Shu Wan arrived at her best friend Qiao Shanshan's apartment, suitcase in hand. She raised a hand to knock softly on the door, then stepped back to wait. Both orphans, she and Qiao Shanshan had grown up together in the same orphanage and were as close as sisters. She remembered what Qiao Shanshan had told her when Huo Sihan had come to take her away: "Wanwan, if he ever throws you out, remember you always have a home to come back to." It was those words that had given Shu Wan the courage to walk away from Huo Sihan’s apartment. The door swung open moments later. Seeing Shu Wan, Qiao Shanshan’s face instantly broke into a wide, beaming smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Wanwan, what are you doing here?" Shu Wan’s hand tightened on the handle of her suitcase. "Shanshan," she said, a little sheepishly, "I… I need a place to crash." Only then did Qiao Shanshan notice the suitcase, and the smile vanished from her face. "What happened?" Shu Wan forced a casual smile. "We broke up." Qiao Shanshan froze, her eyes scanning the brave smile plastered on Shu Wan's face. Her friend’s small, delicate face was so thin that her eyes looked sunken, her skin deathly pale. Standing there in the cold wind, her body looked as fragile as paper. A pang of heartache shot through Qiao Shanshan. She rushed forward and pulled Shu Wan into a tight embrace. "Don't be sad," she whispered. "You've still got me." At those words, Shu Wan felt her eyes burn. She hugged Shanshan back, patting her gently on the back. "I'm okay. Don't worry." Qiao Shanshan knew she was only saying that to comfort her. She had seen with her own eyes how much Shu Wan loved Huo Sihan. For the past five years, Shu Wan had worked herself to the bone to scrape together the one million dollars she owed Huo Sihan. She had foolishly believed that it would change his opinion of her. But in the end, he had still cast her aside without a second thought. Qiao Shanshan’s mind flashed back to that rainy night five years ago… If only Wanwan hadn't sold herself for Song Siyue's sake, she never would have met Huo Sihan. Her Wanwan would have lived a happy life. But there were no do-overs in life… Not wanting Shanshan to dwell on her sadness, Shu Wan gently pushed her away and offered a faint smile. "Are you going to let me in, or just leave me out here to freeze to death? I'm already an icicle!" Seeing that Shu Wan was still as resilient as ever, Qiao Shanshan felt a wave of relief. She believed Wanwan would get through this. For kids like them, who nobody wanted, being abandoned was just a fact of life. As long as you kept breathing, there was nothing you couldn't overcome. The thought eased Qiao Shanshan's heart. She took Shu Wan’s suitcase and pulled her inside. "Don't you ever talk about 'crashing' here again. This is your home. You can stay as long as you want!" She then turned, grabbed a set of clean pajamas, and handed them to Shu Wan. "Go take a hot shower. I'll make you something to eat. Then you get some sleep. Don't think about anything else, okay?" Shu Wan took the pajamas and nodded obediently. "Okay." Shanshan had always been like this—unconditionally good to her, a ray of light that had warmed her entire life. But her late-stage heart failure would soon take that life away. If Shanshan knew she was about to leave this world, she would surely cry. And Shu Wan didn't want to make such a gentle, kind person cry. She watched the bustling figure in the kitchen and slowly walked over. "Shanshan, I'm thinking of quitting my job." Qiao Shanshan nodded in enthusiastic agreement. "You should. You've been running yourself ragged these past few years just for a little overtime pay. Quit. Take a good rest. From now on, you can leave the money-making to me!" A warmth spread through Shu Wan’s chest. She whispered a soft "Okay," then turned toward the bathroom, tears blurring her vision. Fate had never been on her side. If her departure was inevitable, then she would spend her last three months by Shanshan's side. The next morning, she put on makeup, hiding her pale complexion under a thick layer of foundation, and left for the office to hand in her resignation. She had just sat down at her desk, about to turn on her computer to write her resignation letter, when her colleague, Zhouzhou, rolled over in her chair. "Wanwan, did you see the email?" Shu Wan shook her head. Huo Sihan had picked her up for the weekend; she hadn't had time to check emails. "Ms. Xu sent out a memo," Zhouzhou said excitedly. "The chairman's daughter is starting today as the new CEO." Shu Wan had no memory of a chairman's daughter and wasn't interested. She was quitting anyway, so it didn't matter who the new CEO was. But Zhouzhou was brimming with gossip. "I heard she just got back from overseas. She has a Ph.D. in Business Administration, but zero real-world experience. Don't you think people will talk, her just waltzing in as CEO?" Zhao Yu, sitting next to Zhouzhou, scoffed. "Who would dare? She's the one Ji Sihan has always held a torch for." At the name 'Ji Sihan', Shu Wan's hand froze on the mouse.