The smell of antiseptic clung to Su Nian's clothes as she stood beside the narrow hospital bed, clutching her foster mother's frail, wrinkled hand. Machines beeped rhythmically, a cruel reminder of time she was losing.
"Su Nian…" came the weak voice from the bed.
"Don't talk, Mama," Su Nian said quickly, brushing away the gray hairs clinging to her mother's forehead. "The doctor said you need to rest."
Madam Shen—Su Nian's foster mother—offered her a tired smile. "You should be at school, Nian Nian. Not worrying about this old woman."
Su Nian's throat tightened. "Don't say that. You're the only family I have."
She was nineteen—barely an adult—and every day for the past two weeks had felt like a storm she couldn't outrun. Her mother's heart condition had worsened suddenly. The surgery needed was urgent, but the cost was… impossible
Three hundred thousand yuan.
For Su Nian, who worked part-time at a café and had just gotten into the prestigious Yulan Academy of Design on a full scholarship, it was a number she could never hope to reach.
"Miss Su."
She turned as the doctor approached her with a clipboard and tight expression. "We can't delay much longer. The surgery must be done within ten days, or her chances..."
His words faded under the noise roaring in Su Nian's ears.
How could she save her? How?
It was that night when everything changed.
Su Nian sat on the hospital's rooftop, legs pulled close to her chest, shivering in the early spring chill. The city lights below sparkled like they belonged to another world.
Her phone buzzed.
[Unknown Number]
She hesitated. Then answered.
"Miss Su Nian?" A deep male voice, calm and clipped. "I'm calling on behalf of Mr. Lu Cheng. We'd like to offer a proposition."
Meanwhile across the city…
Lu Cheng sat in his minimalist black office, back straight, eyes cold. He was only twenty-six, but the title of CEO of Lu Corporation weighed on his shoulders like armor.
"Are you really doing this?" his younger brother, Lu Yao, leaned on the armrest across from him. "Marrying some random girl your grandfather picked from a photo? Sounds like a plot from a bad drama."
Lu Cheng's jaw ticked. "This is not about love. It's about peace."
Their grandfather—Chairman Lu—was a stubborn, traditional man. After a health scare last month, he became obsessed with ensuring Lu Cheng "settled down." A long line of socialites, heiresses, and debutantes had already been rejected by the man himself.
Until yesterday.
A photo had caught Lu Cheng's attention. Not because of beauty—though she was beautiful—but because of something in her eyes.
Strength. Vulnerability. Fire.
He flipped the file open again.
Name: Su Nian. Age: 19. Orphan. Foster care. Student. Currently applying for emergency loans.
"She needs money," Lu Cheng said quietly.
His assistant, Bai Ming, stood nearby. "We've already contacted her."
Lu Cheng closed the file. "Set up the meeting. If she agrees to the terms, we'll get the marriage license tomorrow."
Back at the hospital.
Su Nian sat nervously in the lobby of a private café the next day. She wore a simple white blouse and black skirt—her best clothes. She hadn't even had time to fix her hair.
The door opened.
He walked in like he owned the world. Tall, immaculate in a black suit. Chiseled jawline. Cold eyes that scanned her as if he were assessing a business acquisition.
Lu Cheng.
"I'm not going to force you," he said as he sat down across from her. "This is a contract. Three months of marriage. You'll live with me, act like my wife when needed, and in return—your mother's surgery is covered. Full treatment, best doctors. No questions asked."
Su Nian's mouth opened. Closed. "Why… me?"
He didn't blink. "I need a wife on paper. You need money. It's transactional."
She hated how calm he was. How easily he said "wife" like it was nothing.
"And what happens after three months?"
"We divorce. You get your freedom and your life back."
Silence. She clenched her fists under the table. "And if I say no?"
He stood slowly, adjusting his cuffs. "Then I'll leave. And you'll find another way."
It wasn't a threat. Just a fact.
That night, Su Nian sat beside her mother, watching her sleep. Tubes ran from her arm to machines. Her face was pale, skin almost translucent.
"I'll save you, Mama," she whispered.
She signed the contract the next morning.
Two days later, in the private registry office of Jinghai City, Su Nian stood beside Lu Cheng in a quiet room. There was no white dress. No flowers. Just silence, a pen, and a paper.
"Do you, Su Nian, take Lu Cheng as your lawful husband?"
Her voice shook. "Yes.
He didn't flinch. "I do."
The marriage certificate was stamped. Bound by law.
Strangers… now husband and wife.
She didn't realize he was watching her as she tucked the red book into her bag.
"You'll move in tonight," he said. "I'll have a room prepared."
She nodded mutely.
As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
"One more thing."
She looked back.
"I don't tolerate betrayal. You're my wife now, Su Nian. Whatever this is... play your part well."
His gaze was unreadable.
She left the room with her heart pounding like war drums.
Not from love. From fear.