Chapter 3: I Remember You Used to Be Afraid of Me

Jin Zhao held back a string of curses. For such a high-and-mighty CEO, couldn’t he at least get laser eye surgery for his nearsightedness?

“I just took off my makeup—Husband, and you already can’t recognize me?” she said pitifully.

She looked up at the man standing before her. His brow bones were sharp and defined, his eyes jet black and cold, his nose tall and straight, and the corners of his mouth slightly downturned. He looked down at her with a chilling indifference, his entire presence wrapped in an invisible frost.

Jin Zhao instinctively touched her neck. Thank goodness—still alive.

After all, in the novel, this powerful man didn’t appear often, but every time he did, he exuded mystery and dominance.

It was clear the author had a particular fondness for this cold CEO. Even the male lead, Lu Sichen, after struggling through most of the book, couldn’t catch up. He only managed to reach the peak of the highest class he could access.

But Wei Ting—he stood at the very top of the pyramid.

Jin Zhao suddenly realized she had forgotten a very important plot point.

The author favored this business emperor so much that he even appeared in the final chapter. But because his screen time was minimal, she had no clear memory of how his story ended.

Wei Ting noticed her suddenly spacing out and immediately sensed something was wrong. He strode abruptly toward the bed, and his shadow fell across the girl.

“I remember you used to be afraid of me,” he said, eyes narrowing as he stared into the clear gaze before him, his voice sharp with suspicion. “What did you just call me?”

Every hair on Jin Zhao’s body stood on end. She knew something about her was clearly off. She had already come up with an excuse to gloss things over, but she hadn’t expected Wei Ting to be so guarded.

Couldn’t the big shot cut her a little slack?

“I was afraid of you before…” Jin Zhao replied nervously, trying to explain. “But at the banquet today, someone bumped into me and I hit the corner of a table. Now I only remember bits and pieces.”

“And in that moment between life and death, I suddenly realized how ridiculously wrong I’d been. So from now on, I’m turning over a new leaf and starting fresh.”

The excuse was clumsy, but continuing to pretend to be the original host—mad and foolish—would eventually backfire. She figured it was better to just lay her cards on the table. Something too absurd might actually sound more believable.

As long as the story had enough holes and inconsistencies to pique Wei Ting’s curiosity, he might want to investigate her instead of simply killing her.

Naturally, Wei Ting didn’t believe her. He raised his hand, his fingers brushing the slender, pale neck in front of him.

Jin Zhao could feel that large hand slowly tightening. With a personality like his, no wonder he didn’t have a wife.

Feigning innocence, she continued brightly, “And most importantly, I plan to live a long, long life.”

Sudden death? She’d rather let someone else take her place.

Wei Ting believed that a person could fake their words and actions—but not their eyes. The clarity and purity in her gaze now were worlds apart from the muddled, lifeless look she used to have.

Unless… someone had swapped out his “Wife.”

Jin Zhao gently guided the large hand gripping her neck toward her temple, sounding utterly pitiful.

“Look, it’s all red here from the bump.”

Wei Ting lowered his eyes. Sure enough, there was a patch of redness swelling on her fair skin. His fingers brushed lightly along the point where her hairline met her skin. There were no signs of stitching or tampering. Whoever had done it, he hadn’t anticipated this level of skill.

“So you’re saying you knocked your brain loose?” Wei Ting asked coolly.

Seeing his fierce expression soften ever so slightly, Jin Zhao let out a sigh of relief. Truthfully, the bump had happened on the way back—she’d been too focused on her phone’s GPS and hit her head on the steering wheel.

“I’d say I knocked it back to normal. I’m totally clear-headed now,” Jin Zhao replied with a hint of confusion, rummaging through the fragments of memory still lingering in the body.

“And wasn’t I kind of cute when I was little?”

From the broken bits of memory flashing in her mind, she had once been the darling of her family—a proper heiress, loved and pampered.

Wei Ting’s expression finally softened a little upon hearing that.

“And who said you could touch my hand?” he asked, looking down at the person still holding onto him. She clung to him like it was the most natural thing in the world, when not long ago, she’d been so terrified she wouldn’t even speak when they were alone in the same room.

Jin Zhao thought to herself, If you hadn’t just tried to strangle me, would I have needed to grab your hand?

“It was just a reflex,” she said earnestly, puffing out her cheeks. “My memory’s still a little hazy. You’re the first family member I saw when I woke up.”

