It was as if an entire squeezed lemon had been suddenly dropped in, its juice seeping out, adding a sour tinge to the splendid view before her eyes.
Lu Ningshuang blinked, trying to dispel the discomfort. “I haven’t even…”
“No need.”
Qin Yushu interrupted her in her usual cold tone, which now sounded distant like the music of a celestial fairy, untouchable by ordinary mortals. “Miss Lu, I’ve changed my mind.”
Lu Ningshuang opened her mouth. “…Oh.”
Qin Yushu had been the one to propose the arrangement in the first place, so it was only natural that she was the one to end it when she lost interest.
That was reasonable… wasn’t it?
Lu Ningshuang’s legs touched the ground again.
The city where she lived was by the sea, but still some distance from the ocean itself—not quite south, not quite north. Spring and autumn passed in a flash, leaving winter and summer to drag on endlessly.
It was already early April, but the temperature hadn’t yet recovered from winter. She might dress lightly indoors, but on her commute to work, Lu Ningshuang didn’t wear much less than she did in winter.
Stepping out of the car now, with the night wind blowing, she shivered all over and instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.
Well, such was the life of the poor.
She closed the car door a beat too slowly and, glancing back, caught Qin Yushu’s gaze still lingering on her.
Then it shifted away.
“Good night.”
Cool and casual.
It grew more distant until the faint sparkle in those pitch-black eyes blended with the stars overhead, indistinguishable from the countless others once swept away.
Of course.
Stars fell to the horizon—they were never meant to be grasped.
Back in her own apartment, Lu Ningshuang flung herself onto the sofa the moment she walked in, not even bothering to change her shoes.
After the long day, she was exhausted.
But after lying there for just a moment, she dragged herself up, dutifully went back to the door to slip on her slippers, neatly placed the shoes she’d worn outside, and even cleaned up the footprints she’d tracked in upon entering.
Then she went to boil some hot water to drink.
Lu Ningshuang’s family background didn’t allow her to afford her own little apartment near the company.
This place was rented.
Seventy-odd square meters, with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two small bedrooms—it was small but fully equipped.
She’d originally had a roommate, but that person was messy, noisy at night, and always bringing all sorts of friends back. Those friends didn’t look like upstanding types either. Fortunately, Lu Ningshuang was an Alpha, so last week, she’d parted ways with her.
She’d rented the place first; the roommate had been an afterthought.
Once the roommate moved out, the apartment was much quieter. She’d found this place after starting her job, paying first month’s rent plus three months’ deposit upfront—four months’ worth gone in one go, wiping out her savings.
Her first experience with a roommate had been such a disaster that Lu Ningshuang grew wary. They’d seemed fine during the initial meeting, but when looking for a new one, she’d added stricter requirements. She’d seen two candidates this week and hadn’t liked either. After all, it was her rest space, so she hadn’t agreed, leaving one bedroom empty.
Her salary hadn’t come in yet, no new roommate in sight, and now the rent wasn’t being split—Lu Ningshuang’s finances were getting tighter by the day.
She gave the place a quick clean.
She’d gotten home in the early hours the day before and crashed straight into bed. Add in the three days before that without cleaning, and it was starting to bother her psychologically.
By the time she finished, she was covered in a light sheen of sweat, so she went to take a shower.
Steam rose gently, the bathroom temperature perfect, relaxing her pores. Amid the swirling mist, that stunning face from tonight—and last night—reappeared before her eyes.
Now that she’d calmed down, Lu Ningshuang pieced together the whole process and realized she’d been led along by Qin Yushu’s rhythm from start to finish.
The other woman had seemed to give her room to decide, but the real choice had never been in her hands.
That person started when she wanted and ended when she wanted. From the night they met, Lu Ningshuang felt like she’d been toyed with in the palm of her hand.
The sudden coldness stung a little, but… it wasn’t that bad, was it?
The gap between them was just too vast.
Setting aside Qin Yushu’s role as the female lead, with her breathtaking beauty, outstanding abilities, and status as the 25-year-old heir to Tian Sheng Group—an Omega no less—there was a long line of people waiting for her to bestow her favor.
Right at the front of that line was the male lead, Huo Yunyi. Those two were the official pairing!
And then there was her…
Lu Ningshuang couldn’t think of any real strengths she had.
Her grades had always been decent—better than average, sure, but to someone like Qin Yushu, who had seen it all, she’d probably just rate as “ordinary and unremarkable.” Her looks were passable too, but as an Alpha, pairing with her would be mismatched and awkward. Her personality was okay, maybe… but personality was always the last resort for the powerless.
