Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

Said that Cao Cao Cao Cao arrived.

You can't talk badly about someone behind their back. Su Xue and Tang Junyao had just finished discussing Lu Man when they walked out of the office to grab some disposable gloves and ended up confronting Lu Man head-on.

More than two years later, seeing Lu Man again was still a bit of a shock. She was no longer dressed up in a flamboyant way, nor was she heavily made up. At this time, she was not wearing any makeup, which made her look much more comfortable. Tang Junyao's first impression was that the sharp edges of her body had been smoothed out.

Lu Man was surprised when she saw Tang Junyao, but she quickly regained her composure and then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Long time no see. So it was because of you. It's my own fault. It turns out that Master Ji has a sentimental side. Humph."

Tang Junyao didn't understand the meaning behind her words, and narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

Lu Man didn't explain, but said, "I don't want to see the day you two get back together."

After saying that, she pushed open the door to Ji Hancheng's ward. Lu Jinnan had given her the room number. Lu Jinnan had found her half an hour earlier, hoping that she would explain to Master Ji and leave herself a way out.

He glanced at Lu Man's retreating figure as she entered room 1314, then didn't dwell on her words any further. He then asked the front desk for gloves, saying, "Give me a box of gloves."

As the nurse handed her the gloves, she said, "Dr. Tang, did you see the trending topics this morning? The person you were just talking to seems to be the one trending. Do you two know each other?"

She took the gloves casually and made up a lie, "We're not familiar with each other, they asked for my room number."

The nurse believed her and didn't say much more. Tang Junyao took the things and turned back to her office. She wasn't someone who liked to chat in groups.

When Lu Man pushed open the door and went in, she still felt a flutter in her heart when she saw the person she had been longing for, but she no longer had the same crazy feeling as before.

Even if the man sits on the bed without saying a word, his distinct facial features, high nose bridge, and overall aloof nobility always evoke a feeling of wanting to get close yet being unattainable, which is always captivating.

Ji Hancheng had guessed that Lu Man would come when Lu Jinnan left. He glanced at Lu Man, but then didn't give her another look, keeping his eyes on his phone. "I remember telling you two years ago to know when to stop. Lu Man, do you think I'm giving the Lu family too much face, allowing you to challenge my bottom line again and again?" His tone was full of hatred and coldness.

In the past, Lu Man would have foolishly begged for mercy or apologized, but now she had no such thoughts. Since the outcome wouldn't change, why bother? "How can Master Ji let me go? Do you want me to apologize to her?" She was naturally referring to Tang Junyao. Lu Man had lost everything; the reputation she had built up over the years was ruined. But she was afraid that Ji Hancheng might do something else that she couldn't bear.

He finally raised his head and glared at her. "Explain? Do you think you deserve it?" His face was as gloomy as could be.

Ji Hancheng threw off the covers and got out of bed. His head wasn't as dizzy today. He looked down at Lu Man in front of the hospital bed and said, "Go to the slums of H country. I never want to see you in the capital again."

The slums in H country are not places for humans to live; they are truly slums. She did not expect that Master Ji would be so ruthless, ruining her reputation and then driving her to such a place. Isn't this forcing her to her death?

She knew that the trending topic was put up by Ji Ye, and Lu Man also knew that she could no longer stay in the capital. Who would go to her training school? Everyone was avoiding it like the plague.

Lu Man didn't want to go to H country and made a last-ditch effort, saying, "Isn't it enough that Master Ji gave me such a big gift so early in the morning? I'm already a rat crossing the street."

Fearing that Lu Man might do something reckless, Xu Mingkai reminded her, "Miss Lu, this is something you did yourself, and you can't blame anyone else. If you do something wrong, you have to accept the punishment you deserve."

Lu Man laughed, laughing at herself and at Ji Hancheng. "Ji Hancheng, this is the first time I've called you by your name. I've always called you A-Cheng before, but I want to call you by your name today."

Seeing that the man kept his back to her, she didn't care anymore and continued, "Do you now think that the reason you broke up with her is because of me, because I caused the misunderstanding between you two?"

She scoffed, tears streaming down her face, laughing through her sobs. "Looks like that's how it is. Ji Hancheng, you're always on top, judging others. You never think you're wrong. Actually, we're the same kind of people. Before, all I wanted was you. Even if the whole world thought I was wrong, I would brainwash myself and repeatedly tell myself I wasn't wrong. Then I went further and further down that wrong path, and that's how I ended up like this. I deserve it. But you're not much better, hahaha."

Xu Mingkai coldly reminded the person who was courting death, "Miss Lu."

As expected, the man was enraged. Suppressing his anger, he stared at her with the eyes of a grim reaper, "Get out of the capital today."

Hearing this, Lu Man was frightened, but still wanted to take a gamble. "I can explain my relationship with you to her. I guarantee it will work. Can we exchange that for a different condition?"

After a few seconds of silence, seeing that he didn't say anything, Lu Man assumed that he had agreed.

Lu Man stopped provoking him and instead told him the truth: "I will explain to her everything about you and me, including the child and the entanglement between us, which was all my doing. Of course, there's also the matter of you returning the evidence that you drugged me."

"What did you say?" Upon hearing this, the man grabbed Lu Man's neck excitedly, his eyes bloodshot with rage and a murderous intent.

At that moment, a scene flashed through his mind: one night she suddenly asked him if he knew the mastermind behind everything. So she wanted to confirm it herself, not that she wanted him to investigate. And what had he done? No wonder she suddenly moved out and brought up divorce.

