The subway wasn’t crowded.

I found a quiet corner and sat down, opening my banking app.

Sixty million.

Successfully transferred.

A long string of zeros lined up across the screen. I counted them twice just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. I dimmed the screen brightness to the lowest setting, half-afraid someone next to me might see it and call the police.

What did sixty million mean?

My monthly salary at the Nutrition Department of St. Yanhe Hospital was seven thousand two hundred. Without eating or drinking, it would take me six thousand nine hundred and forty-four years to save this much. Now, it was just sitting there in my account.

I leaned back against the seat and let out a long, slow breath.

Then, I made a decision.

When I stepped off the train, I didn't go looking for a cheap rental. Instead, I hailed a taxi and headed straight for

Riverside Manor

on the West Side.

I had been eyeing this complex for a long time. It was an upscale villa district along the river, featuring tiered townhouses with private gardens. It was quiet, secluded, and perfect for raising children. In the past, whenever I passed by, I’d take one look and keep walking, too embarrassed to even step into the sales office.

Today was different.

As I walked in, the receptionist gave me a quick glance. Her smile was polite, but her eyes didn't quite reach her face.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Which floor plan are you interested in? Our smallest units start at around eight million."

She emphasized the words "eight million" with particular weight.

"I’m not looking for a small one," I said calmly. "Do you have any tiered villas left? The ground-floor units with a private garden?"

Her smile stiffened for half a second.

"For that layout... the total price ranges between twenty-five and thirty million, depending on the orientation and square footage. Were you looking for some preliminary information, or..."

"I’d like to see the house first."

She probably thought I was wasting her time, but she led me there anyway.

The living room had high ceilings, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows was a garden overlooking the river. All three bedrooms were south-facing, and the master suite featured a walk-in closet.

I stood in the garden for a moment, imagining three little kids tumbling around on the grass.

"How much for this one?"

"Twenty-eight million."

"What kind of discount can I get for an all-cash offer?"

The girl finally lost her composure. Her face was practically screaming,

Lady, quit joking around.

"Ma'am, for a cash payment, we can offer a two percent discount, but we would need you to provide proof of funds first..."

I pulled out my phone, opened the banking app, and handed it to her.

She looked down.

Then she looked up at me.

Then she looked down again.

"Please wait a moment. I’ll get our manager."

Three minutes later, the manager personally brought out a cup of coffee.

"Welcome, ma'am! Please, have a seat. This villa is the crown jewel of our entire project. You have impeccable taste..."

Half an hour later, I swiped my card for the deposit.

Usually, the closing process takes about a week, but the manager said he could expedite it for me. Three days.

The sun was setting by the time I left the sales office. A cool breeze blew in from the river, carrying the scent of fresh water. It felt wonderful.

I stood by the road and called my mother.

"Vivian, did you eat lunch?"

"I did. Mom, I have something to tell you. I’ve moved out of the Lu house. The contract expired. It’s over."

The other end of the line went silent for two seconds.

"If it’s over, it’s over. Are you tight on cash?"

"No. Mom, I bought a house."

"Bought a house?" My mother’s voice jumped an octave. "Where did you get the money for that?"

"He gave me a settlement."

"How much?"

"Enough to buy a house."

My mother was silent again, likely processing the information.

"Fine. If you bought it, you bought it. Your father and I will come over this weekend to see it."

"Okay."

After hanging up, I looked down and patted my stomach.

"Babies, Mommy bought you a house with a garden. You’ll have a place to sunbathe soon."

For the three days before I could move in, I stayed at a hotel near Riverside Manor. It wasn't a five-star luxury place, just a clean business hotel. But the bed was huge, the duvet was soft, and there was no one opening and closing doors at three in the morning, nor anyone at the breakfast table telling you with their eyes that "you don't belong here."

I had the most restful sleep I’d had in a year.

The next day, I went to the mall and bought myself two maternity outfits. They weren't designer labels, but the fabric was comfortable and they looked good on me.

Then I went to a baby store. I pushed a cart and started picking out items for the three of them, one by one.

Baby bottles—three. Little blankets—three. Newborn onesies—three.

As I pushed the overflowing cart out of the store, the evening sun warmed my face.

In the year I lived with the Lus, I hadn't bought a single thing I actually wanted. It wasn't that I couldn't afford it; I just didn't have the spirit for it.

Now, things were different.

I had sixty million, three children, and a house with a garden.

I didn't need anyone's approval. I didn't need anyone's permission.

On moving day, I set my backpack on the brand-new sofa, stepped barefoot onto the garden grass, and took a deep breath.

"Babies, we’re home."

At the same time, in the Lu residence.

The maid stood in the living room, her voice trembling as she spoke to

Eleanor

, who had just returned from her beauty treatment.

"Madam... Ms. Su is gone."

"Gone?" Eleanor took off her sunglasses, her tone as indifferent as if she were discussing dinner. "It was about time. Did she clean out her things?"

"She... she didn't take anything. Her clothes, her toiletries, even that household card you gave her—she left it all behind. She only took a backpack."

Eleanor paused. She walked into the guest bedroom.

The right half of the closet was empty. It wasn't "cleared out" empty; it was the kind of empty that showed there hadn't been much there to begin with.

On the shoe cabinet sat her hospital ID and the spare keys, placed neatly.

On the nightstand was a bottle of stomach medicine, about a third full.

No note.

Eleanor stared at the bottle for a few seconds, an uneasy feeling she couldn't quite name bubbling up.

"Ungrateful girl," she muttered, closing the cabinet and turning to leave.

In the evening,

Selina Shen

arrived.

Dressed in a white knit dress with flawless makeup, she brought in a bowl of bird's nest soup that Eleanor loved and sat primly on the sofa.

"Auntie, I heard Vivian left?"

"She’s gone," Eleanor huffed. "Left with nothing but her clothes. At least she knows her place."

"Don't be too hard on her. After all, she stayed by Adrian’s side for a year," Selina said, stirring the soup with a gentle, graceful air.

Jenny Lu

came running downstairs, a straw in her mouth.

"Selina, stop sticking up for her. My brother gave her sixty million dollars!"

Selina’s hand froze.

Sixty million.

When she had sent that email, she hadn't mentioned money at all.

Had Julian Zhang executed it based on the contract terms?

That didn't make sense. Julian wouldn't dare initiate the process without a direct order from Adrian himself.

Unless... he didn't verify it. The email came from Adrian’s account, so Julian must have assumed it was genuine.

Sixty million... just transferred out like that.

Selina’s nails dug into her palms. But she quickly forced a smile, suppressing her emotions.

Whatever. As long as Vivian was gone, it didn't matter.

Meanwhile, in Frankfurt.

In Adrian’s hotel suite, his assistant

Sean Zhao

had just finished delivering a flight change notice.

Before leaving, he spoke up.

"By the way, Mr. Lu, while you were away, Director Shen came to your office twice, saying she needed materials for the joint research project."

Adrian didn't think much of it.

After Sean left, Adrian opened his laptop to check some medical literature.

His gaze swept over the Sent folder.

The top email had been sent three days ago.

Recipient: Vivian Su.

Subject: Termination of Contractual Agreement.

He had never sent that email.

He clicked it, read it, and his expression shifted from confusion to a blank void, then to something far more visceral.

He picked up the phone.

"Change my flight. Get me on the next one out tonight."