Live Twice, Love Once

Night fell as stars glistened across the night sky.

Although the cold breeze blew against the window pane, the temperature inside the room was burning hot.

Heat waves rolled off her body as she twisted and turned on her bed. Sweat dripped down her soft skin as she wrapped herself under the sheets.

Kate Xiao's face was beet red, and her vision was blurred. She waved her hands wantonly, as she tried to make out the words running through her mind.

Suddenly, one of the table lamps crashed onto the bed.

Pandemonium ensued right after. Different voices echoed across the night as they all rushed over, trying to see what the noise was about.

She could hear obscene languages from outside. Before she could process what was happening, the door opened.

Quickly, Kate Xiao twisted the bed sheet into a makeshift rope. As she tied it onto the other side of the window, she climbed onto the rope and jumped into the window of the next room. It was then when she fell into a man's arms.

Although she couldn't see much under the darkness, she could make out the man's intimidating gaze. His eyes were the perfect mixture of fire and ice. His stare sent a burning feeling all over body, but there was also something about him that sent a chill down her spine. She found herself mesmerized as he drew himself closer to her.

A few hours later.

She finally arrived at the bathroom located on the first floor.

"Maggie, what the hell are you doing here? You almost scared me to death!" Someone placed a hand on her shoulder. In a flash, Kate Xiao lowered her head and kept silent. The last thing she needed was for the woman to see her face and find out that she was not Maggie.

In fact, at this moment, the real Maggie was knocked out, and Kate Xiao had 'borrowed' her little skirt.

Without another word, she turned and rushed out.

"Maggie, wait!"

'Damn my luck! Just when I thought it's over, I have to meet one of Maggie's friends,' she thought.

Thinking of this, Kate Xiao wanted to leave here as soon as possible. She couldn't risk another mix-up. She lowered her head and strode quickly, wincing as pain shot up from her right leg. Just when she was about to walk around the corner, someone grabbed her arm.

"Kate? What are you doing here? You look weird." The girl looked at her with a smile. Kate Xiao was very familiar with that smile.

She knew that the girl was another Kate Xiao's college friend, Lucy Chen, a reliable person. Kate Xiao coughed awkwardly, implying that she wanted to leave. "I have something to deal with at home."

"Really?" After gazing at her, Lucy Chen's face lit up at once. She held her hand tightly and pulled Kate Xiao closer. "Why are your lips broken?"

Lucy Chen pointed at her lips then at her clothes. "And the sudden change of clothes? I remember that you didn't wear this one–"

"Isn't it time to get off work?" Kate Xiao interrupted. Normally, she was calm during her night shift. All she needed to do was to burst in and out, but her heartbeat wasn't cooperating with her, nor was her entire appearance. The wound on her lips must have been caused by the man next door. In fact, he had left tons of hickeys all over her body.

If it weren't for them, she wouldn't need to 'borrow' clothes in the first place!

Kate Xiao just knew that her leg must've been bitten during that night. She winced at the thought.

'Kinky bastard!

Next time I see him, I swear I'm going to get even with him,'

she thought.

"Aren't you so bold today?" Lucy Chen finally let go of her hand and poked her forehead playfully. "If you behave like this every day, then you wouldn't have been bullied by those little bitches. They scold you all day long, and you never fight back."

Her words held a tinge of worry for her.

"I understand." Kate Xiao lowered her head, trying to hide her emotions.

The best she could do was act like the other Kate Xiao. It definitely wouldn't be easy, but it was for the best. Now, she wouldn't be arousing any suspicion from the others.

"Well, don't be sad. Come on." Lucy Chen dragged her away.

Along the way, the consciousness of another girl who was also named Kate Xiao surged through her mind.

In an instant, she finally understood. She, the top coroner from the twenty-second century, had just time traveled.

Now, she became another girl, one who had a different skill set as her. However, this Kate Xiao was too weak for her own good.

'What the hell? Isn't this another plot from some old movie?

I'm at the top of my field! In fact, I've been training with the special troops all this years. How the hell was I supposed to know that I'll fall into another man's bed as soon as I got here? He even bit me on the thigh!' she exclaimed in her thoughts.

