I have to admit… I was genuinely starting to run on empty.

The moment I got back home, all I wanted to do was collapse onto the sofa and drag back whatever little energy I had left.

My older sister, just back from work, took one look at me lying there like a dried-up fish and burst out laughing: “Well, well. Looks like married life is treating you very well.”

I buried my face lifelessly into a pillow. “I’m running on zero percent battery here…”

She laughed so hard her shoulders shook before finally shifting topics: “Oh, by the way, I heard the Lu family is beyond furious with Lu Tsewei. They’re forcing him to dump Lin Zhao, ditch the baby, and find a new prospective bride for an alliance. Let’s see what he chooses. It’s not like the Lu family is short on better sons.”

I smirked, glancing at the stream of comments blasting me for being “vicious and heartless.”

My sister sighed softly. “Honestly, though, you’ve always had insane luck.”

Yeah, to be fair, I really have.

Growing up, my parents were deeply in love, my home life was warm and stable, my brilliant older sister took over the family business, and I was left with total freedom to pursue whatever caught my fancy.

Returning home after studying abroad, I opened a few flower shops, coffee houses, and a bar—all pulling in steady, comfortable profits.

Looking back at the barrage of hateful comments right before the wedding, it almost felt like destiny was handing me a massive favor.

Bottom line: I was entirely content with my life right now.

Too bad… someone else wasn’t.

When I dropped by my coffee shop to hand over operations to the new manager, Lin Zhao suddenly cornered me.

She looked noticeably haggard, her former radiance completely drained. “Qiao Sheng, I need to talk to you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think we have anything to say to each other?”

She gritted her teeth, her eyes rimmed with red. “Yes, we do! Ha Shichen only married you… because of me! I can’t just stand by and watch him burn in hell because of me!”

Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice cracking with emotion: “Divorce him. I’ll give Lu Tsewei back to you… and I’ll even get rid of this baby.”

Me: ???

The comments exploded:

【Holy crap, the female lead is actually sacrificing this much?!】

【The male lead is losing his mind under family pressure, and the female lead is completely heartbroken…】

【If the white moonlight hadn’t called off her engagement, none of this chaotic mess would have happened!】

【Wait, what? So the white moonlight is just supposed to be a sacrificial pawn for their cheap drama? Says who?!】

【You made your bed, now lie in it. Stop acting like the whole world owes you something!】

Looking at Lin Zhao, a surge of utter absurdity washed over me. “What, do I look like a dump site for your baggage?”

She glared at me, taken aback. “What did you just say?”

I decided… fine. I’d play the role of the vicious villainess to perfection.

“If you genuinely care about Ha Shichen’s well-being, then stop showing your face in front of me. Every time you show up to gross me out… I’m taking it out on him twice as hard. Got it?”

Lin Zhao trembled with rage, staggering back two steps, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Qiao Sheng! Do you even have a soul?!”

“Do you have any idea that Ha Shichen used to suffer from severe depression?! If I hadn’t saved him by the riverbank back then, he wouldn’t even be alive today!”

“You’re a monster… I won’t let you keep him!”

With that dramatic declaration, she turned and stormed off.

I stood there, staring blankly at her retreating back. Ha Shichen… used to have severe depression?

A few days after returning home, I received a call from Ha Shichen.

“My grandfather is celebrating his seventieth birthday tomorrow. Are you coming?”

His voice was steady, but beneath the surface, I could pick up on a faint, almost imperceptible trace of anticipation.

I chuckled. “Of course I am. I’m not that heartless.”

A pause, then a soft: “Okay.”

【If Qiao Sheng didn’t come home, Ha Shichen would probably end up with a fever, tossing and turning all night!】

【Lmao, he was literally sneaking into his study at 2 AM just to pull out their marriage certificate and stare at it over and over again!】

【Is anyone else dying to know what’s written inside that locked notebook of his?】

I could only roll my eyes at the comments playing matchmaker.

I’ll never understand why people love shipping random couples—or in my case, a contract marriage built purely on convenience.

The next day, I intentionally put on a pair of… four-inch stilettos.

The second my feet touched the driveway of the Ha family’s ancestral estate, I nearly pitched forward.

Luckily, Ha Shichen’s reflexes were razor-sharp, catching me firmly by the waist.

“Why wear heels that high?”

I shot him a look. “You planning on managing my wardrobe now?”

At the family banquet, I put on a sweet, flawless smile and raised my glass to toast Grandpa Ha.

The old man was sharp-minded and full of vitality, so delighted he repeated “Wonderful!” three times in a row.

“Living to this age, my biggest wish is to hold my great-grandchildren. You two better hurry up!”

Ha Shichen took my hand in his, his voice low but firm: “I still want to enjoy our couple time with Sheng Sheng for a few more years. There’s no rush on children, Grandfather.”

