At six in the morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Chen Lili quietly got out of bed.
She had barely slept the night before. Her eyes were badly swollen, and she had spent a long time applying cold water to them just to reduce the puffiness. When she opened the door of the maid’s room, the villa was completely quiet. Only the kitchen light was on—Peng Jiali was already up, preparing the ingredients for breakfast.
“Good morning, Auntie,” Chen Lili greeted softly, her voice still a little hoarse.
Peng Jiali turned around and nodded when she saw her. “Xiao Chen, you’re up so early? Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
“I came to help.” Chen Lili rolled up her sleeves and walked over to the sink to wash her hands.
Peng Jiali looked her over. The girl’s face was pale, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, but at least her attitude seemed proper. She pointed at the pot on the stove.
“Then start cooking the rice. I’ll go into the yard and pick some vegetables.”
Chen Lili nodded and began washing the rice. Her hands were still trembling slightly. It seemed she had cried herself dry the night before, leaving behind only a numb sense of calm. The grains of rice slipped between her fingers as the cold water washed over her skin, reminding her of the bone-deep chill she had felt in the hotel yesterday.
At seven-thirty, Lu Changfu came downstairs with a yawn. By then, the dining table was already filled with steaming dishes—white rice, stir-fried vegetables, fried eggs, cured meat, and a bowl of seaweed soup.
Chen Lili stood to the side with her head lowered, like a prisoner awaiting judgment.
“Good morning, son!” Peng Jiali came in from the backyard with a handful of freshly picked scallions. “Xiao Chen helped make breakfast. Try it and see if it suits your taste.”
Lu Changfu glanced at the food on the table before looking at Chen Lili.
Her complexion looked even worse than yesterday. Although she had put on light makeup, the exhaustion and suppressed humiliation she was desperately trying to hide seemed to seep from every pore.
He frowned and suddenly spoke.
“If you don’t want to do this, you can leave. I won’t stop you.”
The words struck Chen Lili like a slap. Her entire body trembled, and she abruptly raised her head, meeting Lu Changfu’s cold gaze. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t get a word out.
Peng Jiali froze. “Changfu, what are you—”
“Mom, go ahead and take care of what you need to do. I’ll talk to her for a moment.”
Lu Changfu’s tone remained calm.
After Peng Jiali left the dining room with a puzzled look, Lu Changfu walked up to Chen Lili and lowered his voice.
“Who are you making that face for? Did I pay money just to make myself miserable?”
He let out a cold laugh.
“The agreement is signed, and the money has been given to you. If you’re unhappy, you can pack your things and leave right now. Of course, you’ll have to pay the money back.”
Chen Lili dug her fingernails deeply into her palms, using the pain to keep herself clear-headed. She knew she looked terrible, and she also knew Lu Changfu wasn’t wrong—the agreement was signed by her, and she had taken the money. No one had forced her.
But she simply… couldn’t control the shame and pain that seemed to seep from deep within her.
“I…” She opened her mouth, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s. “I’ll change… I won’t be like this anymore…”
Lu Changfu stared at her for several seconds. Then, without warning, he reached out, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her toward the door.
“Then prove it to me.”
Chen Lili stumbled as he pulled her into the yard. The chilly morning wind cut across her face like a knife. She was wearing only a thin sweater and immediately began shivering from the cold.
“Smile,” Lu Changfu ordered. “Smile at me right now. Not that miserable expression, and not a fake smile. A genuinely happy smile. If you can’t do it, then get out.”
Standing in the freezing yard, Chen Lili felt as though her blood had turned to ice. Looking at Lu Changfu’s ruthless expression, she suddenly realized that he was serious.
This wasn’t humiliation. It was a test—a test to see whether she was capable of doing this “job.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the corners of her lips slowly curved upward.
It wasn’t the empty professional smile she had worn the night before. It was something more complicated and broken, yet strangely carrying a trace of genuine warmth—a smile like that of someone standing on the edge of an abyss who had suddenly seen through everything and, instead, found peace.
“Good.”
Lu Changfu released her hand.
“Remember that expression. From now on, you have to maintain it in front of my parents and in front of everyone else. Otherwise…”
He left the sentence unfinished, but the meaning was obvious.
Chen Lili nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Strangely enough, after this almost cruel “test,” the heart-wrenching shame she had been feeling actually became lighter.
Perhaps it was because she had finally accepted reality completely.
This was a transaction. It had nothing to do with feelings or dignity. It was simply a contractual relationship in which both sides got what they needed.
“Come inside. Eat.”
Lu Changfu turned and went back into the house.
At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. When Song Liyuan came downstairs yawning, she saw Chen Lili standing beside the table serving rice. She paused for a moment before breaking into a smug smile.
