Jiang Qiuyi was awakened by the sound of knocking.

She opened her eyes and stared at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling for a moment before speaking, “What is it?”

Outside the room, a servant replied softly, “Madam, the ladies have arrived.”

Jiang Qiuyi paused, suddenly recalling that her mother-in-law had mentioned a couple of days ago about inviting her friends over for afternoon tea today.

Thinking of this, she rubbed her aching temples and said. “Got it. I’ll be down in a moment.”

Worried about making the people downstairs wait too long, Jiang Qiuyi momentarily pushed the eerie story she had dreamed about to the back of her mind.

Jiang Qiuyi hurried to freshen up and headed downstairs, not wanting to keep the guests waiting.

As soon as she reached the top of the staircase, she heard the sound of conversation from below.

“Why is Qiuyi still sleeping at this hour?”

It was her mother-in-law, Zheng Ping’s voice.

The servant replied honestly. “Madam hasn’t been feeling well today.”

Zhen Ping frowned slightly. “Did you call a doctor?”

“Madam said it wasn’t necessary, just a minor issue.”

Hearing this, Zhen Ping didn’t press further.

Mrs. Wang, sitting to the side, chuckled and teased. “That’s not right. Qiuyi is the Lu family’s wife. How can she not call a doctor when she’s unwell? Don’t you agree, Mrs. Lu?”

Zhen Ping glanced at her, took a sip of tea from the cup in front of her, and chose not to respond.

Mrs. Liu covered her mouth with a laugh and chimed in, “Mrs. Wang, are you deliberately putting a knife in our Mrs. Lu’s back?”

Mrs. Wang shot her a look. “What are you talking about?”

She smiled lightly, then suddenly changed the subject. “But on that note, I really do want to ask—has Mingcheng never considered it?”

Zhen Ping looked at her with a deliberately puzzled expression. “Considered what?”

Mrs. Wang chuckled softly. “What do you think? Mingcheng and Qiuyi have been married for a year, and there’s been no news at all from her. Doesn’t that suggest Mingcheng might have other plans?”

Mrs. Liu nodded in agreement. “Exactly. When is Mingcheng planning to divorce Qiuyi?”

“…”

Jiang Qiuyi listened, her lashes lowering slightly, her expression unreadable.

After a moment, she deliberately made her footsteps louder to draw the attention of those downstairs.

“Qiuyi, you’re awake?”

Noticing her arrival, Mrs. Wang immediately put on a concerned, elder-like demeanor. “I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you feeling better now?”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded and said softly, “Much better. Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Wang.”

Zhen Ping, sitting on the sofa, glanced up at her. “Have the doctor come by later for a checkup.”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded again.

Mrs. Liu eyed her for a moment before smiling. “Qiuyi, I’ve been craving those desserts you made last time. Could you make them for us today?”

Jiang Qiuyi suppressed the bitterness welling up inside her and replied softly, “Of course.”

Mrs. Wang chimed in enthusiastically, “Oh, Qiuyi, I’d love to have the tea you made last time. It was delightful.”

“…”

One by one, the ladies began voicing their own requests, and Jiang Qiuyi agreed to each without hesitation.

After all, what choice did she have? She was, after all, the wife of Lu Mingcheng—the one who had brought shame to the Lu family.

Once in the kitchen, Jiang Qiuyi could still faintly hear their chatter from outside.

Though the words weren’t entirely clear, she could easily guess what they were talking about.

The entire afternoon passed as the socialite wives lounged in the living room before moving to the garden to admire the scenery.

Jiang Qiuyi flitted between the kitchen and the garden, attending to their every need.

By five o’clock, their energy waned, and they began to take their leave.

When they were gone, the courtyard fell into silence, inside and out.

Zhen Ping glanced around the living room, her gaze settling on Jiang Qiuyi who was busy tidying up. A trace of displeasure flickered in her eyes.

“Qiuyi.”

“Mom,” Jiang Qiuyi looked up at her.

Zhen Ping frowned slightly and said in a low voice, “Come outside with me.”

Jiang Qiuyi quickly set down what she was holding and followed her to the garden.

The evening sunset was breathtaking. The villa she shared with Lu Mingcheng after their marriage offered an expansive view.

With no obstructions nearby, the scenery was stunning, and in the distance, a shimmering lake reflected the slanted rays of the setting sun, adding to the picturesque beauty.

Zhen Ping studied her for a moment before asking casually. “What have you been doing lately?”

Jiang Qiuyi lowered her gaze and replied softly. “Still attending classes.”

Zhen Ping assessed her briefly, then nodded. “Your posture has improved. Finish the etiquette course, and afterward, take some lessons in flower arranging.”

Jiang Qiuyi froze for a moment, just about to refuse, when Zhen Ping spoke again.

“How about the piano and dance lessons I arranged for you last time? Have you mastered them?”

Jiang Qiuyi replied, “Not yet.”

