***Before reading this novel, please be informed that this is NOT my work and NO PLAGIARISM is intended.

Just sharing with you all, one of my favorite novels so far.

This novel is originally written by Xincerely.***

SYNOPSIS:

"Stay with me and I will give you everything your heart desires. For you, my darling, I would part the mountains, split the sea, and cause havoc on Earth just to have you."

- - - -

In every love story, there's always a vengeful and venomous fiancée who was engaged to the rich and handsome CEO that fell for the poor, but gentle and innocent female lead. In his greed for her love, he broke his poor fiancée whose love drove her to the brink of insanity.

No one ever cared about how the fiancée felt.

Zhao Lifei was prepped her entire life to marry one man, but suddenly, his heart was captured by another. She was face-slapped, destroyed, and disowned for loving Zheng Tianyi. She was willing to sacrifice her youth, time, and heart for the man, but all she got was pain and despair.

It took two harsh, but awakening years for Zhao Lifei to finally understand the mistakes she has made in the past.

After her redemption, it was now Zhao Lifei's turn to experience a love grander than the female lead.

Smarter, feistier, and wittier, Zhao Lifei knew how to survive the cruel, backstabbing, and harsh upper-class society was.

"A bastard fiancé that broke my heart? Screw him, I'll find someone richer!"

"All of my friends have abandoned me? Whatever, I'll find better ones!"

"My parents disowned me? That's fine, my grandfather is wealthier and more powerful than both of them combined!"

To the polar opposite of the snarky Zhao Lifei, was the incredibly wealthy and powerful, yet ruthlessly cold Yang Feng.

Yang Feng, the King of the Business Empire, was a man to be feared. Heart of ice, eyes of stone, merciless but enticingly handsome, there was not a single person in this world that dared to offend him.

Many have tried, but none had succeeded in garnering his attention. That is until his path unexpectedly collides with Zhao Lifei.

Challenges will arise, chaos will commence, and drama will ensue. But then again, what is a love story without disturbance? They say love without conflict is just a simple crush and the story of Zhao Lifei and Yang Feng was anything but that.

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"Zheng Tianyi, please-"

BANG!

A beautiful woman was pushed and thrown onto the floor. Her perfectly curled hair was a mess, her makeup was ruined and there were bruises beginning to form on her wrists.

Glowering eyes filled with pure hatred and disgust stared down at her. He was supposed to be her loved fiance, the man she would soon wed in one year. Yet, here he was, glaring daggers into her body.

The look he gave her was bone-chilling as if she had brutally slaughtered his entire family. Was it possible to hate someone so much to the point where their eyes were practically burning with venom?

A simple glance at his infuriated eyes was enough to send chills down one's spine.

Standing next to the ruthless man with her arms wrapped around his left one was a tiny and petite woman, whose face screamed innocence. Pure, docile, gentle, and anything sweet could be used to describe Xia Mengxi. Her skin was pale, like the first fall of snow. Her face was small and adorable, like a cherished and doted bunny.

Because of her meek nature, docile smiles, and the allure of a female lead, she always provoked the protective nature of men — more specifically, Zheng Tianyi, who vowed to ruin anyone that dared to harm her.

Zhao Lifei, his childhood friend for two decades and beloved fiancee for one decade, was unfortunate enough to experience this treatment.

"You disgust me," He spat out each word, every syllable prickling her heart.

Zhao Lifei felt like the antagonist of their Cinderella story that seemed to walk right out of a Korean drama, one that involved a poor, unfortunate Xia Mengxi who managed to capture the heart and attention of a ruthless, but an incredibly handsome billionaire.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands." His voice, so dark, but smooth and pleasant to the ears, echoed throughout the room.

The socialites of Shenbei watched from the corner, their mouths moving non-stop as they mocked, gossiped, and laughed at the honorable Zhao Lifei, whose reputation was pushed to ruins.

Zhao Lifei glanced up at the man. Her heart was torn in every direction and painfully ached at the horrible stare he was giving her.

Zheng Tianyi looked at her like she was the scum at the bottom of his shoes, something that was always with him and would never let go.

"Tianyi, I-"

"Did I allow you to call me that? You vengeful b*tch." He snarled at her, his voice dangerously low.

