Chapter 3: The Mad Fiancé

Li Jiuwei’s lips trembled. Her entire body was shaking. She looked at Li Jingbai with bitterness and resentment. “I’m your sister too. I’m also a daughter of the Li family. Why are you treating me like this?”

“You are not worthy of being compared to Xinchun. Back then, you pushed Xinchun into the water and she nearly lost her life. Li Jiuwei, you were jealous because we loved her. But someone as malicious and envious as you could never deserve our love. If I had known you’d come back just to steal Jiang Huaiting, we should never have brought you home. You would’ve been better off dying in the countryside.”

At his cruel words, Li Jiuwei’s face turned deathly pale.

Since childhood, she had never been as sweet-tongued or as adept at gaining affection as Li Xinchun. Their parents and brothers had always favored Xinchun. She had been jealous, yes, but she had never wished her harm.

She was her own little sister. How could she wish her dead?

It was Xinchun who had jumped into the water on purpose, but to outsiders, it looked as if she had been pushed.

She had tried desperately to explain, but her parents and brothers had refused to believe her. All her hopes had rested on Xinchun.

When Xinchun finally awoke, before Li Jiuwei could say a word, Xinchun had already thrown herself into their mother’s arms, tears streaming down her face: “Mom… I thought I’d never see you again. Don’t blame my sister. She was just confused for a moment…”

That one sentence condemned her to hell.

Li Jiuwei stared in disbelief at Xinchun nestled in their mother’s arms, unable to fathom how she could so thoroughly twist the truth.

The smile Xinchun wore that day in their mother’s arms was just like the one she had today.

From that day on, Li Jiuwei was sent by her family to the countryside for ten years.

Her chest felt unbearably tight.

Noticing her distress, Li Jingbai’s malice flared. “Xinchun and Jiang Huaiting love each other, and you tore them apart. Remember this, Li Jiuwei: you are the interloper.”

Her own brother had nailed her to the pillar of shame with a single sentence.

Li Jiuwei’s anger turned to laughter, her fearlessness shining through. Her crimson lips parted, and she replied, “The real interloper is Li Xinchun. Don’t forget, Second Brother, the engagement between our families was always between Jiang Huaiting and me. The marriage contract still exists. Imagine—if I made it public, what would become of Li Xinchun? And the child she carries?”

Li Jingbai’s expression changed dramatically. “You are truly vicious.”

“We’re more alike than you care to admit,” Li Jiuwei replied with a bright smile.

But Li Jingbai only felt a chill down his spine. He threw out a final threat and hurried away.

As soon as he left, Li Jiuwei’s smile faded.

Sitting quietly in her chair, hands cupping her face, she heard footsteps approaching. She forced a smile. “Back so soon, Second Master Li? Is there something else?”

She looked up and froze.

Feng Su’s expression was grave, his eyes brimming with pain. He gently caressed her cheek. “You don’t have to smile if you don’t want to. With me, Li Jiuwei, you can be your true self.”

Her heart gave a tremor.

But before the feeling could settle, Li Jiuwei slapped his hand away, her eyes already calm and devoid of warmth. “Feng Su, you’re overstepping.”

“You didn’t say that when we were in bed,” he replied quietly.

Li Jiuwei opened her mouth, but no words came out.

When Feng Su moved closer, she took a step back, brows knitting together. “Feng Su, we slept together and enjoyed it, but let’s part on good terms.”

She picked up her purse and turned to leave.

Behind her, Feng Su caught her by the wrist. “Li Jiuwei, must you cut things off with me?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. I hope you never regret your choice today.” With resolute finality, Feng Su released her and walked away.

Watching his retreating figure, so devoid of hesitation, Li Jiuwei was overcome by an acute sense of emptiness.

I must be mad!

When she returned home, she had barely stepped into the living room when a teacup came flying at her. If she hadn’t dodged in time, her face would have been ruined.

Li Jiuwei’s face was tinged with anger. “Jiang Huaiting, what are you doing?”

“You’re the crazy one, Li Jiuwei! You’re truly ruthless. Do you think you can control me with that marriage contract? I’m telling you, as long as I’m here, you’ll never harm Xinchun or her child.”

“Oh—so that’s what this is about. Li Jingbai really can’t hold his tongue. I made an offhand comment and he ran straight to you to complain?” Li Jiuwei sat back on the sofa, pouring herself some tea with leisurely grace.

