Chapter 3 — Turns Out My Boyfriend Is a Billionaire Heir

When I finally regained consciousness, Qin Zhaochuan’s eyes were bloodshot from severe exhaustion.

Alin, you are finally awake. You scared me half to death. Why on earth did you crash into the table? Does your stomach still hurt?

I am sorry, so sorry. I know that ten thousand apologies cannot make up for what happened to you. I truly never expected things to turn out this way; it is all my fault for failing to keep a proper eye on Ruru.

But she did not mean it either. She had no idea that you were pregnant.

Pregnant? How could I possibly be pregnant? My period had just ended not long ago. Merely because he saw blood on my leg, he jumped to the conclusion that I had suffered a miscarriage. In reality, it was just a deep wound caused by a shard of glass piercing my skin.

Alin, take a look at this.

Before I could even speak, Qin Zhaochuan produced a ring—the exact design I had once admired at the jewelry counter.

You do not need to envy anyone else. Whatever other people have, you can have as well.

Qin Zhaochuan made a move to slip off the ring that Jin Yan has given me, but I turned my body away to dodge his touch, causing his expression to darken instantly.

Alin, could it be that you do not want to marry me?

Could I really marry him? Qin Zhaochuan, were you genuinely serious about wanting to marry me? There was not a single trace of joy in my heart, only a heavy accumulation of disappointment. The ring he chose cost a mere thirty thousand, and even the tiny diamond encrusted on the ring I already wore was worth far more than his entire offering. He was now the prestigious young master of the Qin family, yet he still calculated every single penny when it came to me.

Or do you think this diamond is too small?

Qin Zhaochuan abruptly let out a cold, cynical laugh.

So Ruru was right after all. You really have changed. How did you become so obsessed with money?

No matter how large the diamond on your finger is, it is nothing more than a fake. It does not belong to you!

You were the one who said you liked this design, which is why I went out of my way to buy it for you. Yet you are still unsatisfied?

I violently slapped his hand away, every word falling clear and sharp.

It was only because I wanted to save money for you back then! Do you really think I could not afford to buy it myself? Why would I ever need you to pay for it?

And I was never unsatisfied! Qin Zhaochuan, it was you who unilaterally assumed I was unworthy of anything better, nothing more.

So do not try to pin this on me. I, Alin Kim, have never lowered myself to such pathetic depths.

The air around us instantly plunged into a freezing stillness. Qin Zhaochuan stood frozen in place, sheer astonishment written all over his face.

Alin, you have misunderstood me.

I bluntly cut him off. Qin Zhaochuan, I am not the kind of woman who can tolerate ambiguous entanglements. Our eyes met, and my voice grew hoarse, every single syllable dropping with absolute finality: You and Ruru are childhood sweethearts who have been hopelessly entangled for years, and I simply cannot accept that.

Therefore, let us put an end to this.

Consider today our final farewell. We are breaking up.

I had no use for such charitable scraps of affection, nor did I desire to linger as a ghost living in the shadows. I—Alin Kim—deserved to shine with absolute brilliance.

Breaking up? How can you just say we are breaking up? In what way have I ever treated you poorly?

Qin Zhaochuan was beginning to panic. Yet I could not fathom it; clearly, there was a far superior option standing right before him, so why did he still insist on clinging to me? Was it because being with me made him feel superior? Did he rely on my insecurity and trampled pride to prove his own supposed superiority?

Qin Zhaochuan…

Before he could utter another word, Ruru suddenly burst into the room accompanied by a doctor.

Qin Zhaochuan, this woman is lying to you!

She was never pregnant at all!

Prompted by her covert cues, the doctor eagerly chimed in, claiming that I had intentionally manipulated my menstrual cycle to orchestrating an elaborate farce. Qin Zhaochuan swallowed the lie without a shred of doubt, his gaze toward me turning sharp with suspicion.

You lied to me?

Seeing this, I could not even be bothered to keep up any pretences, letting out a dry, mocking laugh. I have only just woken up; have I even said a single word? You were the one imagining things all along.

If there never was a child to begin with, did you never intend to marry me at all?

He flickered with brief hesitation before hastily masking his emotions, a clear admission of guilt. In that exact moment, I realized the three years I had invested in this relationship were not worth a single penny. Yet he still tried to pull me back.

If you come back to the Qin family estate with me, you can live a life of absolute luxury without ever having to work hard again. Would that not be wonderful?

Alin, as for the things you did to Ruru, I am willing to let bygones be bygones.