The old man paused briefly before nodding in easy agreement: “Fair enough. What matters most is that you two treat each other well.”

His father, on the other hand, immediately scowled. “You’re young, you should have children early to carry on the bloodline. Playing around can wait.”

Ha Shichen’s grip on my hand tightened slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line.

I gently patted the back of his hand, signaling for him to let me handle it.

Turning toward his father, I offered a polite yet razor-sharp smile: “I believe that if you bring a child into this world, you have a duty to raise them properly—not just pop them out on a whim because it sounds nice, only to neglect them later. So, we’ll think it through before making any decisions.”

His father’s face turned instantly thunderous. “You—!”

Mrs. Ha was just about to speak up when she caught my eyes and promptly shut her mouth, pulling back as if thinking: Fine, scold him all you want, just leave me out of it!

An awkward silence fell over the table.

In the end, it was Grandpa Ha who smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere, acting as if the minor clash had never happened.

Throughout the meal, two sets of eyes remained glued to me without stopping.

Annoyed, I brought my heel down on Ha Shichen’s shoe under the table. “What are you staring at?”

Even with a four-inch stiletto pressing into his foot, he didn’t even flinch. If anything, the corners of his lips curved up slightly.

Seeing the growing warmth in his eyes, I glared at him. “What are you smiling at?”

He cleared his throat softly and leaned down, whispering against my ear: “Thank you for standing up for me.”

After dinner, the guy who had been glaring holes into me the entire night finally cornered me in the backyard garden.

“What’s the matter? Rejected me back then, only to end up with Ha Shichen? Regretting it now?”

I turned around. Facing me was a handsome face, though completely hollow behind the eyes—you could practically hear an echo inside his skull.

If he weren’t such a useless tool, Grandpa Ha wouldn’t have chosen Ha Shichen as the sole heir.

Ha Shichen’s father—a complete loser in the previous generation’s power struggle—probably never expected his son to amount to anything either.

His parents had married for convenience, produced him, and then immediately went their separate ways to keep their respective lovers.

Ha Shichen was never valued growing up, which led everyone to assume he was an easy target to push around…

Especially his “blessing of a cousin,” Ha Mingyan.

High-society families never lacked dirty power struggles, both open and hidden.

Someone like me—raised in a warm, loving household—was a rare anomaly.

When I looked into his background a few days ago, I finally realized how brutal Ha Shichen’s childhood had been: unloved by his father, neglected by his mother… no wonder he had suffered from severe depression.

Ha Mingyan had pursued me in the past, only to be harshly rejected. Clearly, he was still nursing that bruised ego.

So when I led him toward the ornamental pond, he followed without a second thought, a sleazy smirk plastered across his face: “Qiao Sheng, why bring me out here? What, is Ha Shichen not man enough for you? Can’t satisfy you?”

Before he could finish his sentence, I stomped hard on his foot.

While he was doubled over in agony, I followed up with a kick that sent him flying straight into the pond.

I crossed my arms, letting out a cold laugh. “Now do you know why I brought you out here?”

“My husband is more than man enough. Otherwise, how else would he push a useless waste of space like you into a pond?”

Ha Mingyan thrashed around in the water, too embarrassed to shout for help, gritting his teeth as he barked: “Qiao Sheng! Are you insane?! Did I even touch you?!”

I looked down at him from above, my tone icy: “Bullying my husband is bullying me. Know your place.”

“You little—!”

Before he could finish his tirade, I turned around… only to find Ha Shichen standing right behind me.

His dark eyes flickered with an unreadable light, staring at me intently without looking away.

My heart skipped a beat. Taking the initiative, I pulled off a masterclass in shifting the blame: “What are you looking at? Your cousin was picking on me and you didn’t even lift a finger to help!”

He remained quiet for a beat before softly answering: “My bad.”

I immediately quickened my pace. “Whatever, let’s go home.”

The gravel path was uneven, causing me to stumble slightly in my ridiculous heels.

Without warning, Ha Shichen scooped me up into his arms effortlessly. His arms were solid and steady, his chest vibrating with a low, deep chuckle: “So that’s what these heels were meant for?”

I let out a hmph. “Problem with that?”

He didn’t answer, remaining silent for a long moment.

From this side angle, his side profile was so impossibly sharp it made you want to take a picture and set it as your wallpaper.

【Holy crap! The side male lead’s eyes are rimmed red!】

【If someone stood up for me like that, I’d literally burst into tears on the spot… THIS is the real White Moonlight!】

【I used to be a fan of the female lead, but… but… sigh…】

【I bet fifty cents these two are genuine true love!】

【I’ll bet the male lead’s whole life that this is true love!】

I was just… just feeling a tiny bit sorry for him.

Just a tiny bit, okay?

Leaning against Ha Shichen’s chest, listening to his heart beating faster than usual, I decided to pretend I didn’t notice the faint redness around the corners of his eyes.