Chapter 4

“That’s right! I hired that man to play the part. I have no relationship with him at all!”

After being pressed again and again, Xu Qi finally admitted the truth through her tears.

“I only wanted to get promoted quickly at the Fu Group, so I came up with this plan to approach President Fu!”

“Please don’t call the police! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have let your parents adopt me, but they volunteered. And President Fu agreed to switch the bride at the wedding. That had nothing to do with me!”

She tried to wash her hands of it.

Everything had been done by Fu Sinian and my family.

She had told one little lie, and everyone had believed her completely.

Fu Sinian and my brother stood there, stunned, unable to accept what they had just heard.

I looked at them, dazed and defeated, and smiled mockingly.

“Do you finally understand?”

“The man I chose to love, the family I thought was closest to me—they betrayed me to protect someone like her.”

I turned to Xu Qi, who was still sobbing, and said calmly, “The police will be here soon. You instigated that man to smash my right hand. That was a crime, and you’ll face the consequences.”

Then I took my suitcase and left the room.

Right in front of everyone, I called Manager Zhao.

“Manager Zhao, there’s been a small misunderstanding. I’ll come to the company now and explain everything.”

“There has never been anything wrong with my conduct. Please ask management to reinstate my transfer to the western region. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

6

Just as I hailed a taxi, Fu Sinian and my brother chased after me.

My brother reached out to stop me. “What do you mean, the western region? Xiao Xin, don’t make the wrong choice just because you’re angry.”

Guilt flickered in Fu Sinian’s eyes.

“I mishandled the situation with Xu Qi. I told you that once this was over, I’d hold another wedding with you.”

“Are you going to throw away our five-year relationship by going to the western region?”

“Xiao Xin, don’t leave in a fit of anger.”

Their words sounded like they wanted me to stay, but their attitude was condescending.

They acted as if my leaving was just a tantrum,

as if they only needed to come and coax me.

I looked my brother, Jian Fenglin, in the eye.

“You’ve always said that, out of everyone in your life, I’m the one you worry about most. We’ve been siblings for more than twenty years.”

“But you used my trust to lock me in that wedding car. Do you know the road surface on the sea-crossing bridge was nearly fifty degrees Celsius? I almost died in there.”

My brother lowered his head. He was usually quick-witted and eloquent, but now he couldn’t say a word.

I looked at Fu Sinian.

“You’re right. I’m going to the western region because I want to leave our five-year relationship behind.”

“You gave my wedding to another woman. Again and again, you pushed me forward as a shield against Xu Qi’s so-called ex-husband. Do you really think I shouldn’t leave?”

Fu Sinian’s lips moved as if he wanted to explain.

But when the words reached his mouth, all that came out was silence.

I smiled at their helpless faces.

At that moment, I felt I had truly let go.

“Deep down, you all know how cruelly you treated me. But the person you needed to protect was Xu Qi.”

“You still did it for her. That’s why I’m leaving—not because I’m throwing a tantrum.”

The driver up front urged me to hurry. I loaded my suitcase into the trunk.

I pushed my brother’s hand away, got into the car, and slammed the door shut.

Fu Sinian took a few steps after me, still trying to catch up.

My parents came out of the hotel and shouted at the smoking tail of the car,

“Don’t chase after her! Jian Xin’s been spoiled since she was little. Let her learn a proper lesson!”

“How long can someone as pampered as her last in the Northwest? She’ll come crawling back home before long.”

“We were wrong about Xu Qi, but we’re victims too. Jian Xin only suffered a little. What’s the big deal?”

I watched them grow smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

I saw how indifferent they were about my leaving.

The car turned and merged into traffic.

I put on my sunglasses and stopped looking at the dark figures fading in the mirror.

When I got to the company, Manager Zhao immediately called a meeting and asked me to issue a clarification in the work chat.

I explained everything from beginning to end.

The police also called the company directly to confirm that the message had been forged.

Two hours later, the company issued an announcement.

[After investigation, Ms. Jian Xin did not engage in misconduct. Her transfer to the western region has been reinstated.]