The two soon walked into a luxurious hall. Suddenly, everything quieted down.

Kate stared at the crowd. "Is this the meeting?" she whispered. A chill went down her spine. At this point, she could already feel that something was bound to go wrong.

"Why are your lips so red? And why are you wearing loads of makeup?" Lucy stared at her lips. "But you look great. It fits you!" Kate was speechless.

It was a good thing that she was wearing a sheer amount of powder, or else Lucy would've seen the blush rising up her face. She needed to wear makeup to cover up the bruises on her face.

Kate looked around. There were twenty girls. They were divided into two rows, and she could see that all of them had their heads bowed down. In the middle of the hall stood young men. Even if they were dressed so casually, it wouldn't be able to hide their status. There was one man in the middle who was a little older, about thirty years old. He looked more gentle than the rest of them.

He was probably the young master of the Lin Family, Alexander Lin. It was said that he was the biggest shareholder of this hotel and the local billionaire.

On the left side, there was a man with yellow hair. He had thin eyes and a long nose. It was as if God had gone down from the heavens and constructed him Himself. There was something about his dark red lips and his bright eyes that made him even more beautiful than a woman. He was the top singer, Justin Jing.

The man on the right had a pair of sharp eyes and a strong jawline. He was Mike Leng. His face was detailed and carved like any statues one could see in the museum, but he was expressionless. There was a certain coldness in his gaze that kept everyone away. It was said that he was a well-known football star from the capital. In fact, his talent could rival those who played in the professional league.

There was another man at the other end of the line. Although he was thin, there was something about his stance that sent off waves of confidence. He tilted his head, and his eyes flashed beautifully. He was the famous young director Lucas Chu. He came from a rich family as well. The movie he had made was just released a few days ago. It was the talk of the town, and it made several billion dollars across the world.

'None of them are easy to deal with,' she thought. In another Kate Xiao's memory, she could tell that all of them had strong backgrounds.

Alexander Lin sat in the middle, looking at all the girls in the hall. "Are all the girls present?" he said slowly.

"Yes. Everyone is here," a subordinate replied carefully.

"An expensive item was lost in Room 887 yesterday, and the suspect had also injured a guest in Room 887. You are all tonight's football girls, so you are all suspects. No one can leave here," he said coldly. There was something about his voice that sent waves of oppression to everyone in the room. Kate could see that the other girls were cowering from his gaze.

"What?

What is he talking about?" The girls began to discuss with one another.

"What was lost?"

"You don't know?"

"Who was sleeping in Room 887?"

"I heard it was Mr. He."

Kate's ears perked up.

'Room 887 lost something? We're cheerleaders?' Her mind raced as she recalled what another Kate was. It seemed that she was actually a cheerleader.

'I degraded from a coroner to a cheerleader?

Do the fates hate me or something?

But I stayed in Room 886!

Oh shit... Wait. But I jumped from 887 to 886.

Did a thief sneak in when I left?

But it didn't make any sense. I didn't hear anything... Even then, is it because the man didn't want to let me go? Will they investigate me?'

While she was thinking, Lucy leaned over to her.

"You know, it's better to be injured than to continue messing with other women,"

she whispered, satisfied by the outcome.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing her friend in such a daze, Lucy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

Staring at the men's indifferent faces, Kate lowered her gaze. 'If I was in Room 886 last night, then the same man must've slept with me. But who was he? Is he one of these four men?

He must be dangerous,' she thought.

"Wait, what did you ask me? I didn't hear it," Kate said.

Before Lucy could answer, a uniformed man walked over to Alexander Leng. "Sir, Mr. He is still causing trouble."

Instantly, Alexander's face darkened. He immediately waved his hand, causing the entire hall to silence almost immediately. "Well? Who entered Room 887?"

'It was Mr. He who was shouting at the door at that time. He was the playboy! The asshole!' Kate thought.

'Was he trying to get to me? I won't be fooled by him.' Kate crossed her arms, wondering who the man from that night was. From the corner of her eyes, she swept across the hall. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.

She wasn't the previous Kate.

She wasn't that simple.

"Check the surveillance video!" A man's voice broke out through the hall.

Kate froze upon hearing the voice.

'Check the surveillance video?'

