Lu Qingran had worked in this department store for many years and was extremely familiar with everything inside.
She knew exactly where everything was placed, so it didn’t take her long to look around. In just over ten minutes, she had roughly checked every floor except the seventh—nothing had changed.
Just as she was about to step onto the escalator to the seventh floor, Lu Qingqing’s voice rang in her ears.
“Lu Qingran, the village chief is here. Grandpa wants you in the main hall.”
Lu Qingqing never set foot in the woodshed, so Lu Qingran wasn’t worried about being discovered. She casually placed the half-finished milk tea in her hand on a nearby seat, silently thought “exit,” and instantly returned to the woodshed.
Lu Qingqing stood at the entrance of the main hall, her eyes fixed on the woodshed. When she saw Lu Qingran slowly walk out, her face was full of smiles, but her tone carried obvious annoyance.
“Why are you so slow? Making all the elders and the village chief wait for you, a little girl?”
Lu Qingran rolled her eyes and said nothing.
The Lu family’s living conditions were actually decent. Although the house was made of mud bricks, it had many rooms: one main hall, three rooms each in the east and west wings, a kitchen, a woodshed, and a backyard with over half a mu of vegetable land. They also raised a few chickens and a pig—considered well-off in the village.
Passing by Lu Qingqing, Lu Qingran entered the main hall.
She saw a stern-looking man in his fifties, dressed in gray, sitting beside Old Master Lu.
She recognized him from the original owner’s memories—the village chief of Lu Family Village, named Lu Chengfu, in his fifties, and distantly related to their family. In fact, most people in the village shared the surname Lu, and many were related if you traced back a few generations.
“Girl Ran,” Lu Chengfu said, “I heard from your second uncle that you want to sever ties with the Lu family?”
“Yes,” Lu Qingran replied firmly.
“I know what your life has been like here,” Lu Chengfu continued, “but you’re still young. If you cut ties, you’ll be all alone. In the future…”
“Village Chief, you’ve probably heard—I’m going to marry Yan Dalang in place of my sister,” Lu Qingran said.
Before she could finish, Yao snapped angrily, “Qingran, watch how you speak! This marriage was already changed to you long ago. Don’t ruin Qingqing’s reputation!”
Unfazed, Lu Qingran replied calmly, “You all know what really happened. Or should we invite someone from the Yan family to confirm?”
Lu Chengfu had already frowned when Yao spoke. Now he said impatiently, “Are we discussing this or arguing? If you want to fight, do it outside. Don’t waste my time.”
Feeling guilty, Yao fell silent.
Lu Chengfu understood both the Lu family’s and the Yan family’s situations. Seeing Lu Qingran’s firm resolve, he turned to Old Master Lu and Lu Dayong.
“Have you thought this through? Dayong, Qingran is your biological daughter. Once you sever ties, she’ll have nothing to do with you anymore. If she prospers in the future, you won’t benefit at all.”
Hearing “benefit,” Lu Dayong hesitated.
“If you haven’t decided, take your time,” Lu Qingran said. “My condition is simple: if you want me to marry into the Yan family, sign the severance document. Otherwise, whoever wants to marry can go.”
“I don’t want to!” Lu Qingqing cried in panic.
“Then return the bride price to the Yan family and cancel the engagement,” Lu Qingran said coolly.
“In your dreams! I’ll beat you to death, you worthless girl!” the old matriarch shouted, stepping forward to strike her. Yao and Lu Qingqing glared angrily as well.
“The silver is ours! Dad, she’s trying to take our money—kick her out!” shouted Yao’s older son.
Hearing such vicious words from a child, Lu Chengfu glanced at Old Master Lu with disdain.
Embarrassed, Old Master Lu snapped, “Write the severance agreement!”
Taking out paper and brush, Lu Chengfu quickly drafted the document. Lu Qingran had secretly watched earlier and saw no issues, so she promptly pressed her thumbprint. The rest of the Lu family did the same. Lu Chengfu signed and stamped it as a witness.
Three copies were made: one for Lu Dayong, one for Lu Qingran, and one to be filed with the county office.
“Since ties are severed, get out! Don’t take up space in our house!” the old matriarch said.
As if Lu Qingran cared about staying. She couldn’t wait to leave these people behind and live freely.
Yao quickly added, “Mother, we can’t let her leave yet. If she runs away and refuses the marriage, we’ll have no one to send to the Yan family.”
“Right, right! Lock her in the woodshed. Watch her carefully—don’t let her escape before the wedding tomorrow,” the old matriarch ordered.
“Got it,” Yao said, moving to grab Lu Qingran.
Lu Qingran sidestepped and said coldly, “Don’t touch me.”
Then she walked out of the main hall toward the small woodshed. Yao followed closely, locked the door behind her, and secured it.
Lu Qingran sneered and sat on the bed. Once she heard Yao’s footsteps fade, she thought, “Enter.”
In the next moment, she reappeared at the entrance hall of the department store.
“So this is where I appear every time,” she thought.
She had already explored every floor except the seventh, so she headed straight there—unaware a huge surprise awaited her.
The elevator stopped on the seventh floor.
As the doors opened, the scene before her was completely different from what she expected.
The cinema and gym were gone—replaced by a duplex apartment.
The design was modern and minimalist, dominated by white and gray tones—comfortable yet stylish.
Inside, the first thing she saw was the living room. It was open-plan, spacious, and bright, furnished with a simple sofa and coffee table. An abstract painting hung on the wall, adding an artistic touch.
Next to it was the dining area, with a solid wood table and chairs, giving a warm, natural feeling. Decorative paintings created a romantic atmosphere.
Beside that was the kitchen—also open-plan—equipped with high-end appliances, making cooking easy and enjoyable.
Upstairs were the bedroom and study. The bedroom was cozy, with a large comfortable bed. The study was simple, with a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf—though it was completely empty.
This was the apartment Lu Qingran had just finished renovating before her accident—she hadn’t even lived in it for a day. Now it had come with her.
This time, she was truly satisfied.
She took a shower first. Looking in the mirror, she saw that aside from severe malnutrition, her features were exactly like her teenage self.
“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about my looks,” she muttered.
Afterward, she went to the supermarket on the basement level, grabbed some fruit, and relaxed on the sofa while eating.
She stayed there all night.
No one in the Lu family cared about her. Now that ties were severed, aside from making sure she didn’t escape, no one bothered to feed her or even consider whether she needed to use the bathroom while locked inside.
Well-fed and content in her space, Lu Qingran slept soundly on her carefully chosen bed, completely unaware that morning had already come outside.
She was jolted awake by Yao’s loud voice. For a moment, she was disoriented, but soon remembered—she had transmigrated into an unloved village girl about to be married off in her stepsister’s place.
After changing into the patched clothes, she returned to the woodshed.
Just as she appeared, she heard the door being unlocked. Yao entered.
“Put on the wedding clothes. The Yan family is here,” Yao said impatiently, tossing her a cheap red bridal dress.
Lu Qingran didn’t bother arguing.
Though the fabric was poor, at least it had no pa