A year ago, the accident severely weakened Yan Xi, leaving her body utterly broken. Although she barely survived, her life was now one of constant suffering, fragile and riddled with injuries.

She was so frail that a gust of wind could topple her.

This was precisely why her senior sister didn’t dare let Lu Huaichen find her. The Su family was now entirely under his control. Even at her peak — with robust health, mental strength, and family backing — Yan Xi might not have stood a chance against him.

Now, with her body utterly ruined, falling into Lu Huaichen’s hands would mean certain death.

After all, Lu Huaichen had finally rid himself of her and could now live blissfully with Song Xi. Why would he tolerate her presence any longer?

Yan Xi gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

Her body was frighteningly thin. At 168 cm tall, she weighed less than 80 pounds.

Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, with no trace of color on her face — like a ghostly figure.

Fortunately, her eyes were exceptional, saving her from looking like a corpse.

Her delicate, dense lashes framed her almond-shaped peach blossom eyes. Their blend of charm and innocence was captivating. When expressionless, her eyes exuded a bewitching allure, but with even the slightest hint of emotion, they conveyed an innocence that stirred pity.

After staring at the mirror for a moment, Yan Xi began sneezing, her body shivering uncontrollably.

It was only then she realized she was still wearing damp clothes, which clung coldly to her skin, making her tremble from head to toe.

Yan Xi panicked. She knew her own body well — getting sick was a death sentence. What was merely a cold to a normal person could be fatal for her.

She needed to take a hot shower immediately.

But when she got to the bathroom, she discovered there was no hot water.

What should she do? She couldn’t possibly bathe in cold water.

Deciding to check if any other guest rooms had hot water, Yan Xi left her room. However, the vast second floor was eerily empty, with no servants in sight.

Then she remembered: there weren’t many servants in the Gu family, and they rarely came to the second floor.

The entire second floor housed only two people: Yan Xi, in the far west wing, and Gu Qinghan, in the far east wing, separated by seven or eight rooms — a distance that felt like an entire galaxy.

With no one else occupying the other rooms, Gu Qinghan’s was likely the only one with hot water.

Yan Xi frowned slightly. Her upbringing discouraged her from using someone else’s room for a shower, but—

She chuckled bitterly. She had only a few days left to live, yet she was still worried about manners.

Without further hesitation, she grabbed her shampoo and body wash and headed east.

The room was empty, quiet, and still.

Yan Xi glanced around, noting how impeccably clean it was. The bedspread was without a single wrinkle, tidier than a five-star hotel, as if no one had lived here for a long time.

Relieved, she relaxed and walked into the bathroom, her slippers softly padding against the floor.

She decided to soak for a while to drive the chill out of her body and avoid catching a cold.

As she approached the bathtub and touched the crystal faucet, she realized the bathtub was the same model she used at the Su family’s home.

It was a high-end brand, Durdebao, the world’s finest bathtub, priced at 1.08 million yuan.

Back when she had just married Lu Huaichen, she had personally selected every item for their new home. This bathtub had been her favorite.

She had eagerly taken Lu Huaichen to the bathroom, wanting to share with him how many features it had, how comfortable it was, and how it relieved fatigue.

But before she could speak, Lu Huaichen raised his eyes indifferently. “How much?”

“1.08 million.”

“Hah—” Lu Huaichen chuckled coldly. “So I’m worth less than a bathtub?”

Yan Xi froze. She understood what he meant. They had married because she paid his mother’s hospital bill of one million yuan.

But how could those things be compared? To her, Lu Huaichen was priceless. How could he belittle himself like that?

Yan Xi had tried to explain, but no matter what she said, in his eyes, it was just empty excuses.

In Lu Huaichen’s mind, her wealth and privilege were sins. She could never understand the hardships of the poor.

Only someone like his childhood sweetheart, Song Xi, who had worked as a waitress in a club to make ends meet, could earn his pity.

The thought of Song Xi reminded Yan Xi of the life-saving medicine.

Damn it! That bastard Lu Huaichen had given her life-saving medicine to another woman!

Yan Xi’s chest heaved with anger, nearly causing her to faint on the spot.

Seething, she pulled out her phone and started searching for news about Lu Huaichen and Song Xi.

If she, the “eyesore,” was gone, surely the pitiable star-crossed lovers had finally united?

Yet after searching for a while, she found that Lu Huaichen hadn’t gotten married. He didn’t even have a female companion by his side.

The media even praised his unwavering devotion.

“Devotion?”

Yan Xi sneered. How good he was at putting on a show.

Portraying himself as deeply in love had allowed him to smoothly take over the Su family. There was no one craftier than Lu Huaichen.

Yan Xi realized how foolish she had been in the past. How had she not seen through his wolfish ambition?

Furious, she sank into the warm water, letting the tub’s jets massage her body.

Her frail body couldn’t endure much longer. She had to cherish every day she was alive and enjoy what little time she had left.

She splashed the water with her feet, savoring the luxurious bath as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinghan returned after a brief outing, immediately surrounded by a group of servants.

One took his coat, another knelt to place his slippers…

“Welcome back, Sir Gu. What would you like for dinner?” asked Aunt Liu with a warm smile.

Gu Qinghan’s cold gaze swept over her. Reserved by nature, he had few desires and no appetite. “Whatever you think is best,” he replied flatly, his deep voice calm.

After dismissing her, he adjusted his black silk gloves and strode leisurely toward the second floor, his long legs moving at an unhurried pace.