Destiny: The Vengeance Contract

The majestic Imperial City, a metropolis of grand dreams and shattered remains. Amidst the hurried crowd, Tô Nghiên, clad in her worn delivery uniform, felt like forgotten dust. Today was her birthday, a day she should have spent in warmth, yet she was delivering an expensive bouquet of lover’s roses.

Three years prior, Tô Nghiên was a design prodigy, an idealistic scholar with soaring ambitions. Then, a plagiarism scandal derailed her life. During an international competition, Lâm Tuyết—her supposed friend—shamelessly presented her identical design first, resulting in Tô Nghiên being branded a thief and losing her degree. To compound the agony, as she sought justice, fate struck again: she discovered she was pregnant, and Thẩm Dật Hiên, her fiancé, suddenly broke his leg. Their wedding was rushed in the hospital, while Lâm Tuyết had already fled abroad. Every misfortune that befell her family, from her tarnished honor to the heavy burden of survival, was indirectly caused by Lâm Tuyết.

This morning, in their cramped rental room, Thẩm Dật Hiên drew her a rose, clumsy but heartfelt, bringing her a rare moment of joy. She drew one for him in return. It was the only precious memory she clung to in this humiliating marriage.

Her small delivery van stopped outside a lavish villa. The bouquet of roses she held, a limited edition piece called “True Love’s Kiss,” was worth 90 million VND, equivalent to all her family’s savings. The thought was bitter. Wealthy people casually squandered the money she had to earn through eight jobs a day, relentlessly, for three years, just to cover her husband’s medical bills.

“Hello, I’m here to deliver the roses. This is the lover’s bouquet you ordered.”

The sight inside the living room froze the blood in her veins. A group of young masters was gambling and laughing, the sound of cheers and clinking glasses echoing. And there sat Thẩm Dật Hiên, her husband, his legs perfectly fine, without any sign of a limp.

“Can’t you see we’re playing cards? Get out.”

Tô Nghiên stood rooted, her chest seized by an invisible hand. She heard a familiar, yet cold and distant, voice.

“Hello, psycho. Who ordered this?”

A woman, arrogant and aristocratic, stepped out from behind Thẩm Dật Hiên.

“I ordered it. Isn’t Tuyết Nhi supposed to return today?”

Lâm Tuyết, the one who ruined her life, was back.

“Brother Dật Hiên is still so good to his little sister Tuyết Nhi. But didn’t you say you rushed out today without your wallet? What a coincidence. Not only does her voice sound similar, but her name is also like my husband’s, but my husband is so poor, and he even broke his leg, he definitely couldn’t come here.”

Tô Nghiên swayed. The painful truth struck her: the person she was speaking to was not Dật Hiên, but one of the young masters, mocking her and calling her “psycho.” The bouquet was apparently for Lâm Tuyết.

“This bouquet is 90 million VND. Wealthy people casually buying a bouquet like this has wasted all my family’s savings.” She bit out the words, placing the flowers on the table. Her gaze was fixed on Thẩm Dật Hiên. He, the Crown Prince of Beijing’s elite, Young Master Thẩm, was wearing the hundred-million-VND limited-edition “True Love’s Kiss” jewelry set. After so many years, Thẩm Dật Hiên still treated Lâm Tuyết so well.

“Brother Dật Hiên…”

“Nghiên Nhiên, why are you here?” Thẩm Dật Hiên was flustered.

“So your leg is fine,” Tô Nghiên whispered, her voice dry, saturated with utter disappointment.

She moved forward, impulsively, and slapped him across the face. All the resentment, all the bitterness of the past three years, converged in that moment.

“What are you doing? Nghiên Nhiên, listen to me. Where did this crazy woman come from? Do you know who you just hit? The Young Master of the Imperial City’s Thẩm family. Ten of your dirty lives wouldn’t be enough.”

Tô Nghiên, her hand still stinging, remained resolute. “The Young Master of the Thẩm family can explain to me.”

Thẩm Dật Hiên pulled Tô Nghiên away, trying to calm her in a secluded corner. “Nghiên Nhiên, there are too many people here, let’s go home and talk.”

But Lâm Tuyết refused to let go. She stepped out, a malicious smile playing on her lips. “Brother Dật Hiên, why are you still with Tô Nghiên? I thought that game was just for fun.”

Everything collapsed. “What game?” Tô Nghiên trembled.

“The poverty pretense game. Brother Dật Hiên bet with his friends, betting on a high-minded scholar like you, to see if you were truly above money and could endure hardship with him. Didn’t you know?”

Three years of youth, the days and nights she worked eight jobs, the unhealed scars on her leg from yesterday’s delivery accident—it was all just a test of her greed. Tears could not fall; the pain had surpassed the limit of endurance.

“Do you think I wanted to be a delivery person?” Tô Nghiên hissed.

