Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Song Sinian, will you marry me?
Late at night, a sound echoed through the empty villa.
"Is the person taken care of?"
"She's already eaten the stuff, the drug should take effect soon. Remember to be neat about it, she won't have the chance to regret it when the time comes!"
Lying on the bedroom sofa, Lu Zhaozhao furrowed her brows, sitting up in a groggy state.
She was still clutching Song Sinian's photo frame in her arms.
The man's features were extremely handsome; even a scholarly pair of gold-rimmed glasses couldn't hide a hint of his cold, noble demeanor.
To this day, she couldn't believe that the man was already dead, and the ridiculous thing was, he died the day after their divorce.
The burning sensation on her body made her chest feel as though it was scorched by fire, desperately seeking relief.
She staggered to her feet, the choking sensation of being unable to breathe causing her to clutch at her collar tightly.
Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.
Xiao Mo, standing at the door, was taken aback to see Lu Zhaozhao still awake.
"You... why are you in my house?" Lu Zhaozhao twisted her brows, desperately pinching her palm, trying to keep herself conscious.
This man was one of Song Sinian's acquaintances but not really a friend; he was gentle and warm, but Song Sinian didn't seem to like him much.
Since returning from Song Sinian's funeral, she had stayed at home alone and hadn't opened the door for anyone.
The only people besides her with a key to this villa were herself and Song Sinian.
"Ha! Goddammit!" Xiao Mo rubbed his hair irritably. "I didn't want to force things, but who would have thought you'd still be awake?"
His sleazy eyes roamed over Lu Zhaozhao, who was breathing heavily, landing on her disheveled shirt.
His vile appearance bore no trace of the previously polite demeanor.
Lu Zhaozhao took a step back, gripping the photo frame in her hand even tighter, "Get out of my house before I call the police!"
Xiao Mo let out a cold laugh, his narrow eyes carrying a venomous look as he slowly closed in on her, "Do you really think you have a choice? I'd advise you to give in quietly... Ah!"
His words were cut off as Lu Zhaozhao slammed the photo frame onto his forehead with great force.
Seizing the moment Xiao Mo was disoriented, she immediately ran toward the corner of the staircase.
But at the end of the hallway, she saw a familiar figure—Xiao Jinglan, Song Sinian's stepmother.
The person who had been kindest to her in the Song Family.
Was she here because she was worried about Lu Zhaozhao?
"Aunt Xiao, run... run quickly! Xiao Mo, he..." Lu Zhaozhao's words cut off as a cold dagger pressed against her neck.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Xiao Jinglan, realizing then that she and Xiao Mo were in cahoots.
Xiao Jinglan scolded the approaching Xiao Mo from the darkness, "Can't you even do this simple task right? You let her escape? If I hadn't been still here, the whole plan would've been exposed!"
Xiao Mo, clutching his bloody head, frowned in irritation, "You have the nerve to say that? Wasn't it you who said the drug would work quickly? Why is she still awake?!"
"Why..." Lu Zhaozhao's voice was tinged with desperation, echoing starkly in the empty and quiet corridor.
Xiao Jinglan laughed scornfully as she looked at Lu Zhaozhao, "Why? Because Song Sinian left all his wealth to you, his ex-wife!"
"How is that possible..." Lu Zhaozhao's eyes trembled slightly.
The man she'd married for three years hadn't so much as touched her and even sent her an inexplicable divorce agreement at the end.
Why would he leave all his wealth to her?
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Jinglan's lips curled up with satisfaction, "You didn't know how much he loved you, did you? It's also true, how could that freak, who can't even control his basic expressions, ever be loved by anyone? Hahaha..."
Lu Zhaozhao seemed to have suddenly understood something, "It was you... it's always been you..."
Her kindness at the Lu Family, her nagging, it was all aimed against Song Sinian!