Zhao Lifei felt a pang within her heart. She looked at him as if she had been brutally kicked.

When did it all go wrong?

Zhao Lifei had dedicated all of her time, attention, and life to him. When he needed help in his company, she was there as the influential daughter of the Zhao family.

She helped him pull strings, threatened the people, did the dirty work, and allowed herself to be pushed to the brink of stress, worrying over issues that he should've cared about. And while she slaved away at his desk, Zheng Tianyi was with his lover halfway across the world.

Zhao Lifei's long, slender fingers curled into fists. Because of her naivety and heart, she had decided to fall deeply in love with him.

Zheng Tianyi narrowed his eyes at her pathetic state.

He couldn't believe in his youth, he thought this lowly woman deserved the title of a friend. When she was a child, she was quite normal and caring. Now that she has gotten older, he saw how much of a crazy woman she was.

How despicable.

He was fine when she displayed signs of jealousy. What man didn't want a beautiful woman desiring after him? But Zhao Lifei had severely crossed the line when she dared to taunt and bully his lover, Xia Mengxi.

Who did she think she is? He allowed her to exploit the title of "Zheng Tianyi's Fiance" to a high extent and this is how she repays him? By attempting a hit at Xia Mengxi's life?

"You're nothing but a pawn in my game. How dare the pawn come after the Queen." Zheng Tianyi continued to berate the woman in front of him.

She had already fallen from her grace, but that didn't mean he understood the meaning of mercy.

His parents saw her as a lifetime partner, but she saw this as a despicable joke. "Use my kindness as a warning, Zhao Lifei. Stay away from me and my wife." His voice was chillingly cold, like the freezing wind of the Arctic.

If looks could kill, she would've long been cremated and her ashes would have been thrown into the sewers. The atmosphere was frigid, nipping Zhao Lifei's heart.

Perhaps her anger and delusion had finally cracked her, but she wanted to laugh at the title he placed over Xia Mengxi. Wife? More like his Mistress.

The Zheng family never approved of that woman, because of her lowly background and heritage.

"Do you understand me?" Zheng Tianyi hissed in anger when he saw her distant expression.

He bent down and roughly gripped her chin up. Zhao Lifei winced in pain, which caused him to tighten his hold. She knew it was going to leave a nasty bruise on her jawline.

"Stay. Away. From. Xia Mengxi." Zheng Tianyi's voice was so calm, that it was beginning to scare the crowd.

Suddenly, bubbles of confidence surged within Zhao Lifei. It was fueled by her anguished heart that desired revenge for being torn, stomped, and disregarded.

"And if I don't?" She retorted back at him, her fiery temper beginning to come out again.

A black shadow flew at the speed of light and before anyone could react, a hand had smacked her face with so much force, that it turned to the side.

The crowd gasped in shock. Never in a billion years, would they expect Zheng Tianyi to strike a woman.

Zhao Lifei's face was immediately swung to the side with so much force, she knew she got whiplash. Tears gathered in her eyes at the stinging pain in her cheeks, but she pushed them down.

"Oh my god! Tianyi, are you alright?!" Xia Mengxi immediately grabbed Zheng Tianyi's rough, calloused hand. It was bright red because of how hard he had smacked her.

"Does it hurt a lot?" She gently asked him with her sweet as honey voice. She blew onto his red hand, lightly rubbing her cold fingers against it.

Zheng Tianyi's eyes softened at the sight of the fragile woman beside him. "I'm fine, sweetheart." He whispered to her.

Zhao Lifei hatefully stared at the couple.

Zheng Tianyi had one arm wrapped around Xia Mengxi's waist, holding her incredibly close to him. When Zhao Lifei saw him hold Xia Mengxi like the most precious thing in the world, she nearly laughed.

Who would've thought the Devil was capable of love?

"Honey, let's not pay any more attention to her. I'm beginning to pity her..." Xia Mengxi's voice turned soft and mellow, like the spring breeze on a hot summer day.

Instantly, Zheng Tianyi agreed with her. The halo of the female lead was too hard to reject. "As you wish, sweetheart." He whispered to her.

