"Orlando, long time no see!" Lin Lan greeted him with a smile.
The man, however, shook his head disapprovingly. "Young Mistress, forgive my presumption, but this time you’ve been far too reckless. The master and madam are furious, but they’re also very worried about you. That’s why they sent me here to help settle your affairs."
"There’s nothing to settle here. I resigned days ago—it was just a job I took for fun anyway." Lin Lan smiled at him. "Mom and Dad were right. I was too naive, and I won’t make the same mistake again."
The elite assistant nodded in satisfaction. "At least you’ve learned something from this." As he spoke, his gaze flickered briefly toward the couple standing nearby before returning to Lin Lan. His tone turned earnest. "There are many ways to find true love, and none of them require such extremes. Compatibility in status is a crucial factor. Without a solid financial foundation, even the strongest feelings are just castles in the air. I hope you’ll remember this lesson."
"I will, Orlando," Lin Lan replied obediently.
Pleased, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out an envelope. "By the way, Young Mistress, I’ve brought the first-class tickets to Athens you asked me to book earlier. Though I must ask—why insist on a commercial flight? Even if applying for a private jet in China is troublesome, we could have arranged it quickly if you’d wanted. Madam even asked me if you’d been swindled out of your money, forcing you to sneak back on a public flight without telling them."
"Mom worries too much!" Lin Lan laughed as she took the envelope and pulled out its contents—two blue-and-white rectangular boarding passes, the words "China Airlines" prominently displayed at the top.
Holding them up, she gave them a light shake before turning to Shao Xiuye, whose face had gone pale and stiff. She smiled. "Shao Xiuye, I was going to surprise you. I planned to lie and say I’d won a five-day, four-night trip to Greece for two at the company raffle, so my parents could meet you in secret. But now… well, I guess that’s unnecessary."
Without hesitation, she tore the boarding passes in half. A gust of autumn wind scattered the fragments across the ground. A curious onlooker stepped on one, revealing the date printed beneath Shao Xiuye’s name—today’s date—and couldn’t help reading it aloud.
The crowd around them erupted in murmurs, shaking their heads as they glanced at the man with expressions caught between pity and schadenfreude. If he hadn’t broken up with her, those tickets would have been used today.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Lin Lan wasn’t done yet. She unbuttoned the trench coat she was wearing, slipped it off, and waved it at her ex-boyfriend. "Do you remember this? It was the first gift you ever gave me when we started dating. I treasured it. Now, I’m giving it back to you. Consider it a proper ending."
She stepped forward and shoved the coat into Shao Xiuye’s frozen hands, her smile never wavering. Meanwhile, the middle-aged driver who had been standing by the Rolls-Royce suddenly ducked back into the car and hurried over with another coat.
"Young Mistress, it’s chilly. Please put this on. If you catch a cold, the master and madam will be heartbroken."
The driver, Uncle Yu, quickly draped the long coat over Lin Lan’s shoulders.
"Thank you, Uncle Yu," she said warmly, slipping her arms into the sleeves.
The high-end fabric and impeccable tailoring of the purple trench coat instantly elevated her from a merely stylish young woman to someone radiating elegance and sophistication.
"Holy crap, my boss’s wife has that same coat! A coworker told me it’s this year’s limited-edition latest release from Chanel—super expensive and nearly impossible to get!" a bystander blurted out, stunned despite being there just for the drama.
Ignoring the stares, Lin Lan calmly fastened each button, then pulled the hair tie from her ponytail, letting her sleek, straight hair cascade over her shoulders. In the eyes of the onlookers, the ordinary city girl had transformed into a high-society heiress.
"It’s getting late, and I have a flight to catch. Let’s meet again if fate allows." Accepting the sunglasses her assistant handed her, she bid farewell with a smile before being ushered toward the Rolls-Royce by her entourage. The handsome assistant opened the door for her, carefully shielding the frame with his hand to prevent her from bumping her head. Just before stepping inside, Lin Lan turned back to the ashen-faced couple and delivered her final words:
"Between the two of us, you two really are the better match. I wish you happiness."
With that, she put on the sunglasses and slid into the car.
As the door closed, the eye-catching Rolls-Royce glided away, disappearing into the bustling streets under the awed gazes of the crowd. All that remained were the murmuring spectators and the shell-shocked couple, one of whom seemed on the verge of collapse.
While Shao Xiuye remained dazed, Miss Jiang was the first to snap out of it. Gritting her teeth under the weight of the crowd’s stares, she roughly slapped the trench coat out of his hands and dragged him toward the Bentley. "I don’t believe it! That woman must be a fraud, trying to humiliate me!"
The red sports car roared to life and sped off, leaving the street’s onlookers to disperse, already eager to share the day’s dramatic spectacle with others.
Meanwhile, the silver-gray Rolls-Royce cruised steadily down the main road. Though it was peak traffic, the surrounding cars instinctively kept a safe distance, and not a single vehicle dared to cut in front of it at intersections or turns—no one wanted to risk even a scratch on a car worth millions.
