Ping. A notification vibrated against Su Wantang's palm. Days had passed since the interview, the whirlwind of media attention settling into a steady hum for her business. Expecting another business inquiry, she glanced at the screen. Her breath hitched.Unfamiliar number. "Hello, Wántáng. It's your mother."A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Mother. The word tasted like ash. After abandoning her to the care of a dying grandmother, now this.Scrolling through the message, her eyes narrowed. "I've been guilty all these years... urgent circumstances... so sorry... want to get back together... still your legal guardian." Legal guardian. The phrase hit a raw nerve. Two months. She was two months shy of becoming an independent adult, free from any remaining legal ties to the people who’d cast her aside.Instantly, suspicion coiled in her gut. Why now? Why not before the interview, before her face became a symbol of entrepreneurial success? This wasn't about remorse. This was about something else entirely. Something mercenary.Life, she mused, had become a little too predictable lately. A new challenge, even a disgusting one, might be entertaining. She typed a short, terse reply. "Send me the address."---A sleek, black sedan pulled up to a sprawling mansion. Ornate gates swung open silently, revealing manicured lawns and fountains. Su Wantang stepped out, her expression unreadable. This was a world away from the small, cramped apartment her grandmother had struggled to maintain.Inside, the air felt heavy with expensive perfume and a forced joviality. A woman, impeccably dressed, rushed towards her, arms outstretched. "Wántáng! My little Wántáng!"Su Wantang sidestepped the embrace. Her mother, Lín Xuě, looked nothing like the faded memory. Her face was smoother, her eyes harder, yet she attempted a smile that didn't quite reach them."You've grown so beautiful," Lín Xuě gushed, her gaze sweeping over Su Wantang's elegant clothes, an unmistakable calculating glint in her eyes. "Come in, come in. This is your family."A man with a stern face and a paunch, her stepfather, Mr. Zhōu, offered a brief nod. Two older boys, his sons from a previous marriage, barely registered her presence, engrossed in their phones. Then came the younger ones: a girl, Zhōu Mǐngyuè, with sharp, envious eyes, and a boy, Zhōu Lìng, who peered at her with open curiosity. Lín Xuě’s children.Dinner was a grand affair, held at a polished mahogany table that stretched for miles. Lín Xuě kept up a relentless stream of questions, thinly veiled inquiries into Su Wantang's success."Tell me, Wántáng, how were your scores in school? Did you graduate with honors?"Su Wantang took a slow sip of water. "Adequate.""And your business, darling. It's truly remarkable. Did you, ah, build it entirely alone? No investors?" Lín Xuě's tone was light, but her eyes bored into Su Wantang, searching for weakness."My work is my own," Su Wantang stated flatly.Zhōu Mǐngyuè chimed in, a saccharine sweetness coating her words. "Sister, how much do you earn? Your dress looks so expensive!"A cold amusement flickered in Su Wantang’s eyes. She knew exactly what they wanted. "Get to the point," she interjected, her voice cutting through the forced pleasantries. "What do you want from me?"Lín Xuě flinched, her carefully constructed facade cracking. "Wántáng! How can you be so blunt? I simply miss you! I feel so guilty for abandoning you. I want you to live with us. I'm still your legal guardian, and I want to care for you, even for this short time.""I don't live with strangers," Su Wantang replied, pushing back from the table. "I prefer my own space."Lín Xuě's smile tightened. "But it's only for two months, my dear. Until you turn twenty one. Just two months. Please, think of your poor mother's heart." She sounded desperate now, a hint of steel beneath the plea. "If not permanently, at least stay for the night. As a gesture of reconciliation."Pressure mounted. Zhōu Mǐngyuè and Zhōu Lìng joined in, feigning excitement about having a new sister. Mr. Zhōu remained silent, observing Su Wantang like a hawk. The entire atmosphere felt like a trap.Reluctance churned in Su Wantang’s stomach, but she recalled the legal guardianship clause. It was a flimsy excuse, but technically, Lín Xuě held power. Moreover, she wanted to see their hand. To understand the depth of their cunning."One night," Su Wantang finally conceded, her gaze flicking between Lín Xuě and Mr. Zhōu. "And only one."Instantaneously, the smiles around the table broadened, a collective sigh of relief almost palpable. Lín Xuě clapped her hands together, radiating false warmth. "Wonderful! We have a lovely guest room prepared for you."---Later, a maid led her upstairs. The guest room was opulent, decorated in muted golds and creams, a stark contrast to her minimalist villa ."A warm bath has been drawn for you, Miss Su," the maid informed her, her voice soft, deferential. "To help you relax."Su Wantang nodded, dismissing the maid. Alone, she surveyed the room, her heightened senses on alert. Nothing seemed overtly out of place. Yet, a faint, almost imperceptible scent lingered in the air, something sweet and earthy, like exotic incense.She stepped into the spacious bathroom. Steam billowed from the claw-foot tub, an inviting mist. Just as she was about to undress, another maid entered, unbidden."Miss Su, I've brought some special candles," the second maid announced, her eyes downcast. She placed several delicate, intricately carved candles on the edge of the tub, then lit them with a practiced flick of a lighter.Gentle flames flickered, casting a soft, golden glow. "For a calming atmosphere," the maid mumbled, before quickly exiting, closing the door behind her.Su Wantang watched the door click shut. Candles. Her medical instincts screamed. That faint, earthy scent intensified, now layered with something floral. She had smelled similar