Сhарtеr 1: Rebirth and Swaррed Mаrriages
Jiаng Li nеvеr ехрeсtеd tо bе reborn.
Sitting in а luxurious villa, she stаrеd blanklу аt hеr slеndеr, fair hаnds.
Еvеn after thе Jiаng familу’s true heiress wаs found, thеy hadn’t mistreаted hеr, the fаkе heiress—shе was still well-fed аnd саrеd for.
But аftеr fivе уears оf marriаge to Yе Yuchen, shе had beеn tortured beуоnd rеcоgnitiоn, her hands cоverеd in sсars. Thоse five уeаrs оf mаrried lifе could bе describеd аs “а gilded exterior hiding a rotten соre.”
In front of othеrs, Yе Yuchen would fuss оvеr her, even refusing to let her touch a cold drink in summer for fear of chilling her hands.
This picture of marital bliss was witnessed by the true heiress, Jiang Song’er, who repeatedly sought out Jiang Li, hinting that she should divorce so she could marry Ye Yuchen herself.
Jiang Li couldn’t understand Jiang Song’er’s logic. Yuan Hezhi was far more accomplished than Ye Yuchen. Whether Jiang Song’er attended business or political banquets, people treated her with respect.
Wealthy, high-status, respected, with a husband who never came home—what more could Jiang Song’er want? How had she become so obsessed with Ye Yuchen?
“Mom, I don’t want to marry Yuan Hezhi. I want to marry Ye Yuchen!” Jiang Song’er clung to Madam Jiang, trying to reject this arranged marriage.
Jiang Li suddenly looked up at Jiang Song’er—the true heiress had also been reborn!
“Nonsense! How can Ye Yuchen compare to Yuan Hezhi?” Madam Jiang scolded gently before speaking earnestly. “Don’t you know what the Yuan family represents? Once you marry into it, you’ll be able to walk through Hong Kong with your head held high. You’ll always take the center spot in photos with socialites and celebrities.”
“Our family nearly went bankrupt a couple of years ago. Your father and I were at our wits’ end, and Yuan Hezhi resolved it with just one word.”
“Most importantly, if you marry Yuan Hezhi, even if your father and I pass away, we can rest assured knowing you’ll live well in the Yuan family.”
Every word Madam Jiang said would later come true. Aside from Yuan Hezhi’s busy schedule keeping him from spending much time with Jiang Song’er, she could be called the happiest woman in the world. Jiang Li envied her but never felt jealous.
After becoming the wife of the Yuan family’s eldest son, Jiang Song’er’s biggest daily worries were which designer bag to buy, which haute couture to wear, and how to finally consummate her marriage with Yuan Hezhi.
When Jiang Song’er told Jiang Li she liked Ye Yuchen, Jiang Li thought she had gone mad.
Jiang Li deliberately spoke up, “I’ve known Ye Yuchen since he worked under Dad. He’s not as good as you imagine.”
Jiang Song’er shot Jiang Li a disdainful look. In this life, Jiang Li hadn’t married Brother Ye yet and didn’t know that the post-marriage Brother Ye was a perfect, devoted husband whose future achievements would rival Yuan Hezhi’s—a strong, gentle man without flaws!
Jiang Song’er continued throwing a tantrum with Madam Jiang. “Mom, if you don’t let me marry Ye Yuchen, I’ll scratch up my own face and become a nun!”
Madam Jiang: “…”
Jiang Song’er’s adoptive parents were unreliable, so she became skilled at drinking, fighting, and smoking. When she was brought back to the Jiang family at fifteen, she was already a street-smart girl.
Feeling guilty for their neglect, the Jiang couple couldn’t bring themselves to discipline her strictly and instead spoiled her into a lawless, arrogant brat.
Madam Jiang was exasperated by her daughter’s lovesick foolishness but also afraid she might actually do something reckless. She coaxed, “Why do you want to marry Ye Yuchen? You need to give me reasons, or how can I convince your father?”Jiang Song’er said with a belly full of grievances, “Mom, I had a very realistic nightmare. I dreamed that I married Yuan Hezhi, but he absolutely refused to consummate the marriage.”
“Yuan Hezhi is of noble status and holds immense power. Even if he raised three or five illegitimate children outside, I wouldn’t know about it until they turned eighteen!”
“I simply can’t handle such a formidable man! Are you making me marry Yuan Hezhi for my happiness or for the Jiang family’s future? Tell me.”
Madam Jiang fell silent. Song’er’s temperament truly seemed unsuitable for marrying into the Yuan family.
If Song’er married Yuan Hezhi while still pining for Ye Yuchen in her heart, Yuan Hezhi would make the Jiang family suffer the consequences.
Of course, Madam Jiang hoped her biological daughter would marry Yuan Hezhi and her adopted daughter Jiang Li would marry Ye Yuchen. However, since none of the three families’ marriage arrangements were finalized, swapping the matches was not impossible.
After weighing the pros and cons, Madam Jiang smiled and said, “Song’er makes a good point. I will carefully discuss your marriage with your father.”
