Substitute No More: A Billionaire’s Payday

"Lily Su? Lily Su?" The sudden loud voice snapped Lily Su back to reality. She turned to face the man across from her, offering a stiff smile. The man looked at her, his brows furrowing slightly, concern evident in his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Lily shook her head, about to say something, when her phone rang. She said with a quick apologetic smile, "I need to take this call." He nodded, watching her walk toward the restroom. As she hurriedly and distractedly walked away, he furrowed his brow again, then turned his attention back to the waiter, signaling for him to come over. Lily entered the ladies' room and looked at the name on her phone's screen. Instead of answering, she switched her phone to silent mode and placed it in her bag. She turned on the faucet and let the cool water run over her hands, the sensation of the water helping to clear her foggy, restless mind. Taking a deep breath, Lily took a moment to organize her thoughts and recollect the details. As a member of the soul-replacing army, Lily had arrived in this body when the original owner, Su Liang, was seventeen. The original personality had been difficult—spoiled as a child and increasingly frustrated with herself as she grew older, her self-esteem plummeted. During her sensitive teenage years, she felt misunderstood by everyone. Her academic performance deteriorated, and she became obsessed with money, eventually being lured into a hotel job under pretenses. It didn’t take long for Su Liang to realize something was off. As she tried to escape, she got into a scuffle and ended up falling, hitting her head. The original owner died on the spot, and Lily had taken over. Lily woke up in the hospital with no knowledge of the situation. The man who accompanied her there and took her out was a young man named Mason Quinn, a customer at the hotel who had helped her that day. Mason Quinn became her first boyfriend. She referred to him as her first boyfriend because, after that, Lily had two more. The most recent was Maxwell Wu, who had just called her. To get to the point, Lily had spent nearly a month in the hospital, during which time Mason helped arrange a leave of absence and even covered all her medical expenses. While recuperating, she learned that the Su Liang family were hardworking farmers. They lived in a small village where cotton farming was the main livelihood. They barely made ends meet, but they still did everything they could to send her to high school in the city. However, the original owner, Su Liang, was enchanted by urban life. Her self-esteem issues led her to be obsessed with appearances, and she found herself increasingly alienated from her humble roots. Her grades fell sharply, and her desire for wealth led to the hotel job fiasco. Thus, the medical fees became a massive burden for Lily and Su Liang’s family. Not wanting the original owner’s honest and hardworking parents to bear such a heavy debt, Lily accepted Mason's financial help, promising to repay it after graduation. Over time, Lily grew closer to Mason. Eventually, he confessed his feelings, and she accepted. However, their relationship ended suddenly in the second semester of her freshman year when Mason mysteriously stopped contacting her. It wasn’t that he was missing—he just simply stopped responding. Lily quickly moved on, realizing that Mason was likely a wealthy second-generation heir whose interest in her had been fleeting. A year later, after another boyfriend vanished similarly, Lily recognized a disturbing pattern—she was drawn into relationships with men who vanished without a word. After the two failed relationships, Lily became less enthusiastic about her third boyfriend, Maxwell Wu. She felt that he might disappear without a trace as well. But despite the lack of love, she was grateful for the support she'd received from her exes, especially regarding her studies and family life. Lily fondly recalled how Mason had helped her prepare for her senior year exams, ensuring she passed the university entrance exams and enrolled at a prestigious university in B City. But her current situation was complicated. She had multiple job offers but was still contemplating her future. Although she had some interest in the entertainment industry, Maxwell showed disapproval every time she mentioned it, which only made her stop seeking his help. Maxwell's objections and her previous rejection from entertainment agencies made her think that her acting skills and singing voice were not up to par. But her real dream job was to join the civil service, and she had been studying for the entrance exam next month. Still, she couldn’t guarantee success. And now, with the return of the original heroine, Jiang Wanwan, Lily would likely have to leave the city she had lived in for the past four years and move to another place. She hadn't done any research on relocating yet. She sighed, pulled a tissue from her bag, and glanced at her phone as she thought about all this. Maxwell had been calling her multiple times. She sighed again, wiped her hands dry, and picked up the phone. "Where are you? What are you doing?" Maxwell's voice quickly shot out with several questions, sounding like a husband interrogating a cheating wife. "I called your dorm, but your roommate said you weren’t there," he added. Lily: "..." Suppressing the urge to curse, she smiled faintly. "I'm out eating. I'll be back soon." "Who are you with? Which restaurant?" Lily took a deep breath and replied, "I'm just discussing job prospects with a classmate at a Western restaurant on Nanliang Road. I’ll be done in about half an hour." There was a pause on the other end before he responded, "I’ll pick you up in half an hour." Lily agreed without protest. When she returned to the table, she noticed a small piece of matcha cheesecake added to her plate. She smiled. "Thanks, Senior Jiang." The man across from her, Jiang Shen, smiled as well. "I know you like it, so I ordered an extra slice. Try it." Lily lowered her head to eat the dessert. Jiang Shen leaned back in his chair, but his restlessness was hard to hide. Soon, a hint of worry appeared on his face, making him look even more attractive with his fair complexion and scholarly aura. Lily glanced at him briefly. Had she not been through the experience of meeting four male leads, her heart as calm as water, this man would have been considered handsome enough. As for what Jiang Shen was thinking, Lily couldn’t say for sure, but she had an inkling. She wasn’t naïve.