Lin Qian had suffered enough at the hands of the original owner of this body. Now, she was determined to get her revenge.
She marched straight into the president of the Lu Corporation’s office and recounted the entire ordeal, embellishing the story with every detail.
Then she turned to Lu Shihan. “Shihan, your wife’s misunderstanding of me is just too deep. Does she not want me in the country? And by the way, why didn’t you two tell me about your marriage? That’s really unfair. Where do you plan to hold the wedding?”
Lu Shihan had never intended to have a wedding with the original owner. Now that she was using his name to target Chu Qingqing, he refused to let the matter drop.
That very night, he brought up the subject of divorce.
When Chu Qingqing learned they were getting divorced, she was overjoyed.
She desperately wanted to ask Lin Qian, “Why don’t you keep showing off? A stand-in is just a stand-in. Did you really think you could replace the original?”
What a low-class woman.
Lu Shihan’s handling of the situation also brought her a sense of satisfaction. Years ago, she had insisted on leaving. Lu Shihan, too proud to reach out, had never contacted her, and she had assumed he had finally moved on. Now it seemed he was still obsessed with her.
The title of Madam Lu had brought the original owner too many benefits. To avoid a divorce, she had tried every trick in the book. Finally, Lu Shihan gave her an ultimatum.
After transmigrating into this body, Lin Qian quickly grasped the situation. She waited for Lu Shihan to return and put on a grand performance for him.
He definitely thinks I’m still madly in love with him, that I can’t bear to let him go, right?
Pfft, as if I’m blind.
Since this marriage was doomed anyway, she might as well squeeze every last bit of value from it. Now that she was surrounded by enemies and had Chu Qingqing nursing a grudge, her soon-to-be ex-husband, Lu Shihan, would still be useful.
She’d refused his offer to drive her home. For one, her “devastated ex-wife” act would have been ruined. For another, she wanted to experience what a young, vibrant body felt like.
The original owner of this body was only twenty-one, still in college, and in the prime of her youth. Lin Qian ran all the way from the Lu Family estate to the main road outside the villa district. Her heart pounded with strength, her breath came in deep, hot gasps.
It was exhausting, but exhilarating.
She dropped her suitcase and threw her arms up, cheering.
A healthy body! A dream career! Here I come!
Fortunately, this was an upscale residential area with few people around. Otherwise, anyone seeing a woman jumping and dancing by the roadside in the middle of the night would have been terrified.
After her moment of joy, Lin Qian began to consider where to stay for the night. When Lu Shihan had handed her the divorce agreement, she had carefully read through the contract while playing the role of the heartbroken woman.
That bastard, she thought. He’s really trying to kick me out with absolutely nothing.
For the sake of her future plans, she had left the Lu Family estate without taking a single valuable item, clutching only a raggedy stuffed rabbit.
Lu Shihan had bought the rabbit for the original owner on a whim after a meeting.
Lin Qian had claimed her childhood nickname was Tutu, but that was a complete lie. If the stuffed toy had been a bear or a cat, she would have just as easily said her nickname was Xiongxiong or Maomao.
The divorce was final, and the original owner had no close friends anyway. Lin Qian wasn’t worried about Lu Shihan investigating her claims.
The name never mattered. What mattered was her “devotion” to him. When a woman leaves you and refuses your money, doesn’t that prove she only ever cared about you? It was all just a game.
Standing by the roadside, Lin Qian scrolled through the original owner’s phone. Great. Not only was the bank balance zero, but she was also drowning in debt from several online loan apps.
The interest was compounding at a terrifying rate. Even if there had been money in the account, it would have been snatched away instantly to pay off the debts.
She checked the wallet. It was cleaner than her own face. Her dream of spending the night at a five-star hotel vanished in an instant.
Sigh. No wonder the original owner had fought so hard against the divorce. Without the marriage, she was practically homeless.
As she lamented her situation, Lin Qian scrolled through the contact list, searching for anyone who might let her crash for the night. Her finger paused on the entry labeled “Mom.”
***
Half an hour later, Lin Qian knocked on a dilapidated door. The old hallway was dark and cramped, the air thick with a stale, musty odor.
Above her, a flickering light cast a dim glow on walls plastered with layers of small, peeling advertisements. The walls were so thin that the sound of her knocking echoed through several floors.
After a moment, a woman’s voice asked from inside, “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Lin Qian replied.
The door remained shut. Did she not hear me? Lin Qian cleared her throat, preparing to speak louder, when the door suddenly swung open.
A middle-aged woman stood there. Despite her haggard appearance, it was clear she had been a beauty in her youth. She stared at Lin Qian, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Qianqian? Why are you back?” Lin Yajun immediately regretted the words. That sounded like I don’t want her here. She’ll just start another fight with me.
“We can talk about that later,” Lin Qian said. “Could you help me pay for my ride? I took a taxi here, but I don’t have any money on me.”
Lin Yajun went downstairs to find the driver and pay the fare. When she returned, she found Lin Qian sitting on the old living room sofa.
“I’ll consider this a loan,” Lin Qian said, her voice tinged with embarrassment. “I’ll pay you back later.”
If it weren’t the middle of the night, Lin Yajun would have leaned out the window to see if the sun was rising in the west. When had her rebellious daughter ever used respectful language with her? She’d never given Lin Yajun a dime, always showing up just to leech off her.
