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In front of the Tong family estate, under the bright June sun, Tong Qing stood with an inexplicable chill radiating from her body, as if the warmth of the day could not reach her. The hospital bills she clutched in her hands were nearly crumpled to shreds. Time seemed to stretch on until, at last, she gathered her courage and stepped inside. She had barely entered the hall when a sudden noise halted her in her tracks. "Crash." The sharp sound of porcelain shattering echoed through the room. Tong Qing stared at the mess on the floor and couldn’t shake the feeling that the Tong family home had just been ransacked. Her half-sister, Tong Nianyu, hadn’t noticed her arrival. After venting her anger, Nianyu threw herself into the arms of a richly dressed woman and wailed, "Mom, I refuse to marry that hideous man. I won’t be left a young widow." Yao Qing’s heart twisted at the sight of her daughter in tears, and she hurried to comfort her. "All right, all right. We won’t go through with it." Nianyu lifted her head, eyes wet. "Really?" "Of course," Yao Qing said. "Would I lie to you?" Still sniffling, Nianyu lowered her voice. "But Dad said marrying him would be good for the Tong family. He even said the Fu family offered a dowry of $100,000,000." The number was enough to make anyone’s heart race. Nianyu could practically wake up smiling from dreams of it, but the thought of marrying a man she considered useless and ugly made her skin crawl. A calculating glint flashed in Yao Qing’s eyes. "So what? The Fu family wants to marry a daughter of the Tong family, but they never said it had to be you." Nianyu blinked, confused. "Mom, what do you mean?" Yao Qing tapped her on the head, irritation sharpening her voice. "Are you stupid? We still have another one in this family." "Second... Second Miss." A servant had spotted Tong Qing, surprise and discomfort tightening her expression as she spoke. "You’ve returned?" Tong Qing understood the disdain beneath the words. Politely, she was the Second Miss of the Tong family. In truth, she was nothing more than an illegitimate daughter.

Tong Qing was an illegitimate daughter kept out of the spotlight, someone no one cared about. When Yao Qing heard the rustle of the maid, she promptly cut off her conversation and turned to see who had arrived. "Qing?" Yao Qing's eyes brightened as she greeted her warmly. "You're finally back. Your father was just mentioning how much he missed you today." Would Tong Hongliang really miss her? Only if pigs could fly. Tong Qing scoffed inwardly, ignored Yao Qing's overfamiliarity, and asked directly, "Where is Tong Hongliang?" No sooner had she spoken than Tong Hongliang descended the spiral staircase and addressed her in a frosty tone. "Come to my study. I need to speak with you." As she went upstairs, Tong Qing did not miss the fleeting look of cunning satisfaction in Yao Qing's eyes. In the study, Tong Hongliang sat in a leather executive chair and spoke down to her. "Tomorrow, I will arrange for your mother to be transferred to the private hospital owned by the Tong family, where she will receive the best care. But there is one condition. You will take Nianyu's place and marry into the Fu family." He gave her a meaningful look. "The groom is Fu Chijing, the eldest son of the Fu family. To become his wife would be a stroke of luck for you." Tong Qing had seen Tong Nianyu's earlier tantrum and, recalling Yao Qing's unfinished words, had already guessed the reason. Still, she pretended not to understand. "If it's such a fortunate match, why offer it to me instead of Tong Nianyu? After all, Tong Nianyu is your legitimate daughter, and I'm just the one you want to keep hidden." "You don't understand," Tong Hongliang snapped, his face dark. "Fu Chijing was recently disfigured in a fire. He's disabled now and confined to a wheelchair. I couldn't possibly make Nianyu marry into that." "That explains it," Tong Qing said with a wry smile, the words falling like a bitter murmur. "We're both your daughters, yet you can't bear to send her, but you're willing to send me." With everything laid bare, Tong Hongliang stopped pretending and threatened her outright. "If you want your mother's illness cured, then don't be ungrateful. Do as I say."

Tong Qing thought of the crumpled stack of bills in her bag, her heart heavy with despair. Tong Hongliang was right; from the moment she had walked through that door today, she had been stripped of all choice. Tong Qing took a deep breath, forcing down every trace of bitterness. The next second, she heard her own response. "Fine, I'll do as you say." She would marry Fu Chijing. Tong Qing's marriage into the Fu family was ostensibly for good fortune, but in plain terms, it was to restore some semblance of dignity to Fu Chijing. The Fu family said that getting the marriage certificate was enough for now, and the wedding could be discussed later. The Tong family was pleased with the arrangement. Tong Nianyu, afraid that if they dragged things out something might change, urged Tong Hongliang to have the Fu family come and take Tong Qing away as soon as possible. Two days later, the Fu family dispatched a fleet of 20 cars that lined up in the Tong family's courtyard. The lead car had a cascading front grille, and the golden figurine on the hood had been polished to a brilliant shine, as if announcing the owner's status, both prestigious and ostentatious. From the second-floor balcony, Tong Qing watched Tong Hongliang fawn in front of the cars, her brow tightening with distaste. Before long, someone stepped out of the vehicle.

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