That thought only stayed in her mind for a few seconds before she completely rejected it.
She had only just been reborn—how had she already started slipping into this again?
But Duan Yan had always treated her well, giving her the illusion of being endlessly indulged.
Otherwise, in her past life, she wouldn’t have been so unwilling to give up on him, clinging to him all along.
But once the truth was exposed, her true nature would be laid bare in front of him without mercy.
Duan Yan’s kindness toward her had always been built on the foundation of that life-saving favor.
Counting the days, there were only five months left before Duan Yan would be taken back by the Duan family.
When that time came, once he returned to the Duan family and received his “breakup compensation,” she should leave immediately. That would be the smartest choice.
A young “prince” like him might be good, but he wasn’t meant for her.
For now, since Duan Yan was willing to treat her well, she would simply accept it.
Otherwise, who knows—he might later start thinking she had cheated on him or stopped loving him.
That would just be exhausting.
……
On moving day that weekend, Duan Yan called over a few workers from the construction site to help.
Rong Jiqiao finished packing her last suitcase, zipped it up, and was about to lift it when her wrist was grabbed.
“I’ll do it.”
Duan Yan took the suitcase from her, then picked up the large bag beside it.
She followed him downstairs. The stairwell was dim, with patches of peeling paint exposing raw cement underneath.
A truck was parked at the entrance. Old Zhao was leaning against the hood, smoking. When he saw them come out, he flicked his cigarette to the ground.
“Yo.” Old Zhao grinned brightly, his northeastern accent warm and casual. “Old Duan, you’ve been hiding this well—your wife looks like a celebrity.”
Duan Yan didn’t seem to notice—or care—about the way Old Zhao addressed her. He simply said, “Thanks for coming to help.”
Old Zhao waved it off. “No big deal.”
“Hello,” Rong Jiqiao said, her face slightly warm.
“Hello, hello,” Old Zhao chuckled.
If she remembered correctly, this Old Zhao was one of the workers who later rose along with Duan Yan.
In her past life, when she came looking for Duan Yan, it was also this man who stopped her outside the company building.
Back then, not long after, Old Zhao had already become the head of the company’s security department.
Thinking of it, she couldn’t help feeling a little bitter.
Forget it.
Everyone had their own fate.
She was just the kind of person destined to be the background character—the one who gets pushed aside when the powerful take the lead.
The three of them went up and down several trips, moving her belongings little by little…
The house itself didn’t have much—just two suitcases, a few cardboard boxes, and some clothes and shoes. It filled only about half the truck.
Old Zhao tied down the ropes and dusted off his hands.
“That’s it? That’s really easy. I’ve helped people move plenty of times, this is the first time I’ve seen someone with so little stuff.”
Rong Jiqiao thought of the bags and jewelry she had sold off before and gave an awkward smile.
When they arrived at the new residential area, Old Zhao parked the truck and helped unload again.
Duan Yan carried the boxes upstairs, with Old Zhao following behind, still chatting.
“Old Duan, this place is pretty good. Nice neighborhood. How much is the rent?”
“12,000.”
Old Zhao whistled. “You’re doing pretty well for yourself now.”
Duan Yan didn’t respond. He just pushed the door open and carried the boxes into the bedroom.
Rong Jiqiao followed inside and looked around. The living room window faced south, sunlight pouring through the glass, the floor glowing softly under the light.
After the last trip, Old Zhao dusted off his pants.
“Alright, I’m heading out. You two take your time unpacking.”
Duan Yan took out a few bills from his pocket and handed them over. Old Zhao waved his hand.
“Come on, I was just helping. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“Take it,” Duan Yan said firmly, pressing the money into his hand. “You lost half a day of work. You earned it.”
Seeing his attitude, Old Zhao stopped refusing.
“Alright then. I’ll treat you to a drink another day.”
After seeing Old Zhao off, Rong Jiqiao stood at the doorway, looking at the scattered boxes and bags, feeling a little unreal.
Duan Yan changed into slippers and walked over.
“What are you standing there for?”
“Nothing,” she came back to her senses. “Just feels like we moved pretty fast.”
“Mm.”
He walked to the coffee table, picked up a supermarket flyer, and asked, “Want to go buy some things?”
“Okay.”
They went downstairs. There was a large supermarket right outside the neighborhood. Duan Yan pushed a cart inside.
Rong Jiqiao walked ahead, picking up a towel from the shelf, then switching it for a white one.
Duan Yan stayed beside her. “If you like it, just take it.”
“This one is fine.”
She placed the towel into the cart, then picked up two pairs of slippers.
“What size are you?”
“Forty-three.”
She chose a pair of black slippers for him, and a pink pair for herself.
They walked further into the household goods aisle. She stopped in front of a four-piece bedding set, looking at it for a long time.
She added it to the cart, then picked out a few pillows and pillowcases.
They pushed the cart to the checkout. The cashier finished scanning the items—after scanning the payment code, the cashier said, “Two hundred sixty-two in total.”
Duan Yan took out his phone and scanned to pay. Rong Jiqiao stood beside him without moving.
The cashier bagged the items. Duan Yan picked up the bag. “Let’s go.”
She followed behind him.
After leaving the supermarket and walking along the road, she suddenly spoke.
“I can actually pay.”
Duan Yan glanced at her. “Hm?”
“I mean… for those things just now, I can pay half.”
He didn’t respond and kept walking.
She hurried after him. “Don’t always pay for everything. I have a salary too.”
He stopped and turned to look at her. “Can your salary even cover your own expenses?”
Rong Jiqiao: “……”
Annoying.
So annoying.
She was so frustrated she didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
Back home, they started unpacking.
Duan Yan washed the new bedding, then took the clean sheets out and spread them on the bed. She helped from the side, each of them pulling one end to fit the sheet over the mattress.
When it was finally done, she clapped her hands. “I’m exhausted.”
“We’re not done yet,” Duan Yan said, picking up the duvet cover. “Keep going.”
She sighed and took the other side. Together they stuffed the duvet inside.
She pulled open the curtains. Light poured in, making the room feel wide and bright.
She walked to the balcony and pushed the window open. Outside was the residential greenbelt—lush trees and the sound of children playing downstairs.
She stood there as the sunset light fell on her face, softening her features.
Duan Yan stood behind her, watching. His throat moved slightly.
“Want some water?” he asked, turning toward the kitchen. “I’ll pour you a glass.”
She came back from the balcony and sat on the sofa, sinking into the soft cushions.
He handed her the water.
She took a sip. It was the perfect temperature.
Leaning back, she suddenly felt tired—moving house and shopping all day had worn her out.
Duan Yan sat down beside her. Neither of them spoke for a while.
Her eyes slowly closed, drifting toward sleep.
Then her phone suddenly vibrated.
She opened her eyes, reached for the phone on the coffee table.
A text message appeared on the screen.
Unknown number, just one line:
[Took my Chanel and then blocked me? That’s really hurtful.]