Jiang Song’er was overjoyed. She never expected to be reborn. In this life, she must marry Ye Yuchen and be cherished and doted on by him!
She stood up, looking down at Jiang Li with an air of triumph in her eyes. “I bought two bags yesterday. I don’t really like the green one. Come with me to my bedroom, sister. I’ll give it to you.”
Jiang Li obediently replied, “That works out perfectly—I won’t need to buy a new bag.”
Jiang Song’er pursed her lips. She hated Jiang Li’s soft, yielding attitude the most; it was like punching cotton—no impact at all.
Once out of Madam Jiang’s sight, Jiang Song’er’s expression changed, her voice turning sharp and mean. “If you dare try to steal Ye Yuchen from me, I’ll make you regret it!”
Jiang Li looked at her as if she were a fool. “I won’t compete with you for Ye Yuchen. Only you think he’s a good man.”
In her previous life, she hadn’t thought Ye Yuchen was inferior to Yuan Hezhi. Ye Yuchen built his fortune from scratch; such a man seemed more decisive and responsible. But she forgot that such a man could also be more ruthless.
Jiang Song’er crossed her arms, her demeanor arrogant. “There’s no need to slander Brother Ye in front of me. I have eyes; I can see for myself! Brother Ye is a very gentle person. Once I marry him, he’ll cherish me like a treasure. He won’t even let me hold a cold drink in summer, afraid my hands might get chilled.”
Jiang Li listened without refuting. Jiang Song’er had truly been spoiled into a fool by the Jiang family. Telling her that Ye Yuchen wasn’t a good man was pointless—she simply wouldn’t believe it.
Oh, wait. That wasn’t quite right. Although Ye Yuchen was cruel and heartless to her, he was incredibly humble and devoted to the woman he truly loved.
That woman praised Jiang Li’s delicate calligraphy, so Ye Yuchen ordered Jiang Li to copy books endlessly every day, completely indifferent to her hands being rubbed raw, her eyes nearly going blind, and her body on the verge of collapse.
Ye Yuchen played the role of a good husband in public, not even letting Jiang Li hold a cold drink herself—all to protect her hands so she could better copy books for his beloved.
On their wedding night, Ye Yuchen wasn’t in the bridal chamber but was instead fooling around with his true love. Jiang Li was nothing but a shield for Ye Yuchen and his lover’s affair.
Like Jiang Song’er, Jiang Li never consummated her marriage with her husband until her death. But she didn’t care about that; she just wanted to live a good life. Yet even that small wish remained unfulfilled.
So she truly couldn’t understand Jiang Song’er. Why give up such a good life in the Yuan family? Well, in this life, she would take it for herself!Jiang Song’er didn’t buy a bag yesterday. She picked out a green Hermès bag from her walk-in closet and gave it to Jiang Li, as if tossing a scrap to a stray cat or dog.
“Ye Yuchen will be my husband from now on, so don’t even think about him anymore. You should focus on how to please Yuan Hezhi instead. I heard he’s impotent, but since you’re not the real Jiang family heiress anyway, you have no right to be picky. Even if you end up living as a widow in all but name, you’d still be the richest widow in the world. Most people don’t even get that chance.”
Jiang Li’s fair, pretty face broke into a smile, a little dimple appearing on her cheek. “I understand. Thank you, sister, for passing such a good marriage prospect to me.”
Life as a dependent was never easy. Jiang Li had thought marrying Ye Yuchen would change her circumstances, but little did she know it would be the beginning of her nightmare.
It wasn’t that Jiang Li hadn’t thought of resisting, but everyone around her was fooled by Ye Yuchen’s devoted-husband act. No one was willing to help her escape his control.
In her previous life, Jiang Li withered away like a lamp running out of oil. While Ye Yuchen dragged his feet on getting her medical treatment, he kept up his doting-husband façade—utterly hypocritical.
The Jiang couple, who came to visit her during her illness, probably weren’t entirely unaware of Ye Yuchen’s pretense, but they chose to stand by and do nothing.
After her death, Ye Yuchen’s white moonlight could seamlessly take her place.
But if Jiang Song’er married Ye Yuchen and discovered the existence of this white moonlight, would Jiang Song’er tolerate it? Would the Jiang family tolerate it? Just imagining it promised a spectacular drama.
Watching others suffer wouldn’t make her own life any better. Jiang Li planned her revenge but didn’t want to drown in hatred forever. She intended to move forward, strike back at her enemies, and fully enjoy this life.
The first step was to win over Yuan Hezhi.
The engagement with Yuan Hezhi was meant for the real Jiang family heiress. Jiang Li was merely an adopted daughter, so she never dared hope to marry him. In their few encounters, she had only watched him from afar.
And besides…
Yuan Hezhi’s eyes were sharp and profound. Every time he fixed his gaze on her, Jiang Li felt as if she might be devoured—it was terrifying, so she avoided getting close to him.
But if Yuan Hezhi was impotent, Jiang Li had nothing to fear. She was more than willing to live a life of “endless wealth and a husband who never comes home.”