The air in the VIP wing of Downtown Central Hospital perpetually carried a sterile chill—a cold cleanliness that top-tier medical resources exuded, barely masked by the scent of disinfectant. Polished marble floors reflected the harsh white ceiling lights. Footsteps were swallowed by thick carpets, leaving only the occasional low hum of machinery and distant, muffled voices.
Director Lin Xue's office was at the end of the corridor. Su Wan sat alone on the waiting area sofa, spine rigid, hands folded neatly in her lap. She wore a sharply tailored beige cashmere turtleneck and a matching long trench coat, her hair pulled back severely, revealing a pale, smooth forehead and neck.
No makeup, deliberately preserving her obvious fragility. But behind her glasses, her eyes were as still and cold as a frozen lake, utterly unrippled. Sympathetic or curious glances from other patients or families glanced off her invisible barrier.
"Miss Su Wan, please come in." A nurse's gentle voice broke the silence.
Su Wan stood and walked steadily into the consultation room. Director Lin Xue was a capable woman in her forties, sharp eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses. She glanced up at Su Wan, her gaze lingering for a fraction of a second on the unnaturally calm face before dropping to the medical chart.
"Miss Su, your appointment states an early pregnancy consultation?" Lin Xue's voice was clinical, bearing the detached calm of her profession. "Yes." Su Wan's voice was equally level, devoid of inflection. She sat in the chair opposite Lin Xue, her spine still straight. "Director Lin, I've decided to terminate the pregnancy."
No hesitation, no anguished explanation, no seeking comfort or advice. Her statement was clear, direct, as if discussing a fact unrelated to herself.
Lin Xue's pen paused minutely. She looked up at Su Wan again. She had seen countless women making this decision—frightened, grieving, numb, or feigning composure… But rarely one like Miss Su, whose eyes held only icy stillness, as if all emotional currents had been stripped away.
"Miss Su, terminating a pregnancy is a significant decision. We need to confirm you fully understand the risks and consequences and that this is your autonomous choice." Lin Xue's tone softened slightly, a professional reminder. "Regulations require your signature on the informed consent form. Also, your husband…" "He doesn't need to be notified." Su Wan interrupted, her tone flat yet carrying an iron finality. "This is my body. My decision. I bear all responsibility." She pulled her ID card and a bank card from her handbag, placing them on the desk. "I can pay the fee now. I want the procedure scheduled as soon as possible. This afternoon?"
Lin Xue's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Years of experience told her that beneath this young woman's calm lay immense, potentially devastating pain or resolve—a stillness born of utter disillusionment. She asked no more questions, merely nodding professionally. "3:30 PM, the last slot. Pre-op checks are needed; the nurse will take you. Sign the consent here."
Su Wan picked up the pen. Her eyes swept over the form's cold clauses and risk warnings. Without pause, she signed her name. The strokes were steady, forceful, pressing deep into the paper.
---
The sensation of cold instruments invading her body again made Su Wan instantly tense. No anesthesia. Sharp pain, like countless fine needles, stabbed deep into her lower abdomen, pulling, twisting. The pungent smell of disinfectant flooded her nostrils, eerily overlapping with the scent of death from her past life.
She bit down hard on her lower lip, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth. Nails dug deep into her palms, using sharper pain to combat the physical torment. Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, sliding down her temples, dampening the edge of the surgical cap.
The blinding white light of the surgical lamp burned against her closed eyelids.
The memory of that abruptly silenced whimper echoed like a curse in the depths of her soul! The child who never saw the world… the life deemed a mere obstacle by its own father and "best friend," cruelly ripped away…
Hatred, like scalding magma, surged wildly beneath the cold pain! Threatening to shatter the calm shell she forcibly maintained!
Lu Zeyu! Lin Weiwei!
Every ounce of pain you inflicted, I remember! Carved into my bones! Melted into my blood!
She closed her eyes, shutting out the blinding light. All her senses seemed to contract inward, focused on the agony in her abdomen and the burning fire of vengeance in her chest. Every movement of the instruments felt like carving another bloody groove into her heart, a stark reminder of her mission clawed from hell.
