When she woke again, it was already morning.
Lu Chiwan sat hugging her arms in a daze.
Yesterday, she had fainted from Li Yanxing’s words.
Although the doctor said it was because she had been lying down for too long, her body hadn’t fully recovered, and she was malnourished—not because she was frightened—she stubbornly blamed that dog of a man, Li Yanxing.
Footsteps approached, and before Lu Chiwan could look up, a cold voice reached her.
“Change your clothes. We’re going back to the Li family.”
After a night of contemplation, Li Yanxing had made up his mind.
He would use this woman to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes and also deal with his family’s pressure to marry.
As long as a person had value, they could be kept around for a while.
“Oh.”
Lu Chiwan responded softly, clutching her own fingers listlessly.
Li Yanxing had no patience for women.
Not just women—he had no patience for anyone else either.
A knock came at the door, and Lin Mu pushed it open, holding several sets of clothes and grinning obsequiously. “Brother Yan, the clothes you asked me to buy for sister-in-law.”
Sister-in-law?
Li Yanxing frowned, his brows knitting together as he glared impatiently at the presumptuous Lin Mu, feeling the urge to hit someone again.
But before he could speak, the little girl who had been sitting gloomily on the bed suddenly looked up, her eyes bright and full of joy as she gazed at him. “Husband, you had someone buy clothes for me?”
“You really do love me after all.”
The little girl threw herself at him again.
He didn’t dodge.
Her soft body pressed unhesitatingly against his chest, her slender arms wrapping around his neck like an octopus, as if she wanted to cling to him entirely.
“Wasn’t I the one accused of domestic violence and cheating?”
Li Yanxing scoffed.
To his surprise, the girl leaned in and planted a quick, smacking kiss on his cheek, her tone light and cheerful. “Someone as handsome as you would never do that.”
“You must treat me very well. When the doctor came for rounds this morning, I overheard them whispering that you told them not a single strand of my hair could be missing, and that I must be discharged in perfect health. I knew you loved me.”
“Is it because I lost my memory and don’t remember how good you were to me before that you’re so angry now?”
“I’m sorry, okay? You can tell me slowly, and I’m sure I’ll remember everything eventually.”
Not only did the girl cling to him without letting go, but she also spun a perfect, romantic love story all on her own, saving him the trouble of having to explain things.
Li Yanxing was speechless.
Lin Mu: “…”
He was truly impressed by this girl.
What a sly one.
“Husband, pick one for me. Aren’t we going to see Grandma today?”
Lu Chiwan obediently hopped off the bed, handed the clothes Lin Mu had brought over to Li Yanxing, and cooed softly, “Husband, help me choose…”
Li Yanxing was extremely irritated.
Why hadn’t he used Lin Mu as bait? Why hadn’t he used someone else?
Why had he personally brought such trouble upon himself?
Though he was utterly disgusted inside, his actions were honest as he pointed to a pale green vintage-style dress.
Lu Chiwan, standing at 169 cm tall, had a slender waist and delicate features, her beauty so exquisite it seemed as if she had been painted stroke by stroke, like a beauty from a classical painting.
Lin Mu tactfully retreated.
Lu Chiwan took off her patient gown and began changing.
Right in front of Li Yanxing.
Li Yanxing: “?”
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
The girl’s figure was graceful, her skin as fair as snow, her legs long and elegant, radiating charm and allure.
“…”
Lu Chiwan was completely unaware of the change in Li Yanxing’s expression as she casually put on her dress.
“Husband, could you help me with the zipper? I can’t reach the one on the back.”
Before Li Yanxing could react, the young girl had already turned around, presenting her back to him.
Looking at that slender, smooth back, even he—who normally paid little attention to women—felt a pang of regret in his heart.
What a waste for someone like her to become a mistress for that kind of man.
With a stiff expression, Li Yanxing reached out and zipped up Lu Chiwan’s dress.
“Thank you, husband.”
Lu Chiwan turned back around, her eyes curving into happy crescents.
In that instant, a rather classical phrase surfaced in Li Yanxing’s mind: “A single smile in turning back, the beauty outshines the entire nation.”
The dress he had chosen for Lu Chiwan was simple yet elegant in design, with a perfectly fitted waist and a light, flowing skirt that swayed gracefully with her every movement—like a celestial maiden who had fallen to the mortal world.
He began to understand why that man had doted on this young girl.
She was indeed exceptionally beautiful.
What was even rarer was the pure aura about her, which didn’t match the typical image of someone’s mistress.
“Husband, could you tell me about my background? I’ve forgotten everything.”
“And about your family… how should I handle things? I’m afraid of embarrassing you.”
After finishing her preparations, Lu Chiwan naturally linked her arm through Li Yanxing’s.