He always agreed to whatever she desired. He was smitten by her, and every inch of his heart craved for her. But his parents and Zhao Lifei saw it as foolish puppy love. They had recently begun to date and were most likely in the honeymoon stage.

That's what Zhao Lifei believed in, to convince her broken heart. But a deep part of her knew that wasn't true.

The love that Zheng Tianyi had for Xia Mengxi was beyond words.

Zhao Lifei wanted to keep her mouth shut, but her heart was begging her to open her mouth and seal her fate. Nothing mattered anymore.

Her pride was destroyed, her parents disowned her, the people had humiliated her and her reputation was blasted into nothingness. What more did she have to lose? Something hot, angry, and bitter trickled down her eyes.

Zheng Tianyi's dark eyes flickered in surprise, at the sight of her tears. It was the first time she had cried in front of him.

He nearly laughed, until he realized it wasn't tears of sorrow. It was tears of anger that came from the violent waves of her broken heart.

Zhao Lifei saw red. She slowly stood up, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and in a momentary flash, she wanted blood to spill.

But a force was holding her down. "Stay down, it's futile to fight back" A voice whispered to her.

When Zhao Lifei glanced to the side, she was startled to see a mirror reflection of herself. Was she going crazy? Was all this anger and delusions finally getting to her? Did Zheng Tianyi slap the senses out of her?

"He'll destroy you if you try to fight him. Stay down." The woman softly told Zhao Lifei.

When Zhao Lifei reached a hand to push the woman away, the hand went straight through her. Gasping in shock, Zhao Lifei stared at the woman with her eyes wide open. And that's when the floor beneath her collapsed.

Zheng Tianyi and Xia Mengxi were gone. The people that taunted and humiliated her were gone.

Zhao Lifei stood in an abyss of darkness, unsure of where she went wrong.

Zhao Lifei abruptly sat up in her bed, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

She ran a shaky hand through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut. Her lips wobbled as tears pooled behind her eyelids. No matter how much she tried to brush the haunting past away, the pain would always catch up.

Soon, droplets of salty tears fell from her eyes. She struggled to properly breathe, hiccuping for gasps of air.

In the cold, dark, and lonely room, she broke down. She wished it had been just a nightmare and not a memory from the past.

Her heart ached with the painful memories from two years ago. Surrounded by the country's top socialites, she was utterly humiliated and embarrassed. Her heart was torn into pieces, stomped on, and thrown into the ocean like disposable trash.

Zhao Lifei still remembered the pain of watching the love of her life choose a woman he's known for less than a year over her. She had stood by his side for twenty-one years, wasting her youth futilely chasing after a man who never spared her a glance.

When he was too fatigued to bother with work, she took a position as Vice President of his company and worked her body to the ground. She expanded the company to its fullest potential.

Zhao Lifei did everything she could to support him, and he repaid her by cheating and ripping their marriage certificate.

She had naively fallen in love with Zheng Tianyi and dedicated her entire life to him. She was willing to run to the opposite side of the world for him, but he wasn't willing to. She was willing to sacrifice her limbs, health, and womb for him, but he would sacrifice everything for someone else.

Collapsing onto her bed, Zhao Lifei stared at the bleak and endless darkness.

She had sworn she would forget the past and move on. To some extent, she did. But nightmares, like the one she just experienced, forced her to become aware of the painful past that would forever haunt her.

Xia Mengxi... even her name sounded innocent and beautiful. Just like the characters of her name, she was an untouchable dream of a real-life Cinderella. Growing up in a pitiful family whose father left her at a young age, forcing her mother to single-handedly raise her, she had a very sad story. Her mother used to be a janitor in the Zheng Corporation and after successfully pulling some strings, Xia Mengxi was able to land a job as Zheng Tianyi's private secretary.

By becoming his private secretary, she was with him 24/7.

Zheng Tianyi's interest in her started with a naive and shy smile that seemed to light up the room. Xia Mengxi was unaware of her beauty and potential, which sparked his curiosity. Then that spark became a fire that ignited Zheng Tianyi's heart, and soon, Xia Mengxi found herself with a priceless diamond ring.

