Chapter 1

“Miss An, haven’t you seen enough?”

The autumn air was deep and rich, and the woman opposite me was wrapped in a luxurious mink coat.

The tea on the table had long gone cold, still in the same state as when I placed it twenty minutes ago.

This wasn’t the first time Jiang’s Mother had come to see me.

But this time, she brought along a video.

I stared at the dazzling images for a long time before I realized.

It was Jiang Huaixu’s engagement party.

He hadn’t told me.

If Jiang’s Mother hadn’t come, I would probably still be foolishly waiting for him to come back for his birthday.

The young man with clear and handsome features was impeccably dressed in a suit, smiling as he toasted with those around him.

Standing beside the charming and radiant Lin family heiress, they truly made a perfect match.

Jiang’s Mother glanced at my pale face and slowly spoke, “Miss An, I always thought you were a decent person.”

“But I didn’t expect you to be so oblivious.”

“The favor of being taken in exchanged for three years of prosperity in the Jiang Family, others would have been grateful, but Miss An-”

She arched her eyebrows, her voice light and gentle, yet it pierced my heart like countless soft needles.

Stirring an indescribable bitterness.

“Have you stayed in the Jiang Family so long that you’ve forgotten you crawled up from the slums, and now you vainly covet a position that doesn’t belong to you?”

In the past, I would have refuted without hesitation.

Jiang Huaixu would never despise my origins.

But now, I was speechless.

At a gathering a few days ago, I overheard Jiang Huaixu talking with his friends.

Someone teased, “Jiang Huaixu, you’re still keeping that woman you brought back from the trash heap, won’t you marry her in the future?”

“Just saying, I find it dirty, I won’t be attending your wedding.”

In the past, Jiang Huaixu would have been the first to get angry at such words, but that day he was calm.

“Just repaying a favor.”

“Her status doesn’t match, I can’t marry her.”

“She’s quite obedient, keeping her around is fine.”

Laughter erupted, like a slap across my face.

In the Jiang Family over the years, the little dignity I had was completely worn away at that moment.

To stay and become a joke in all of Hai City, or to choose the contract Jiang’s Mother offered.

The answer was already clear.

“I’m someone who likes to handle things cleanly, avoiding unnecessary entanglements and stray thoughts.” Jiang’s Mother handed me a pen, “So you need to fake your death, and have no further ties with Huaixu, can you understand?”

I opened the contract, stubbornly not letting tears fall on the paper.

A fake death in exchange for ten million in compensation, this was the best outcome I could get.

There was nothing left to hesitate about.

So I took the pen and carefully signed my name.

Jiang’s Mother smiled too, thoroughly satisfied.

“Miss An, I’m glad you could come to terms so quickly.”

“Then I’ll give you some leeway-”

“Ten days to handle your own affairs.”

“After ten days, An Qin will cease to exist.”