"Mrs. Li, go and take out the box in the safe," the old lady ordered calmly.
Mrs. Li's expression froze for a second. Her eyes flickered with surprise, but she didn't question it. She quietly turned, opened the small hidden safe behind the bookshelf, and brought out a modest-looking wooden box.
The box was simple in shape, yet under the soft golden light, the dark grain on its surface seemed to shift like rippling water, ancient and mysterious.
The old lady took out a small brass key she had always worn around her neck, slid it into the lock, and turned it with a soft click. The lid creaked open, and in that moment, Su Jin felt her heart rise to her throat.
Inside the box lay a single piece of ancient jade.
The jade was translucent, glowing faintly with a gentle light that shimmered like moonlight on water. As the box opened, a subtle halo seemed to rise from the jade, giving off a presence that could not be described with words—mysterious, sacred, almost otherworldly.
The old lady picked up the jade carefully and pressed it into Su Jin's palm.
"Xiao Jin, take it," she said softly.
Su Jin looked at her in confusion. "Grandma, what is this?"
The old lady gently lifted the jade and placed it around Su Jin's neck with great care, letting it rest against her chest. Her smile carried a touch of sorrow and deep meaning.
"This has always been yours. When I brought you home from the orphanage, it was tied to your neck. I didn't know its significance then, and I still don't now. But I always believed—it would one day lead you back to your roots."
Su Jin's hand instinctively went to the pendant, her fingers brushing its cool surface. Her breath hitched.
The old lady's eyes softened with compassion. "You are Su Jin, my granddaughter. That will never change. But your bloodline... your true origins... may lie beyond what we know. I hoped to find out more, but all these years, nothing ever came. All I had was this jade."
She paused, then added with firmness, "Keep it close. This jade may one day reveal everything you need to know."
Su Jin lowered her eyes to the pendant. Its faint light pulsed softly, as if echoing her heartbeat.
A name, a history, a destiny—hidden inside this one piece of jade.
And in that moment, she silently vowed: Whatever it takes, I will uncover the truth.
There was a trace of loss in Su Jin's heart, but it quickly faded.
Even if she never discovers who her biological parents are, having her grandmother by her side was enough.
"Grandma, I will always be your granddaughter." Su Jin leaned into the old lady's arms, her voice soft and full of emotion.
The old lady chuckled fondly, gently patting her back. "Oh, look at you. Already so big, yet still acting spoiled. Aren't you ashamed?"
"I want to stay with Grandma forever."
"What for?" the old lady teased, feigning sternness. "Didn't you say you were going to find your own place? Have you even found a house yet?"
At that, Su Jin sighed a little. She'd been so busy dealing with Su nuo's surgery, Zhou Tao's incident, and her negotiation with Gu Xiangyun, that she hadn't had time to look for a place to live.
Not yet, "But I'll go look today."
The old lady nodded, her eyes scanning Su Jin's outfit with a touch of disapproval. "You dress too plainly. There's no spirit, no color. You're a young woman—you should dress properly and carry yourself with some energy."
She paused for a moment, clearly remembering something, and then turned toward Mrs. Li.
"Mrs Li, go get the card I prepared for Xiao Jin."
"Yes, Madam," Mrs. Li said with a smile and stepped away.
Su Jin blinked, surprised. "Grandma… what card?"
"You're moving out," the old lady said, sipping her tea. "How can I let you go out with empty hands? There are some things you'll need."
Mrs. Li returned shortly, holding a small red velvet box. The old lady opened it and pulled out a sleek black card, its surface embossed with gold lettering.
She handed it over. "Take it. The account is under your name."
Su Jin's eyes widened slightly. "Grandma, I—this is too much."
"Nonsense." The old lady's expression turned firm. "I've been saving this for years. It was always meant for you. Whatever you need—clothes, rent, food—use this card. You don't need to worry about money anymore."
Warmth surged through Su Jin's chest. She held the card tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "Thank you, Grandma. I'll use it well. I promise I won't disappoint you."
The old lady smiled gently. "That's all I ask. Go out there and live the life you were meant to. And never forget, no matter what anyone else says—this family is yours too."
Su Jin nodded firmly, her heart calm and resolute. With the ancient jade resting against her chest and the card in her hand, she knew one thing for certain—
Her new life had just begun.
When the old lady saw her accept it, she smiled, patted her on the shoulder, and said warmly, "Okay, go on now."
As Su Jin stepped out of the ancestral home, the midday sun greeted her, but her phone rang before she reached the gate.
It was Su Mingyuan.
"Xiao Jin," he said, his tone filled with carefully controlled reproach, "your sister is having her operation today. How can you not be here for such an important moment?"
Su Jin stared at the screen for a second, then chuckled coldly.
An important moment?
She knew exactly what he meant. In their eyes, she was just the backup—an emergency blood bank they could call on whenever needed. Now that surgery had begun, they were probably afraid things might go wrong and were trying to ensure their 'insurance policy' was in place.