Her nonchalance only enraged Jiang Huaiting further. “Your intentions are obvious. No matter what tricks you try, I’ll never love you. Give it up.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t push your luck, Li Jiuwei!” All of Jiang Huaiting’s usual composure vanished in front of her.

Step by step, she was driving him to the brink—and this was only the beginning.

After a long pause, once he calmed his anger, Jiang Huaiting asked, “The marriage contract—what will it take for you to give it to me?”

“It’s simple. Five percent of your shares.”

“Impossible!”

“Then I’ll just keep the contract.” She smiled faintly, and Jiang Huaiting’s face turned rigid.

Realizing he’d been played, his expression as he looked at Li Jiuwei was menacing.

“So you had this planned all along. I misjudged you, Li Jiuwei.”

“And weren’t you scheming too? You had a child with Li Xinchun and still didn’t break off our engagement. What you really want is the ten percent of Jiang Group shares my grandfather gave me, isn’t it?”

Jiang Huaiting’s face stiffened at the accusation.

“That was always Jiang family property.”

“Those shares were my grandfather’s betrothal gift to me. If you want to take them back, you should behave yourself. Now that you’ve gotten another woman pregnant, do you really think I’ll hand them over?”

But Jiang Huaiting just sneered and stepped closer, pinching her chin. “Once we’re married, those shares will return to me anyway. Li Jiuwei, you can’t escape.”

“Whether we get married or not… that’s yet to be decided.”

Her chin throbbed with pain.

Li Jiuwei narrowed her eyes as Jiang Huaiting grinned. “Even if you die, you’ll die as a member of the Jiang family. Don’t even think about running away. Settle in and be the future young mistress of this family.”

With that, he flung her away, arrogance written all over his face.

Li Jiuwei rubbed her chin, ready to curse him, when Jiang’s mother appeared. Frail and wheelchair-bound, she had come at the sound of their argument.

Learning that they had quarreled, she scolded Jiang Huaiting on the spot.

“Jiuwei, you’re the only daughter-in-law our family will ever have. I will never let her set foot in this house.”

“But mother, Xinchun is carrying your grandchild.”

“Enough! The only child I recognize will come from Jiuwei. I won’t accept anyone else’s child!”

Li Jiuwei’s gaze was deep and unreadable. Jiang Huaiting shot her a venomous look, then ignored his mother’s scolding and declared, “Xinchun is the one I love most. In this life, I want only her.” He glanced at Li Jiuwei as he spoke, but she remained impassive, as if none of it concerned her.

Tired of the drama, Li Jiuwei stood up. “Auntie, I’ll be going now.”

“This is your home, Jiuwei. Where are you going?” Jiang’s mother asked.

“Overtime—I need to work. I’m negotiating a partnership with Feng Group, and the new samples must be ready soon.”

Feng Group’s jewelry division was among the industry’s elite. Securing a partnership with them would open doors to more resources and a broader future.

As Jiang Group’s jewelry designer, she had been following this project closely. If she could land the Feng Group deal, she would be promoted to chief designer at Jiang Group.

Jiang’s mother said kindly, “You work so hard, Jiuwei. Huaiting, you should help her more.”

“Actually, I forgot to tell you—I’ve already assigned the project to someone else. You don’t have to follow up anymore,” Jiang Huaiting said coldly.

Li Jiuwei’s eyes flashed sharply. “That was my project. What right do you have to give it to someone else? Don’t you realize that switching leads at this stage means starting over? There’s not enough time.”

“I’m the president of Jiang Group. I have the right to make personnel changes whenever I see fit. Xinchun is also a jewelry designer—she’s just as capable as you.”

He was doing it on purpose—deliberately making things difficult for her, deliberately undermining her.

Li Jiuwei had never imagined Jiang Huaiting could be so despicable as to sabotage her at work.

“You’ll be disappointed. Feng Group specifically requested that I oversee the collaboration.”

Jiang Huaiting scoffed. “Impossible. Feng Group already sent all the materials to Xinchun. If you don’t believe me, ask their project director yourself.”

He sounded convincing.

Li Jiuwei frowned. “Who made that decision?”

“The heir of Feng Group—the mysterious young prince of Beijing society.”