"Why? Don't you know?" I looked at him, my tone sarcastic.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and pressed his thin lips together.

“He’s so perfect, I was never good enough for him before. Now, as a fake heiress, I’m even less good enough for him.” I said with a bitter smile.

The pressure on my arm gradually lessened, and Fu Yanshen slowly released me.

"I don't even deserve a bodyguard anymore," I said, raising my lips and looking at him, my words carrying a hidden meaning.

Once upon a time, I, a useless young lady, felt inferior in the face of his aloof bodyguard.

Because of the filter of love, he is perfect in every way in my heart. Even though he is an orphan, he is the epitome of beauty, tragedy, and strength in my eyes.

It was precisely because of his flawed background that I had the courage to take the initiative to marry him.

Fu Yanshen stared at me without saying a word, his deep eyes dull and lifeless, as if covered by a layer of ashes.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed him, but it could not conceal the gloomy aura emanating from him.

He seemed to belong to a different world.

I didn't bother trying to guess what he was thinking. I turned around and walked toward the main road of the campus.

Winter is coming, and everything withers. The plane trees on both sides of the main road are bare, with only a few scattered little balls of fluff hanging on the branches.

As I passed by the basketball court, images of Song Sinan playing basketball in his handsome form vaguely came to mind.

He was both academically gifted and athletically gifted, a top student and the school's heartthrob, a male god admired by all the boys.

I think if he confessed his feelings to me when I had a crush on him, I definitely wouldn't accept him.

Luo Luo called and asked me why I refused.

She only recently found out that Song Sinan used to like me too, and she thinks that being with him now makes up for the regrets of the past.

I replied that I didn't feel any regret.

If I had been reborn, I might have still tried to pursue love and happiness.

Right now, I'm barely able to survive, so what's the point of talking about relationships?

My previous "love-obsessed" attitude was purely due to having nothing better to do.

...

I remember that every year on the winter solstice, I would eat sauerkraut and pork dumplings with my dad.

Today is the winter solstice. I waited until almost noon, but he didn't call me to come home for lunch... but I still couldn't help but go home.

I don't know how my father feels about me now, but in my heart, he is still my family.

He used to spoil me so much, but when he heard that I was being bullied by Fu Yanshen, he agreed to let me get a divorce without saying a word.

He was on the phone on the balcony in his study.

I stood by the desk and waited for him.

On the desk lay an open book with a seven-inch color photograph tucked inside.

The photo shows a young woman dressed in a style reminiscent of the 1990s.

Wearing a white shirt and jeans, backlit by the light, with her long hair flowing freely, she exudes a relaxed and casual vibe. With fair skin, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, she resembles a Hong Kong goddess from that era.

But I'm sure she's not a female celebrity, and I've never met her before.

Could she be my father's former lover?

From childhood to adulthood, I never knew that my father had any extramarital affairs.

"Qiaoqiao is here..." Dad walked in at some point, his voice gentle and deep.

Seeing him after so many days, my nose tingled with emotion; his temples had turned even whiter.

"Today is the Winter Solstice," I said softly, lacking confidence.

He nodded. "It's kind of you to still remember me."

"Dad, of course I miss you and Mom... Do you think I'm bad..." I didn't have the courage to say the rest.

"Let's go downstairs for dinner," Dad said in a deep voice, not responding to the rest of my sentence.

Mom went to Wutai Mountain to burn incense and pray for blessings again. After the last incident, Dad sent Beichen to the branch office. He was also trying to prevent Beichen from bothering me.

There were only the two of us at the dinner table.

There's a clear distance between my dad and me; he talks very little and doesn't look at me much.

"Dad, have you figured out if it was a problem with the hospital? Is there any news about your biological daughter?" I asked curiously.

I never thought about finding my biological parents.

Even if I found them, I couldn't accept the idea of ​​treating strangers as my parents.

Hearing my words, Dad paused with his chopsticks. He was lost in thought for a moment before saying calmly, "Where are you going to look..."

I frowned and went to the hospital where I was born to check the children born on that day. Even if we tested their DNA one by one, it wouldn't be a difficult task for the Sheng family, right?

The Sheng family hasn't fallen so low that they can't even find out who their biological children are.

Seeing my father's sullen expression, I didn't press him further. Perhaps Shengshi was in such a precarious state due to Fu Yanshen's revenge that he didn't have the time or inclination to look for his biological daughter.

...

The prosperous era has now declined to the point that even if I weren't a fake heiress, I would still be looked down upon by Beijing's elite circles. Moreover, I am a genuine, well-known fake heiress.

The hotel's luxurious private room features several calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls, exuding elegance and grandeur.

A group of bigwigs from Beijing's entertainment circle were smoking, creating a smoky and chaotic atmosphere.

I sat at the very bottom of the table, next to Makino, who had come with me to the social event.

The head seat was occupied by Xu Zhen, a renowned fifth-generation director from the Beijing film circle.

He had a very short buzz cut, gray hair, and was dressed casually. He had a cigar between his fingers and was talking to the assistant next to him. Every word he said was full of profanity. He was older than my father.

However, Xu Zhen used to hang out with my dad's group of sons of high-ranking officials in his early years.

In the past, when I was at a dinner party with him, I would be the one sitting at the head of the table, and he would at most be a secondary host, and he would flatter me by calling me "Miss" over and over again.

In the past, he would have begged Makino to sing the end credits theme song for his new movie.

Now, the contract was about to be signed, but he suddenly wants to replace him.

I brought Makino here tonight to try and win her over.

"Little girl, why are you standing there like that? Don't you have any sense? Come on, pour Master Zhen a drink." The producer, Mr. Chen, who was the assistant host, tapped the table and shouted at me.

I smiled broadly, and wisely got up, walked around the huge round table, and took a while before finally reaching Xu Zhen's side.

"Director Xu, let me fill your glass."

I smiled and said that I should try my best to lower my stance and not be as arrogant as before, walking away in a huff when I was unhappy.

Xu Zhen took a puff of his cigar, propped his elbow on the table, turned slightly to the side, and looked up at me.

He placed a hand on my lower back, and I shuddered, but I forced myself to pour the wine.

"Oh, isn't this Miss Sheng? Why are you pouring me wine? How could I dare..." He asked knowingly, deliberately mocking me.

"Director Xu, you don't know this yet, but I'm the fake heiress who was switched at birth in the Sheng family. I'm not some young lady anymore."

For the sake of the contract, I had no choice but to indulge his perverse tastes, pretending to be carefree and making self-deprecating jokes in public.

"The former princess of Beijing's elite circles, now a fallen heiress? Interesting." Xu Zhen took a drag of his cigarette, his lewd hand slowly stroking down my lower back.

It was almost up to my buttocks, so I stepped aside, quickly picked up my glass, and tried to divert his attention. "Director Xu, I'd like to propose a toast to you."

Xu Zhen is a cunning old fox; he'll know exactly what I'm thinking.

He didn't speak. Beneath his swollen eyes, a pair of cloudy, yellowish, triangular eyes glanced at me. He patted his thigh, gesturing for me to sit down.