It is just that… Ruru is at a critical juncture in her career right now and she desperately needs my support. Surely you can understand her, can you not?

Let bygones be bygones? The only person with the right to settle scores right now was me! Qin Zhaochuan had committed countless wrongs, so by what authority did he claim to let things go? His words were merely a thinly veiled demand for me to swallow my pride, to turn a blind eye to his ambiguous relationship with Ruru, and to relegate me to the status of a woman hiding in the shadows. How utterly laughable. Since when did I—Alin Kim—grow so spineless?

There is no need for that.

I drew in a deep breath, terrified that I might not be able to resist slapping him across the face once more.

Qin Zhaochuan, I have already made myself clear. We are through.

You are simply not worthy of me.

Never expecting me to be so utterly resolute right in front of everyone, Qin Zhaochuan lost face completely and pointed a trembling finger at me: You are completely unreasonable! With that, he dragged Ruru out of the room, not even bothering to settle the hospital bills. The nurse who came in to change my bandages could not help but let out a long sigh.

Miss Kim, your boyfriend is truly scum.

He dared to leave you here all alone in the hospital even with a severe injury to your leg.

I glanced down at the wound currently being dressed; it was already scabbing over, a stinging sight to behold. A wound as clear as day, yet Qin Zhaochuan had acted as though nothing had happened at all. His eyes held room for no one except Ruru—oh, and that completely nonexistent child of theirs. For seven consecutive days, Qin Zhaochuan never once showed his face. In the end, it was my close friend and the Chief Executive of Golden Stone, Kiki, who came to discharge me from the hospital.

I heard that Qin Zhaochuan came looking for you at the company, only to discover you had already resigned and even paid a hefty penalty fee for breach of contract. Now he is frantically investigating to find out who lent you the money.

How long has it been since I left the hospital, and only now is he starting to play the role of the devoted lover? I have no idea who he is trying to put on a show for.

Kiki let out a bright, unrestrained laugh: Who else could he be performing for?

He clearly cannot bear to let go of you, yet he refuses to surrender the benefits Ruru provides him either.

If he ever finds out that you are actually the beloved heiress of the wealthiest family, I bet Ruru would be kicked out into the street in a heartbeat!

Had I heard such remarks in the past, I would have simply dismissed them with a cold smile. But now, I believed every word—this was precisely the kind of disgusting behavior Qin Zhaochuan was capable of. I moved out of that cramped little apartment, though I did not immediately return to the main Kim family estate, instead having my mother purchase a brand-new condo for me. I had no idea where Qin Zhaochuan managed to dig up my new address, but every single day he sent messages expressing his lingering attachment as though he were some tragic romantic lead. Yet his reluctance to let go was nothing more than a suffocating burden to me. That afternoon, while I was enjoying high tea with Kiki, I happened to run into Ruru filming content right there in the cafe.

Shameless little homewrecking vixen.

Without so much as a warning, she stepped directly into my path, wearing an expression as though I were the interloping third party. I raised a brow slightly, my tone laced with provocation: If you are going to hurl insults, at least elevate your vocabulary a little.

You cannot even hold onto your own man, so you come looking for trouble with me? Ruru, you really are pathetic.

Regardless, Qin Zhaochuan and I had already broken up; I no longer needed to spare his feelings, nor did I have any reason to placate her. Terrified of losing face in a public place, Ruru gritted her teeth so hard they nearly cracked: If you had not played hard to get and intentionally seduced him, would he ever have forgotten about me? You clearly harbored ulterior motives!

This woman truly possessed the dramatic flair of an entire television series.

I already told you, Qin Zhaochuan and I are done!

I crossed my arms and let out a cold laugh: He is the stubborn fool refusing to let go, so what does that have to do with me? Do you seriously think everyone else is as blind as you are?

Let me warn you, if you ever dare to ruin my mood again, trust me, you will regret ever showing your face here.

The moment those words left her mouth, Ruru and her entourage of friends burst into derisive laughter.

Depending on what? Alin Kim, have you lost your mind?

Do you think I have no idea what you are plotting? Clinging to Yan Jin and imagining you can leap up to the heavens in a single bound?

That man has always been frail, and since Yan Jin could not handle his temperament, he had to settle for someone like you—a cheap substitute.

But a replica will always remain a replica. Even if a sparrow flies up onto a high branch, it can never transform into a phoenix.

The smug expression plastered across Ruru’s face only made me yearn all the more to witness the moment she was publicly put in her place. I wondered if she would still maintain that arrogant posture once she was taught a lesson she would never forget.