Qiao Ruan naturally carried her luggage back to the room. Once inside, she took a moment to look around. The Fu family truly lived up to their reputation of wealth and influence—even the room arranged at the guesthouse was exceptionally well-equipped.
Having grown accustomed to sleeping in pigsties or by the kitchen stove in the countryside, Qiao Ruan gazed at the clean little bed, desk, mirror, and washbasin in the room. She pursed her lips. In her past life, she had lived like a foolish pig, stirring up trouble everywhere and squandering the precious opportunity to change her life. In the end, she had been tortured to death by Shen Liancheng!
Qiao Ruan couldn’t help but feel a pang of self-reproach. To live as such a pathetic waste—it wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.
Since heaven had given her a second chance, she was determined to live a remarkable life in this era!
She walked up to the mirror and glanced at her reflection.
It had to be said—no wonder Qiao Meng had been so jealous of her back in the countryside, constantly picking fights. Despite doing farm work, her hands might have been chapped and calloused, but Qiao Ruan’s face was exceptionally fair and lovely. Back then, Qiao Meng and her aunt would often lock their doors, afraid Qiao Ruan might sneak in and steal their Bai Que Ling skincare products.
Yet even without using any skincare, her skin remained fair and rosy. Standing around 166 centimeters tall, her figure was also well-proportioned—curves in all the right places, leaving nothing to be desired…
Qiao Ruan took off her mourning clothes and prepared to wash up.
Occasionally, people from other provinces passing by outside would catch a glimpse of the beauty inside through the glass window and exclaim, “Where did this beauty come from? She’s so stunning! I’d love to get to know her!”
“Come on, take a look at yourself—you’re no prize either. A beauty like that surely isn’t lacking suitors. Who knows, next time we see her, she might already be a wealthy lady!”
Inside the room, Qiao Ruan focused on washing her face, paying little attention to the voices outside.
But the men’s conversation lingered. As they passed by Lin Ran’s room, they happened to see Lin Ran walking in gracefully, dressed in a checkered long skirt.
The three exchanged glances, but Lin Ran paid them no mind and quickly averted her eyes.
This was her first time seeing Fu Hanchen. With the experience from her past life, Lin Ran would never allow herself to stray down the wrong path again. Fu Hanchen was the target she intended to capture!
If she could win him over in a year or two, why bother taking a detour that would last over a decade?
But just as Lin Ran was about to head toward Fu Hanchen’s room, the two men whispered to each other, “Damn, what’s going on with this guesthouse today? There are quite a few women here, but the one we saw earlier was truly breathtaking. Even through the window, you could see her curves—full in all the right places, tsk tsk.”
“This one is just average. You can see plenty like her in our compound. But the earlier one—she looked like a little fairy, like she could be a TV star.”
Lin Ran’s steps faltered, and her expression twisted slightly. Were they talking about… Qiao Ruan?
Qiao Ruan, a country bumpkin from the countryside, was being called a little fairy?
While she, Lin Ran, was just ordinary?
Lin Ran instantly clenched her skirt, biting her lip in resentment. So what if she was pretty? She was still a brainless fool.
Thinking of Qiao Ruan’s foolish antics in her past life, Lin Ran couldn’t help but sneer.
This lifetime, she should make Qiao Ruan suffer even more—that would make things interesting!
Just as Lin Ran was heading towards Fu Hanchen’s room, in the dead of night, the sound of footsteps on the stairs suddenly became clearly audible!
The corridor lights were motion-activated. After the two men walked away, Lin Ran stood still, and the corridor instantly plunged into darkness!
In that moment, cold sweat broke out in the palms of her hands.
What was that noise?
And the sound from the stairs was only getting closer.
“We need to move fast tonight. The city checkpoint has no guards on duty, so we’ll drug one, take them away, and leave the city overnight. There won’t be any trace left!”
“Got it, got it. After this job, we really have to quit. I’m tired of living in constant fear of getting caught. I’ve had enough of this nerve-wracking life with you!”
The speakers sounded like a middle-aged couple. The man’s voice was rough and hoarse, and he was swinging a rope in his hand.
The woman hurriedly urged him on. They had been watching this inn for a long time, and tonight was the busiest night with the most guests—surely a mixed crowd. The nearby surveillance cameras also happened to be broken, making it the perfect time for them to strike!
Just as Lin Ran was about to step back, the middle-aged couple appeared right in front of her.
In an instant, Lin Ran’s face turned pale with fright.
The man’s face was crisscrossed with scars. Seeing Lin Ran standing alone in the corridor, he sneered, “Well, isn’t this one delivered right to our doorstep?”