"Well, you're quite smart," Xiao Jinglan's expression suddenly turned sinister, "Thanks to you, that kid got to feel what it's like to be despised by the person he loved the most..."
She leaned in close to Lu Zhaozhao and spoke word by word, "You probably don't know, but that child had severe depression before."
"Boom!" The last strand of rationale in Lu Zhaozhao's mind completely crumbled in an instant.
Was it her, was she the one... who killed Song Sinian?!
Unforgivable! How much suffering had that man endured over these three years!
A suffocating feeling overwhelmed her, and the excruciating pain spreading throughout her limbs dragged her into a deep abyss of utter despair.
She lunged at Xiao Jinglan and, clutching her tightly, hurled them both down the stairs with force.
Song Sinian, I'm sorry.
I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to repay you in this lifetime.
"If there's a next life... I'll definitely love you well..."
...
"Miss Lu?"
"Miss Lu, wake up?"
Lu Zhaozhao faintly heard someone calling her.
Was she still alive?
She slowly opened her eyes, the warm sunlight was a bit blinding, and she subconsciously raised her hand to shield her forehead, but she was startled when she saw the man opposite her.
It was, Song Sinian.
His cold, handsome features were just as distant and indifferent as she remembered, and his pale complexion was accentuated by the dark-colored suit he wore.
Perhaps it was the effect of the sunlight, but his inherently cold and aloof demeanor seemed to carry a bit more warmth.
It looked like she really was dead.
Otherwise, why would she see Song Sinian?
As Lu Zhaozhao thought this, tears of grievance, like beads off a broken string, started pouring from her eyes.
Song Sinian and Zhao Xi, who stood behind him, didn't seem to expect this reaction from Lu Zhaozhao.
"If you dislike it, there's no need to force yourself," Song Sinian's voice was low, as if shrouded in a layer of fog.
The gold-rimmed glasses on his nose caught a few strands of cold, dark light from the sunset outside the window.
He spoke and nodded at Lu Zhaozhao, then stood up to leave.
"Don't go!" Lu Zhaozhao suddenly got up and bumped into the table.
A dining knife that had been lying on the table slid off and the sharp serrated edge grazed the back of her hand.
"Hisss..."
She could actually... feel pain?
Lu Zhaozhao stared at the tiny beads of blood forming on the back of her hand, utterly stunned.
She wasn't dreaming?
This was the real world!
She glanced subconsciously at the mobile phone on the table; the date on the calendar was clearly three years in the past!
It was the day she first met Song Sinian!
In her previous life, Song Sinian had a reputation for being a bloodthirsty psychopath, and no woman dared to come close, let alone marry him.
And she was forced to meet for a marriage interview because the Lu Family needed funds.
So their first meeting wasn't pleasant, and just like that, Song Sinian had hurriedly left.
Their next meeting would not be until two months later!
No, absolutely not!
She couldn't let him just leave like that! As Lu Zhaozhao thought this, she grabbed onto the cuff of Song Sinian's sleeve even more tightly.
"You're injured." A cool voice brought her thoughts back to reality.
Lu Zhaozhao blinked, looking at Song Sinian standing in place, unsure of what to say.
He might be seeing her for the first time, but she had been married to him for three years...
And had been divorced by him.
Suddenly, a long hand rested on her cheek, a thumb gently wiping away a tear from beneath her eye.
The warm touch left Lu Zhaozhao slightly dazed.
"Don't cry, I'll take you to get bandaged."
His voice was as distant as ever, but he bent down to meet her gaze eye-to-eye.
Was it her imagination?
She felt that Song Sinian was a little different from the previous life.
Seemingly... very gentle toward her.
With her head reeling, she was directly escorted by Song Sinian to the back seat of the car.
There was an emergency medical kit in the car, and her hand wound was promptly treated.
Looking at the gauze taped to her hand, and then at Song Sinian, who was putting the medical kit away, Lu Zhaozhao decisively said, "Song Sinian, let's get married."