"Jiang Youli, let's break up. It turns out I'm actually the young master of the Jing City's prestigious Duan Family. A country girl selling herbs like you is no longer worthy of me."
Jiang Youli had just picked up the phone from her boyfriend—no, ex-boyfriend now—Zhang Jinghan, or rather, Duan Jinghan. She had been about to tell him that she was actually the long-lost true heiress of the wealthy Jiang Family when he dropped that bombshell.
What did he mean, a "herb-selling country girl" who wasn't good enough for him?
Give her a break! Her medicinal herbs were worth a fortune, sought after by countless aristocrats and wealthy families! They had even been featured in Jing City's most prestigious auctions multiple times!
And he dared to say she wasn’t good enough?!
"Given my status as a young master now, I’ll naturally have to marry a noblewoman from an equally prestigious family. But considering we’ve been together for two months, I can still keep you around until my arranged marriage. Even after that, I can continue supporting you as my mistress—"
Jiang Youli couldn’t hold back her temper. "Screw you! Break up it is, and good riddance!"
With that, she hung up.
The handsome man sitting across from her raised an eyebrow. "So, the newly discovered heiress of the Jiang Family just got dumped?"
Jiang Youli looked up and flashed him a dazzling smile. "Funny coincidence—he also claimed to be the young master of some wealthy family and said I wasn’t good enough for him."
She then narrowed her eyes skeptically. "By the way, are you sure this 'young master and heiress' thing isn’t some new scam operation?"
The man blinked, then chuckled. "Of course not. You really are the true heiress of the Jiang Family."
Jiang Youli let out an indifferent "Oh," setting down the basket on her back and sitting on a stool to sort the freshly picked herbs. "Then who are you? And why are you the one here instead of my birth parents?"
The man glanced around the shabby, dirt-walled house before studying the casually seated woman before him. "If all goes well, I’ll soon be your fiancé—Qi Huan, the eldest son of the Qi Family in Jing City."
Jiang Youli nearly fell off her stool. "Huh? Fiancé?!"
"Correct. Though as you can see, I’m currently disabled—and only became so last month." Qi Huan gestured to his legs with a wry smile.
"Ah, I see. So what does that have to do with you coming here today?" Suddenly, realization dawned on her. "Wait, don’t tell me—my birth parents plan to bring me back just to marry you off in place of their fake heiress?"
Qi Huan nodded, admiration flickering in his eyes. "Exactly right."
Jiang Youli’s gaze darkened slightly.
Qi Huan continued, "Because of my disability, I’m about to be dumped too."
Jiang Youli understood immediately. "So, the original bride-to-be was the Jiang Family’s fake heiress, but now that you’re disabled, she doesn’t want to marry you anymore."
Qi Huan nodded again. "Word for word."
Jiang Youli couldn’t help but laugh. "And yet, you don’t seem the least bit upset?"
Qi Huan countered, "You just got dumped, and you don’t seem heartbroken either."
"Good riddance to trash," Jiang Youli scoffed, unbothered.
Qi Huan’s appreciation for her deepened. "You’re quite the free spirit."
Jiang Youli smirked. "Of course. Wasting time and energy grieving over someone unworthy is just stupid."
Her relationship with Duan Jinghan had started two years ago when she saved his life. After that, he had relentlessly pursued her, claiming he owed her his life and insisting on repaying her with his devotion. His two years of persistence—acting like a lovesick fool who’d never marry anyone else—plus the fact that he seemed decent enough, made her agree. After all, having a man around could help manage her herb garden and deter other unwanted suitors.
Who would’ve thought that the moment he became a wealthy young master, he’d flip on her like this?
Qi Huan grinned. "Same here. A trashy woman—better off not marrying her."
There had never been any affection between him and Jiang Yonghe. Their engagement had been arranged purely for business reasons by his grandfather.
Now that he was disabled, Jiang Yonghe’s parents naturally didn’t want their daughter tied to him. But since the Qi Family was the most powerful in Jing City, they weren’t willing to give up the alliance either. So, they decided to replace their adopted daughter with their newly discovered biological one.
Jiang Youli cut straight to the point. "What’s strange is how conveniently my birth parents found me right after you became disabled, just in time to shove me into this marriage."
She sneered. "Seems they’ve known about me all along but didn’t bother bringing me back because I was useless to them."
Qi Huan didn’t sugarcoat it. "I believe so."
Jiang Youli’s smile turned icy. If that was the case, her birth parents were truly heartless.
Still, one thing puzzled her—
"If you already know the Jiang Family’s scheme, why not just call off the engagement? Why jump into this mess?"
"I had you investigated. You’re a renowned herbalist in the village, known for curing difficult illnesses with unconventional methods. My legs—no doctor in the country has been able to heal them this past month. So, I came here myself to see whether marrying you would be a curse or a blessing." Qi Huan was refreshingly honest about his motives.
Jiang Youli found him amusing. She shrugged. "Well, now you’ve seen me—just a wild country girl. My birth parents clearly don’t care about me, and I’m nothing but a pawn to them. Still want to marry a discarded heiress like me?"
Qi Huan studied her intently.
At first glance, she didn’t seem dazzling.
Her skin wasn’t the pale, delicate porcelain of sheltered noblewomen but a sun-kissed wheat tone, giving her a vibrant, untamed energy.
But upon closer inspection, her features were exquisite—especially her eyes, bright and clear, brimming with the resilience of wild grass.
There wasn’t a trace of condescension in Qi Huan’s gaze, only sincerity. "Yes. After meeting you, I’m certain I want to marry you. The question is whether you’ll give me the chance."
Jiang Youli studied his strikingly handsome face.
There was no denying it—he was breathtaking, the kind of man who stood out even in a crowd of thousands.
His features were sharp, his jawline strong and well-defined.
Most impressively, despite the devastating blow of losing the use of his legs, his eyes remained clear—free of bitterness or despair.
Jiang Youli glanced at the man’s legs again. "What’s the condition of your legs?"
Qi Huan explained, "Last month, someone broke them with a wooden stick. I’ve consulted many renowned doctors, and they all say my legs are permanently damaged—I’ll never walk again."
"Roll up your pant legs. Let me see," Jiang Youli instructed.
"Alright." Qi Huan obeyed, pulling up his pant legs to reveal his knees and calves, covered in scars.
Jiang Youli’s eyes darkened. She set down the herbs in her hands, stood up, and walked over to him. Bending down in front of him, she carefully pressed her fingers against his knees.
The pain made Qi Huan frown, but he didn’t make a sound.
"It’s treatable," Jiang Youli concluded.
Hope flickered in Qi Huan’s pupils at her words.
Thinking of her birth parents’ heartless indifference toward her existence, Jiang Youli decided to return to the Jiang Family in Jing City—to claim her rightful place as their true heiress and confront her so-called parents. She clapped her hands lightly and sat back on the small stool. "I can marry you."
Qi Huan raised an eyebrow. "Any conditions?"
Jiang Youli tilted her head, her smile dazzling. "Oh, come on. Does marrying you need conditions? You’re so handsome. If I cure your legs, wouldn’t I be getting the better end of the deal?"
Qi Huan hadn’t expected such blunt praise. His brows arched even higher, and he let out a soft chuckle. "Fine. It’s settled then. I’ll wait for you to return to the Jiang Family."