Because the darkness allowed Zhao Lifei to reminisce without any distractions, she didn't hear the knocking from her door.

The light knock became harsher and louder. It echoed throughout the hollow, empty room. One knock turned into two, then three, then four, until it became excruciatingly rapid. Without warning, the door slammed open.

A beautiful woman strutted into the room, her hips naturally swaying side to side. Long, slender legs, seductive eyes, perfect body, it wasn't hard to see she was a world-renowned supermodel.

Yang Ruqin stopped in front of Zhao Lifei's bed with a scowl. She crossed her arms and glared down at her like a mother waking up her daughter for school. "It's two in the afternoon, and you're still in bed?!" She tugged and pulled at Zhao Lifei's blankets.

"Qinqin, let me sleep a bit longer..." Zhao Lifei mumbled, snuggling into her blankets.

Yang Ruqin was the only friend that stood by Zhao Lifei's side when Zheng Tianyi practically blacklisted her.

When Zhao Lifei's "friends" discovered she had no more power, benefits, or the title as the Zheng Madam, everyone abandoned her. After many of the socialites realized Xia Mengxi's importance to Zheng Tianyi, they immediately flooded to her side.

Zhao Lifei wasn't surprised when her friends left her for Xia Mengxi. Two years ago, she was supposed to be the vengeful antagonist in Xia Mengxi's life. She was supposed to be the woman that tried to frame Xia Mengxi for cheating and the horrible person that tried to force the loving couple apart.

Zhao Lifei will not deny the fact that she used to be a horrible woman whose very name was supposed to be a sin. She couldn't change the past, but she knew she could change her future, which was why she worked so hard to become a better person.

"Are you daydreaming again? Did you hear what I just said?" Yang Ruqin fumed when Zhao Lifei didn't respond back to her.

"You said it was two in the afternoon, but my room doesn't feel like it. It might be morning— hey!" Zhao Lifei yelped when Yang Ruqin flung the blanket off of her.

"No, it's cold..." Zhao Lifei moaned, curling up into a ball.

"Ugh, why are your curtains so thick and dark? There's no natural lighting in this room!" Yang Ruqin walked to the long curtains that covered the tall windows.

"No, wait! I'm not ready for the light—" Too late. Yang Ruqin had already pulled the curtains open.

Immediately, the bright rays of the afternoon sun soaked into the room, washing all of the melancholic darkness away.

Because Zhao Lifei's condo was on the fifth-highest floor of the tall apartment complex, the sunlight was stronger than ever.

Groaning at the intrusion of light, Zhao Lifei buried her head into her pillow. She refused to get up, but she knew Yang Ruqin would force her out of the bed regardless. "Can't you leave me here to wallow in my sorrow?" Her voice came out muffled.

"A high-class lady such as yourself should not be sleeping until sunset. Now get up!" Yang Ruqin chided, adjusting the curtain strings.

"A high-class lady without friends, a good reputation, and amazing connections is just a simple woman with money." Zhao Lifei huffed.

Yang Ruqin sat on top of the bed and sighed, running a gentle hand through Zhao Lifei's hair. "Did you have the same dream again?" She softly asked, stroking her friend's air.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Lifei said a meek "Yes."

Yang Ruqin's expression grew soft. "Just so you know, I didn't like Zheng Tianyi in the first place; he was utter trash."

Zhao Lifei had a small smile on her face. "You only disliked him at first because he stole your pudding on the first day of Kindergarten."

"I have a billion more reasons for hating him. He was such a jerk." Yang Ruqin retorted. "And for the record, I still hold him accountable for that!" She pouted, crossing her arms like a stubborn child.

Zhao Lifei let out a peal of light laughter, the pain in her heart momentarily gone.

"Thank you, Qinqin... I don't know what I would do without you." Zhao Lifei softly whispered. Her voice was quiet and broken, like a lonely child abandoned by the world.

Yang Ruqin's face became gentle. She reached down and pulled her best friend into a very tight hug. Together, they've experienced so much hardship in this world, there was nothing that could push them apart.

"My dear, I should be saying that, not you." Yang Ruqin mumbled into Zhao Lifei's shoulders.