“Oh, Sister Chen, you’re really diligent!”
She deliberately emphasized the word “Sister,” clearly showing off her position.
Chen Lili responded with a calm smile.
“Good morning, Miss Song. The food was just prepared. Eat while it’s hot.”
Song Liyuan was slightly surprised by her attitude, but quickly composed herself and sat affectionately beside Lu Changfu.
“Brother Lu, what are we doing today?”
Just then, Lu Changfu’s phone rang. He glanced at it, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“Yang Lifeng invited us to go to a hot spring.”
“Huh? We’re really going?” Song Liyuan asked in surprise. “I thought you were just brushing him off yesterday!”
“Why wouldn’t we go?” Lu Changfu took a sip of soup. “An old classmate has invited us so enthusiastically. It’d be rude not to go.”
He looked at Chen Lili.
“You’re coming too.”
Chen Lili’s fingers trembled, and she almost knocked over her bowl of soup.
“I…I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to go, right?”
“If I say it’s appropriate, then it is.”
Lu Changfu put down his chopsticks.
“After breakfast, go get ready. We’re leaving at ten.”
At ten that morning, Lu Changfu drove Song Liyuan and Chen Lili to the newly opened hot spring resort in town.
Yang Lifeng was already waiting at the entrance. Two young men stood beside him as well. They were both Lu Changfu’s high school classmates—Liu Qiang and Li Ming. They were now doing business in town and were doing fairly well.
“Changfu! Over here!” Yang Lifeng waved enthusiastically, but his eyes immediately locked onto the two women beside Lu Changfu.
He had met Chen Lili yesterday. Today, she was dressed even more elegantly, wearing a cropped down jacket paired with a short skirt and long boots. She looked fashionable and attractive.
Song Liyuan, meanwhile, wore a simple beige coat with black trousers. Her makeup was light and elegant, giving her a gentle, graceful appearance.
The two beautiful women, each with a completely different style, stood on either side of Lu Changfu. A sour feeling rose in Yang Lifeng’s heart again.
“Hey, all my old classmates are here!” Lu Changfu greeted them with a smile. He deliberately draped an arm over Song Liyuan’s shoulder before glancing at Chen Lili.
“Let me introduce you. This is Song Liyuan, my girlfriend… and Chen Lili, my…friend.”
The smile on Yang Lifeng’s face stiffened for a moment before becoming even more enthusiastic.
“Welcome, welcome! Hello, ladies! I’m Yang Lifeng, Changfu’s old classmate. I’m running a small business now.”
He deliberately shook the BMW key in his hand.
“This is Liu Qiang. He owns a building-materials store… and this is Li Ming. He works as a civil servant in the county.”
After some brief pleasantries, everyone entered the resort.
Yang Lifeng had booked a luxurious private room with a private hot spring pool and a lounge area.
Along the way, he kept showing off how expensive the place was.
“This place isn’t cheap. It’s 588 yuan per person, but the environment really is great, and the service is top-notch…”
Lu Changfu listened with a faint smile without responding.
Song Liyuan, however, was very cooperative. She occasionally exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow, it’s really beautiful!”
She held onto Lu Changfu’s arm, but her eyes kept drifting toward Yang Lifeng.
“Brother Yang is so generous!”
Yang Lifeng was delighted to hear her call him “Brother Yang,” and he became even more eager to show off.
“That’s nothing! After we finish soaking in the hot spring, let’s go to the best restaurant in town. My treat!”
When they reached the private room, the attendant brought over a fruit platter and drinks.
Yang Lifeng urged everyone to change and get ready for the hot spring. Then he moved closer to Lu Changfu and lowered his voice.
“Changfu, you’re something else. Two beautiful women? How did you manage that?”
Lu Changfu shrugged.
“I’m just too charming. What can I do?”
He deliberately sighed.
“Actually, I’m having a bit of a headache myself. They’re both pretty good, and I can’t decide for the moment… So I brought them out to observe them a little and see which one is more sensible.”
Yang Lifeng’s eyes lit up.
“How about… I help you take one off your hands?”
He said it half-jokingly, but his eyes drifted toward Chen Lili, who was talking to Song Liyuan.
“Sure.”
Lu Changfu readily agreed.
“Let’s see what you can do.”
Yang Lifeng didn’t expect him to agree so readily. He froze for a moment, then immediately became delighted.
“Really? Then… can we add each other on WeChat?”
“Sure.” Lu Changfu waved his hand casually. “But let’s make one thing clear first. Fair competition. No dirty tricks.”
“Of course!” Yang Lifeng patted his chest in assurance.
But in his mind, he was already plotting how to steal someone else’s girlfriend.