Xue Yanxin deserves at least half the blame for Huo Zhiyuan’s bankruptcy and being kicked out of his home.
Because of that, she simply couldn’t bring herself to abandon him when he had fallen to rock bottom.
So when he moved out of his luxurious villa and into a modest rental apartment, she packed up and followed him without hesitation.
Then again, even a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Although Huo Zhiyuan had gone bankrupt, he wasn’t reduced to living on the streets. The apartment he rented was old and worn, but it was in a great location with an excellent layout. At over a hundred square meters, it was surprisingly spacious. Aside from being in a building without an elevator, there was little to complain about.
Twenty or thirty years ago, this had been an upscale residential community where ordinary people couldn’t afford to live. Most of the residents had been government officials or senior civil servants. Even today, many of the neighbors were retired teachers, officials, and other former public-sector employees. The community was peaceful, the residents were courteous, and the security was excellent.
The stairwell was dimly lit, with an aging motion-activated light casting a faint yellow glow overhead.
It looked just as exhausted as Xue Yanxin herself, who was dragging two heavy suitcases up the stairs.
One suitcase in each hand, a mountain of bags slung over her back, she stopped to catch her breath every few steps. By the time she finally reached the third floor, she felt like she’d climbed a mountain.
Thankfully, it was only three flights.
One more floor, and she might have died all over again.
Finding the correct apartment number, she took a few deep breaths, smoothed down her hair, and knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
After a moment of rustling from inside, the door opened.
Huo Zhiyuan froze the instant he saw her.
Even his usually half-lidded eyes widened in surprise.
“Why are you here?”
He frowned.
What he really wanted to ask was, What are you doing here? But that would sound as though he were chasing her away. Whatever their relationship actually was, she was still his wife in name.
Xue Yanxin looked up at him.
His face was noticeably more haggard than she remembered.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and rough stubble covered his jaw. It was obvious life hadn’t been kind to him lately. A man who had always paid meticulous attention to his appearance had even stopped grooming himself.
Yet none of that diminished the overwhelming impact of his handsome face.
Back when she had been a system, the story summary had described him as the perfect man before the protagonist, Qi Junlin, appeared.
He possessed wealth, talent, intelligence, and looks, the very definition of heaven’s favored son.
Most notably, his face and physique alone were enough to make countless women fall head over heels for him, even without his fortune or accomplishments.
Now that she was seeing him up close as an actual person…
She realized the novel hadn’t exaggerated in the slightest.
Even if Qi Junlin himself were standing here, the shock Huo Zhiyuan’s devastatingly handsome features dealt to her heart wouldn’t lessen one bit.
Pressing a hand against her wildly pounding chest, Xue Yanxin thought to herself,
Coming here was absolutely worth it!
With a husband this gorgeous, even if I hadn’t been the one who ruined his life, I’d still be willing to support him for the rest of his life.
The exhaustion from climbing the stairs vanished instantly.
She pushed past Huo Zhiyuan and walked into the apartment as if she belonged there.
“You didn’t come pick me up,” she said casually while walking inside. “So I had to come on my own.”
Watching her unpack her clothes and place them neatly into the wardrobe, Huo Zhiyuan quickly realized what was happening.
She intended to stay.
That had never been part of his plan.
His brows drew together even tighter.
She must still be clinging to some fantasy about me, he thought.
After a long silence, he sighed.
“The rumors are true.”
“My assets have all been seized to pay off my debts. Whether I can ever rebuild my business is uncertain, and I don’t even know if I’ll still end up owing money after everything is settled.”
“I have nothing left.”
“There’s no reason for you to stay tied to me.”
Xue Yanxin was crouched on the floor, organizing the contents of her suitcase.
Without even looking up, she replied casually, half teasing,
“Who says you have nothing left?”
“Aren’t you still in possession of one strong, healthy body?”
Once she’d finished unpacking, she finally lifted her head.
Her gaze wandered openly from his eyes…
…to his lips…
…to his collarbone…
…and finally settled on his lean waist.
“If you’ve got the looks, I don’t mind if you’re broke.”
Huo Zhiyuan’s body stiffened.
For the first time, a crack appeared in the gloomy composure on his face.
He immediately took several cautious steps backward, increasing the distance between them.
At the same time, he instinctively clutched the wrinkled collar of his shirt shut.
“I haven’t fallen so low that I’d have to sell my body.”
Xue Yanxin fell silent.
Big brother… can’t you tell I’m joking?