The love for beauty seemed to be an innate trait in girls. Even though she remembered nothing, Lu Chiwan had still applied exquisite makeup that made her breathtakingly beautiful.
For a rare moment, Li Yanxing found himself captivated by her beauty.
Snapping back to reality, he led Lu Chiwan out the door and glanced sideways at Lin Mu, who served as both his assistant and driver. “Ask your brother.”
“My brother?”
“Him?”
Lu Chiwan was startled.
Lin Mu maintained a polite smile. “Does Miss Lin think I don’t look the part?”
“Look the part?”
Lu Chiwan shook her head. “The difference in our appearances is too great. Compared to me… you’re somewhat unattractive.”
Lin Mu felt the sting of that blunt honesty.
Alright, he had to admit it was the truth.
He never expected Brother Yan to pick up such a beautiful wife—someone who could put all those heiresses in Nan City to shame.
“Ahem.”
Lin Mu coughed and handed over a document with professional detachment. “Although we really don’t look alike, you… are indeed my cousin, Lin Qingfu, daughter of my second uncle.”
“What’s my name?”
Lu Chiwan took the document and glanced down.
Lin Qingfu, both parents deceased, grew up relying on the kindness of others, supported by relatives.
Age: 20, married for exactly three months.
Education: Did not complete elementary school.
Occupation: Unemployed.
“…”
There were more brief details—a 20-year-old orphan who lost both parents, illiterate without completing elementary school, failed at everything she attempted.
Three months ago, she encountered Li Yanxing, fell in love at first sight, and after marriage, settled into being a Rice weevil—spending her days eating, drinking, and sleeping.
Sleeping? Sleeping with Li Yanxing?
On the day of the explosion, she was on her way to a concert when the car lost control and crashed into a dense forest. The driver died, but she was rescued in time and survived.
A simple, mundane, and ordinary life resume—her only pride being her face.
Lu Chiwan fell into silence.
Although she remembered nothing, she instinctively felt she wasn’t like this, and certainly couldn’t be… an illiterate who didn’t finish elementary school.
But the part about constantly thinking about sleeping with Li Yanxing… might that be true?
“Brother…”
Twenty minutes later, Lu Chiwan reluctantly accepted her fabricated new identity and asked Lin Mu, “Do you know why my parents gave me such a name? It sounds rather frivolous…”
What normal person would be called that?
Lin Mu, who was driving, nearly slammed on the accelerator when he heard her call him “brother.” It was his first time being someone’s older brother, and he wasn’t quite used to it.
As for the name…
He instinctively glanced at the composed Mr. Li sitting in the back seat, feeling somewhat helpless.
Last night, he had asked this young master what name to give the “picked-up sister-in-law.”
The reply was, “Just call her Qingfu—the frivolous mistress.”
Who would play with homophones like that?
Moreover, the tone of the latter character wasn’t even correct…
“Maybe… perhaps Uncle and Aunt had a momentary lapse of judgment?”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“…”
The car soon arrived at the Old Residence of the Li Family.
The Old Residence, where several generations lived together, was a typical European-style manor. At first glance, it exuded luxury and opulence, with an air of nobility in every corner.
Lu Chiwan sat in the car, peering out with her chin resting on her hand, lost in thought. She remained remarkably calm.
Li Yanxing observed her expression, expecting her to show at least some surprise, but there was none. She was utterly composed, as if such sights were commonplace.
Nancheng, the most prosperous city in Country A, was the economic hub where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.
The hierarchy among the wealthy in Nancheng was stark.
The top two elite families were the two great clans: the Li Family and the Fu Family.
The glory of these two families had been passed down through generations, rooted deeply as old aristocratic lineages whose status was unshakable.
The remaining few were newly rich families. Though wealthy, they couldn’t compare to true aristocratic families like the Li and Fu Families, and their rankings fluctuated frequently.
This manor of the Li Family was land inherited from their ancestors, renovated several times to achieve its current appearance.
The Li Family had always been mysterious and somewhat aloof, rarely hosting banquets. Many longed to catch a glimpse of the Li Family Manor but couldn’t even cross its threshold.
This young girl wasn’t very old. Even if she had become the mistress of that old fool Chen Yang, she shouldn’t carry herself with such poise.
Li Yanxing, ever suspicious, lowered his head and sent a message on his phone.
Lin Mu’s phone buzzed.
While driving with one hand, he unlocked his phone with the other and glanced down.
“Reinvestigate her identity.”
Lin Mu, in a moment of thoughtlessness, replied, “Who?”
“Your sister.”
“…”
Why the insult?
“Husband, you’re not talking to me. What are you chatting with him about?”
Just as Li Yanxing was about to put away his phone, it was swiftly snatched by the sharp-eyed Lu Chiwan.