After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 1

It was August in Shanghai. The kind of suffocating heat that makes you want to spontaneously combust still raged outside; everything beyond the air-conditioned rooms was so parched it made one crave total destruction.

Lin Feiruo sat on a gold-rimmed toilet lid, cheek resting on one hand, her thoughts a tangled mess. She still hadn’t recovered from the confusion and shock that hit her half an hour ago.

A series of knocks—standardized in volume and frequency—came from the door. After a short pause, a voice followed.

“Miss Feiruo, do you need any help?”

Concern, probing, and a hint of urgency; that was what Lin Feiruo picked up from the middle-aged female voice outside.

She forced herself to pull it together, trying her best to act composed. “I’m drying my hair. I’ll be out in a second.”

The voice outside turned respectful and calm. “Understood.”

Then came the sound of receding footsteps. Once the person was gone, Lin Feiruo’s face immediately fell. Now, besides herself, there was another witness to prove she had truly transmigrated into this “dog-blood” web novel.

Half an hour ago, she had discovered to her horror that she was lying in a luxury massage bathtub large enough to fit two of her, with her head resting on a glittering gold faucet.

Then, fragments of dormant memories began to resurface. Gradually, she remembered things—but she soon realized those memories didn’t belong to her.

The more she recalled, the more familiar it felt. “Wait, I’ve seen this before…”

She remembered! She had read this book!

It was a melodramatic web novel a friend had recommended not long ago. The friend had joked that the protagonist shared her name and told her to memorize the plot.

At the time, Lin Feiruo had skimmed it during her breaks, sighing: “Same name, different fates. We’re both Lin Feiruo, but her ex-wife is the richest woman and her current lover is a famous star, while I…?”

Modern web novels often used extreme “dog-blood” plots to grab attention; it wasn’t unusual. While she had scoffed at the drama while reading, she had forgotten all about it once she got busy.

When she went on a graduation trip with classmates, she had thought about checking the book again but never found the time. Later, while following a trend of making wishes, she had been a bit greedy: [Down with 996! I want a beautiful woman in my arms and an easy way to make big money.]

She liked beautiful women; Lin Feiruo had known she was into girls since middle school. Fortunately, the era was inclusive enough that her friends didn’t treat her like an outlier. However, she had never met someone she truly clicked with. Though she claimed her standards weren’t high, she simply never felt a “spark.” Either their looks didn’t hit the mark, or they lacked common ground and emotional value.

As for making big money… nobody dislikes that. It’s just a matter of probability. At the time, she figured since she was making a wish anyway, why not add a luxury request? Who knows if the universe might hear it?

She hadn’t thought about it since the trip. Who knew she’d be sent into this novel?

Transmigrating was one thing, but did it have to be so messy? She didn’t want an ex-wife right out of the gate, and she had no intention of getting tangled up with a celebrity. Having followed enough celebrity gossip over the years, she was appalled by the tricks they played behind the scenes.

Lin Feiruo rubbed her temples. Being “read and misinterpreted” by the universe was worse than never being “read” at all.

Standing before the mirror, she studied the face that was a 99% match to her own. She wasn’t entirely satisfied. This “original owner” was the same age as her and had been spared the torture of grad school, the false promises of a supervisor, and the brutal 996 lab life. She had lived in luxury for two years as the wife of the richest woman—so why were her eyes so dull and empty?

No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find the memory fragments to explain this.

Frustrated, Lin Feiruo ran her fingers through her damp short hair and grabbed the hairdryer from the wall. As she flicked it on, the switch caught her eye.

“Tch… even the hairdryer switch is encrusted with diamonds?”

Extravagant. Utterly extravagant.

While mocking it, she couldn’t help but touch the diamond switch a few more times. Was this the legendary life of the ultra-rich?

After drying her hair, she changed into the clothes the original owner had prepared and carefully completed a skincare routine. She practiced her smile in the mirror—she’d never dealt with a billionaire before, so a “show-eight-teeth” smile felt like the safest bet.

Leaving the bathroom, she realized she was in the original owner’s bedroom. But… the placement of the pillows on the luxury bed felt strange. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it didn’t feel like a typical master bedroom.

Just as she stepped out, she heard footsteps from the stairs, the rhythm similar to before.

“Miss Feiruo, how are you feeling?”

She was met by a middle-aged woman whose face was seven parts elegant and three parts concerned. Her voice was much clearer and warmer now that the door wasn’t between them.

“Aunt Shu?” Lin Feiruo called out softly.

Upon seeing Shu Wanxia, the hazy parts of her memory suddenly cleared. Plot points involving her began to surface. Does meeting people face-to-face trigger specific memories? she wondered.

Having only met Aunt Shu so far, she couldn’t be sure, but remembering the plot made things easier. At least she knew who was an ally.

Aunt Shu was the housekeeper and Jian Xiyan’s confidante. Since Jian Xiyan was often away for work, the original owner spent more time with Aunt Shu. Their relationship had evolved from mutual wariness to silent care. Even after the divorce, Aunt Shu would occasionally call to check in on her. This was a rare spark of warmth in a cold, wealthy household.

Lin Feiruo’s smile widened slightly, looking more vibrant.

“You said you weren’t feeling well and went into the bathroom, staying longer than usual. I was wondering if I should call Dr. Xu,” Aunt Shu said, relaxing once she saw the smile.

“I’m fine. The shower really refreshed me.”

Aunt Shu didn’t doubt her; the Lin Feiruo before her was indeed full of life. Especially those sparkling eyes—she looked very spirited.