Time thickened and stretched. An eternity later, when the suffocating twisting finally ceased, and the doctor announced, "It's over," Su Wan slowly, minutely, released a breath. A vast, hollow weakness and dragging pain radiated from her core. But following it came a strange, almost cruel sense of relief.
Physically, the last, most shameful tether to her enemies was severed by her own hand.
A nurse wheeled her back to a quiet post-op recovery room. A private suite. Curtains drawn. Dim light. Su Wan lay on the hospital bed under a thin sheet, face paper-white, lips bloodless, damp strands of hair clinging to her skin. Waves of pain pulsed from her lower abdomen, reminders of what she'd endured.
She lay still, sleepless, staring emptily at the ceiling. Her body was weak, but her spirit felt like a blade tempered in ice water—cold, clear, lethally sharp.
Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door. It pushed open a crack. A meticulously made-up face, brimming with worry and urgency, peered in.
"Wanwan! Oh my heavens! How are you?" Lin Weiwei swept into the room like a whirlwind, her voice pitched with the perfect note of tearful concern. She wore a Chanel pink tweed suit and clutched a huge bouquet of pristine white roses, her expression radiating "best friend" anxiety.
Su Wan's eyes moved with glacial slowness, fixing on Lin Weiwei's face. That face, pure and innocent, etched with worry, as if genuinely heartbroken over her "misfortune."
What masterful acting! What venomous deceit!
In her past life, it was this face that feigned comfort in her weakest moments while meticulously pushing her towards the abyss! It was her who whispered poison in Lu Zeyu's ear! Her who planned the "accidental" fall!
A violent wave of nausea, mixed with towering hatred, surged up Su Wan's throat! She nearly vomited!
She drew the faintest breath, forcing the turmoil deep down. When she looked up again, her eyes, made larger by blood loss, were glistening with fragile tears. Her voice was a threadbare whisper: "Weiwei… you… how did you know?"
"How could I not come?" Lin Weiwei hurried to the bedside, placed the flowers on the nightstand, and immediately bent down, clasping Su Wan's ice-cold hands. Her eyes instantly reddened. "Brother Zeyu called me, said you were hospitalized feeling unwell! I was terrified! He couldn't get out of some stupid meeting, frantic, so he asked me to come check on you. Wanwan, what happened? You were fine yesterday, how could you suddenly…"
She pressed urgently, but her gaze, like a searchlight, swept over Su Wan's pallid face and the sheet covering her abdomen, hunting for any scrap of anomalous information.
Su Wan sneered inwardly. Lu Zeyu couldn't get out of a meeting? More likely plotting the next step to bleed the Su family dry with Lin Weiwei! Sending her was just reconnaissance, checking if the "pawn" was still under control.
"Nothing serious…" Su Wan lowered her lashes, casting faint shadows on her pale cheeks. Her voice trembled with lingering fear. "Just… I slipped in the bathroom last night… My stomach felt off… Zeyu insisted I come get checked… The doctor wants me under observation for a day…" As she spoke, her other hand, hidden beneath the sheet, moved with practiced "naturalness" to rest lightly over her abdomen, a protective gesture.
The subtle motion didn't escape Lin Weiwei. Her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly before being drowned in deeper "concern."
"Heavens! You fell? Was it bad? The baby…" Lin Weiwei's voice shot up, filled with "alarm."
"It's fine… The doctor said… just a scare…" Su Wan's voice dropped lower, laced with post-trauma weakness and relief. Her fingers gently stroked her abdomen, as if soothing. "Just… a bit shaken. Need rest…"
Lin Weiwei visibly relaxed, but a flicker of disappointment and calculation flashed deep in her eyes. Not a miscarriage? Just a scare? Then their plan…
She instantly adjusted her expression, squeezing Su Wan's hands harder, her voice overflowing with "relief" and "lingering fear": "Thank the heavens! Buddha must be watching over you! Wanwan, you scared me half to death! You must be careful now, you're carrying precious cargo! Brother Zeyu will be so worried!" She paused, lowering her voice conspiratorially with a hint of intimate reproach. "But Wanwan, really, something this big, why didn't you tell me first? If Brother Zeyu hadn't mentioned it, I'd be clueless! Aren't we best friends?"
