“Happy birthday, Qingxian!”
When Song Qingxian opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by a crowd of people. In front of her was a cake with candles shaped as the number “18.” She had returned to her eighteenth year.
Her father, her mother, her sister, and… Lu Chiyan, the person she found so unbearably annoying.
“Qingxian, what are you standing there for? Make a wish and blow out the candles,” someone urged.
Song Qingxian paused for a moment. “Wait, I haven’t finished my wish yet.”
She closed her eyes again, sincerely making a wish, hoping she could save Azhan.
After making her wish, she blew out the candles. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. The eighteen-year-old Song Qingxian did not yet know Lu Nanzhan. Would things between them turn out differently this time?
“Happy adulthood, Qingxian,” Lu Chiyan said with a smile.
At this point in time, Lu Chiyan was already together with Song Qinglan, and in the original story, Song Qingxian would have confessed to her sister’s boyfriend at this very birthday party, making the atmosphere extremely awkward.
But Song Qingxian would never do that again. She simply smiled lightly. “Thank you.”
Everything was still peaceful. Lu Nanzhan had only just returned to the country, Lu Chiyan and he had not yet become enemies locked in a life-and-death struggle, and Song Qingxian’s father had not yet gone bankrupt due to Lu Nanzhan’s aggressive expansion, eventually leading to his suicide. Song Qingxian had just finished the college entrance exams and had only recently entered university.
Everything seemed to have started anew.
That night, Song Qingxian lay in bed unable to sleep, her heart pounding with excitement. She really wanted to see what twenty-two-year-old Lu Nanzhan was like. Was he still that lonely, twisted man who made people feel heartache?
But she quickly realized something depressing. She did not know Lu Nanzhan yet, and there was no opportunity for her to meet him either. It was not like she could just wait outside his company building, and knowing Lu Nanzhan’s personality, he probably would not even spare her a glance.
In the novel, Song Qingxian only got close to Lu Nanzhan through Lu Chiyan’s arrangements. There was no way she would willingly involve herself with that man.
Song Qingxian shook her head. Absolutely not.
She searched Lu Nanzhan’s name on her phone and found numerous reports about him. The Lu Family chairman was critically ill, the third young master had returned to the country. In the photos, he looked cold and aloof, far less sinister than the future version of himself.
Right now, he was only the CEO of a branch company, not yet the head of the Lu Corporation. Online evaluations of him were mostly positive, praising his sharp business mind and decisive leadership. No one knew that in a few years, Lu Nanzhan would completely reshape the commercial landscape of Nanchuan City.
Song Qingxian made a decision.
She needed to get close to Lu Nanzhan.
As a freshman, she originally planned to find an internship at Lu Nanzhan’s company, but they simply did not accept interns. In the end, she managed to find an assistant position in a company located right next to his.
After a week of observation, she finally figured out his schedule. He arrived at 9 a.m., left at 6 p.m., often worked overtime, and drove a Rolls-Royce with a license plate that was impossible to ignore.
That day, during rush hour, it started to rain.
Office workers crowded the streets trying to get taxis home, but it was almost impossible to get one. Many people gathered near the building entrance.
From upstairs, Song Qingxian looked down at the scene below and finally spotted Lu Nanzhan’s black Rolls-Royce. The traffic was heavy and the rain made everything slower.
A bold idea suddenly surfaced in her mind.
She was going to stage an accident.
Song Qingxian rushed downstairs and crossed the road. Just as she had planned, she was knocked down by the Rolls-Royce. Her arms and knees only suffered minor scratches, but she gritted her teeth and deliberately scraped her knee hard against the rough ground until the skin split open and blood began to seep out.
The driver was startled and immediately got out. “Mr. Lu, I’m sorry, it looks like we hit someone. I’ll go check.”
The driver approached her. “Are you alright?”
Song Qingxian struggled to stand and realized it was Fang Cheng. Seeing a familiar face, she could not help but feel a slight upward curve at her lips.
Fang Cheng froze. Why was this girl smiling when she was injured like this?
“I’m in a lot of pain. I think I need to go to the hospital,” Song Qingxian said, switching into a pitiful expression.
“…?” Fang Cheng fell silent. Was this a scam? The change in attitude was too fast.
Just then, someone suddenly rushed out. The car had been moving slowly, but he still did not notice her.
The person inside the car was not someone easy to deal with either. Fang Cheng decided to minimize the issue. “How much compensation do you need?”
Song Qingxian, “….”
So they thought she was a fraud. Wait, technically she was here to scam someone, just not Fang Cheng. She wanted Lu Nanzhan.
“I don’t want money,” she said softly and innocently. “It’s rush hour and I can’t get a taxi. Could you take me to the hospital?”
The rain grew heavier. Droplets clung to her face, and her bare, unadorned features looked even more delicate and striking. Her clean beauty, paired with her bright eyes, carried a faint, alluring charm hidden beneath innocence.
Seeing her like this, Fang Cheng felt a bit of sympathy. “Please wait a moment,” he said. He needed to ask the CEO.
Suddenly, a black umbrella was placed above her head.
Song Qingxian looked up. Her eyes, like rippling peach blossoms, met a pair of deep, ink-dark eyes.
It was him again.
This time, she did not see any number above his head. Did that mean this was her final chance at rebirth?
She looked at him for a long time, her gaze filled with longing and affection. She almost wanted to hug him, but in the end she only smiled gently. “Thank you.”
Something faint stirred in Lu Nanzhan’s otherwise calm gaze. It felt like no one had ever looked at him like that before.
He studied her briefly, then spoke in a low, cold voice. “Get in the car.”
Fang Cheng was visibly surprised. Their boss, who was usually cold and indifferent, had actually agreed. Normally, even if someone died in front of him, he would not spare a glance. Was this what beauty could do?
Song Qingxian suppressed her excitement and calmly followed Lu Nanzhan into the car.