compounds in ancient texts, potent sleep aids, designed for prolonged unconsciousness.Her heart hammered against her ribs. This was no calming atmosphere. This was a setup.Without a second thought, she grabbed her clothes, pulling them on with frantic haste. The scent in the enclosed space was already growing stronger, heavier. A subtle dizziness began to creep into the edges of her mind.Moving swiftly, she darted out of the bathroom, ignoring the alluring steam. She went straight to the candles, her face inches from the nearest flame. Inhaling sharply, she confirmed her suspicion. A potent sedative, designed to induce deep, prolonged sleep.Rage surged through her veins, a cold fire. They dared to drug her? In her own family's home?She extinguished the candles with swift, decisive movements, pinching each wick between her fingers until the tiny flames vanished, leaving trails of smoke. But even as she worked, her eyelids felt heavy, her limbs sluggish. She had inhaled too much, too quickly. The speed of her reaction had saved her from a deeper dose, but not from its initial effects.Her knees buckled. The room spun. She stumbled, gripping the doorframe, fighting against the encroaching darkness. A powerful wave of drowsiness washed over her, an irresistible current pulling her under.Her vision blurred. The last thing she saw before consciousness slipped away was the elegant, expensive carpet under her feet.---A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. Sunlight, bright and intrusive, streamed through the window. Su Wantang groaned, pushing herself up from the plush bed. A glance at her wristwatch confirmed it: late morning. She had slept for hours.Fury, cold and sharp, pierced through the lingering grogginess. They had succeeded. They had drugged her.Her muscles felt stiff, her head heavy. She splashed cold water on her face, the chill doing little to quell the inferno building inside her. Dressing quickly, her movements precise and efficient, she stormed out of the room.Downstairs, the clinking of cutlery and a murmur of voices led her to the dining room. The entire family sat around the breakfast table, an idyllic scene of domestic bliss. Lín Xuě looked up, her expression sickeningly sweet."Oh, Wántáng, you're finally awake, sweetie!" she cooed, gesturing to an empty chair. "Come, eat breakfast. The maid can prepare something fresh for you."Su Wantang marched to the table, her steps deliberate, her gaze fixed on her mother. She didn't sit. Her voice, when it came, was dangerously low, stripped of all warmth. "What did you do to me last night?"Lín Xuě’s smile faltered. Mr. Zhōu stopped mid-chew. Zhōu Mǐngyuè and Zhōu Lìng exchanged uneasy glances."W-what are you talking about, dear?" Lín Xuě stammered, attempting innocence. "We didn't do anything. Why are you being so dramatic?""Don't play innocent," Su Wantang snapped, her patience worn thin. "I know about the candles. The sleeping agent. What did you do after I fell unconscious?"A collective intake of breath around the table. Lín Xuě's face drained of color. Mr. Zhōu's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing to slits. Zhōu Mǐngyuè gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. They had been caught.Lín Xuě recovered first, a sneer twisting her features. The saccharine sweetness vanished, replaced by a venomous scorn. "Oh, so you know, do you? And here I thought we were so clever." She dropped her fork onto the plate with a clatter, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. "Honestly, if you hadn't been so difficult, so full of yourself and arrogant, refusing to even speak to your own mother, we wouldn't have had to go to such lengths. You deserve it."Su Wantang's stomach dropped, a cold dread seeping into her bones. "Deserve what?" she demanded, her voice barely a whisper.Lín Xuě leaned forward, a triumphant, cruel smile stretching across her face. "Zhōu Mǐngyuè was supposed to marry the Jiāng family's eldest son. A powerful alliance. But the fool had an accident. Crippled. Useless. Mǐngyuè refused to marry him."Zhōu Mǐngyuè nodded vigorously, her expression a mixture of relief and schadenfreude."We were in a bind," Lín Xuě continued, relishing Su Wantang’s growing horror. "A broken engagement, a ruined reputation. Then we saw you on TV. So beautiful, so successful... and conveniently, still legally under my guardianship."A cold wave washed over Su Wantang, colder than any sedative. Her mind raced, piecing together the insidious plot."So," Lín Xuě finished, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "we simply found a substitute. Last night, while you were 'relaxing' in your bath, we took your thumb. A quick press to a document. A marriage contract. You're officially married to the Jiāng family's crippled heir."The words hit Su Wantang like a physical blow. Her head reeled. She stumbled back, clutching the edge of the table to steady herself. Married? To a stranger? A crippled man her stepsister had rejected? This couldn't be happening.Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms. The sheer audacity, they exploited her legal vulnerability, all for their family's gain.They were her legal guardians. They could marry her off. The law, for the next two months, was on their side.A furious tremor ran through her body. She could do nothing now. Not immediately. The contract was signed, her fingerprint undeniably hers. But two months. Two months until she was an adult. Two months until she could divorce this stranger.Her gaze swept over their smug, triumphant faces, each one a mask of greed and self-satisfaction. A burning vow, colder and sharper than any blade, solidified in her heart. She would wait. She would endure. And then, she would make them pay. They would regret this day more than any other.She would take revenge on them for plotting this against her.

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