"I'm on my way," Su Jin replied lightly, her lips curling into a cold smile. The glint in her eyes was sharp enough to pierce steel.
If they wanted to take her blood, they'd have to ask her first—and deal with the consequences of her answer.
When Su Jin arrived at the hospital, the operation had already begun. The red light above the surgical room door glowed ominously. She entered the waiting area just in time to see Gu Xiangyun pacing restlessly, eyes dark with anxiety.
The moment Gu Xiangyun caught sight of her, her expression twisted.
"Su Jin, how can you be late when your sister is undergoing such a major operation?" she snapped, her voice laced with blame. "Do you even care about this family?"
Su Jin didn't bother with false civility.
"If Mom doesn't like seeing me here," she said with a light shrug, walking over and taking a seat calmly, "I can leave right now."
Her tone was so cool, so composed, that it made Gu Xiangyun's heart skip a beat. She hadn't expected Su Jin to be so blunt.
For a moment, Gu Xiangyun's words stuck in her throat. She couldn't afford for Su Jin to leave—but couldn't show it either.
Fortunately, Su Mingyuan quickly stepped in.
"Enough," he said, trying to maintain peace. "Let's not argue. Nuo'er is in there fighting for her life. We should be united and give her strength."
Gu Xiangyun scoffed under her breath but said no more.
Yet Su Jin's presence was like a thorn embedded deep in her chest. Every glance toward the calm, expressionless girl made her uneasy—like something was slipping further and further out of her control.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, yet it still couldn't ease the burning fury in her chest.
Su Jin, on the other hand, treated her like air—completely transparent. No matter how deadly Gu Xiangyun's gaze was, Su Jin remained unbothered, as if she didn't exist.
They were destined to be like fire and water—one must fall for the other to thrive.
Su Mingyuan, caught in the middle, didn't even try to stop them anymore. He simply leaned back with his eyes closed, pretending to nap.
"Dad, I'm going to the corridor for some air," Su Jin said casually as she stood and stretched.
Su Mingyuan's eyes flew open, the fake sleep gone in an instant. He looked at her, half-alert and half-uneasy. "Don't go too far."
"Afraid I'll run off before you can drain me like a blood bank"? Su Jin thought.
Su Jin smiled inwardly, her expression obedient. "I won't. Don't worry dad."
She walked out of the operating room area with light steps, but the corners of her mouth lifted higher and higher.
The real show was just beginning.
Once she reached a quiet, empty corner of the hospital, Su Jin slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a phone.
Not hers but—Su Mingyuan's.
She had taken it while he was pretending to sleep, and he hadn't noticed a thing.
When the phone unlocked, Su Jin's eyes moved quickly. She scrolled through the contact list until she found the name "Qin Man."
Without hesitation, she tapped on it and typed out a message with nimble fingers:
> "I won't take responsibility for the child in your belly. Right now, I'm waiting for my daughter to undergo surgery—she's the only daughter of the Su family. I love my wife, and I don't care whose wild man fathered your baby. If you dare pester me again, I'll release your photos to the public."
She hit send.
Then, with the same calm efficiency, she deleted the message and cleared the chat history—like it had never existed.
A cold glint flashed through her eyes.
In her last life, Su Mingyuan had kept many women outside. But Qin Man—that name stuck with Su Jin the most.
Qin Man was the textbook definition of a "peripheral woman." Elegant and manipulative, she had latched onto Su Mingyuan like a leech, and he—blinded by lust and vanity—showered her with everything.
Luxury homes, limited edition cars, precious stones… he never once hesitated.
But Qin Man was never satisfied.
In time, she grew ambitious. She didn't want to be a hidden mistress—she set her sights on becoming the Su family's matriarch.
Su Jin sneered.
"In this life, Qin Man… let's see how far you get when your golden goose cuts you off before you can even lay your hands on the nest."
She pocketed the phone and turned to walk back toward the operating room—her steps light, her eyes gleaming with quiet vengeance
Back then, Qin Man had tried to buy off Su Jin, offering her a sky-high price—just to have her falsely accuse Gu Xiangyun of infidelity and force her out of the Su family.
But Su Jin had been timid, easily manipulated, and fearful of confrontation. She had refused.
Qin Man hadn't taken it lightly.
Instead, she fell pregnant after sleeping around with another man. Then, she turned around and used the child as a bargaining chip—threatening Su Mingyuan, demanding 10 million to stay silent and disappear.
But Su Mingyuan—greedy and calculating—refused.
That's when Qin Man lost all sense.
She staged an elaborate drama, claiming betrayal, heartbreak, and injustice. Then, like a madwoman, she set a fire that nearly burned down the entire hospital.
And the most ironic part?
That day… was today.
Su Jin looked up at the cloudy afternoon sky, her lips curling into a cold smirk.
"I wonder if she'll play her role just as dramatically this time around."
In her last life, Su Jin had been dragged into the chaos, taking the blame for Qin Man's madness—branded a liar and troublemaker.
But now… now it would be different.
Now, she held the script. And it was Qin Man's turn to burn.