Kate froze, feeling unsettled.

'Alexander wouldn't stop till he reaches his goal. Could he be the man who slept with me?' she thought.

The man she had slept with must indeed be very powerful. If he was one of these four... She raised her head and stared at the outstanding but dangerous men lined up at the front of the hall. If he was really one of them, then she was in for a load of trouble.

A few minutes later, someone walked to the platform. It was one of their subordinates.

"Mr. Lin, the surveillance video is damaged, and Mr. He is still causing trouble in the hospital."

Justin, who had been indifferent this entire time, rolled his eyes and turned his head in disdain. "Do you know why there are so many tranquilizers in the hospital?" he said idly, staring at the cheerleaders in front of him.

"Yes, sir. I understand." In an instant, the subordinate turned and left.

The other men remained as calm as ever.

Standing silently behind the crowd, Kate sagged her shoulders in relief. It seemed that she was safe this time. She subtly patted her chest. This was a good thing. Otherwise, everyone would see how she dragged her makeshift rope and jumped into another man's room. 'Whoever destroyed the surveillance video, thank you.

It seems I can get off work soon,' she thought.

However, just as she was about to celebrate, a young waiter walked up to them. "When I was on duty, I saw a masked girl with a good figure. She walked out of Mr. He's room in a hurry. Her right leg doesn't seem flexible. In fact, she must've been injured." The more he spoke, the more confident he sounded, and the more Kate wanted to smack him right on the face.

It seemed that this was another plot.

The man who had forced her to sleep with him was using this method to weed her out. In fact, she might even assume that the so-called thief didn't exist at all. It was just an excuse to see her. She remembered the bruise decorating her right leg. If she was examined, then she was doomed.

Plus, the bruise around her thigh was far too close to her private parts. 'Bastard!' Kate gritted her teeth.

'At this point, I have to be careful.' There was no way she was forced into this world just to be caught so easily.

"Check their right legs! Those who have finished the inspection can leave." There was a trace of impatience in Alexander's eyes. Given that he was one of the hotel's major shareholders, he didn't want anything bad to happen here. In fact, he didn't want to call the police. He crossed his arms and leaned back, as if waiting for something to show up.

Kate's heart raced in her chest. If she moved right now, then she would certainly be weeded out. 'The bastard's still playing innocent!' When she found out who he was, then she was going to teach him a lesson!

She didn't know why she was dragged through time and drugged inexplicably, but there was no way she was backing down this easily.

Hearing Alexander's order, all the cheerleaders jumped in excitement. Their eyes twinkled. It was as if they weren't being examined for thievery! All of them showed their legs, hoping that their assets would be enough to bed any of the men sitting on the platform.

While Justin smacked his lips helplessly, the other men simply ignored them.

"Look at how shameless they are!" Lucy spat out. "They probably wish they could crawl into their beds right now."

The women couldn't help but swoon at the men. As long as they climbed into at least one of their beds, then they were set for life.

Almost every cheerleader present had that dream.

However, Alexander wasn't going to inspect himself. Instead, he chose the lobby manager, who was an aged woman.

"Swoosh!"

All of a sudden, the girls sighed and followed the manager into the check-up room unwillingly.

They all went in and out. First, second, third... It was almost Kate's turn. Seeing that there was no escape, she braced herself for the impact.

Suddenly, a shrill scream broke into the hall.

"Someone fainted!"

Everyone craned their heads to see that Kate had fainted. At the sight, some of the women burst into laughter.

"Kate's so weak that she faints before being tested!"

"She always does that."

"What a loser!"

"Hell, she couldn't speak loud enough for us to hear her."

"Please, she's as quiet as a mouse!" The girls discussed with each other.

The lobby manager frowned and gazed at the girl. Her face was pale and her lips had fresh blood stains. It seemed that she had bitten it. The old woman turned her head. "Mr. Lin, this girl just fainted. It doesn't look good. Should we send her to the hospital?"

"Of course!" Lucy paled at the sight. She placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and patted Kate's face gently. "Don't scare me like this," she whispered. "Wake up."

The other cheerleaders snorted in disdain. "She's so timid!

It's as if she'd seen a ghost!"

