Two months ago, Gu Xiaoshu married Lu Mu due to the financial crisis of the Gu family. Now, two months later, there had been zero progress in their relationship.

No—not just no progress. They weren’t even on speaking terms. After all, no one would glare at a stranger or throw around harsh words for no reason. If it weren’t for repaying her adoptive parents’ kindness, Gu Xiaoshu would have walked out long ago.

Lu Mu, the CEO of Lu Enterprises, was always impeccably dressed in suits, his expression stern and unapproachable. But lately, he had been dressing more fashionably—even wearing cologne.

"Alright, baby, see you in the parking lot. Mwah." Lu Mu chuckled into the phone, his face lighting up with delight.

Watching him switch from icy disdain toward her to warm affection for whoever was on the other end of the call, Gu Xiaoshu suddenly felt like she might as well be wearing a neon sign that read "cheated on."

If Lu Mu had never liked her from the start, and she didn’t like him either, what was the point of dragging this marriage out?

Should she go catch him in the act? That was the first thought that popped into her mind.

But then she remembered her adoptive mother’s stern warnings to stay put in the Lu household, and her resolve wavered.

Still, seeing Lu Mu leave with that infuriatingly cheerful expression made her blood boil.

Shoulders slumped, she trudged upstairs and noticed the door to her mother-in-law Bai Yuzhu’s bedroom slightly ajar. Instinctively, she moved to close it.

Bai Yuzhu was the only person in this house who hadn’t made life difficult for her. The Lu family’s current wealth and status were almost entirely built by Bai Yuzhu’s own efforts, so Gu Xiaoshu admired her deeply, aspiring to become a formidable businesswoman like her one day.

Just as she approached the door, she heard the voice of her sister-in-law, Lu Yu:

"...Just kick her out already! She makes me sick! How could a little bastard like her be worthy of marrying my brother?"

The words "little bastard" and "brother’s wife" froze Gu Xiaoshu in place.

"Don’t be rash, my dear. She’s backed by the Gu family—we can’t just dismiss her so easily. If we want her gone, we’ll need a more careful plan." Unlike Lu Yu’s impatience, Bai Yuzhu’s tone remained calm and composed.

Bai Yuzhu was considered something of a business legend in Nan City. After all, the corporate world was predominantly a man's domain, yet she had carved out her own empire with an unshakable poise that no one could replicate. Her ability to remain utterly composed even in the face of catastrophe had once filled Gu Xiaoshu with admiration.

But now, that same woman was using her boardroom tactics to plot how to kick Gu Xiaoshu out of the house.

"She's been married to my brother for two months, and still no sign of a baby. What’s the point of keeping a woman who can’t even lay an egg?" Lu Yu’s shrill voice slithered through the narrow crack of the door, piercing Gu Xiaoshu’s ears.

Lay an egg? Oh, I’ll lay an egg right on your damn head!

If Gu Xiaoshu hadn’t been desperate to hear the rest of their conversation, she would’ve stormed in and given Lu Yu a piece of her mind.

Didn’t they know? Hadn’t they realized? From the moment Gu Xiaoshu married into the Lu family, Lu Mu had treated her like an unwanted guest—let alone shared a bed with her. If she somehow got pregnant now, wouldn’t they throw her out on the spot?

"I have a plan," Bai Yuzhu said.

Gu Xiaoshu strained her ears, pressing closer, but Bai Yuzhu had lowered her voice to a whisper. Only fragments reached her—words like "drugging" and "Gu Xiaoshu’s affair."

"Perfect!" Lu Yu’s voice brimmed with excitement. "When do we start? The sooner she’s out, the happier my brother and I will be!"

"Soon," Bai Yuzhu replied, her tone unhurried.

The sharp click of high heels signaled their approach, and Gu Xiaoshu barely had time to duck behind the towering antique vase by Bai Yuzhu’s door.

Normally, the vase wouldn’t have been enough to hide her, but Lu Yu was too consumed by her scheming to notice. Thrilled by the thought of driving Gu Xiaoshu away, she breezed past without a second glance.