Zhen Ping frowned at her response. “Make sure to attend more frequently. You’re Mingcheng’s wife. If you can’t even manage basic dance and piano skills, people will laugh at you.”

Jiang Qiuyi understood these expectations all too well.

She lowered her eyes and said softly, “I understand.”

Seeing her like this, Zhen Ping didn’t press further.

Still, before leaving, she assigned Jiang Qiuyi several more “tasks.”

Being a wealthy family’s wife wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed.

After tidying up downstairs, Jiang Qiuyi returned to her room.

Suddenly, a flood of text surged into her mind.

Jiang Qiuyi closed her eyes, and the words appeared vividly before her, clear and unmistakable.

After reading them, she was stunned.

As it turned out, she was living inside a novel. The protagonist of the story was Lu Mingcheng—her husband. But the heroine wasn’t Jiang Qiuyi; it was someone else entirely.

She was nothing more than a disposable supporting character in the novel.

According to what she saw, her role in the story was minimal.

Early in the plot, Lu Mingcheng divorced her. After the divorce, aside from the occasional mention of her decent tea-making skills or her ability to bake passable desserts, she faded into oblivion.

Oh, and whenever someone needed a comparison, she’d be dragged out for criticism or ridicule.

The thought made Jiang Qiuyi furious.

Why? Why did it have to be this way?

She had cautiously played the role of Lu Mingcheng’s perfect wife, managing the household with thrift and care, tirelessly catering to the endless demands of those around her. Yet, not only did she receive no recognition, but she was also mocked and criticized behind her back.

What stung even more was the revelation that in this novel, after divorcing Lu Mingcheng, she walked away with nothing—not a single cent.

While she had never married him with the intention of taking his money, the thought of him leaving her with nothing while lavishing another woman with endless affection filled Jiang Qiuyi with anger.

Where in the world was there such an easy bargain?

Lu Mingcheng married her, shared a bed with her for a couple of years, and wouldn’t even offer compensation for her wasted youth?

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t consider herself a saint. If Lu Mingcheng wanted to act without conscience, then he couldn’t blame her for responding in kind.

She had no issue with divorcing him—their marriage had been ambiguous from the start, and there was no real affection between them.

But Jiang Qiuyi was petty and vindictive. Knowing all of this, she couldn’t bring herself to calmly walk away from the marriage.

The thought made her hesitate.

Was this novel world truly real? Or was it just a hallucination brought on by her exhaustion?

With this in mind, Jiang Qiuyi decided to wait and observe.

If events in the coming days unfolded exactly as she had seen, she would reluctantly accept it as reality.

Having made up her mind, Jiang Qiuyi felt a sense of relief.

She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Besides, the novel stated that Lu Mingcheng didn’t bring up divorce until after their second wedding anniversary. This meant that even if the story were true, she still had time to prepare.

The following evening, Jiang Qiuyi went to the airport to pick up Lu Mingcheng, who was returning from a business trip.

Ever since marrying him, this had become a regular duty of hers. No matter how late his flight was, she would always be there to meet him.

When Jiang Qiuyi and the family driver arrived at the airport, she got out of the car and headed inside.

Winter had arrived, and the night wind was bitterly cold.

Just as Jiang Qiuyi reached the arrivals area, she spotted Lu Mingcheng walking out from the terminal.

He wore a crisp suit, his tall, well-proportioned figure exuding elegance and steadiness. With his sharp, handsome features, Lu Mingcheng looked every bit the refined and composed man of status.

To be honest, one of the main reasons Jiang Qiuyi had agreed to marry him—aside from that absurd one-night encounter—was his good looks.

She had long accepted that her marriage would never be in her own hands. Rather than letting her money-obsessed parents arrange for her to marry some other man, she figured marrying Lu Mingcheng was the better choice.

At the very least, he was pleasing to the eye.

Suddenly, the sound of a commotion snapped her out of her thoughts.

Jiang Qiuyi looked up, and what she saw froze her in place: Lu Mingcheng and an unfamiliar woman standing close together, their bodies touching.

It wasn’t exactly a full embrace, but there was definite physical contact.

Half-narrowing her eyes, she observed the scene not far away. Her mind immediately recalled the events described in the novel.

In the story, this was how Lu Mingcheng first met the heroine, Xu Wanbai. She had been walking without paying attention and accidentally bumped into him, smudging his suit.

She apologized profusely and insisted on compensating him, even asking for his contact information.

Although Lu Mingcheng hadn’t given her his contact information, he had taken notice of her.

…

Two minutes later, Jiang Qiuyi saw Lu Mingcheng take off his suit jacket and drape it over his arm, walking toward her at a leisurely pace.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked, glancing at her.

Jiang Qiuyi snapped back to reality and softly asked, “Who was that just now?”

Lu Mingcheng raised an eyebrow, following her gaze briefly before responding indifferently, “I don’t know.”