She hurriedly explained,
“What I meant is that you’re healthy.”
“You’ve got all four limbs, every organ is functioning perfectly, and you’re in good shape.”
“As long as someone’s alive and healthy, they’re never truly out of options.”
To her, good health meant hope.
No matter how bad things became, there was always a chance to start over.
Unexpectedly, after hearing that, the corner of Huo Zhiyuan’s eye twitched.
A trace of alarm flashed across his face.
He backed up until his heels hit the wall.
“I won’t sell my kidney either.”
Xue Yanxin: “…”
Do I seriously look like some criminal mastermind who runs illegal organ trafficking?
She forced an awkward smile.
“I’m not asking you to sell your body.”
“I’m not asking you to sell your kidney either.”
“I don’t even expect you to break your back working manual labor.”
“You spent all this time being my sugar daddy and letting me enjoy the good life.”
“Now it’s my turn to support you.”
“My arms and legs might be skinny, but I can still make sure you never go hungry.”
“All I ask is that you smile at me once in a while.”
“I’m very easy to satisfy.”
She grinned brightly.
“So? Surprise!”
“You thought you’d spent all this time raising a freeloader.”
“But it turns out you’ve been investing in a lifelong meal ticket.”
Huo Zhiyuan stared at her smile.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
His grandfather had once told him,
“When you’ve fallen to the very bottom, there’s one advantage.”
“All the monsters hiding around you reveal their true forms.”
“That’s when you’ll finally know who’s here to bring you charcoal in winter… and who’s only here to add fuel to the fire.”
Huo Zhiyuan had imagined this moment many times.
If he ever lost everything…
Who would still remain by his side?
He had thought of brothers he’d known for over a decade.
Business partners who had worked with him for years.
Even the family cook.
The security guards.
But never…
Never this woman standing before him.
Then again, who could blame him?
They had never been a real married couple.
Anyone would have assumed the same.
Half a year earlier, the original owner of Xue Yanxin’s body had used the favor her adoptive father had once done for Huo Zhiyuan as leverage, forcing him into marriage out of obligation.
Huo Zhiyuan had always been indifferent toward marriage.
Growing up under the influence of his grandfather’s chaotic love life, he viewed marriage as little more than a formality.
As long as it didn’t interfere with his career, marrying anyone made little difference to him.
Marrying Xue Yanxin would repay the debt of gratitude he owed her adoptive father.
It would also put an end to his grandfather’s relentless matchmaking.
Still…
Being morally blackmailed into marriage left him with nothing but contempt for her.
On the bright side, someone driven by greed was easy to control.
Especially someone who only wanted status and wealth.
On the day she forced the marriage, Huo Zhiyuan hadn’t even bothered lifting his eyes to look at her.
His cool voice carried an unmistakable chill.
“My family has always believed in repaying kindness and settling debts.”
“But never under emotional coercion.”
“Miss Xue.”
“You want to marry me because you value the status and prestige my name can bring you.”
“If it’s dignity you want…”
“I’ll give it to you.”
A lavish wedding worthy of a century-defining event was held.
Xue Yanxin became Mrs. Huo.
Yet everyone in the Huo family knew that the title existed in name only.
They never registered their marriage legally.
In private, they lived completely separate lives.
Huo Zhiyuan gave her a villa and a supplementary bank card, treating her like an expensive ornamental mascot.
All she had to do was accompany him to important public events whenever necessary.
Unfortunately…
She hadn’t even enjoyed the title of Mrs. Huo for six months before the original Xue Yanxin accidentally drank an alcoholic beverage after taking cephalosporin antibiotics and died.
When she opened her eyes again…
The person inside that body had become another Xue Yanxin.
An imposter.
Huo Zhiyuan carefully studied the smiling woman before him.
Was it because she wasn’t wearing makeup today?
Her face carried an innocence and sincerity he had never seen before.
The heavily made-up Xue Yanxin had always been stunningly beautiful.
But beneath that beauty, her calculating eyes had been impossible to miss.
The woman standing before him now wore no disguise.
She looked genuine.
Straightforward.
Even a little silly.
And somehow…
Far more captivating.
Narrowing his eyes, Huo Zhiyuan absentmindedly tapped the fingers of one hand against his opposite elbow as he quietly observed her.
Are you hiding another agenda…
Or are you truly sincere?
Time reveals a person’s heart.
I’ll wait and see whether you’re a ghost wearing human skin…
Or someone who has finally shed the skin of a ghost.