Here it comes. Probing. Confirming her continued gullible trust.
Su Wan's heart was glacial, but her face showed just the right mix of guilt and dependence: "I… I was terrified… My mind went blank… I only thought of Zeyu… Sorry, Weiwei, worrying you…" She lifted tear-brightened eyes, looking at Lin Weiwei, filled with "post-trauma" fragility and trust in her "friend." "I'm so glad you're here… Weiwei, I'm… really scared right now…"
That familiar, dependent look erased Lin Weiwei's last shred of doubt. Still the same indecisive, frightened Su Wan! Clearly just an accident. The baby was fine. The plan was intact. She sneered inwardly, outwardly beaming a tender, reassuring smile, patting Su Wan's hand. "Don't be scared! I'm here! I'll stay with you! You just rest, don't think about anything! Want something to eat? I'll get it? Bird's nest? Or…"
"Don't trouble yourself, Weiwei." Su Wan shook her head faintly, weariness etching her features. "I'm tired… I need to sleep…"
"Of course, of course! You rest!" Lin Weiwei immediately stood, tucking the sheet around her with exaggerated care, her gaze dripping with tenderness. "I'll wait right outside. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
Su Wan gave a weak "Mmm" and closed her eyes.
Listening to Lin Weiwei's deliberately softened footsteps recede, the door clicking shut softly, Su Wan slowly opened her eyes. The feigned vulnerability and dependence vanished instantly, replaced by fathomless cold and derision.
Lin Weiwei, savor these last moments of your "sisterly affection." Your good times are numbered.
---
By evening, Su Wan was discreetly driven back to the Su family villa by the driver arranged by Zhao Lei. Post-surgery weakness clung to her; the pain in her lower abdomen hadn't fully subsided, yet her mind hummed with a strange, heightened alertness.
She didn't return to the master bedroom, tainted with Lu Zeyu's false presence. She directed the maid straight to a relatively quiet guest suite at the end of the third floor, complete with a small study. Her mother, Qin Wan, had prepared it when she first returned to the Su family, but in her past life, obsessed with Lu Zeyu, she'd barely used it.
"Miss, Madam instructed the kitchen to prepare bird's nest congee. Shall I bring it up?" Maid Wang stood at the door, her tone carrying a subtle undercurrent of distance and scrutiny. In the half-year since this true heiress returned, all she'd done was moon over her boyfriend and cause trouble. In the servants' eyes, her status paled compared to that smooth-talking son-in-law.
Su Wan stood with her back to Wang, gazing at the setting sun outside. Without turning, she gave a faint, "Mmm." The sound was quiet, yet carried an icy, undeniable authority that made Wang's heart inexplicably lurch. This Miss… seemed different? But she couldn't pinpoint how. "Anything else?" Su Wan's voice came again, still facing away, cold as an ice pick.
"N-no, Miss. Rest well." Wang hurriedly bowed her head and retreated, closing the door behind her. Fell down and her temper shot up? she grumbled inwardly.
Silence reclaimed the room. The dying sunlight streamed through the large window, gilding the cold space in warm gold, utterly failing to dispel the chill radiating from Su Wan.
She walked to the desk and sat, opening the unremarkable canvas bag she'd brought. Inside were her old phone and the manila envelope.
The phone screen lit up. No missed calls or messages. Lu Zeyu… Hmph. Probably still at that "unavoidable meeting," or "celebrating" her "close call" with Lin Weiwei?
She picked up the phone and dialed Zhao Lei's number.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Miss Su." Zhao Lei's voice remained steady and concise. "Assistant Zhao, I'm home." Su Wan's voice was flat. "Did you get it?" "Yes. Encrypted electronic copies sent to your specified email. Physical copies require a delivery location." Zhao Lei's reply was crisp. "Good. I'll check the email. Physical copies…" Su Wan's gaze swept the study. "…Deliver to the West Study, third floor, Su Villa, tomorrow at 10 AM. Give them to Maid Wang. Say they are books I ordered online." "Understood." Zhao Lei voiced no questions. "Thank you." Su Wan moved to hang up. "Miss Su," Zhao Lei's voice paused, a hint of uncharacteristic hesitation before professionalism prevailed. "President Su… inquired about you this afternoon."
