Ch.1 Hated by All, Now Awakened

Chapter 1

"President Feng's family background and looks are top-tier in every way. The only pity is that he's mute."

"You poor thing, girl."

"Marrying President Feng must be eating you up inside, right?"

As the words from the person across the table settled in, Sang Lu's heart pounded wildly.

Oh my god!

This was exactly the same as the dream she had last night.

In the dream,

she discovered she was living inside a romance novel where two brothers fought over love.

She wasn't the female lead being fought over.

Nor was she the supporting female character competing with the heroine for the men.

Instead, she was the wife of the eldest brother—in other words, the wealthy matriarch of the family.

Her husband, Feng Yan, was the current CEO of Feng Corporation.

He had two younger brothers who would later fall for the same female lead, leading to a bitter rivalry over power and inheritance.

By all rights, considering seniority and capability, the position of Feng Corporation's CEO should always belong to the eldest brother, Feng Yan.

The problem? He was mute.

Even if he was the most outstanding among the three brothers, outsiders still saw him as flawed.

No prestigious family would let a mute person steer the ship.

Sang Lu came from an ordinary background.

She never imagined that a casual childhood betrothal arranged by her grandfather with his old comrade would actually come true.

In the three months since their marriage, they had barely seen each other, let alone developed any feelings.

At the end of the prophetic dream, she had become a hateful figure—

materialistic, boastful,

and especially after becoming sisters-in-law with the female lead, she constantly compared herself to her, scheming to ruin her reputation.

In the end, her schemes were exposed, and she was kicked out of the family.

Finally, Sang Lu understood.

Why had her naturally cheerful personality recently turned so bitter?

It turned out her life’s trajectory was being controlled by an invisible force called "plot,"

leading her to the miserable fate of a discarded wealthy wife despised by all.

Sang Lu sucked in a sharp breath.

If she let the plot unfold as it was, it would be terrifying.

Now that she had awakened,

she absolutely couldn’t let it happen.

After careful consideration—

She lived in a luxurious penthouse, with maids handling all chores.

Her unfamiliar husband was rich, barely spoke, handsome, and didn’t meddle in her affairs.

As long as she behaved and didn’t stir up trouble, she could live as a carefree, wealthy woman with endless money and no one to answer to.

How was this any different from winning the lottery?

Oh, wait—there was a difference.

Winning the lottery meant paying taxes.

She didn’t have to.

"Sang Lu, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

The woman across from her suddenly spoke up.

Sang Lu snapped out of her thoughts.

The woman opposite her was Guan Shiqing, a low-level employee in the secretary department of Feng Corporation’s executive office, whom she had recently befriended.

Guan Shiqing had taken the initiative to befriend her, and over time, they had grown close—or so Sang Lu thought.

Today, this so-called "best friend" was subtly trying to coax her into badmouthing Feng Yan.

Thanks to last night’s dream, Sang Lu already knew that under the table, Guan Shiqing was holding her phone,

ready to hit record the moment she complained about Feng Yan.

Later, the recording would be sent to Feng Yan, marking the beginning of his disdain for her.

Sang Lu stayed silent for a few seconds,

then gave Guan Shiqing a deep look.

Finally, she spoke:

"What’s wrong with being mute?"

"Mute is good, mute is great—marry a mute, no fights to debate."

"I couldn’t be more grateful to marry into the Feng family! Married life is amazing~"

Guan Shiqing froze. "…?"

This… wasn’t right.

Just moments ago, Sang Lu had looked like a resentful, bitter wife. How had she suddenly changed?

Guan Shiqing pressed, "Sang Lu, you’re so kind-hearted. You’re clearly suffering but putting on a brave face. You can tell me how you really feel—"

"It’s getting late," Sang Lu cut her off, grabbing her bag and standing up. "Feng Yan is returning to the city today. I should head back."

This was a lie.

Feng Yan was on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for three more days.

In her phone, their chat history since marriage didn’t even exceed ten messages.

They only exchanged the most essential information, like—

[Feng: 6 PM. Dinner at the main house.]

[Sang Lu: Got it.]

Or—

[Sang Lu: Shiqing invited me shopping today.]

[Feng: Okay.]

Their chat was less a conversation and more a message board.

The last message was from Feng Yan:

[Feng: Business trip. Back in three days.]

Sang Lu had never mentioned Feng Yan’s schedule to Guan Shiqing,

so using it as an excuse now wouldn’t raise suspicion.

