The warmth slowly enveloped her from behind, breaths moist and close to her ear, "Scared?"

The stranger's scent lingered, a chilling sensation that made her shiver but dared not to utter a word.

Lin Xin Yan sensed the man pause momentarily before his voice resonated once again, "It's not too late to regret."

Her hands clenched nervously, and she shook her head. "I don't regret..."

She was in the prime of her youth, yet...

The night was painful and prolonged...

The man finally got up in the middle of the night to bathe. Lin Xin Yan dragged her tired body from the bed, dressed, and walked out of the room.

Downstairs in the hotel, a middle-aged woman who had arranged this business deal was waiting. On seeing Lin Xin Yan, she handed her a black bag, "This is your payment."

Lin Xin Yan hesitated very little before taking it. Holding the money, she sprinted out, ignoring the pain in her body, only wanting to rush to the hospital.

In the pre-dawn hours, the corridors were very quiet. Two stretchers lay in front of the operating room, but because no payment was made, no surgery was being performed.

Lin Xin Yan could not bear the sight of this. She choked up, "I have money, I have money. Please help my mother and brother..." Handing over the money she gripped tightly to the doctor, he took one look at it, asked the nurse to count, and then gave orders for the patients to be taken into the operation room.

When she saw her brother was not taken in, Lin Xin Yan lunged forwards, grabbing the doctor, pleading, "My brother too, please save him..."

The doctor sighed, "I'm sorry, your brother...he's beyond saving..."

Beyond saving?!

It felt like a thunderbolt out of the blue, striking squarely on Lin Xin Yan, causing her vision to darken momentarily...

Pain. A searing, gnawing pain lodged deep within her chest. It felt as though a knife was being twisted in her heart, leaving her convulsing and collapsed in agony. Eight years ago, when she was just ten, her father cheated on and abandoned her mother. Pregnant and alone, her mother was left to fend for themselves in a foreign country where they knew no one.

Later, her younger brother was born. At the tender age of three, he was diagnosed with autism. Life was already a struggle, but with her brother's illness, their difficulties increased manifold. She and her mother pulled together, taking up odd jobs just to scrape by. Yet, it was an accident that made her realize the depth of their plight in a foreign country where they had no relatives, no money, and felt the cold absence of humanity.

In desperation, she sold herself. However, even that couldn’t save her brother.

There was a certain type of pain that wasn't hysterical but left one feeling uncomfortable. Breathing was strenuous, the world was shrouded in shades of gray, yet she had to accept it, had to wear a smile, because she still had her mother.

Her mother needed her.

Her mother's health improved after treatment, but the news of her brother's passing led her to a mental breakdown.

It was Lin Xinyan who held her, weeping as she said, "Mom, you still have me, you need to stay alive for me."

During their month-long stay in the hospital, Zhuang Ziqin often found herself staring vacantly by the bedside. Lin Xinyan knew she missed her son. If it was not for herself, her mother might have followed her brother to the grave. Because of the need to care for her mother, Lin Xinyan was expelled from school. However, her mother's condition improved.

As she walked into the hospital carrying food, she was on the verge of opening the door to the ward when she heard a familiar voice.

A voice she remembered well, despite the eight years that had passed – the sound of him forcing her mother to divorce him.

After shunting them to this alien, inhospitable place, he hadn’t seen them for years. Now he appeared out of nowhere. For what?

"Ziqin, you and Lady Zong once regarded each other like sisters, even engaged each other's children in marriage by tradition. By right, it should be your daughter marrying in…"

"What do you mean, Lin Guoan?!" Zhuang Ziqin, despite being thin and weak from her injuries, struggled up in an attempt to hit him. Is he even human?

After dumping her and her daughter in this alien place, ignoring their fate, now he turned up wanting her daughter to marry?

"The eldest son of the Zong family, also your good friend's son. He's handsome, and you're well aware of the stature of the Zong family. Marrying into the Zong's would only bring blessings…" His voice trailed off at the end.

The Young Master of the Zong Family is noble and handsome. However, a month ago, he was bitten by a poisonous snake while abroad. The venom paralyzed his nervous system, rendering him immobile and vegetative. Marrying him would be akin to marrying a living widow.

"I'll marry him."

Lin Xin quietly pushed open the door and stood at the doorway. Her gripping tightly around the lunchbox in her hand, "I am willing to marry him, but with one condition."

Lin Guoan turned his gaze towards the door. Seeing his daughter, whom he hadn't seen for eight years, he was momentarily stunned. She was just a ten-year-old child when he last saw her, but now she was a grown woman. Her skin was fair but worryingly thin, her tiny face no larger than a palm, looked dried and unappealing, as if she hadn't matured fully.

She wasn’t as charming as her younger sister back home.

A pang of guilt diminished within him. After all, she wasn't a beauty. It wouldn't be that of a regret marrying her off to someone in a vegetative state.

Upon this thought, Lin Guoan didn't feel any remorse, "What condition, do tell."

"I want to move back home with mom, and have everything that is rightfully hers returned to us. If you agree to this, I'll agree to marry." Lin Xin repeated firmly, slowly calming herself down.

Despite being away for several years, she had heard about the Zong Family from B City during her childhood. A wealthy family worth hundreds of billions, the young master naturally had a prestigious status. With such a tempting proposal, Lin Xin didn't believe she could luck out, perhaps the Zong's great young Master was exceptionally ugly or physically impaired.

Yet, even if this were the case, it presents a golden opportunity to return home. If used wisely, she could reclaim her mother's dowry.

"Xin..." Zhuang Ziqin wanted to discourage her. Marriage is serious and shouldn't be taken lightly.

She had gone through so much hardship under his care, he couldn’t let her lose her happiness in marriage further.

Upon hearing this, Lin Guoan, fear set in that Zhuang Ziqin might dissuade Lin Xin, hastily agreed, "Sure, you can return home as long as you are willing to marry him."

"What about my mother's dowry?" Lin Xin asked, staring coldly at the man who was her father in name only.

When Miss Zhuang first married him, she indeed had a considerable dowry. The thought of giving up that massive amount of money was a hard pill to swallow for Lin Guo'an.

"Dad, my sister ought to be quite beautiful; she deserves someone better. If she marries a man with a physical defect, her whole life would be ruined. You and mom are already divorced, so you should return all the wealth she brought into the Lin family," She argued.

Lin Guo'an avoided her gaze, his eyes flickering evasively. He didn't dare look at her directly.

How would she know that the heir to the clan, who had lived overseas all this time, was impotent?

Unbeknownst to Lin Guo'an, Lin Xin Yan was merely guessing.

The thought of his daughter marrying a handicapped man made Lin Guo'an grit his teeth, "Once you're married off, I will give it to you."

How could he send off his lovely daughter to a man who couldn't even perform conjugal duties?

No matter how dignified, a man who couldn't consummate a marriage, wasn't that practically equivalent to being handicapped?

Upon thinking about this, Lin Guo'an didn't feel as bad anymore.

But, he felt a pang of dislike for Lin Xin Yan, who seemed only concerned about getting money from him.

Lin Guo'an gave her a cold gaze, "Your mother didn't teach you well. You lack manners!"

Lin Xin Yan wanted to say, "Don't you as a father bear some responsibility? You left me here and never took care of me."

But she couldn't say that now. Her bargaining position was weak, and angering Lin Guo'an wouldn't do her any favors.

"Prepare yourself; we return tomorrow." Lin Guo'an said, his sleeve billowing as he stormed out of the room.