Qiang Jin Jiu - Chapter 12: Dragon boat

She was kicked out of the house shortly after coming of age because she was found to be the fake daughter.Everyone said she was so unfortunate that she had fallen from a wealthy family to an unknown poor and remote village.It was heard that her new family was extremely poor. She had to feed chickens in the morning, grind feed at night, and might even be sold by her family to finance her brothers' weddings.However, what was going on?Her eldest brother is a business elite and a financial tycoon;Her second brother is a medical genius;Her third brother is an award-winning actor and a super idol;Her fourth brother is the most powerful lawyer.It was said that her grandfather with poor health was a big shot only seen in the news...Her father, who dominated half of the business world, said, “My real daughter had returned! I was going to give her pocket money to let her spend freely!”A certain incredibly wealthy CEO said, “Baby! I will follow you wherever you go!”She replied, “Go away, or I'll kill you!”The CEO said, “She told me to go away! She must love me!”

I despised her. I despised how she schemed to get married to me. I despised her because of her arrogance.

“Li Rui, you don't know how many times I have wished to kill you.”

But all of this was my illusion. Everything was a mysterious trap of lies. A trap that was laid to trap me.

“Rui, I want to protect you from this whole world. I will not ask you to love me.....just don't hate me. Hmm....”

The story of a lover that was never destined to get the girl he loved but his fate led him to her.

One day, a handsome young man died in a car accident. He suddenly wakes up and find himself in an unfamiliar place, but what surprised him most is that he is taking over someone else’s body.

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.