Lin Yajun remembered the suitcase Lin Qian had brought back. Had something happened? Was this a ruse, a little feigned sweetness before she demanded the rest of her mother’s savings?
A sudden chill made Lin Yajun cough, a suppressed, dry sound. Her heart sank as she walked toward Lin Qian.
Even though she knew her daughter was likely up to no good, she still couldn’t bring herself to kick her out.
“Don’t worry about the money,” Lin Yajun said. “What happened?”
Lin Qian didn’t hold back. “I’m divorced. I want to stay here for a while.”
“I see.” The news didn’t surprise Lin Yajun in the least. “It was that guy, Lu Something, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Coming home in the middle of the night without even the taxi fare, Lin Yajun guessed Lin Qian had been kicked out.
When Lin Qian had first insisted on marrying Lu Something, she had gloated relentlessly, declaring the man was the heir to the wealthiest family in Beicheng. She’d described him as being more handsome than a movie star, with a fortune worth billions and a business empire spanning countless industries. She had painted a picture of him as someone beyond compare.
Lin Yajun had asked what the man was like and why the parents hadn’t met before the wedding.
Lin Qian had exploded in rage, looking her up and down with contempt.
“Look at you, so shabby. You think the Lu Family would ever meet you? Don’t you dare embarrass me.” She’d hissed.
“Listen, don’t go around telling people I’m your daughter. Me marrying into the Lu Family has nothing to do with you. Don’t even think about trying to get anything out of them.”
Lin Yajun had always known her daughter looked down on her, but those words had cut deep, leaving her heartbroken. She never asked about Lin Qian’s marriage again. As a result, all she knew now was that Lin Qian’s ex-husband was named Lu, he was incredibly wealthy, and that was all.
Afraid of reopening an old wound and inviting another tirade, Lin Yajun abruptly changed the subject. “Have you eaten? Should I make you something?”
At those words, Lin Qian’s nose stung. In her past life, she’d never tasted a single meal her mother had cooked. Seeing her even once a year had been a luxury. All her mother had given her was the money transferred each month, a cold string of numbers.
On her deathbed, Lin Qian had heard someone crying beside her, but she couldn’t even tell if her mother’s voice was among them.
Seeing Lin Qian’s silence, Lin Yajun assumed she was being meddlesome again. She was a mediocre cook, and Lin Qian had always hated eating at home. Once, Lin Yajun had caught her dumping the food in the trash.
When she’d tried to scold her, Lin Qian had just snapped back, refusing to eat “pig slop” like that.
“Then go rest…”
Lin Qian’s mind snapped back to the present, and she suddenly cut her mother off with a spoiled whine.
“I want to eat. I haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m starving.”
Lin Yajun’s tone shifted instantly. “Then I’ll make you some fried rice. I’ll add an egg.”
“Perfect!”
Lin Yajun rose and hurried to the kitchen. She cracked the eggs and fired up the stove with practiced efficiency. Minutes later, the meal was ready, and the room filled with a delicious aroma.
Lin Qian hadn’t been that hungry before, but the smell made her stomach rumble. In her past life, her poor health had left her with a constant lack of appetite, and she could only ever manage a few bites. Now, with her body fully recovered, she felt like she could eat a whole bowlful.
Lin Yajun brought over the fried rice and asked, “I pickled some radish earlier. Do you want some?”
“Yes, please.”
Lin Qian ate with pure satisfaction, pairing each spoonful of fragrant, perfectly seasoned rice with a bite of crisp, sweet-and-sour radish. Compared to the food she’d eaten in her past life, this was a simple, rustic meal, yet it tasted like home.
She finished every last grain of rice. Setting down her chopsticks, she looked at her stunned mother and said, “Thank you, Mom.”
The words hung in the air, and Lin Qian herself froze. The word “Mom” had always been a hurdle for her, a word she’d never thought she could say. Perhaps the fried rice and pickled radish were just too delicious.
Lin Yajun’s eyes reddened, and she quickly turned her head away. It had been so long since her daughter had called her “Mom” in such a gentle tone.
How much trouble must she have faced out there to have learned to be this obedient?
“Mm,” Lin Yajun said, her voice husky.
“It’s late. Go get some rest. The sheets are all clean, so you can stay here as long as you need.”
Lin Qian carried her suitcase back to the original owner’s room. Though not dirty, a musty dampness clung to the air, a sure sign it had been vacant for a long time.
After marrying Lu Shihan, the original owner had lived in his spacious apartment, naturally looking down on this small, shabby room.
Beicheng was bitterly cold at the end of the year. Lin Qian found the remote and switched on the old air conditioner. Gradually, the temperature rose, and the musty smell faded.
As she took off her coat, her hand brushed against the pocket, reminding her of the small bunny lamp inside.
Expressionless, she pulled out the ragged rabbit, tossed it on the floor, and kicked it under the bed.
That bastard’s stupid lamp. Get as far away from me as possible.
Full and drowsy, she washed up and fell asleep shortly after lying down.
The next morning, she was jolted awake by her phone.
Still half-asleep, she answered, only to be met with a shrill male voice. “Lin Qian!!! Why aren’t you here yet!!! The whole crew is waiting for you!!!”
Lin Qian’s drowsiness vanished instantly. She gripped her phone and bolted upright in bed.