“The Young Mistress is back. she’s waiting for you in the study.”

Lin Feiruo froze for a second before realizing who “Young Mistress” referred to: her wife, the beautiful billionaire Jian Xiyan.

Unfortunately, since she hadn’t met Jian Xiyan yet, her memories were still a blur of vague plot points. Aunt Shu mistook her hesitation for worry about a previous incident.

“You know the Young Mistress’s personality. She’s not a petty person.”

Lin Feiruo pulled back her smile. Since the plot was unclear, she wasn’t sure if she should keep smiling when it came to Jian Xiyan.

Seeing her look uneasy, Aunt Shu softened her tone. She usually spoke in a businesslike manner out of habit, but seeing Lin Feiruo’s concerns, she decided to offer some comfort.

“The Young Mistress is busy with work. Sometimes her temper gets short and her words are harsh, but don’t take it to heart. She came straight home to find you the moment she got off the plane, and she’s been waiting in the study all this time.”

It was only 3:00 PM. Instead of going to the office, Jian Xiyan had come home; it seemed she placed some importance on the original owner. According to Aunt Shu, she had been waiting for over twenty minutes—quite a feat.

Lin Feiruo couldn’t recall the specific incident Aunt Shu was referring to, but based on her years of deciphering a supervisor’s ambiguous feedback, she had an idea: basically, don’t mind her, don’t make a fuss.

“I understand. I get it.”

Aunt Shu escorted her to the study door, gave her an encouraging look, and left. Though she walked away slowly, Lin Feiruo knew she had to face the person inside alone.

She took a deep breath, imagining what meeting Jian Xiyan would be like. Rich people were said to be eccentric, and the book never said Jian Xiyan had a good temper. The book also called her “peerlessly beautiful,” but in modern web novels, eleven out of ten female leads were described that way.

In her hazy memory, Jian Xiyan had excellent features and a great figure, but “peerless” seemed like a stretch.

The moment her short knock ended, a cool voice came from inside: “The door is unlocked.”

So crisp. Chiller than the central air conditioning.

Lin Feiruo pressed the handle, slowly pushing the heavy wooden door open. The study wasn’t what she expected—no smell of books or sense of history. It was filled with decorations that felt floating and chaotic, more like a collection warehouse built purely with money.

Is this the billionaire’s taste?

Then, she remembered the diamond-encrusted hairdryer switch.

With a sense of realization, Lin Feiruo walked in and stopped before a large desk. The person who had been looking out the window with their back to her turned the chair around.

A peerlessly beautiful face appeared before Lin Feiruo’s eyes.

Crap. She really is peerless.

Breathtakingly beautiful. Anyone trying to compete with her would have no way out.

A flurry of memory fragments flashed through Lin Feiruo’s mind, but they couldn’t distract her from her awe. The human instinctual reaction to a beautiful woman is very direct—especially when caught off guard.

With five parts admiration, three parts shock, and two parts dreaminess, Lin Feiruo stared straight at Jian Xiyan, forgetting everything for a moment.

Jian Xiyan’s white shirt was elegantly rolled up, her elbow resting on the armrest. Her slender fingers were interlaced, and she tilted her head back with a hint of interest. Her pinned-up hair was meticulous—dignified and mature without looking old. Her long, thin earrings were magnificent and charming. Her makeup today was elegant and light, with only the color on her lips showing a touch of vividness—a rare warmth amidst her cold aura.

Jian Xiyan was long used to being the center of attention. Even in business negotiations where eyes met in a test of wills, she was experienced. She didn’t expect to have an “exception” today in front of Lin Feiruo.

After ten seconds of silence, seeing Lin Feiruo still in a daze, Jian Xiyan looked away. She lowered her gaze, pulled a contract out of the drawer, and placed it on the desk, her hand pressing down heavily on it.

This movement snapped Lin Feiruo back to reality. She quickly averted her eyes, feeling annoyed at herself. That was so rude. She was unhappy with her performance, and her expression naturally soured. Even though she occupied the original owner’s body, she didn’t want to use that as an excuse for her own lack of manners.

Jian Xiyan spoke slowly, her voice still maintaining that cold tone. “Aunt Shu said you weren’t well. Are you better now?”

It didn’t sound like concern; it sounded like a routine inquiry. Compared to Aunt Shu, she was far behind.

A talking iceberg, Lin Feiruo thought. Cold words, cold heart.

By now, she had remembered a fair amount about the original owner and Jian Xiyan. They were in a contract marriage, so a cold relationship was normal. She just hadn’t expected Jian Xiyan to be so directly, three-dimensionally cold.

In that case, she could skip the practiced “eight-teeth” smile. She barely lifted the corners of her mouth. “I took a hot bath. I’m fine now.”

Jian Xiyan gave a slight nod. That topic was over.

Lin Feiruo glanced at the document under Jian Xiyan’s hand and guessed what it was. Today was the expiration date of their contract marriage; that had to be the divorce agreement.

It’s rare to visit a billionaire’s home, and I don’t even get the ‘blank check’ scene, Lin Feiruo felt a pang of regret. She wasn’t even allowed a moment of “Mary Sue” drama.

As if sensing her dissatisfaction, Jian Xiyan frowned. Fearing Lin Feiruo might have a last-minute change of heart, Jian Xiyan decided to take the initiative and seize control.

“If you have other requests, you can make them,” Jian Xiyan paused, still cold. “If they are reasonable, I will consider them.”

Having said that, she pushed the agreement across the desk, her eyes steady and sharp. “This agreement must be signed today.”