When Yang Ruqin was faced with any crisis, Zhao Lifei was always there for her. From taking the blame for punching a boy in Kindergarten to the days of high school where Zhao Lifei consistently covered for Yang Ruqin's mischievous deeds. They had seen each other at their worsts, their bests, and everything in between.

"We're reminiscing too much into the past when we should focus on the present and future. Now come on, get up." Yang Ruqin patted Zhao Lifei's head and watched her finally sit up on her bed.

"Hurry up and get dressed, so that we can go eat brunch." Yang Ruqin hurried Zhao Lifei off the bed. With each step Yang Ruqin took, her silky red dress flowed behind her.

"It's two in the afternoon, brunch has already ended." Zhao Lifei, the pessimist, grumbled to her friend who laughed.

"Alright, party-pooper, we can get lunch then." Yang Ruqin mused, pushing Zhao Lifei into the bathroom.

When Zhao Lifei began her morning routine, Yang Ruqin sat in the corner with a hidden, and mischievous smile.

"I don't like this dress, Qinqin...It looks weird on me." Zhao Lifei frowned, running a tired hand through her hair. There were bags beneath her eyes from the endless nights of tossing in her bed and never falling asleep.

Ever since she became the laughing-stock of Shenbei, her confidence was at its limits. The haughty twinkle in her eyes from being engaged to Zheng Tianyi had vanished long ago.

From losing everything in just the single span of one night, her diva attitude, prideful smirks, and confident struts were all gone. Before the fall of the legendary Zhao Lifei, she was known to be the top socialite of Shenbei. The women always crowded around her, in hopes of currying favors with the rumored Mrs. Zheng.

Whatever she wore, ate, and did, everyone copied after her. She was the trendsetter, the single woman that every socialite aspired to be.

Her parents swore they loved her. Her friends overly complimented her. The people always tried to befriend her. That all ended when Zheng Tianyi blacklisted and tossed her aside. But after two long and life-changing years, Zhao Lifei didn't blame them. She finally understood how much of a horrible woman she was.

She turned women against women, used people like they were a pawn in her little game of chess, insulted girls to tears, and tried to sabotage the innocent Xia Mengxi. Most would say she got what she deserved, but one never saw the truth behind the prideful and spoiled heiress.

No one saw how much Zhao Lifei broke down at night, drinking wine all alone in a cold, empty, room until her tears lulled her to sleep. No one saw that broken child reaching for anything that showed her love.

Zhao Lifei was only able to snap back into reality when Yang Ruqin roughly shook her. "Feifei, I hope you're not daydreaming again!" Yang Ruqin huffed.

She was curling Zhao Lifei's hair in hopes of making her presentable.

"I wasn't..." Zhao Lifei sheepishly lied.

Yang Ruqin rolled her eyes. "Sure, and I'm the ugliest girl this world has seen." Yang Ruqin resorted with her usual sarcasm.

Zhao Lifei chuckled. "Don't be so dramatic, Qinqin."

"I'm supposed to be a diva, it's my job to be overly dramatic." Yang Ruqin laughed, wrapping strands of Zhao Lifei's silky hair over the curling iron. "Besides, my dear. You look fabulous, don't doubt yourself anymore." She smiled, placing her hand onto Zhao Lifei's shoulder.

"Okay..." Zhao Lifei trailed off, hugging her stomach the way she always did. It made her feel safe. It had been a bad habit of hers after the past two, long, rough years of torment.

Yang Ruqin's eyes softened. When Zhao Lifei had experienced her worst downfall, Yang Ruqin was at the peak of her career. Her manager and family forced her to work hard and she was often traveling around the world.

She didn't hear about what happened to Zhao Lifei until she had come back two years later. Because she was rarely in the country and was frequently traveling from one country to the other, she barely had time to chat with Zhao Lifei.

Zhao Lifei didn't say anything about her downfall. When Yang Ruqin came back, she expected a wedding invitation on her hands, instead, she got the shell of the cheerful woman she used to know.

After a while of doing Zhao Lifei's hair, Yang Ruqin finally spoke up again. "It'll be fun today. I reserved a seat at your favorite restaurant, La Roché."