Inside, Lin Lan gazed quietly out the window before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"You know, if not for all this, I might never have gotten to ride in a luxury car like this." She looked up at Uncle Yu in the driver’s seat, her smile warm and genuine. "Thank you, Uncle Yu, for going along with my little charade."
"Ah, Lan Lan, don’t be so formal!" The middle-aged driver, who had earlier addressed her so respectfully as "Young Mistress," chuckled warmly. "We’ve been neighbors for years, and my family’s always relied on yours for help. If you thought of me when you needed backup, I’m glad to be of service. But you really are full of wild ideas—if I hadn’t been in on it, even I would’ve believed you were some wealthy heiress slumming it before returning home!"
"It's just a little trick to fool people," Lin Lan said with a shy smile, turning to the handsome male assistant sitting beside her. "But if this act was so successful, it's all thanks to Quinta here. As expected of an international student from Modu University—he really nailed that elite vibe."
The bespectacled student, now looking more youthful without his gold-rimmed glasses, gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Since I took the boss's money, I had to do my job well. Even if I'm just roleplaying as an elite now, it's the kind of person I aspire to be someday. The rich really have it good—I want to be like that too." He glanced around at the luxurious interior of the car, his eyes filled with envy and longing.
The driver, Uncle Yu, laughed heartily. "Well, you better work hard then, kid! This car isn’t cheap even in your home country. I’m only lucky enough to drive it because of the company."
In other words, none of the three in this luxury car were actually wealthy—they were just putting on a convincing act of being part of a wealthy family.
"By the way, Lan Lan, you still haven’t told us how you figured out that bastard was up to no good," Uncle Yu couldn’t help but ask, voicing his biggest curiosity. "And how did you know he’d break up with you today, so we could help you stage this whole act?"
"I just knew," Lin Lan pouted, her face twisting in disgust at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Three months ago, I already knew he was cheating."
Young couples these days always video-chat, especially since she and Shao Xiuye had become long-distance. How could they not? The first time Lin Lan sensed something was off was during one of their video calls.
Shao Xiuye had been chatting with her on his phone but had to leave it on the coffee table briefly for an urgent matter. The camera happened to capture the trash can on the floor.
"I saw two torn snack wrappers in the trash and immediately knew another woman had been in his place," Lin Lan said, noticing the bewildered looks on her listeners’ faces. She smirked knowingly. "I have my reasons. Shao Xiuye never tears open snack bags neatly—he always rips them haphazardly. But those two wrappers had clean, precise tears. Plus, the flavors weren’t his usual picks—they were more suited for a girl’s taste."
"Wait, that alone proves he was cheating?" Uncle Yu frowned. "Couldn’t he just have had a guest over?"
The international student, Quinta, nodded along hesitantly. Neither man dared to say it out loud, but they both wondered if this was a bit paranoid.
"Of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough to confirm he was cheating. Even if my gut told me something was off, I needed more proof," Lin Lan, ever the rational one, patiently explained. "But just days before that video, he’d complained to me about how he was being ostracized at work and how his neighbors were cold and unfriendly—he couldn’t make any new friends. Then suddenly, a few days later, he has a ‘new friend’ close enough to visit his place, and he even prepared snacks tailored to their taste? You really think that’s a coincidence?"
The car fell silent. Lin Lan wasn’t done.
"If it was just that one time, I might’ve let it slide. But two months ago, during another video call, I knew for sure he was cheating." Remembering Shao Xiuye’s reaction when she brought up the 8,000-yuan AJ sneakers in the restaurant, Lin Lan gritted her teeth. "I spotted a brand-new pair of limited-edition AJs in his room. I looked it up later—they cost 8,000 yuan. Eight thousand! Uncle Yu, you might not get it, but Shao Xiuye only made 6,000 a month back then, and he sent 2,000 home to his parents regularly. That left him with just 4,000 for rent, utilities, food, and other expenses. Where did he suddenly get the money for such expensive shoes? Especially when he’d always been frugal before. So tell me—what would make a thrifty man suddenly splurge on luxury way beyond his means? Fairy godmother magic?"
The colder her tone grew, the more uneasy the two men in the car became.
"After that, he started contacting me less and less, and when he did, his replies were half-hearted. It was obvious my suspicions were right. Then this month, out of nowhere, he initiated contact and asked me out—something he never did before. Wasn’t that enough to confirm today was the day?"
By now, neither man dared to breathe too loudly. Young or old, local or foreign—they were both secretly terrified. Women might seem easy to fool normally, but when it came to this, they were sharper than Sherlock Holmes, with instincts dead-on accurate. And when it came to payback? They were absolutely ruthless.
Quinta swore to himself then and there—if he ever had a lover, he’d never dare to two-time them. Running into someone like Lin Lan might not be life-threatening, but it’d haunt you for the rest of your days.
Just then, Uncle Yu spotted something in the rearview mirror, his already shocked expression widening further. "Lan Lan, you were right! That shameless pair really is following us!"
Quinta instinctively turned to look, but Lin Lan didn’t even lift an eyelid, only curling her lips into a cold smirk. "I knew that woman wouldn’t let it go. Of course she’d follow."
