
It was as if she had returned to the past...where she couldn’t tell to whom she can call family.
That night, the villa was quiet.
Too quiet.
Yu Holea couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, her heart full of strange feelings. Everyone was being kind... but deep down, she felt lost. Like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit anywhere anymore.
"Who am I, really...?" she thought, staring at the ceiling.
She quietly got out of bed, grabbed a hoodie, and slipped on her shoes. She didn’t want to see anyone right now.
She just wanted to be alone.
The beach wasn’t far from her villa.
It was peaceful.
But not for long.
Suddenly, she heard humming.
Soft and lazy, like soone was enjoying a midnight concert.
Yu Holea stopped and turned her head.
And there, sitting on a large rock near the water, was a guy.
His hair was long and wavy, kind of floating in the wind even though there wasn’t much wind.
He was wearing old-style beach clothes like soone from a hundred years ago. His skin was pale, and he looked kinda see-through.
"...A ghost," Yu Holea realized imdiately.
She narrowed her eyes.
The ghost noticed her and smiled.
"Oh? A pretty girl at this hour? Lucky ~" he said, raising an eyebrow like he was trying to be charming.
Yu Holea blinked, not expecting that. But she quickly turned away and kept walking like she didn’t see or hear him.
The ghost stared at her and pouted.
"Cold~ You just gonna ignore like that? Tch, beautiful won always have too much attitude."
Yu Holea almost tripped.
She bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Was this ghost for real?
She sat down in the sand a few ters away, trying to keep her distance.
But the ghost floated toward her and sat beside her like it was the most normal thing ever.
"Hey," he said, "Why the long face? You look like soone just told you your puppy ran away."
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