The first thing Lin Yue felt was pain. A sharp, splitting pain in her head, like someone had shoved a thousand contracts, stock reports, and board meetings into her brain all at once.
When she forced her eyes open, she expected to see the sleek black ceiling of her penthouse apartment. Instead -
A golden canopy embroidered with phoenixes hung over her.
"…Hah?" Yue blinked.
She sat up, only to find her body was wrapped in layers of scarlet silk, her hands weighed down by jade bracelets, and her long hair pinned with golden hairpieces so heavy they could be used as weapons.
"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, her voice smooth but laced with irritation.
Before she could move further, the door to the room burst open. A maid knelt to the floor in panic.
"Y-Young Lady Lin! The Eldest Prince is here to annul the engagement!"
Annul the engagement?
Yue frowned, her CEO-trained brain working fast. And then, like a movie reel, memories slammed into her mind -
This was the plot of the third-rate romance novel she had drunkenly read last night.
The "villainess," Lin Yue of the Marquis' Manor, was arrogant, jealous, and stupidly rich. She bullied the heroine, clung to the male lead, and eventually lost everything when her engagement was broken.
In the book, the villainess ended up cast aside, ridiculed, and left with nothing.
Lin Yue, the modern CEO, sneered.
So I transmigrated into this brainless woman?
She rose to her feet, elegant and sharp as a blade. The heavy phoenix hairpin glinted as she stepped forward.
"Let's see this prince who thinks he can dump me," she said lazily.
The courtyard was filled with people: servants whispering, noble ladies smirking, and at the center, the so-called Eldest Prince, dressed in dragon-embroidered robes.
He stood tall, chin raised, looking at Yue like she was dirt.
"Lin Yue," he declared loudly, "your arrogance has shamed me long enough. From today onward, our engagement is void!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
In the original story, the villainess would cry, beg, and humiliate herself. But this Lin Yue only arched a brow, her crimson lips curling into a wicked smile.
"Annulment?" she said slowly, her tone dripping with amusement. "Good. Saves me the trouble of throwing you out myself."
The prince froze. "What did you say?"
Yue clapped her hands. Immediately, two servants brought out a chest. With a kick, she flipped it open - inside lay gold ingots stacked high, dazzling in the sunlight.
"I was planning to send this as your wedding gift," Yue drawled, "but since there won't be a wedding, consider it your compensation."
The crowd gasped louder. Some ladies nearly fainted from envy.
Yue tilted her head, her gaze sharp as a dagger.
"Also, Prince," she added coolly, "remember this: I don't chase after garbage. I buy and sell it."
Her words struck harder than a slap. The prince's face turned red with humiliation, while whispers spread like wildfire -
"Did the villainess just…dump the prince first?"
"She gave him gold? Who does that?"
"She's terrifying… and gorgeous."
Yue turned without another glance, her robes sweeping dramatically as she walked away.
Somewhere in the distance, a tall man in black armor watched her leave. His expression was unreadable, but the faintest curve appeared at the corner of his lips.
Interesting, he thought. Very interesting.