Once she’d discovered Shao Xiuye’s infidelity, Lin Lan had naturally dug into the other woman’s background—the spoiled only daughter of a wealthy family, heir to a listed company, with a domineering personality and a nasty temper. After the humiliation she’d just suffered, it was no surprise she’d come chasing after them for answers.
But Lin Lan wasn’t worried in the slightest.
She’d dated Shao Xiuye for over two years, but she’d never gone into detail about her family’s background, only vaguely mentioning that her parents ran a business back home. There was nothing for him to expose even if he wanted to.
As for the rest?
Her designer jacket was authentic, bought for tens of thousands—her own private purchase, purely to show off in front of that cheating pair. The romantic getaway to Greece she’d mentioned? Also real, but only because she’d won it in an online sweepstakes. The torn boarding pass was genuine too, part of the prize package, costing her nothing. Even if it was gone, she had other ways to board the flight.
As for the handsome foreigner? She’d spent two weeks scouting top-tier restaurants before finding Quinta, a part-time student who happened to be returning to Greece soon. She’d paid him a performance fee plus a first-class ticket, and he’d happily agreed to play the role of "elite assistant from a wealthy family," throwing himself into the act with gusto.
And the Rolls-Royce they were riding in?
Driver Uncle Yu and Lin Lan had been neighbors in their hometown for over a decade. He worked for a large wedding company, and the luxury car he drove had recently been purchased by the company to serve as a wedding vehicle for newlyweds. It hadn’t even made its official debut yet. After Lin Lan called him for help, Uncle Yu pulled some strings to temporarily borrow the car for her to "save face," turning it into the most eye-catching prop for their act. Of course, she paid the standard rental fee, and only with Uncle Yu’s connections did the boss agree to lend out the car’s "maiden voyage" for this purpose.
Then there were the two designer suits—one worn by Uncle Yu, which was his company-issued uniform, and the other by the foreign student, who explained that some luxury brands considered exorbitantly expensive in China weren’t nearly as pricey in his home country. His entire outfit was part of his personal "impression management" wardrobe, essential for pulling off the deception.
In other words, there was no way the woman would realize this was all a setup—at least not anytime soon.
Strictly speaking, Lin Lan and Shao Xiuye had only been in a long-distance relationship for less than six months—not even half a year—before the scumbag betrayed her, shamelessly turning his attention to a wealthy socialite.
Had he broken up with her outright the moment his feelings changed, Lin Lan might not have been so furious. Breakups happen, and long-distance relationships are tough—she could understand if someone couldn’t handle the strain.
But the fact that he had been secretly cozying up to the rich girl while still calling Lin Lan "darling" behind her back, only to dump her the moment he secured the heiress’s affections—this kind of two-timing, self-serving behavior disgusted her.
What made it even worse was that the socialite’s sudden appearance made Lin Lan realize the woman had known Shao Xiuye had a girlfriend all along and still pursued him. Now, she was brazenly flaunting her victory, acting as if anything she wanted was hers for the taking—a level of selfishness and arrogance devoid of any moral restraint that turned Lin Lan’s stomach.
A trashy man and a shameless woman—a perfect match. The sight of them only reinforced how right she was to do what she did.
Today’s scheme wasn’t just about venting her anger. It was also about ensuring Shao Xiuye would never have another peaceful day in his life.
The thought of how humiliated and miserable she would have been if she had naively gone to meet him, oblivious to everything, made Lin Lan feel not the slightest regret over the money she’d spent.
Life was already full of compromises. She refused to add another one willingly. If she didn’t retaliate hard now, she’d spend the rest of her life stewing in resentment.
She’d rather pour her savings into this than waste them on potential medical bills from the stress-induced illnesses this mess could cause.
So now, with leisurely calm, Lin Lan pulled out a compact mirror from her bag, tidied her hair, and touched up her makeup. As the car neared the airport, she flashed a smile at the Greek guy beside her. "We’ll have to put on another act once we get out. Thanks for your help."
The young foreign student was stunned for a long moment. Today had been an eye-opener for him—now he understood why Chinese people were often said to be famously shrewd. The sheer level of calculation involved in a woman’s breakup revenge plot left him in awe.
After the initial shock, though, he felt a thrill of excitement. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he straightened into his "elite" persona and assured her with complete seriousness, "Don’t worry, boss. They won’t see through it."
As the luxurious Rolls-Royce pulled up at the airport entrance, the socialite and Shao Xiuye trailing behind watched as Lin Lan and her "elite assistant" stepped out and walked into the terminal. Without a second glance at anyone else, they breezed through the VIP green lane, bypassing the regular passengers before disappearing into the restricted boarding area with airport staff assistance.
No matter how much they wanted to deny it, the truth was undeniable.
While the socialite gnashed her teeth in helpless fury, Shao Xiuye’s face remained dazed, his eyes fixed blankly on the entrance.
Suddenly, a sharp slap struck his face without warning. The pain snapped him out of his stupor just in time to see the heiress’s twisted, rage-filled expression as she hissed, "Are you regretting it now?"
"I—I… no, I’m not—ah!" Even as he denied it, the wavering look in his eyes betrayed him, earning him another slap.
And so, in the middle of the bustling airport terminal, a one-sided brawl erupted.