“Oh…”

Jiang Qiuyi watched him for a moment, then nodded. “What did she say to you?”

Lu Mingcheng, not giving it much thought, replied honestly, “She asked me for my contact details to compensate me.”

Jiang Qiuyi: “…”

Her face remained impassive, but inside, a storm of emotions surged.

It matched!

The scene was exactly the same as the one where the male and female leads first met in the novel.

Noticing her strange expression, Lu Mingcheng asked indifferently. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Qiuyi replied, trying her best to appear calm. “Let’s go home.”

Lu Mingcheng nodded.

Once they were back in the car, Jiang Qiuyi asked a few casual questions out of concern, just as she always did.

Lu Mingcheng responded with short answers, closing his eyes to rest. Jiang Qiuyi didn’t press him further and remained silent, content to sit there like a piece of wood that could breathe.

She turned her head to look out the window at the passing night, her mind in a fog.

Before this, she hadn’t expected the story to unfold so quickly. Just one day after receiving the information, it had already confirmed the truth of the novel’s events.

Jiang Qiuyi lowered her eyes, lost in the plot of the story once again.

After their first meeting, the male and female leads would cross paths again on the third day due to a project involving the Lu Corporation. Lu Mingcheng was the client, and Xu Wanbai was one of the employees in charge on the contractor’s side.

Thinking about this, Jiang Qiuyi turned to look at the man beside her.

Lu Mingcheng still had his eyes closed, though she couldn’t tell if he was really asleep or just pretending. His face looked slightly fatigued, likely from exhaustion.

Jiang Qiuyi wanted to ask him about the project, if it was true then she would believe it.

That she was, indeed, the wife in the novel who would be abandoned by him.

Suddenly, she heard his voice beside her.

“Do you need something?”

Jiang Qiuyi looked up and saw that he had opened his eyes at some point. “Nothing,” she replied.

She paused for a moment then softly added. “I just noticed you look a little tired. Have you been too busy lately?”

Lu Mingcheng rubbed his temple and muttered a faint “hmm” in response. “It’s a busy time at the end of the year.”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded. “Even if you’re busy, make sure to rest and don’t overwork yourself.”

Lu Mingcheng nodded in acknowledgment.

Jiang Qiuyi was silent for a moment, then turned to him. “If you’re too tired, would you like to take a few days off to rest at home?”

Lu Mingcheng shook his head. “I can’t afford to rest.”

He lowered his voice. “There’s a project in the works, and I need to be involved.”

“What project?”

At her question, Lu Mingcheng glanced at her suspiciously.

Jiang Qiuyi understood the meaning behind his gaze; she had never asked about his work before.

She kept her expression neutral, doing her best to hide any reaction.

Lu Mingcheng withdrew his gaze and answered succinctly, “A resort project.”

Jiang Qiuyi paused, clenching her fists that rested on her lap.

Good. In the novel, the female lead was responsible for the resort project that Lu Corporation initiated; she was one of the designers.

Because of this project, Lu Mingcheng and the female lead had more interactions, growing closer over time.

…

Upon arriving home, Jiang Qiuyi didn’t spare a glance for Lu Mingcheng, instead heading straight to her room to freshen up.

Soaking in the bathtub, she revisited the storyline carefully. The clearer the picture became in her mind, the tighter her fists clenched.

She made a decision.

Since she couldn’t bring up the topic of divorce, Jiang Qiuyi decided to fully embrace her role as a wealthy wife until Lu Mingcheng suggested it.

She would free herself and find joy in the experience.

Previously, to maintain her status as a good wife and avoid antagonizing her in-laws due to her family background, Jiang Qiuyi had always lived cautiously, trying not to spend more than necessary.

But now, Jiang Qiuyi resolved not to tiptoe through this life. After all, no matter how well she performed, she would end up divorced in the end. Thus, there was no point in salvaging this marriage.

After finishing her bath, Jiang Qiuyi walked out just as Lu Mingcheng entered the room, freshly cleaned up.

The two exchanged a brief glance. As he approached, Jiang Qiuyi took a step back.

Lu Mingcheng raised an eyebrow, confused by her sudden movement.

Jiang Qiuyi pressed her lips together, then suddenly asked. “The secondary card you gave me before… I can use it freely, right?”

After their marriage, Lu Mingcheng had given her a card, seemingly with no spending limit, but she had never used it.

Lu Mingcheng paused for a moment before responding in a low voice, “Of course.”

Hearing this, Jiang Qiuyi relaxed and smiled.

“Oh,” she said, her eyes curving as she turned and walked toward the bed. She didn’t spare him another glance. “Let’s go to sleep.”

“…”

Lu Mingcheng glanced at the woman lying on the bed. Seeing that she had no intentions beyond sleeping, he didn’t push it.

He lifted the blanket on his side of the bed and lay down, quickly drifting off to sleep.

The couple shared a bed, but their dreams were different.

=^_^=