Shy, honest, hardworking, nice… those words turned into liabilities on a blind date.
Lu Ningshuang knew she didn’t even qualify as “ambitious.”
In the future, she’d probably just admire President Qin’s beauty from afar at the company.
No, even that wasn’t right.
Their offices were floors apart, their schedules different, and she had her own private elevator. They might not even cross paths daily—maybe not even weekly.
Besides, Qin Yushu might not even work here.
She oversaw many companies; this mediocre little subsidiary couldn’t contain such a big shot. Soon enough, she’d head back to headquarters, her promotion would be out of reach, and they’d probably never meet again.
Everything made perfect sense; it just left a touch of disappointment.
Yeah.
Just a touch.
Lu Ningshuang even calculated that even if she buckled down starting now and made it to Tian Sheng headquarters, Qin Yushu’s kids would probably be old enough to run errands by then.
Hiss—
The hairdryer had been aimed at one spot too long, scalding her scalp. She snapped back to reality.
She hastily dried her hair and burrowed under the covers.
No more thinking.
Sleep!
…
Approaching midnight, Lu Ningshuang made a call.
She, who usually fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, was suffering from insomnia!
“You two be honest—are you really not hiding anything from me?”
“You scared me.” On the other end, her dad picked up. “What’s with the tone in the middle of the night? Did a goblin suck out your soul?”
“No.” Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Lu Ningshuang’s voice was especially resentful. “Dad, answer my question first.”
“What?”
Lu Yezhou was baffled, but with his daughter calling at this hour and sounding serious, he straightened up too. “You explain first.”
Lu Ningshuang said gloomily, “Like my identity as a rich heiress?”
Lu Yezhou paused, then burst out laughing. “Silly girl, I’m still waiting for your grandpa to notify me.”
Lu·Dreams-Shattered·Ningshuang: “…”
Father Lu trampled his daughter’s dreams and twisted the knife. “If you work hard, maybe your future kids can be the rich second-gen. I believe in you, kiddo.”
Lu Ningshuang: “…”
“Gotta go—your mom’s gonna wake up. I need to soothe her. Hanging up.”
The phone beeped with the busy tone. Lu Ningshuang stared blankly at the ceiling in the darkness.
She yanked the blanket over her head.
Sigh. Back to the grind.
With her shortcut to overnight wealth severed, Lu Ningshuang returned to her nine-to-five grind.
A corporate drone’s salary was limited. To ease her financial pinch, she tapped into her cousin Lu Fugui’s connection.
On Saturday morning, a cold wind whistled.
They met at the gate of a kindergarten as planned.
Lu Fugui’s real name was Lu Chengyue.
She loved money—only money interested her—but her real appearance matched her real name: a cool, ethereal beauty that didn’t match her mercenary vibe at all.
Wool sweater, fleece pants—even in this cold, nothing on her cost more than two hundred bucks. The crowning touch was her long hair, jet-black and glossy, flowing down to her waist.
Don’t get the wrong idea.
That hair was for sale too. Lu Chengyue had been growing it for nearly three years. Good quality hair fetched higher prices the longer it was, and she planned to chop it all off come summer for a big payday!
The Lu family genes were strong. Lu Ningshuang and Lu Chengyue shared only a thirty percent resemblance, and with their completely different vibes, no one would spot it without close inspection. But both were stunning.
Knowing Lu Chengyue hated chit-chat, Lu Ningshuang cut to the chase. “Where’s the client?”
“In a bit.” Lu Chengyue was fiddling with her phone, striking a cool pose—probably chatting with the client. “She says she’s on her way.”
“Oh.”
They waited a little longer.
Lu Chengyue: “Here she comes.”
The click-clack of footsteps sounded. Lu Ningshuang turned… and saw no one.
?
“You’re the AAA that takes any job?” A childish voice, pretending to be mature and steady, came out soft and sticky-sweet, giving away that it was a little kid.
Lu Ningshuang looked down and finally saw her.
Lu Fugui dashed forward in a heartbeat, her attitude toward her cousin a world away from what she’d shown this close sister.
“Magic Fairy Castle Xiao Yi?”
The little dumpling, not even up to Lu Fugui’s waist, lifted her chubby baby face, her eyes sparkling like black grapes. She nodded proudly. “Yep, that’s me~!”
Lu Fugui beamed and… shoved Lu Ningshuang right in front of the little girl. “Hello, your ‘mommy’ order from Magic Fairy Castle has been delivered. Please sign for it.”
