Unfortunately, that very day Grandma Nan suffered a sudden heart attack. The hospital said her chances of being resuscitated were very low. The Nan family’s superstitious Great-Aunt Six said they needed a “joyous wedding” to bring Grandma Nan around. Ideally, they should find a pig-born girl with good fortune.
As it happened, Lin Zhixu was born in the Year of the Pig.
So Nan Zhou’s elders used filial duty to pressure him into registering his marriage to Lin Zhixu.
Even more remarkably, Grandma Nan regained consciousness that very night. Even the doctors called it a medical miracle.
For once, Lin Zhixu’s money-grubbing instincts made her clever. She seized the opportunity to demand an outrageous five million a month in spending money.
At the time, the Nan family was at the height of its power and its business was thriving. They didn’t care about such a small expense, and readily agreed.
When Lin Zhixu returned to the Ye family with a twenty-million check, everyone was stunned.
“Did you earn this?”
She said proudly, “Yes! I listened to Second Sister and married a rich man. The betrothal gift was twenty million. And from now on, I’ll get five million a month in spending money.”
Ye Lingshuang’s mouth fell open, disbelief written all over her face.
That wild idea she’d tossed out on a whim had actually worked?
Twenty million was an enormous sum. How many competitions would she have to enter, how much blood and sweat would she have to spill out there to earn that much?
Eldest Sister had worked herself to the bone for seven years, and her company now brought in only five million a year. Meanwhile, Lin Zhixu was getting five million a month just to spend?
People really could drive each other mad. Lin Zhixu truly was lucky enough to make money lying down.
“Just what kind of idiot would spend that much to marry a silly girl like you? You didn’t marry some lecherous old man, did you?”
Lin Zhixu shook her head. “No. I’m not that stupid.”
“I married the Nan family’s Eldest Young Master, Nan Zhou.”
“What?” Everyone in the room sprang to their feet.
“You mean the Nan family that’s one of Jincheng’s four great families?”
Lin Zhixu wasn’t quite sure herself. She said blankly, “I don’t know. I just know they’re pretty rich. Their luxury villa is bigger than an entire school building at our school.”
Judging by what she said, she really had stumbled into a tremendous bargain by sheer luck.
After hearing the whole story of how she’d gotten married, Grandpa gave her a solemn warning.
“Zhizhi, I always thought you were useless. I never imagined you’d be the most crucial one in bringing the Ye family back to prominence.”
“The important task of bringing in money is yours now.”
“Don’t go soft, child. The wolves who swallowed up and divided our Ye family’s assets back then included the Nan family.”
“What you’ve brought back today isn’t even one percent of what they stole from our family.”
“For the sake of the family’s revival plan—and your own safety—don’t come back to the Ye family from now on. Unless there’s an emergency, keep in touch with your family as little as possible.”
“Outsiders should still think you’re your uncle’s daughter. You have the surname Lin, and your household registration is there anyway. They won’t suspect a thing.”
“The Ye family’s comeback has to be carried out in secret, step by step. We can’t expose ourselves too soon, or the four great families will join forces to crush us. Do you understand?”
“Of course, if things go badly for you over there, or anyone bullies you, contact Second Sister. We may be weak right now, but we’d give up everything we have to bring you home and protect you.”
“Zhizhi, always remember the burden and mission you carry, and protect yourself. Grandpa and your sisters will always be your family and your support.”
Nan Zhou was kind and generous. Lin Zhixu had enjoyed an even freer life during her three years with the Nan family than she had at her uncle’s.
She had more money than she could spend, more delicious food than she could eat, and more beautiful clothes than she could wear.
Madam Nan sometimes picked on her, but she wasn’t harsh. Grandma Nan considered Lin Zhixu her lucky lifesaver and cherished her like a granddaughter.
Though Nan Zhou was her husband, he spoiled her like a younger sister. He never asked her to fulfill her duties as a wife.
Every month, she transferred her living expenses to Eldest Sister. In just three years, the Ye family’s businesses had secured a foothold in Jincheng.
Meanwhile, the Nan family was steadily declining.
For the past two years, Father Nan had been obsessed with gambling. In Australia, he’d been set up and had squandered billions. The family’s cash flow had dried up, and its real-estate projects were hemorrhaging money.
In just one year, the once-prominent Nan family had been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.
Three years after her wedding, Lin Zhixu returned home for the first time.
Grandpa and her sisters were heartbroken and astonished to see her clothes disheveled and splattered with blood.
“Zhizhi, what happened? Who hurt you? Was it that little bastard Nan Zhou?”
With red-rimmed eyes, Lin Zhixu said, “No! Nan Zhou went to Gangxi. We got divorced.”
“What? You and Nan Zhou got divorced? You had such a good husband and you let him go? Have you lost your mind?”
Ye Lingshuang had a fiery temper. Seeing Lin Zhixu so timid and spineless made her furious.
Lin Zhixu said, “I didn’t ask for the divorce. Nan Zhou did. His father gambled and ran up a huge debt, and the company is close to bankruptcy. Nan Zhou said divorcing me was a way to protect me. Otherwise, I’d have to help pay off the debt too.”
So that was what had happened. Second Sister’s tone immediately softened.
“Good. At least that boy has some conscience. If he’d wronged you, I’d have beaten him to death.”
“Anyway, who was the bastard who hurt you today? I’ll get revenge for you. I’ll castrate him!”
Lin Zhixu stammered, unable to answer.
“Second Sister, stop asking. Forget it. I’ll just pretend a dog bit me.”
How could the family let their youngest sister be bullied and just forget about it? Even if it was a dog that bit her, they’d skin it alive.
“What do you mean, forget it? We can’t let this go. If we don’t vent this anger, people will think the Ye family has no one to stand up for it. Tell me—who was it?”
“You won’t say? Then I’ll beat you! You’re too pathetic to even say who bullied you. Look at you, such a coward. What a disgrace.”
Ye Lingshuang raised her fist to scare her, and Lin Zhixu hurriedly confessed.
“Second Sister, don’t hit me! I’ll tell you, all right?”
Lin Zhixu hid behind Grandpa, afraid Ye Lingshuang would hit her. Second Sister’s fists were hard, and her punches really hurt.
“His name is Gu Tingshang. He’s my husband now.”
Boom!
Her words struck like a thunderclap, leaving everyone’s heads spinning.
“Who? Who did you say? What’s his name? Say it again!”
In Jincheng, the name Gu Tingshang was as famous as thunder. From the financial world to high society, everyone knew how much weight it carried.
Though he’d been out of sight for three years, he’d returned with all the authority of a king.
“His name is Gu Tingshang. We got our marriage certificates this afternoon. He looks so fierce and bossy. I don’t think you can beat him, Second Sister, so maybe don’t go looking for trouble with him.”
As her family stared in shock, Lin Zhixu pulled two checks from the pocket of the men’s dressing gown and handed them to Grandpa.
“These are the betrothal gift he gave me. This one is the tip he gave me.”
Everyone crowded around to look. One hundred million? Five million?
It seemed she really hadn’t been exaggerating.
These days, who else but the head of Gu Corporation would have the nerve to hand over a hundred-million betrothal gift and a five-million tip for one night?
“My goodness, Little Sister! You really are a pro at landing a rich husband!”