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At the hospital entrance, Baylee walked unsteadily, clutching the five hundred thousand she had obtained from selling her kidney. Despite her pale face, a satisfied smile spread across her lips. Five hundred thousand-surely, that would be more than enough to cover Clint's medical expenses. Trading her kidney to save Clint's life was worth every bit of sacrifice. Fighting against her post-surgery weakness, she jogged and stumbled her way to the door of the hospital room. Looking at the frail man lying on the bed, the pain in Baylee's eyes deepened. "Your cheap girlfriend isn't here, so who are you pretending for?" "Buzz off! I'm honing my acting skills. Otherwise, how could I deceive her?" A familiar, teasing voice came from the room, causing Baylee's hand to freeze on the door handle. What did he mean by... deceiving her?
Chapter 1
Hospital Entrance
Xia Wanyi staggered slightly, clutching the half-million yuan she had earned by selling her kidney. Despite her pale face, a satisfied smile lingered there.
Half a million. That should be enough to cure Qi An's illness.
Trading her kidney for Qi An's life was worth it.
She fought against the post-surgery weakness, jogging clumsily to the doorway of the hospital room.
Her eyes filled with more tenderness as she looked at the frail man on the bed.
"Bro Lu, your cheap girlfriend isn't here. Who are you putting on a show for?"
"Get lost! I'm just honing my acting skills. How else could I fool her?"
A familiar teasing voice drifted from the room, causing Xia Wanyi to pause with her hand on the door.
What did they mean by... fooling her?
The room erupted with laughter and exclamations.
"Brother Lu, you're amazing! A fake medical record and you had that woman running circles around you, really believing you had cancer."
"I heard she gave all her savings. Do you know how much? Only sixty thousand yuan!"
"Wow, sixty thousand yuan. Brother Lu could spend more than that on a single night at a bar. And she had the nerve to offer it."
Each word hit Xia Wanyi like a hammer, leaving her numb.
So, Qi An's cancer was a lie?
In the room, the previously weak Qi An suddenly threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. Someone nearby passed him a cigarette with practiced ease.
Qi An took it, his face-once always smiling kindly in her memory-now appeared utterly unfamiliar amidst the swirling smoke.
"Well, she didn't have much money to begin with. Her giving all sixty thousand was beyond my expectations."
The room filled with mocking laughter.
"Oh, Brother Lu, don't tell me you're feeling sorry for her? If Sister Ning finds out, you'll be in trouble."
"Impossible. Brother Lu just pities her. He only hid his identity as the wealthy heir of the Lu family and dated that poor girl to help Sister Ning vent her anger. Brother Lu's true love is Sister Ning. He even endured two years in the slums for her."
"That woman should be grateful to Sister Ning. Without her, she'd never meet someone from high society like Brother Lu! Ha!"
Outside the room, Xia Wanyi trembled uncontrollably, her mind a tangled mess.
Qi An casually exhaled a smoke ring.
"I was just surprised it was so easy to make her spend all her money. I should've pretended to be sick sooner."
"Now Ning Ning should be satisfied."
Those cold words shattered the last sliver of hope in Xia Wanyi's heart.
Her already pale face turned ashen, and she looked as if she might collapse at any moment.
A passing nurse kindly asked if she needed help.
Snapping back to reality, Xia Wanyi saw someone about to exit the hospital room. She quickly thanked the nurse and hurriedly retreated to a nearby restroom.
In the mirror, her face looked as pale as paper.
Those heart-wrenching words echoed in her mind.
She had never imagined that the man she thought was just another poor student like her, Qi An, was actually the wealthy heir of the Lu family!
Their relationship had been nothing but a charade.
Sweet memories of the past and the harsh reality of the present interwove in her mind.
Xia Wanyi and Qi An had met by chance two years ago.
She was working a night shift at a barbecue restaurant when a drunken customer started harassing her.
Her boss turned a blind eye, and as the customer's actions grew bolder, she braced herself to smash a bottle over his head.
But then a warm hand shielded her from the harassment.
In that moment, looking at the man's back, Xia Wanyi's heart skipped a beat.
Though the scene was cliché, it was precious to her, an orphan from a young age.
Later, she discovered that Qi An was also an orphan, working three jobs a day and unable to afford college after high school.
Their shared backgrounds naturally drew them closer, leading to a romantic relationship.
To save for a home of their own, she moved out of the dormitory and into a small ten-square-meter rental with Qi An on the outskirts of the city.
Life was tough, but Xia Wanyi never complained, believing in a bright future.
A month ago, Qi An told her he had cancer and needed a large sum for treatment.
In Xia Wanyi's heart, their two-year relationship had made Qi An her only family. She couldn't bear to watch him succumb to illness.
She gave him all her savings from four years of hard work in college, sixty thousand yuan.
But Qi An said the treatment required half a million.
Desperate, she suppressed her fears and went to the black market, selling her kidney for the money.
She thought with that half a million, Qi An would recover, and they could return to their hopeful life.
But it was all a lie!
Qi An's background was a lie.
The cancer was a lie.
She even questioned if their meeting was a lie too.
Tears streamed down her face, the weight of the half-million in her backpack mocking her foolishness.
She had sacrificed a kidney for a fraud.
As for the "Sister Ning" they mentioned, the only person Xia Wanyi could think of was An Jianing, a junior she knew.
In her sophomore year, there was a school speech contest with a 5, 000-yuan prize for first place.
She worked hard to win it to pay for her tuition.
She remembered An Jianing placed second.
At the award ceremony, An Jianing whispered in her ear, "I won't let anyone steal my spotlight."
She thought it was just competitive banter.
She never expected it would lead to such a heavy price.
Xia Wanyi wiped away her tears and dialed Mr. Wang's number.
Half a month ago, her mentor had suggested she apply for a study abroad opportunity.
At the time, she was focused on raising money for Qi An's treatment and refused without hesitation.
Now, knowing the truth, there was no reason to sacrifice her future for Qi An.
She was done with this high society cat-and-mouse game.
"Professor, I've decided to pursue further studies abroad."
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Chapter 1
15/09/2025
Chapter 2
15/09/2025
Chapter 3
15/09/2025
Chapter 4
15/09/2025
Chapter 5
15/09/2025
Chapter 6
15/09/2025
Chapter 7
15/09/2025
Chapter 8
15/09/2025
Chapter 9
15/09/2025
Chapter 10
15/09/2025
Chapter 11
15/09/2025
Chapter 12
15/09/2025
Chapter 13
15/09/2025
Chapter 14
15/09/2025
Chapter 15
15/09/2025
Chapter 16
15/09/2025