She didn’t want to waste energy dealing with Guan Shiqing.

Right now, she just wanted to go home and sort through her chaotic thoughts after her sudden awakening.

Sang Lu pushed open the café door,

clicked her key fob toward the roadside,

and a cheerful beep-beep sounded.

An orange scooter lit up.

Sang Lu swung her leg over it with practiced ease

and merged into traffic.

Guan Shiqing watched her leave, her face twisting in disdain.

"Tch. New money can’t shake off its poverty habits."

Even after marrying into wealth, she still rode that shabby scooter.

So tacky.

Guan Shiqing’s secret crush on Feng Yan was buried deep in her heart.

She had worked tirelessly to join the executive secretary department, hoping for more chances to interact with President Feng—only to hear the news of his marriage.

If his wife had been some elite socialite, fine.

But it was Sang Lu, a nobody from an ordinary family!

Aside from her pretty face, what did she even have going for her?

Guan Shiqing thought, If even Sang Lu can marry into the elite, why can’t I?

She had schemed to befriend Sang Lu, pretending to be her best friend,

planning to lure her into insulting President Feng, then use the fallout to get closer to him herself.

Who would have thought that today, just halfway through her coffee, Sang Lu left...

Guan Shiqing gritted her teeth.

"Next time! Next time I'll definitely expose your true nature!"

...

Half an hour later.

Sang Lu arrived at Qinghe Bay.

A quiet luxury residential area in the city center—her and Feng Yan's newlywed home.

Her electric scooter rolled into the private garage, and she took off her helmet.

She didn’t have a driver’s license, nor did she want to trouble a chauffeur, so most of the time, she preferred to go out with "Orange Buddy" by her side.

"Orange Buddy" was the name she had given her scooter.

The bright orange vehicle stood out slightly next to the dozen or so luxury cars parked nearby.

But Sang Lu didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed about her humble ride.

After all, "Orange Buddy" was a limited-edition color she had queued up for ages to get.

The elevator opened directly into the house.

At the entrance, Sang Lu bent down to change into slippers and called out cheerfully,

"I'm home—"

A habit she’d picked up from watching Crayon Shin-chan as a child.

Whether anyone responded or not, she always made it a point to announce her arrival the moment she stepped inside.

Feng Yan had set rules for the live-in housekeeper: she was only to clean and cook during fixed hours. Her quarters were separate, with a different entrance, ensuring minimal interaction with the homeowners.

Just as Sang Lu expected the usual silence in response...

A sound came from the living room.

Leaning against the shoe cabinet, she peeked inside.

There, on the sofa, sat the figure of a man.

Feng Yan’s tall, upright frame was unmistakable.

The living room's cool-toned lighting spilled over his sharp, handsome features—his deep-set eyes and chiseled features, like frost-kissed marble.

Quiet, yet exuding an aura of icy detachment.

At that moment, he was calmly reading a foreign newspaper.

Hearing the noise, he lifted his gaze indifferently.

Sang Lu’s surprised expression met his eyes.

"Oh? You're home?"

She was taken aback.

Wasn’t he supposed to be on a business trip? Had he returned early?

As she hesitated over what else to say...

The man had already shifted his attention back to the newspaper without so much as a flicker of emotion, offering only a slight nod in acknowledgment.

The entranceway’s warm yellow light enveloped Sang Lu.

Under the same roof, the two of them were divided into starkly contrasting shades—one warm, one cold; one bright, one dark.

Just like their relationship.

Polar opposites.

Nothing like a married couple.

The room fell into silence again.

Only the faint rustling at the entrance could be heard—

The sound of Sang Lu pacing back and forth.

It lasted about a minute, yet she still hadn’t stepped inside.

Feng Yan couldn’t speak, but his hearing was exceptionally sharp.

His ears registered the noise, yet his eyes never strayed from the newspaper.

He felt no curiosity about Sang Lu’s actions.

Their marriage had been arranged by their elders. There was no affection between them.

They were nothing more than strangers sharing a roof.

At best, business partners.

That was all.

Fortunately, she seemed to understand this unspoken rule and never bothered him without reason.

Just as the man was thinking this...

The footsteps grew closer.

Suddenly, a head popped into his line of sight.

Sang Lu tilted hers slightly and smiled at him.

"Want to have dinner together? Today."

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