Ge Wei had never won a war of words with the thick-skinned Lin Ruan, but she had an ally—one who could put Lin Ruan firmly in her place. Lin Zhengguo always appeared right on cue. With tears welling in her eyes, Ge Wei would turn to him. “Just listen to your daughter! Now she’s got her sights set on Minhang.” The saying goes: a new stepmother means a new stepfather. Ever since her mother died and Ge Wei swept into the house, Lin Ruan had come to understand that truth in her very bones. Lin Zhengguo wasn’t a man of many words, but his hand was heavy. He strode over and slapped Lin Ruan across the face. “Have you no shame?” The slap stung. Lin Ruan licked the corner of her mouth and let out a low, derisive laugh. She tilted her chin up to face Lin Zhengguo, her voice dripping with scorn. “Didn't I learn it from you? The illegitimate daughter and the legitimate one, barely a year apart. Only a bastard like you could pull something like that off.” Lin Zhengguo’s face darkened with fury. Without another word, he raised his hand again. Lin Ruan wasn’t about to stand there and take another blow. She dodged. His hand struck empty air. He bellowed at her to get out. Ge Wei stood by, a triumphant smirk on her face. Not one to show weakness, Lin Ruan turned on her heel and left. It wasn’t the first or second time she’d been thrown out of the house. If Ge Wei was going to make her life hell, she’d return the favor. So Lin Ruan didn’t go far. She went straight to Gu Minhang’s. Gu Minhang lived alone in his apartment in Shanglin Yuan. It had always been their secret meeting place. When he saw her, he noted the angry red handprint on her cheek—whoever hit her hadn’t held back—but he said nothing. He didn’t ask. His expression didn’t so much as flicker. Then again, it didn’t take a genius to figure out who'd done it, and Gu Minhang wasn't about to cross his future in-laws for her. Lin Ruan just wasn't that important. Lin Ruan didn't care. The moment she was inside, she threw her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and kissed him. An hour later, Gu Minhang was leaning against the headboard, smoking. Lin Ruan was spent, sprawled on the bed like a gasping fish. But as soon as she recovered, she started stirring up trouble again, burrowing into his arms and demanding, “Who do you like more, me or Lin Shanshan?” It was a taboo question in any relationship, but Lin Ruan always asked. Every single time. Gu Minhang looked down at her, the cigarette dangling from his lips. Lin Ruan had a truly beautiful face, to say nothing of the body she was so proud of. But for all her beauty, she was a cripple, disdained by her own family and with nothing to her name. She couldn't compare to Lin Shanshan, the family's beloved golden child, already a prima ballerina in her early twenties. He blew a smoke ring right in her face, his eyes laced with contempt. “Don't humiliate yourself,” he said. In his eyes, Lin Ruan was no different from any other woman he'd been with—just a bit prettier, that’s all. ..... Gu Minhang's mother arrived at Shanglin Yuan early in the morning. She had been on her way to the beauty salon, but since it was on the way, she decided to drop by. She had the key code. But she hadn't expected to push the door open to a scene of disarray. A black lace bra lay in the middle of the living room floor, impossible to miss. With Lin Shanshan away for a competition abroad, her son apparently couldn't wait to bring someone else home. She thought the world of Lin Shanshan and was now absolutely furious. She marched straight to the bedroom door and knocked. Inside, Gu Minhang, wearing only pajama pants, rolled out of bed. He opened the door but didn't let his mother in, stepping out and pulling it shut behind him. He was shirtless, and the fresh scratches clawed across his bare torso were impossible to miss. His mother’s brow furrowed. She lunged for the door. “I want to see for myself what kind of little vixen dares to seduce my son.”