“We’re already married, so what’s the big deal about holding hands? Are you really that shy, Husband?” Jin Zhao’s tone was defensive, but her actions betrayed her as she quickly let go and muttered under her breath, “Acting like you’re some delicate maiden—if anything, I should be the one…”

Wei Ting pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit and wiped his hand a few times. His voice was cold. “Family? Let me remind you—we’re in a marriage of convenience. Don’t cross the line.”

“Oh.” Jin Zhao responded flatly. Weren’t sweet girls supposed to be the perfect counter to cold-faced CEO types? This guy had a heart of stone.

Act within boundaries while doing as one pleases—she wasn’t Confucius.

She was just a greedy, lustful woman.

Jin Zhao threw off the covers and buried herself beneath them, sprawling across the entire bed in a starfish pose.

“Husband, you can leave now. I want to sleep with my big, comfy bed,” she said.

Only after the bedroom door clicked shut from the outside did she dare exhale under the blankets.

In the novel, this young master of the capital’s elite circle was portrayed as ruthless and reticent, with several stone-cold killer friends to match. Now, it seemed that reputation was well-earned.

Who else would jump straight to murder over the slightest suspicion about someone’s identity? Would it kill him to keep her around as a potential informant and run counterintelligence?

Thankfully, this was a soul transmigration, not a full-body takeover.

She really needed to prove to Wei Ting that she was the one and only, one-hundred-percent real Jin Zhao now.

Outside, the assistant and house staff stood waiting in the corridor. It was the first time they’d seen the gentleman and Miss Jin talk for this long.

Wei Ting turned to one of the servants. “When did she start acting strange?”

The servant answered truthfully, “She started acting strange after returning home this evening. But when we helped Miss take her bath, we confirmed—without a doubt—that it was indeed her.”

Wei Ting believed that if someone had been switched out, there would be traces. He turned to his assistant. “Find out everywhere she went today. Ask the Jin family’s servants in detail about every mole on her body and her daily habits.”

“Tomorrow, bring in professionals to do her makeup and check if there are any signs of cosmetic surgery.”

——

The next morning, Jin Zhao sat on the bed in a daze, trying to recall the plot.

Today was Valentine’s Day. According to the novel, the female lead’s admirer was supposed to suddenly show up, causing the male and female leads to argue. She—the wicked supporting character—would then appear to mock the female lead. The male lead would defend his wife, and the two would make up, their relationship growing stronger. This scene would also serve to highlight the female lead’s irresistible charm.

What a brainless plot. The real heiress wouldn’t bother wasting time on those two. She should be out raiding every luxury boutique for limited-edition Valentine’s Day items, then heading to a spa before summoning a few male models and rising starlets for company.

“Husband, good morning!”

Jin Zhao stood on the staircase with a sweet smile on her face—she had fully committed to clinging to this golden ticket.

But just as she reached the bottom floor for breakfast, a group of people waiting in the living room pinned her down on the couch. The woman leading them began aggressively working on her face.

“Miss Jin, we were sent by Mr. Wei to style you. It’ll be over quickly,” the woman said while tugging at her cheeks.

Feeling her nose being squashed, Jin Zhao looked toward the man calmly reading documents on the other end of the couch and cried out.

“This is styling? If you told me it was torture, I’d believe you!”

“Husband, save me!”

Wei Ting looked up briefly and saw the makeup artist give an almost imperceptible shake of her head. The report in his hand showed that, aside from attending an unimpressive party yesterday, Jin Zhao had also made a visit to—

The Wei family’s ancestral residence.

The servants at the old residence said that Wei Sheng—his Father—had called Jin Zhao into the study and spoken with her for a few moments. They didn’t know what was said, but it was likely the key to all of this.

Jin Zhao was being tugged around like a puppet, and still had to cozy up to Wei Ting. “With such elaborate makeup, is there some kind of big event today?”

The word “elaborate” was laced with sarcasm.

“What kind of event do you think there should be?” Wei Ting looked at her, equally curious about what “Jin Zhao” might be plotting now.

Jin Zhao’s eyes lit up. “It’s Valentine’s Day today. Husband, do you want to spend it with me?”

Wei Ting: “?”

Not particularly.

“I wouldn’t mind spending it together,” Jin Zhao muttered to herself. “On one condition.”

“Say it,” Wei Ting raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

Company secrets? The Wei family seal? Or… a child of his?

Jin Zhao’s eyes flicked, and she answered without hesitation, “You. Transfer me some money.”