Contract Over: Heiress Unmasked

Chapter 8: A Stroke of Luck

A year ago, Xiao Xiao had broken up with her boyfriend. The man had presented her with a line-item spreadsheet, demanding she pay him back. According to his records, he had transferred over fifty thousand yuan to her during their two-year relationship.

When Xiao Xiao refused, he sued her. She had come to the firm desperate for help. The senior partners were all in court, leaving only Ruan Chutang in the office.

"It wasn't like that at all," Xiao Xiao had sobbed, her voice trembling. "We lived together for two years. We agreed from the start to split the rent and utilities down the middle. He told me he’d transfer two thousand a month to cover my half of the expenses, and I’d put in my own two thousand for our joint spending."

"I didn't think twice about it. But now that we're over, he’s claiming those transfers were 'conditional gifts' made with the intent of marriage. He says since we didn't get married, I owe him every cent."

"But that money went toward our daily lives! How can he call it a gift? In two years, the only presents he ever bought me didn't even add up to five hundred yuan. How does he have the nerve to sue me?"

"That two thousand a month came from my parents’ allowance. I’m a student—where am I supposed to find fifty thousand yuan? I can’t tell my parents. If my dad finds out I was living with a man, he’ll kill me. Please, you have to help me. I have nowhere else to turn..."

It was a cruel irony: a law student falling for such a transparent trap. But a girl blinded by love is easy prey for a predator. Chutang felt a deep wave of sympathy. Usually, lawyers steered clear of clients who couldn't even afford the filing fees, let alone the retainer.

Chutang was different. She didn't just take the case; she personally lent Xiao Xiao the money for the legal fees. She saw a girl on the edge, and she knew that if no one reached out, Xiao Xiao might do something desperate.

At the time, Chutang was a junior associate earning a modest seven thousand a month. Without a second thought, she added Xiao Xiao on WeChat and sent over the funds.

Chutang worked tirelessly on the case, eventually unearthing the evidence needed to crush the ex-boyfriend's claims. Xiao Xiao was beyond grateful. The moment she graduated, she showed up at the firm to be Chutang’s assistant.

Now, Xiao Xiao’s eyes were red again. "Sister Chutang, I’m stuck here until my certification clears. But once my internship is over... can I come find you?"

Chutang blinked, surprised by the request. Then, a soft, genuine smile lit up her face.

"Of course. My home is in Jiang City. If you ever want to make the move, just call me."

"Yes!" Xiao Xiao wiped her tears, a grin breaking through. "I’m going to follow you forever! I’ll be your little shadow, so don't you dare get tired of me."

"Never."

***

Inside the partner’s office, the director—a middle-aged man with thick glasses—stared at the resignation letter in confusion. "Chutang, what is this? Is there a problem with your workload?"

Chutang shook her head. "No, sir. It’s a family matter. I need to head back home. I know I should have given a month’s notice, but this was unexpected. I’m sorry."

She leaned in slightly. "The handovers are almost complete. I have one final hearing in ten days for a second appeal. Once that's settled, I’m gone. I wanted to give you a heads-up now."

The director sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I see. Well, in that case... I wish you the very best of luck."

Leaving the firm, Chutang walked aimlessly through the streets. Night had fallen, and the city lights hummed with an artificial glow. A cool breeze rattled the leaves above, and for the first time, a sharp pang of loneliness hit her. She was about to leave the city she had called home for three years.

She remembered arriving in Haicheng with nothing. Her father, Ruan Shaodong, had frozen her accounts, leaving her with only a few thousand in digital pocket change. She had stayed in a cheap hotel for three days while she scrambled to find a job and a tiny rental near the law firm.

After paying the security deposit and three months' rent, she was flat broke. She had survived on care packages and loans from her best friend back in Jiang City. That first apartment had been in a rough neighborhood. Not long after moving in, a drunk had started pounding on her door in the middle of the night.

She remembered shivering under her covers, heart hammering against her ribs, terrified to make a sound. When she complained to the landlord, he just shrugged her off. When she finally moved out, the slumlord tried to keep her deposit.

She had tried to be polite at first, but the man had retaliated with a barrage of vile insults and misogynistic slurs.

Infuriated, Chutang went for his throat. She reported him for tax evasion and failing to issue invoices. Then she called the fire marshal on his non-compliant building. Finally, she filed a lawsuit for breach of contract and emotional distress. Before the court could even set a date, the panicked landlord had returned every cent of her deposit.

She dropped the contract claim but refused to settle the defamation suit. She won, and the landlord was forced to pay her damages.

Thinking about it now, Chutang let out a small, dry laugh. That was the most pathetic, messiest chapter of her life.

She later heard from a former neighbor that the drunk who used to harass her had been beaten within an inch of his life shortly after she left, and the landlord had disappeared into obscurity. Karma, she figured, was a b***h.

When she first met Gu Zechuan, she was still an intern. She had followed a senior lawyer to one of the Gu Group’s subsidiaries to consult on a contract. Zechuan had been there on an inspection. He claimed it was love at first sight.

His pursuit had been relentless and dazzling. He was the perfect gentleman, attentive to every detail, always appearing exactly when she needed him. For a while, they really did have something sweet.

The shift happened on their first anniversary. They’d both been drinking. Zechuan had leaned in, his arms wrapping around her, his breath hot as he moved to kiss her. In a moment of pure, panicked instinct, she had shoved him away. Hard.

Zechuan had looked devastated. "Why?" he rasped.

"I... I’m not ready," she’d stammered, her heart racing. "I need more time."

After that, the warmth began to drain from their relationship. She was never "ready" for that final step, and she grew increasingly hesitant even to kiss him.

She couldn't quite explain it. Maybe it was because it was her first real relationship and she wanted to move slow. Or maybe, deep down, she knew about the other women. She knew where his mouth had been, and her body subconsciously recoiled at the thought of his "dirtiness."

Whatever the reason, as she stood there now, she felt only one thing.

Pure, unadulterated relief.

When she returned to the villa, Zechuan was nowhere to be found. Chutang took a long shower and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Ten days. Ten days until freedom.

It couldn't come soon enough.