Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem

  Qiao Anhao had never known Lu Jinnian had such a past.

  Her heart started to tremble slightly with an unspeakable pain.

  The housekeeper seemed enraged, for she was still lashing out at Lu Jinnian over and over again. "It’s true how cheap whores give birth to cheap……"

  Even though those scornful words were directed at Lu Jinnian, Qiao Anhao’s heart felt incredibly downcast. A bone-piercing pain had emerged within her, as though countless needles had stabbed into her heart.

  Qiao Anhao suddenly stood up, not wanting to hear them talk about Lu Jinnian any longer. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom, but as she walked out of the bedroom and was about to shut the door, she heard the housekeeper say resentfully behind her, "The young master has wasted all these years treating the bastard so well……"

  Qiao Anhao went to the bathroom downstairs. Just before she entered, she coincidentally overheard one of the female servants on the phone with her husband. It sounded like they promised to go out tonight for Chinese Valentines day. The man was preparing for dinner, so he asked her what she wanted to eat. The woman, with the phone in her hand, listed dishes she wanted to eat in a delicate, soft voice.

  It was hard to say what got into Qiao Anhao, but she especially took notice of that servant. She realized that the woman had two pigtails, had make-up on, and her face seemed to be brimming with happiness, like she had everything in the world.

  Qiao Anhao walked into the restroom. When she finished in the toilet and washed her hands in the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair and make-up were intricately well prepared, accentuating her perfect facial features.

  She remembered, the only reason why she was so well dressed tonight was because she had a dinner with Lu Jinnian to celebrate Chinese Valentines day.

  She also remembered how the hairdresser had clearly told her she looked perfect, but she still nitpicked at everything to be even more perfect. So much so that before she left home, she flipped through all the clothes in her wardrobe and tried them each on. She did this all so that she could look her best for him on such a special day.

  At the time, she felt all sorts of complicated emotions; unease, excitement, anticipation, anxiousness mixed with a hint of sweetness……

  Qiao Anhao’s mind wandered as she washed her hands. When she went back upstairs, before she pushed open the door, she could hear Han Ruchu’s voice from within the bedroom. "From the very beginning, I told you not to get close to him, but you had to go and get closer. Now, look. You have nothing.

  "The only reason he acted like a real brother to you was to hit you when you were down. He has always waited for the day to laugh at you…… This was definitely something his whore mother taught him. That bitch couldn’t steal what was mine, and so she taught her son to steal my son’s things……"

  "Enough!" Xu Jiamu, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly violently erupted. "Are the two of you done talking? Lu Jinnian’s mother passed away almost twenty years ago. How could she suddenly jump out of nowhere and teach him these things? What’s more, he’s never gone that far, has he? I still work there at Xu Enterprise!"

  With Xu Jiamu’s words, the bedroom door suddenly flung open.

  Qiao Anhao felt a gust of wind towards her, then saw Xu Jiamu walking towards her with a dark look on his face.

  "Brother Jiamu……"

  Xu Jiamu continued to stride without a waver in his step down the stairs and out, without any response.

  Qiao Anhao called his name again and instinctively wanted to follow him. He stopped in his tracks then and leaned on the railings, turning his head toward her to say bleakly, "Qiao Qiao, I’m feeling on edge right now. I want to go out for a smoke on my own for a little while."