Chapter 2

An Lan sat in the café, her mind replaying Li Yanli’s words over and over. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice the passage of time…

Until—click, clack—the sound of high heels echoed.

A woman appeared in front of her, wearing trendy clothes, sunglasses, a face full of delicate makeup, and carrying a Chanel handbag. She approached An Lan warmly and said, “Lanlan, how could you come to Modu without telling me?”

An Lan snapped back to reality and looked at the woman’s bright, smiling face—her emotions churned into a complicated mix.

It had already been twenty years. She knew that pursuing anything now was probably meaningless.

But still—she wanted to know why.

Why did she do that to her?

“Lanlan, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you having financial difficulties? Don’t be embarrassed, we’re friends—we should help each other. How about this: one of my companies is hiring a cleaner. Want to give it a try?” Bai Weiwei looked at the plainly dressed woman before her with undisguised contempt.

An Lan didn’t reply. She just kept staring at the woman’s dazzling face, feeling more and more unfamiliar. She didn’t remember her looking like this… At some point, she had subtly, inexplicably become more beautiful.

“Lanlan, what’s wrong? Do you think being a cleaner is beneath you? I did want to give you a better position, but… you only have a high school education, you know?”

Although Bai Weiwei spoke apologetically, An Lan still caught the flash of ridicule in her eyes.

Pain stabbed through An Lan’s heart. This was the so-called “good friend”?

She had stolen her spot in college, lived the life that should’ve been hers, and felt no guilt whatsoever.

“Bai Weiwei, I want to ask you something, and I want a serious answer.” An Lan spoke each word with gravity and clarity.

“What is it, Lanlan? Why so serious all of a sudden?” Bai Weiwei giggled, covering her mouth.

“Bai Weiwei, back then… I got into university, didn’t I?” An Lan’s black eyes bore into Bai Weiwei.

Bai Weiwei’s hand paused mid-stir. Then she smiled as if nothing had happened. “Yes.”

“But what can you do about it now? I’m a big star. Killing you would take less than a minute.”

“You’re not afraid I’ll expose you?”

“Expose me? Do you have proof? Who do you think will believe you? Don’t be so naïve, An Lan. It’s been over twenty years. Even if there was evidence, it’s long gone.” Bai Weiwei sneered as if she’d just heard the world’s biggest joke.

“Why?” An Lan clenched her fists tightly, still asking the question buried in her heart.

“What?” Bai Weiwei seemed confused.

“Why did you do that to me? I don’t recall ever offending you at the educated youth site.” An Lan stared at her.

Bai Weiwei chuckled, playing with her red-painted nails. Her tone was casual: “No reason. I just didn’t like you. If I had to give a reason… it’s probably because you were too pretty. It made me want to ruin you.”

An Lan trembled all over, her fingernails digging into her flesh.

She hadn’t expected that something so trivial could be the reason for ruining half her life.

How absurd!

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave. I’ve got a shoot to catch.” Bai Weiwei sneered as she grabbed her bag and turned to leave.

But just then, a mechanical voice echoed—playing back everything she had just said.

Bai Weiwei froze. She turned slowly—and saw a recorder in An Lan’s hand.

“Bai Weiwei, this is the evidence.”

“What are you trying to do?” Bai Weiwei suddenly panicked. She lunged to grab it, but An Lan dodged easily, making her miss.

“I’m not doing anything. I just want to see what happens when a big star turns out to be a thief.”

“Stop right there, An Lan!” Bai Weiwei leapt up and blocked her way.

“Move.”

“An Lan, you can’t just leave! It’s been so many years—what’s the point of this?” Bai Weiwei grabbed her arm, visibly irritated.

“I think it’s very meaningful. What was wrong should be set right.” An Lan’s voice was low but firm—every word struck Bai Weiwei’s heart, making her stumble back a step.

“But An Lan… it’s been twenty years! I’ve already graduated. Even if you find the truth, so what? You can’t go back to college now. How about I compensate you? How much do you want? A hundred thousand? Two hundred? Three hundred?”

“Just name the price. I’ll transfer the money to your account immediately.”

“An Lan, be realistic. With that kind of money, you could buy a house back in the countryside and enjoy your retirement. Isn’t that better?”

Listening to such ridiculous words, An Lan pressed her lips tightly together—and then slapped her across the face.

“I don’t want anything. I just want to reclaim what belongs to me.”

Bai Weiwei clutched her cheek, her eyes flashing with malice. She growled, “An Lan, don’t be so ungrateful. Even if you try to expose me, what can you do? I have connections! I can make sure you don’t survive in Modu!”

“I’ll be waiting.” An Lan stood tall, calm and composed, her eyes distant and cold.

“Fine, An Lan. Just wait and see!”

As soon as she walked out of the café, Bai Weiwei made a phone call: “Hello? I agree to your terms from last time. But you need to do me a favor.”

The voice on the other end was elated: “Weiwei, say no more! Even if you had a hundred conditions, I’d agree!”

“I want you to kill An Lan.”

There was a long silence. Then the person finally replied: “Okay, Weiwei. I’ll do it. Just make sure you keep your promise.”

Ding Mountain Summit.

A man and a woman lifted a corpse out of a van and dumped it without hesitation into a bottomless abyss.

“Brother Guoqing, are you sure it won’t be discovered?”

“No worries. I’ve taken care of all the surveillance footage. No one will ever know. Just relax.”

“Good.” Bai Weiwei gave a sinister smile—and suddenly shoved Fan Guoqing right off the cliff.

His body dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, disappearing into the darkness below before he could even scream.

Bai Weiwei stood at the edge, her expression calm, her eyes icy and indifferent—as if she hadn’t just pushed a man to his death.

“Fan Guoqing, that’s what you get for trying to threaten me. Now you can rot down there with that wretch An Lan.”

With that, she turned and drove away without looking back.

She did feel a bit reluctant—Fan Guoqing had been useful.

But he should never, ever have dared ask her for commitment.

With that ugly face of his? Seriously?

Only someone as dumb as Li Yanli would treat Fan Guoqing like a treasure.

Thinking of Li Yanli, Bai Weiwei’s eyes burned with killing intent.

That btch won’t get away either.

She actually dared to tip off An Lan?

Clearly, life had been too good for her—she had the nerve to bite her master.