Chapter 13

Two days later, I brought a contract to Su Wanyin.

She was still like a frightened little bird, shrinking away from everyone.

She only dared to open the door after hearing my voice.

“Miss Shen, is there something I can do for you?”

“I can help you resolve the situation with Shang Luzhou. But there are conditions. Take a look at this.”

I handed her the contract I had drafted.

Su Wanyin was clearly scared, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

After quickly scanning the document, she looked at me in disbelief.

“Why are you being so good to me?”

The contract wasn’t about repayment. It stipulated that I would fund her to study design abroad. I would cover all expenses, on the condition that after graduation, she would come to work for my family’s company, at a full salary.

For her, in her current situation, it was an offer with absolutely no downsides.

“Because I see your potential and want to invest in you.”

“I’ve seen your design sketches. You have a real gift.”

The female lead, of course, wouldn’t be without talent. The author had given Su Wanyin a “golden finger” for design. Though it wasn’t just a gift; her hard work was a talent in itself.

Su Wanyin had always worked diligently to nurture her talent.

It was a shame that in the original story, this ability was only used so she could design her and Shang Luzhou’s wedding rings and outfits.

But I could see her greater value.

I wanted her talent to be showcased under spotlights, displayed in shop windows, and presented on the world’s biggest stages-not just under a man.

Su Wanyin’s eyes turned red.

“Thank you. You really are as wonderful as they say.”

“They said you were Shang Luzhou’s unforgettable first love,

but I think you are the real ‘white moonlight¹‘.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t need to be so formal with me. We’re the same.”

Su Wanyin shook her head, her tone a bit strained. “How could we be the same?”

“You’re a young lady from a wealthy family. I’m just an orphan.”

Remembering the descriptions from the novel, I took her hand. “You don’t mind if I hold your hand, do you?”

“Come sit down. I want to show you something.”

She looked at me, completely flattered and surprised, and nodded blankly, following me in a daze. I had to call her name three times before she snapped out of it.

I showed her two photos that had recently gone viral.

One was of a beautifully dressed, elegant woman lounging on a sofa, with a slender figure and long, straight legs. She looked so delicate it was heart-wrenching.

The other was of a woman bundled up in pajamas, sprawled on the sofa without a care for her appearance.

The comment section was filled with people joking around:

The CEO comes home: [Auntie Wu, why is there half a pig lying here?]

The Domineering CEO: [Auntie Wu, this is not where you’re supposed to sleep.]

[The CEO tells them not to wake Auntie Wu, but to just throw her out, sofa and all.]

“How does this make you feel?” I asked.

Su Wanyin hesitated for a long time before saying uncertainly, “You’re the elegant lady, and it’s okay for me to be the ‘Auntie Wu’?”

I nodded at her assessment, then said seriously, “No, that’s not it.”

“I just want to tell you that next time, you can imagine yourself as the CEO. We don’t have to diminish, weaken, uglify, or objectify ourselves.”

“It’s fine to ignore internet jokes, but we must remember not to place ourselves in a subordinate position.”

“You’re amazing, truly remarkable. You worked hard to get into university, all while studying and taking care of your sick grandmother. No matter how difficult it got, you never gave up on her treatment. When you were in debt, you didn’t run away; you chose to face it head-on. When I gave you a choice, you found the courage to leave with me, because you were actively looking for a way to solve your problems. When I gave you the contract, you weren’t suspicious but pleasantly surprised, which shows you’re grateful and have a sense of propriety.”

“I only know this little about you, and I can already list so many of your strengths. You are incredible. Don’t belittle yourself. Love yourself.”

Su Wanyin looked at me with tear-filled eyes and asked cautiously, “Can I hug you?”

I hugged her without hesitation, feeling her trying to hold back her tears, her body shaking with choked sobs.

“It’s okay. If you want to cry, just cry.”

“I have plenty of clothes; I could wear one and toss it. Go ahead and cry. Your best days are ahead of you.”

As if she couldn’t hold it in any longer, she broke down and started wailing.

I patted her back, thinking to myself, It’s all right now.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve known that the world I live in is a novel.

I am the male lead’s first love, the female rival who is destined to turn into a villain.

But I didn’t know who the male lead would be; my memories were hazy.

Until I was captivated by Shang Luzhou’s face and started dating him.

Fragments of the plot would occasionally surface in my mind.

Shang Luzhou was handsome, but his personality was truly awful. Even if he was the male lead, I couldn’t stand him.

I followed the plot, broke up with him, and then followed my own plan to go to America.

I hadn’t originally planned to return so soon. But the photos my friends kept sending, and the plot points that kept appearing in my memory…

I felt that Su Wanyin didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

Every woman has the right to be respected.

Why was I the only one who ‘awakened’ to this reality, and not others?

That, of course, is because I, Shen Fu, was born for something special.

I could have stood by and done nothing, but I chose not to.

I was determined to return.

Footnote:

1. White Moonlight(白月光):This is a popular Chinese internet slang term originating from a novel by Eileen Chang. It refers to an idealized, unforgettable, and often unattainable first love that a person holds in their heart. In the context of this story, Shen Fu is the “white moonlight” in the male lead’s past, a perfect memory he can’t get over. When Su Wanyin calls Shen Fu the “real” white moonlight, she is elevating her from a romantic ideal to a genuinely good and radiant person.