Once Lu Yu was gone, Gu Xiaoshu retreated to her room, piecing together what she’d overheard. Though the details were incomplete, Bai Yuzhu’s plan seemed clear: drug her, frame her for infidelity, and kick her out.

As if Lu Mu wasn’t the one actually cheating!

Gu Xiaoshu clenched her fists. If they wanted to play dirty, she’d have to strike first.

Early the next morning, Gu Xiaoshu told Bai Yuzhu that she was homesick and wanted to return for a few days. Bai Yuzhu agreed without hesitation.

The moment Gu Xiaoshu stepped out of the Lu residence, she made a beeline for the nearest mall. She purchased a digital camera and a face mask before stealthily stationing herself outside the Lu family's gates.

Just as expected, right on schedule at a little past six in the evening, Lu Mu drove out in his flashy Lamborghini.

Gu Xiaoshu quickly hailed a taxi and tailed his car, watching as it pulled into the parking lot of a golf course near the Lu family villa. She paid the fare nonchalantly and strolled into the lot. The security guard barely gave her a second glance, apparently deciding she didn't look suspicious.

Once she reached a blind spot for surveillance cameras, Gu Xiaoshu slipped on her mask and was about to start searching for Lu Mu when her ears caught a woman's breathy moans: "Oh... stop..."

Following the sound, she nearly jumped out of her skin. There, pressed against the hood of the Lamborghini, was Lu Mu vigorously thrusting into a curvaceous woman. Strangely, both were still fully clothed.

"Holy shit!" Gu Xiaoshu mouthed silently, pulling out her digital camera to snap several rapid-fire shots. With reckless courage, she even whipped out her phone to record video evidence.

She had originally expected to capture nothing more than a few kissing photos at best. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined catching them in such a compromising position.

While the passionate duo remained completely absorbed, Gu Xiaoshu was internally screaming. The woman had voluminous wavy hair that kept obscuring her face with every movement, making it impossible to get a clear shot of her features.

"Lu Mu... ah... we can't... not here... someone might... see us... ah..." the woman gasped between moans, though her arms remained tightly wrapped around Lu Mu's neck.

Undeterred, Lu Mu continued his vigorous rhythm. "Relax," he panted, "I checked beforehand. This place barely gets any traffic. No one ever comes here."

As if that justified their shameless behavior! Did they not realize parking lots had surveillance cameras?

Gu Xiaoshu's eyes instinctively darted toward the security cameras overhead.

"Damn it!" This time she couldn't help but curse out loud.

All her careful hiding in the camera's blind spot had been pointless—the damn thing wasn't even turned on! Just a useless prop mounted on the wall.

"Who's there?" Lu Mu's intense movements came to an abrupt halt as his sharp gaze snapped toward Gu Xiaoshu's hiding place.

Watching as Lu Mu pulled away and began straightening the woman's disheveled clothes, Gu Xiaoshu wanted to cry. How could she have been so stupid?

She inched backward, trying to retreat unnoticed, when suddenly a large hand clamped over her mouth.

"Mmph—!" She struggled uselessly against the iron grip.

The next moment, she was yanked into a waiting van.

The man behind her reeked of blood, his ragged breathing sending chills down her spine. Her instincts screamed that she'd just stumbled upon a deranged killer.

"Don't move!" the man growled, though his voice was oddly pleasant.

Outside, Lu Mu had finished adjusting his clothes and was now striding toward the van.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!* Gu Xiaoshu's heart hammered so violently she was sure even Lu Mu could hear it from outside the vehicle.

Just as Lu Mu was about to reach the van, a melodic ringtone cut through the tension.

Pausing, Lu Mu answered with obvious irritation, barked a few short responses, then turned on his heel and led the woman away from the parking lot.

Only when they disappeared from view did Gu Xiaoshu finally exhale in relief—

Then froze all over again. In her panic over Lu Mu and the woman, she'd completely forgotten she was still in the clutches of a stranger!