"Get her out of here! She's just bad luck!" someone shouted.

A kind-hearted cheerleader sighed. "Don't say that. Kate's just a little shy. Besides, doesn't she do your errands?"

"Please, she's a coward. In fact, she's similar to a kitchen mouse."

After Lucy shook her a few times, Kate slowly opened her eyes. She could see that Lucy's eyes were already rimmed red at the sight of her in this state.

"Lucy... What happened to me?" Kate asked weakly.

Lucy immediately jumped up. She glanced up at Alexander. "Mr. Lin, can you let me send Kate to the hospital? She's..."

Kate had been pretending to be unconscious this whole time. Upon hearing Lucy's words, she breathed a sigh of relief. If she was brought away now, then she could escape this inspection. The man wouldn't be able to find her.

This was a good thing.

Alexander gazed at the woman who had just fainted. She was dressed in regular clothes. Hearing the discussion just now, the woman was as timid as a mouse. Although she had woken up, she still looked deathly pale. Just when he was about to agree, someone interrupted him,

"But she hasn't been examined yet." The voice was mellow and attractive. It sent a shiver down her spine.

'Who the hell said that?' Kate clenched her fists inside her pockets. 'That bastard!'

She was just about to escape the tiger's mouth.

The man had to drag her back in!

She gritted her teeth.

'Is he the man I slept with?'

At this time, everyone craned their heads to look at the source of the voice, only to see that it was Justin who had said those words. He narrowed his eyes at the woman who had just fainted. At his mesmerizing gaze, the women couldn't find it in themselves to turn away.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Mr. Jing, she had just fainted. You can't just..." She wanted to say 'You can't just let her die', but before she could finish, she was already interrupted. "Look, she either take the inspection to clear her name, or she will be sent to the police station.

You can pick for her." Justin smirked.

Kate's heart was thrumming with rage. 'The bastard's so heartless that he would rather let me die!'

In all the books she had read, the heroine who time traveled would meet all the handsome men, and they would all fall in love with her. They would be gorgeous and sweet as they all tried to sweep her off her feet. But what kinds of people did she meet?

The impassive Alexander.

The unmanly Justin.

The aloof Mike.

The cold Lucas.

And the obscene Mr. He.

Her luck must've been the worst of them all! Lucy opened her mouth and was about to defend her friend when Justin turned his head and waved his hand. "Prepare me a glass of cold water." Justin's eyes flashed in such a cunning way. Although he was still smiling, there was a sense of mischievousness lying underneath his gaze.

He was far more beautiful than women. In fact, if Kate didn't know any better, she would've thought that he was actually a woman.

Seeing him approach Kate, Lucy quickly stepped in his way. She stretched out her hands to stop him. "How can you do this?" she snapped.

"What are you talking about? Can't you see I'm helping her?" Justin pushed Lucy away. He didn't even bother looking at her as he stared curiously at the woman lying on the ground. Her face was indeed pale, but he still wasn't convinced. The corners of his lips inched upwards.

His face looked like spring blooming into life. He had a look that could turn everyone's frown into a smile. No one could hate that face.

"You!" Unwilling to give up, Lucy saw that he was already lifting his glass. She rushed forward. As a result, the cold water fell on top of her head. Kate was expecting that the icy water would wash her face, but she didn't get wet. She assumed that Lucy must've sacrificed herself.

Kate gritted her teeth, feeling a sharp pain in her internal organs.

At this point, she had to get better. She wasn't going to let Lucy take all his anger.

She hurriedly pinched the acupuncture points located in the palm of her hand. Soon, she opened her eyes slowly. She pressed her hand on the cold floor, intending to stand up. "Help... Help me... I... I want to get up," she whispered helplessly. Soon enough, everyone turned from Lucy to Kate. Kate had been working as a coroner for several years, so she knew her acupuncture points well enough. She had actually planned this entire trick – pretending to faint and escaping while she was being taken to the hospital. What she didn't expect was for someone to sabotage everything!

She was immediately held up. Soon enough, she was met with Justin's glare. He was holding an empty glass in one hand, and his eyes flashed at the sight of her.