Elder Brother Su Heng?
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat. In her past life, this half-brother, disillusioned by her obsession with Lu Zeyu and her constant "mistakes," had been bitterly disappointed, their relationship frozen. Why would he ask about her now?
"What did he say?" Her voice remained calm, but her grip on the phone tightened unconsciously. "President Su merely asked, 'Did Su Wan not come to the company today?' Nothing more." Zhao Lei reported honestly.
A seemingly casual inquiry. But given Su Heng's character and his past attitude towards her, it was profoundly unusual.
"Noted." Su Wan suppressed the ripple in her heart. "Thank you, Assistant Zhao."
Hanging up, Su Wan immediately opened the laptop on the desk. She logged into the newly registered, anonymous email account.
A compressed, encrypted file sat in the inbox. She entered the password Zhao Lei provided and decompressed it.
Documents, images, spreadsheets exploded onto the screen.
Su Wan's gaze swept over the complex data like a precision scanner. She clicked directly on the folder labeled "Hotel Registry."
A dense list appeared. Dates, locations, hotel names, guest information… Lu Zeyu. Lin Weiwei. Names paired like ugly brands.
[XX Hotel, Deluxe King Room, Check-in: 20XX-03-15, Check-out: 20XX-03-16]
[XX International Hotel, Executive Suite, Check-in: 20XX-04-02, Check-out: 20XX-04-03]… Dates right after her pregnancy confirmation!
[XX Hot Spring Resort, Private Villa, Check-in: 20XX-04-10, Check-out: 20XX-04-11]… Yesterday! The day she was hospitalized after her "fall"! They had the gall to go hot-springing!
Su Wan's eyes scanned the records coldly. No emotional tremor, only icy confirmation. She closed the folder and opened "Abnormal Bank Transactions."
Screenshots from various banks. An infrequently used account under Lu Zeyu's name showed numerous, frequent outgoing transfers over the past three months. Amounts weren't huge (tens of thousands), but the frequency was alarming. Recipients were different individuals or shell companies with seemingly no connection. Shortly after each transfer, a similar amount would appear deposited into an overseas account under Lin Weiwei's name.
Moving money. Prelude to laundering? Or shifting joint assets?
Su Wan's fingertip slid across the cold trackpad. Another file caught her eye—a financial overview of "Weiguang Culture," a small cultural media company registered under Lin Weiwei less than six months ago. Its registered capital was modest, but within a few months, it had received several large injections of capital from undisclosed investors, totaling millions. The company's operational revenue? Almost zero.
A shell company? Siphoning unexplained funds? Laundering? Or… was Lu Zeyu funneling Su Enterprises project funds through it?
A hazy, larger conspiracy began to take shape in Su Wan's icy mind. In her past life, she'd only seen their malice in killing her to seize the Su fortune. She hadn't realized their claws might have dug deeper, greedier, long before!
Good. A cold, lifeless curve touched Su Wan's lips. All of this will be the ironclad evidence that buries you.
She turned off the laptop screen and leaned back into the wide chair. The pain in her lower abdomen persisted, a reminder of the physical and emotional severance she'd endured. Outside, darkness had fully fallen. The room was unlit, only the laptop's residual glow casting an eerie blue light on her pale face. Her eyes shone unnaturally bright in the gloom, like a predator lurking in the abyss, its prey locked in sight.
The gameboard of revenge was laid out. Step one, severing the poisoned limb, was complete. Step two: Pull out the fangs they use to suck blood.
She picked up her phone. The screen's light illuminated her cold, resolute profile. She found a number and typed a terse message:
"Package received. Execute Phase Two: Economic Sanctions entry point - Funding chain for 'South City Redevelopment' project under Lu Zeyu. Audit all subcontracts & affiliated companies under his purview. Priority: Trace abnormal fund flows to 'Weiguang Culture' or Lin Weiwei-linked accounts."
She hit send.
The message vanished like a stone dropped into a dark lake, sending silent ripples into the depths.