After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, the fake heiress binds herself to a rough-looking man

The Renaissance Hotel is located at the back alley entrance, just across the street.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked under a dim streetlamp.

Old Chen stood by the car door, looking down and constantly checking his watch.

Jiang Yu hid in the shadows around the corner, quickly kicked off her flat shoes, and put on a pair of silver stilettos that could crush her toes.

She casually stuffed her flat shoes into the nearby sanitation worker's trash can.

She took two deep breaths to calm her heart, which was pounding in her throat, straightened her skirt, and tidied her hair.

Then, she stepped gracefully out of the shadows in her high heels and slowly walked towards the car.

"Miss." Old Chen visibly relaxed when he saw her and quickly stepped forward to open the back door of the car.

"Old Chen, why did you open the back door?"

Jiang Yu feigned ignorance, her voice soft and carrying just the right amount of weariness.

"I felt stuffy inside and wanted to go to the terrace for some fresh air, but I got lost and wandered around. I don't even know how I ended up at the back door. My high heels are killing me with all the rubbing."

Old Chen lowered his head and didn't reply, but simply made a polite gesture of invitation.

Jiang Yu bent down and got into the car.

The car door slammed shut, completely shutting out the noise outside.

The carriage was eerily quiet.

Before she could relax, she heard a very faint rustling sound of fabric against the leather seat next to her.

Jiang Yu felt a chill run down her spine and quickly turned her head.

Jiang Yu'an sat in the shadows on the other side.

A sliver of light leaking in through the car window fell directly on the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, reflecting a cold, icy curve.

He was still wearing the bespoke suit from the banquet, his tie half-loosened.

He was fiddling with a silver lighter in his hand, not lighting it, just flipping it open and closing it intermittently.

Click. Click.

Inside the enclosed carriage, the sound echoed one after another, striking Jiang Yu's nerves like a hammer blow.

"Brother...you, why are you in the car too?" Jiang Yu stammered.

With so many business tycoons waiting to be connected at the banquet, he actually left halfway through and came to a back alley to ambush her.

Jiang Yu'an did not answer this question.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.

My gaze drifted from her disheveled hair to the crooked black shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

The knot he had tied himself before leaving was long gone, replaced by a haphazardly tied clump of cloth.

Then, his gaze continued downwards, landing on her feet.

Jiang Yu'an's gaze lingered there.

Looked for a long time.

Jiang Yu's ten toes were tightly curled up inside the tips of her shoes.

"get lost?"

He finally spoke, his voice so low that she had to hold her breath to hear every word.

"Yes, the hotel is huge, it's designed like a maze."

Jiang Yu forced herself to lie, her palms sweating profusely.

Jiang Yu'an turned around and leaned towards her.

The scent of fir trees immediately filled the air around her.

He reached out, his fingers slightly cool, and touched her earlobe directly.

Jiang Yu dared not dodge.

He gently stroked behind her ear with his fingertip, then withdrew it, his thumb and forefinger rubbing together.

A tiny, inconspicuous black powder clung to my fingertip.

That was a mixture of engine oil and carbon ash that got on Huo Li when it was stuck to him earlier.

Jiang Yu'an displayed the black ash between the two of them, his eyes almost completely black, making it impossible to discern his emotional state.

"Jiang Yu, when did you learn to crawl through dog holes?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he ripped the shawl off her shoulders.

The black fabric slipped off her fair shoulders, revealing most of her back.

The cold air from the car's air conditioning made Jiang Yu shiver.

Jiang Yu'an stared at her, reached out and pinched her chin, using a force that was neither too light nor too heavy, forcing her to raise her head and look at him.

"Tell me, where did you go just now?"

The air conditioning in the carriage was on full blast, with cool air whistling out of the vents.

The two fingers on his chin were quite forceful.

The man's knuckles pressed against her skin, pinching her painfully.

The engine oil was mixed with carbon ash.

Damn it, this is what Huo Li got on him just now.

If she stutters even half a word at this moment, this day next year will be the anniversary of her death.

The moment you blink, the water vapor rises to the surface.

It only takes two seconds for your eyes to turn red.

"Brother, you pinched me too hard." Her voice trembled, filled with grievance.

She reached out and tried to pry his wrist off.

I couldn't break it.

"What are you hiding from?" Jiang Yu'an asked in a very low voice, his gaze fixed on her face.

Jiang Yu simply stopped dodging.

She met the man's gaze, and tears streamed down her face, landing directly on the back of his hand that was holding her chin.

Warm water droplets splashed onto the back of his hand.

Jiang Yu'an paused for a moment in the pressure of his grip on her chin.

"Why don't you try walking through that shabby alley?"

Jiang Yu raised her voice, launching into a barrage of accusations.

"It was pitch black inside, not even a street lamp was working!"

My feet were already hurting from wearing such thin high heels.

I don't know what tripped me over, but I fell right next to that stinky trash can! And you're yelling at me!

Turn the tables and strike first.

To increase credibility, Jiang Yu pulled her foot out of those deadly silver high heels and stretched it forward.

My toes were indeed squeezed red from the pointed shoe uppers.

There was a red mark on my ankle that I don't know how I scratched myself when I first changed into flat shoes, and it looked particularly noticeable in the dim light.

Jiang Yu'an lowered her head.

His gaze fell on the red mark on that fair, white foot.

The pressure from the fingers gripping her chin dissipated silently.

Jiang Yu knew when to stop.

She broke free and hugged her bare shoulders, shrinking closer to the car door.

Curl yourself up into a tiny little thing.

"I thought it was stuffy inside, so I wanted to come out early to find my car. I got lost, and then I fell down and you treated me like a criminal."

"I knew I shouldn't have gone today. The real heiress is making a huge splash inside anyway; if I, the fake heiress, went, I'd only embarrass you."

Her tone grew increasingly pitiful, and she even started playing the card of whether she was a real or fake heiress.

In reality, I was incredibly nervous, and my back was soaked with sweat.

Jiang Yu'an stared at the black ash on his fingertips, pulled out a wet wipe from the side, and slowly and meticulously wiped each finger clean.

The only sound in the carriage was the faint rustling of tissues rubbing against skin.

This sound is irritating.

Do you believe it?

Jiang Yu was unsure.

She knew this nominal older brother all too well.

The calm that seems devoid of emotion, the deeper the pit that lies beneath.

This excuse will only fool him tonight. If he sends someone to check that alley, they won't find any trace of her falling.

Fortunately, it was dark enough inside the car that he didn't get too close to smell it.

The smell of engine oil is immediately noticeable when you get close.

No, we need to use something stronger to distract them.

She shifted her position closer, boldly reaching out to grab his suit sleeve and tug at it twice.

"Brother, my back is cold."

They are unreasonable and shameless.

This trick has been used since childhood.

Jiang Yu'an turned to look at her. He didn't look at her face.

His gaze fell on her shoulder blades, which were covered in goosebumps from the cold.

The large expanse of cool white leather stands out dazzlingly against the dark background of the genuine leather seats.

The man took off his suit jacket and threw it over her head.

The oversized men's coat completely covered her upper body.

The fabric still carried the bitter scent of fir from him, and was still warm.

"Old Chen, turn off the air conditioning in the back seat."

He gave orders to those ahead, his tone cold and harsh.

Jiang Yu buried her face in the wide neckline, and her shoulders finally slumped.

We've weathered this storm.

If she dares to run away again in the coming week, Jiang Yu'an will definitely chew her up and swallow her whole.

It's dying.

This battle to protect lifespan forced a work stoppage.