It had been late afternoon. The orange sunset filtered through the hallway windows, casting a glow on the white walls. She had been sitting on a bench, dazed, tears streaming down her face unconsciously. Since her father died and the media swarmed over their bankruptcy, she had rarely cried. That was the first time—it felt as though she would never see a sunset that beautiful again.
Gu Qingshuang, also in a white lab coat, had handed her an unopened bottle of orange soda. She hadn’t said a word; she simply sat with Ming Li for half an hour. When Ming Li finally composed herself, she thanked her.
Before the Ming family fell, Ming Li had been a high-profile socialite, yet she had never crossed paths with Gu Qingshuang, who moved in the same circles. At banquets, Ming Li only went when she felt like it. Her Chinese classical dance was exquisite, but she never felt the need to be displayed as a piece of art in public. The Ming family had treated her like the pearl in their palm. Surrounded by kindness and praise, she had never needed to master the art of social maneuvering.
But when the Ming family collapsed, the world turned. Overnight, the Ming Princess fell into the dust, and many were waiting to see her fail.
At the time, Ming Li was working three jobs: tutoring, teaching dance, and live-streaming. That was the year she graduated. Her mentor had already written a recommendation for her to join the Jing’an Grand Theater as a formal dancer. She had turned it down to pay off the debts and her mother’s medical bills.
It was then that Gu Qingshuang proposed a “contract marriage.”
Back then, Ming Li didn’t know the specifics of the Gu family. She only asked, “Why?”
Gu Qingshuang had replied calmly, “I need a marriage partner.”
Same-sex marriage had only been legal for two years. In an era where heterosexuality was still the dominant norm, a marriage between two women like them was still considered an outlier. Before then, Ming Li had never come out to her family. She had never had a boyfriend; she only liked girls.
“Why me?” Ming Li had asked. “What if I don’t like women?”
Gu Qingshuang kept one hand in her lab coat pocket and answered indifferently, “But you need the money.”
Gu Qingshuang would help her pay the debts, and in exchange, Ming Li would sign a five-year marriage contract. For those five years, she would perform the duties of Gu Qingshuang’s wife.
Gu Qingshuang cleared all the Ming family’s debts, covered the medical expenses, and arranged the best suite for her mother. In return, she had one condition: Do not fall in love with me.
Ming Li had never loved anyone. At the time, she was exhausted, worn down by the grind of life. she had no room in her heart for romance. Moreover, Gu Qingshuang was as cold as ice; aside from being beautiful, she didn’t seem to have many redeeming qualities. Ming Li thought it was the easiest condition in the world to meet, so she agreed without hesitation.
Gu Qingshuang likely thought that emotions between two people in a contract were a nuisance, so she added another clause: If either party develops feelings, the marriage ends early.
Ming Li had thought the idea was absurd.
They married in haste, without even a honeymoon. It was only after the wedding that Ming Li learned the true reason behind the arrangement.
Gu Qingshuang had a “White Moonlight” whom everyone knew about—a woman who looked like Ming Li, had a name that sounded like Ming Li’s, and even shared the same profession.
Even so, after three years of daily life, of kissing, of intimacy… she didn’t know if her body had fallen first or if it was her heart that had been softened by the proximity. By the time she realized it, it was too late.
There were still two years left on the contract. She couldn’t break the agreement, so she had to pretend she didn’t love her. Truth and lies blurred until sometimes even she was confused.
Like last night, when their dark hair had tangled together and she had kissed Gu Qingshuang’s earlobe. Ming Li always prioritized Gu Qingshuang’s feelings; as long as Gu Qingshuang was satisfied, she felt a hollow sense of fulfillment.
But after they were finished, Gu Qingshuang had the habit of washing up immediately. When she returned from the bathroom in her robe, her expression would be cold again, as if the passionate intimacy of moments before had been a hallucination. Ming Li would give everything she had to the act, yet she wouldn’t even receive a comforting kiss afterward. Even if she instinctively reached out to kiss Gu Qingshuang, the other woman would pull away.
And this morning, because Gu Qingshuang wanted red bean toast, Ming Li forced herself to eat the food she despised. Gu Qingshuang never kept her in her heart, yet Ming Li had fallen.
To love and be unable to say it was the greatest tragedy.
Thinking of this, a tightness gripped Ming Li’s chest. She made an excuse to go to the restroom, escaping the table and Ming Xi’s perceptive gaze.
After emerging from the stall, Ming Li splashed her hands with cold water and pressed them against the back of her neck, trying to summon her logic. Once she felt composed, she walked out, only to turn the corner and find Gu Qingshuang standing there with one hand in her pocket.
Facing her was the intern, Lu Shuang. The girl was in the middle of a confession.
The scene was incredibly awkward, and Ming Li instinctively tried to turn back, but Gu Qingshuang called her name. “A-Li.”
Ming Li’s footsteps faltered. She turned back, her gaze deep, her voice gentle. “Yes?”
“I’m married,” Gu Qingshuang said. “This is my wife. Lu Shuang, do you believe me now?”
“What? How is that possible?” Lu Shuang’s eyes widened as she scanned Ming Li up and down. “Didn’t you and A-Li break up?”
Gu Qingshuang paused for a beat before her voice turned cold. “This A-Li is not that A-Li.”
Lu Shuang tilted her head, murmuring, “But she looks so much like her.”
Neither Ming Li nor Gu Qingshuang spoke as Ming Li walked to her wife’s side. This was part of their agreement: in any situation where Gu Qingshuang needed her to play the role of a devoted wife, she had to give it her all.
But in the next second, Lu Shuang blurted out, “You found yourself a counterfeit of Shen Lideng?!”
![The Succubus and the Saintess [Western Fantasy]](https://i2.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/113594s-4059926292-e1755476115867.jpg?resize=151,215 "The Succubus and the Saintess [Western Fantasy]")
![I’ve Reloaded the Save File! [Transmigration]](https://i1.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/qua.png?resize=151,215 "I’ve Reloaded the Save File! [Transmigration]")