La Roché was a very popular and posh restaurant that was rated five Michelin stars a few months after it opened. It was extremely hard to make reservations there; the restaurant never batted an eye to A-List celebrities, powerful politicians, or wealthy socialites. However, the Yangs were able to gain easy entrance. The owner had been good friends with Yang Ruqin's father and had permitted them unlimited entry at the window with the best view.

"My favorite? It always seemed to be your favorite." Zhao Lifei teased. She remembered the memories of her youth when she was dragged to the restaurant whenever Yang Ruqin wanted to skip class.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Yang Ruqin giggled, clearly lying through her teeth. Her eyes twinkled with mirth upon being caught red-handed.

Zhao Lifei gave her a pointed look, forcing Yang Ruqin to reveal a sheepish grin.

"Okay, maybe I was too addicted to their dishes, but hey! You can't blame me, their appetizers are amazing!" Yang Ruqin tried to defend herself.

Zhao Lifei chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

"Let's not dwell so much on the facts! The driver is waiting!" Yang Ruqin giggled, dragging Zhao Lifei out of her room.

The minute Zhao Lifei walked out of her room, she groaned in annoyance. Her living room was very modern and there were large windows from the ceiling to the ground. The sun was at its highest peak today, and Yang Ruqin just had to open all of the curtains.

"Some days, I think you're trying to roast me alive." Zhao Lifei childishly pouted.

"You need some sun, or more specifically, Vitamin D in your life~" Yang Ruqin teased, nudging her the entire time they walked to the elevator.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Zhao Lifei snorted in the most unladylike manner.

Yang Ruqin chuckled at her friend's lack of humor, then wrapped her arms around Zhao Lifei's arm — clinging onto her the way she always did.

The elevator door dinged to reveal the pretty elevator lady. She smiled and bowed at their presence. "To the ground floor, Miss Zhao and Miss Yang?"

Had this been the previous Zhao Lifei, she wouldn't have bothered to acknowledge someone like the elevator hostess. But this was the present. She wasn't as childish and disrespectful as she was before.

"Yes, the ground floor please." Zhao Lifei nodded, offering a polite smile.

"Right away, Ma'am." The elevator hostess said, quietly pressing the button and averting her gaze.

The elevator hostess couldn't help but admire Zhao Lifei from the distance. For the two years that she had known Zhao Lifei, the woman was always very polite and warm. There was never a moment in time where Zhao Lifei treated her rudely like she was air, as most of the people in this rich apartment complex had done.

The hostess didn't know the tainted past of Zhao Lifei and if one was to tell her, she wouldn't believe that person. This lady was simply too kind to do something so horrible...

When the floor dinged and signaled the ground floor, Yang Ruqin pulled Zhao Lifei out of the elevator. "Thank you," Zhao Lifei quietly told the hostess before she was dragged away by Yang Ruqin.

When they walked into the lobby and towards the entrance, they were quick to garner attention. With each step, Yang Ruqin took, her hair would sway and bounce as the wind ruffled the edges of her red sundress. Because of her eye's feline shape, they always came off as seductive without meaning to.

The men leered and took second glances at her, their eyes wide with astonishment. They were practically drooling.

Zhao Lifei quietly laughed to herself. She was already used to these looks whenever she walked with Yang Ruqin. While Zhao Lifei chatted with Yang Ruqin, she didn't realize the men were also admiring the stunning woman beside supermodel Yang Ruqin.

Zhao Lifei had thought they were only looking at her best friend, and no one else.

She didn't expect them to also stare at her.

With her high nose of clear wealth, full lips naturally rosy, and fierce eyes, Zhao Lifei's appearance was the opposite of docile and demure. Instead, she looked like a powerful woman that men seemed to fear but secretly admire.

Despite what Zhao Lifei thought of herself and her composure, her outward appearance didn't match her thoughts. Perhaps it was due to the years of training and experience, but Zhao Lifei always walked with confidence. Her shoulders were squared back and her head was held high.

"What is the rush for?" Zhao Lifei asked when Yang Ruqin hurriedly dragged her inside the car.

"I'm just excited to eat, that's all. You know I love food, almost as much as I love you." Yang Ruqin teased, pinching Zhao Lifei's nose.