Everyone in Beijing's elite circles knew that Lu Yan, the heir apparent, had a beloved woman he could never forget.
So even though Qiao Yu was gentle and devoted, and let him have his way with her, she was still nothing more than a dispensable plaything in his eyes.
Qiao Yu was hailed as the music world's stunning beauty. Her bright eyes and red lips were breathtaking, and she looked elegant and proud as she played the piano onstage.
Yet a woman like her willingly became Lu Yan's secret substitute lover, staying by his side for three years without a name or status.
Everyone thought Qiao Yu was hopelessly in love with Lu Yan, including Lu Yan himself.
"She can't leave me," Lu Yan declared confidently at a gathering with friends. His expression was cold as he stubbed out his cigarette. "She has no parents. No one else has ever treated her as well as I have."
It wasn't until later that Lu Yan found the photograph in the bedroom.
A young man and woman, their expressions gentle and their smiles bright.
The young man had eyes and brows that looked about fifty percent like Lu Yan's, and Qiao Yu had never smiled so sweetly in front of him.
Lu Yan had experienced Qiao Yu's one-of-a-kind devotion. Only later did he learn it was because he looked like the beloved she had lost.
Qiao Yu didn't care that he cruelly squandered her love, because that love had never been meant for him in the first place.
"But I took it seriously."
Lu Yan's voice was low, his eyes filled with possessive love and restraint.
*
1. Double substitutes
2. The groveling ex's redemption