Did she think he was in cahoots with Lu Man? Did he give Lu Man the information to tell her that her secrets had been exposed and that she should not take any further action and should be careful?

How come he's the one protecting Lu Man?

Fearing something might happen, Xu Mingkai quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, "Young Master Ji, this is a hospital room. The young mistress could come in at any time."

Upon hearing the words "young mistress," his hostility lessened somewhat. He reluctantly released Lu Man, pushed her against the doorframe, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands.

Xu Mingkai gestured for Lu Man to leave, "Miss Lu, I hope you will keep your word and explain things properly to our young mistress. Otherwise, you may not be able to bear the consequences, and Young Master Ji will also break his promise to Old Master Lu."

The man turned his back to her, then turned to face the window, feeling regret, confusion, and helplessness. He took out a cigarette and put it between his lips, then, as if remembering something, casually threw it into the trash can. Looking down at the people coming and going below, he fell into deep thought.

Lu Man was right about one thing, and he couldn't refute it. He had the urge to strangle her when she came in, but when she pointed out his mistakes, he lost his confidence and realized how wrong he was.

Xu Mingkai watched the man stand silently by the window, and finally chose to quietly leave. When a person is in a bad mood, they like to be alone and think about things. Quietly leaving without disturbing him is also a kind of politeness.

After leaving ward 1314, Lu Man did not return to her father's ward on the 8th floor. Instead, she went straight to the doctor's office to find Tang Junyao. Standing at the door, she politely knocked. This behavior was quite surprising, as no one would have imagined that Lu Man had been so arrogant and domineering before.

Upon hearing the knock, everyone in the office turned to look at the door, including Tang Junyao. When she saw who it was, she knew that Lu Man had come to see her, so she stood up without hesitation.

He slowly walked up to Lu Man. "Looking for me?"

Lu Man's complexion was not good, and tear stains could be seen at the corners of her eyes. "I want to talk to you."

"Let's go." The two walked to a corner of the hospital corridor, and Tang Junyao leaned against the stainless steel railing, asking directly, "What do you want to tell me?"

Lu Man paused for a moment, then calmly said, "I'm leaving the capital." Tang Junyao wasn't surprised by this decision.

Tang Junyao leaned against the railing with her hands in her pockets and said calmly, "It's fine."

She didn't think she and Lu Man had anything to talk about, but it was already unprecedented that they could talk face to face so calmly today. She had just come out with Lu Man because this was a hospital, and she didn't want many people to know about her past, including her past with Ji Hancheng.

Lu Man had expected Tang Junyao's coldness. "Before I leave, I want to apologize to you and explain myself. It may sound weak, but I still want to say that I did not successfully become a mistress during your marriage. Master Ji has never paid any attention to me. It has always been me performing a one-man show."

Tang Junyao didn't know what she was going to say, and didn't say anything. Whether she succeeded or not, it didn't mean much to her now.

Lu Man spoke slowly and deliberately, not caring whether Tang Junyao was listening attentively or not, as if she wanted to pour out everything in her heart. "Let me share with you about my relationship with Master Ji. Actually, I wasn't Master Ji's girlfriend. He never dated me, we never even held hands. He just didn't clarify it for the sake of Grandpa Lu. And I really liked him back then. Who wouldn't like a rich and handsome member of the Ji family? Who wouldn't want to be close to him? Of course, I was no exception. Women are all vain. You don't know how popular the title of Master Ji's girlfriend is in the industry. Back then, he hadn't inherited the Ji family yet."

"You know, my surname isn't actually Lu. I just used some tricks to please Grandpa Lu and got him to take me in as his goddaughter. I also got him to change my surname. Maybe I got so used to being a Lu family granddaughter that I forgot what my own surname was. I thought that this identity would allow me to establish myself in the capital and wait for his love. I kept telling myself that he would eventually turn around and see me. So when I found out you bought birth control pills, I was filled with jealousy because he touched you. I've waited all these years and he hasn't touched me once."

"I'm not reconciled. I can't just lose like this. You're not some rich heiress, so why should you win his favor? He flaunts the baby in my belly with you. Isn't that ridiculous? I've been living in waiting, waiting for him to glance at me, even if he doesn't smile. In this relationship, I not only lost, but I also lost myself. Now I'm ruined by the man I've liked for so many years. I deserve it. Oh, and what I told you before about him returning the information to me was also a lie. I just wanted to provoke you, and it seems I succeeded, but it brought me unbearable consequences."

Tang Junyao thought that once a person is blinded by vanity and the desire for power, they will not easily wake up. They will only regret the past when their desires are shattered, but by then it will be too late.

Hearing Lu Man's self-deprecating yet explanatory words, Tang Junyao's calm heart finally stirred. But she didn't know if it was true or not. "Everyone thinks they are beautiful and kind, and they won't admit that they are worse than anyone else. Their eyes can only see the ugliness and vulgarity of others, and they can't see the merits of others. Even if they do see them, they will choose to automatically block them out. It's not just you. This is the norm and a common problem. Women don't necessarily have to be loved by men. You've made me your imaginary enemy. Ji Hancheng doesn't like me. Sooner or later, we will get divorced. You're just a little too hasty."

Lu Man laughed, "It seems you're not so insightful after all, at least not very discerning when it comes to men. You'll see. Thank you for listening to my explanation today. I never expected to get your forgiveness, nor do I ask you to persuade Master Ji to let me go."

Yes, Tang Junyao did not choose to forgive her. She was not a saint and would not be moved to pity by Lu Man's few explanations.

If everything were so easy to forgive, there wouldn't be so many prisoners in jail.