Kate couldn't help but gaze at his charming smile. There was really no kidding that the man was even more handsome up close. Seeing his effect on her, she quickly avoided his gaze. The guy was definitely not easy to deal with.

Alexander waved his hand. Soon, the waiter provided Kate a chair.

Her face was still pale from the incident.

From a distant, she could still feel someone staring at her. She felt a burst of coldness rushing through her body. When she raised her head, she was met with the most chilling gaze she had ever witnessed. She felt the entire room drop a few degrees as she turned away.

'Mike?

Was he the one who slept with me?' she thought.

There was a sense of sharpness in his face that made her shrink. At last, she frowned, trying her best to restrain herself. It was said that Mike's background was exceptionally powerful, but no one truly knew what he was capable of. All they knew was that he was deadly rich.

He had never been mentioned on the news, so the information about him was incredibly limited. He just played some football in his spare time. The football team he participated in was for high-caliber players. Mike, Alexander, Justin, and Lucas were all members of that team. Given that they were really good, they were allowed to play in the major clubs.

Besides, Alexander was the one who owned that team.

Being a cheerleader for such a long time, the other Kate knew about these from the other girls she had worked with.

It seemed that Mike and Justin were the main suspects.

At this time, Lucas craned his head to see what was happening before him. When he glanced at Kate, the corners of his lips inched upwards. Without another word, he decided to lower his head and focus on the documents he was holding, as if he was leafing through some magazine.

Sitting on the chair, Kate trembled on purpose as she gazed up at the man in front of her. "Is this the foreigner? Miss, what are you doing?' She raised her finger to point at Justin weakly.

She had to teach him a lesson.

Everyone burst into laughter.

The once freezing hall was filled with chatter and outrage.

'How dare she say that Justin was a woman?'

'Doesn't she know who he is?'

'She's in trouble. That's for sure.'

At her words, Justin's expression changed almost immediately. His beautiful eyes widened in an instant. He stared at the weak body before him, as if he was expecting something.

"Where should I be checked?" Kate blinked her eyes pitifully.

"Leg!" Justin gritted his teeth.

"What?" She scrambled back, grabbing Lucy's arm with one hand. "I'm afraid, Lucy. This woman looks so fierce."

'Oh my God.' Lucy had to restrain herself from laughing at loud.

With a faint smile on his thin lips, Mike couldn't help but glance at Kate from the other end of the room. No one could tell what he was thinking, but it was obvious that he was interested with what was happening.

Justin's face darkened.

"You! Get out of here right now!" Justin pointed at Lucy who was about to reach for Kate. "Security guard!" he shouted.

Without waiting for Lucy's response, several armed security guards marched forward. "This way please, Miss." They looked as if they were going to beat her if she didn't leave.

"Okay, but I..." "Check me now!" Kate had no intentions to drag her friend down with her.

She gritted her teeth. Right now, she had no other choice but to unfasten her trousers. Her wound was very close to her private parts. Very close...

'I will kill that bastard!' She gritted her teeth.

Without another word, Kate grazed across the buttons of her belt. Her fingers were trembling at the touch.

All the girls in the hall held their breath as they stared at the woman who had just insulted Justin. It seemed that she was going to lose her face in public.

There were some girls who scoffed at the sight of her. Others laughed at the sight.

There were also some who gazed at her in disdain.

"How dare she take off her pants in public?" some of them whispered to one another. "She even asks Justin to check her legs!"

One of them scoffed. "Is she really that desperate to climb into a rich man's bed?"

"Isn't there an examination room?"

"I remembered that she has a fiance," one of them whispered. "Why does she want to seduce another man?"

Justin gaped at the sight. His eyes widened as he stared at her. A smile began to bloom in his lips.

Mike's eyes were as deep as the night. The smile on his face finally faltered, and he pursed his lips.

Soon, she had already unzipped her pants.

The hall had turned insufferably quiet.

All the cheerleaders dropped their jaw at the sight. They stared in disbelief.

Kate felt as if she could already drop dead from the embarrassment. She wouldn't have done this if the man hadn't pushed her to reveal herself. His scheme was a trap. He was a jerk!

However, she wasn't going to be fooled any longer. Once she found who he was, she would smash him into pieces. Punch him into his coffin!