Thẩm Dật Hiên tried to salvage the lie. “Nghiên Nhiên, it was a game at first, but later I intended to tell you the truth. Actually, I was planning to tell you recently. Now I truly like you. Trust me.”

His voice was full of deceit, without a trace of sincerity. Tô Nghiên felt only disgust. Just then, Lâm Tuyết feigned a fall, clutching her leg.

“Brother Dật Hiên… Tuyết Nhi…”

“Nghiên Nhiên, wait for me to return and I’ll explain. I need to take Tuyết Nhi to the hospital first.”

“No need for explanations anymore. We’re getting divorced. Tiểu Vũ will come with me.”

Thẩm Dật Hiên’s face changed, turning brutal. “Nghiên Nhiên, stop making trouble, okay? Aren’t you happy that my leg is not broken? Now you can directly leap to a higher class, you don’t have to suffer anymore. This is a turning point for countless people. Be a good girl, wait for me here.”

He cared only about fame, about status, while she and their little son were just obstacles.

“Tiểu Vũ, stay home and wait for Mom, okay? Can I come pick you up?” She called her son.

“Dad and I are going to the pool, don’t come get me.”

Tô Nghiên rushed to the pool. Tiểu Vũ was standing by the edge, his face filled with anger.

“Tiểu Vũ, why are you here? It’s dangerous, don’t go there!”

“I just saw Mom bullying Dad, I hate you! I hate you!”

Tiểu Vũ darted towards the pool. Tô Nghiên lunged after him without hesitation. “Tiểu Vũ, I can’t swim, quickly grab the lifebuoy!”

The moment she touched Tiểu Vũ was the moment they both plunged into the cold water. This marriage, this relationship, her conscience was clear, but she felt wronged. Her strength was depleted. The last sound she heard was Tiểu Vũ’s hate-filled cry, followed by a cold darkness.

Waking up, Tô Nghiên found herself in a luxurious room. A butler stood nearby.

“Now that you’re awake, please leave soon. You should consider yourself lucky. If our master hadn’t passed by and rescued you, you might have perished here tonight.”

Who was the master? “I want to thank him personally. May I ask where your master is?”

“No need, the master hates women. Haven’t you noticed there are no women in the entire estate?”

As she tried to leave, she saw a little boy playing alone. The boy stopped, staring at her. She suddenly felt a pang of sorrow, reminded of the lonely image of her own son, Tiểu Vũ.

“It seems your young master wants to say something to me.”

“How is that possible? Our young master has been mute since childhood, and besides the master, he has never paid attention to anyone. The doctor said, ‘The young master is autistic due to a lack of maternal affection, truly pitiful.'”

Tô Nghiên left the mansion, but her humiliation was far from over. Thẩm Dật Hiên, who was waiting for her to kneel and beg, had driven her to the brink.

“Your rental house’s lease expired today. Without me, you absolutely cannot survive in this city. Think carefully, then contact me.” His words echoed in her mind.

She took her grandmother to a vegetarian noodle shop. “Grandma, please eat first. Two bowls of vegetarian noodles.”

“Boss, how much is this? 10 đồng.” Tô Nghiên only had 9 đồng in her pocket.

“You’re going to owe me a single đồng?”

A nearby customer, Thẩm Dật Hiên’s lackey, approached haughtily: “I’ll add two bowls of beef noodles for them. Would you play with me for a bit?” He intentionally insulted her in public.

Her grandmother, seeing her granddaughter bullied, weakly tried to stand. Thẩm Dật Hiên’s man forcefully pushed her back. “Take this as payment; I didn’t even touch her.”

“Grandma, what’s wrong?” Her grandmother collapsed, her face pale.

Tô Nghiên held her grandmother, tears streaming down her face. “Grandma, I’ll take you to the hospital immediately. It’s my fault. You picked up trash to put me through school, but I can’t even afford a bowl of noodles. I’m the one who implicated you.”

The humiliation peaked. “Without me, you absolutely cannot survive in this city.” Thẩm Dật Hiên was waiting for her to beg. Why should he? He deceived her, trampled her dignity, and now wanted to humiliate her family?

She pulled out her phone. “This is how you can contact me. Think carefully, then call me anytime.” It was the business card of the man who saved her.

“Hello, Mr. Phó, save my grandmother!”

Without question or explanation, a Rolls-Royce arrived to pick her up within two minutes.

“Tuyết Nhi, you’re right. Tô Nghiên is indeed hiding something from me. What is it now? A man in a flashy car picked her up.”

“Tô Nghiên can only be mine. I’ll see who in the Imperial City dares to compete with Thẩm Dật Hiên for a woman!” Thẩm Dật Hiên roared, ordering his driver to pursue. But the Rolls-Royce bore the license plate 001, the car of Phó Trầm Uyên, the head of the Phó family.

Tô Nghiên had stepped into an entirely different world.

The Phó family’s best medical team treated her grandmother. “The elderly lady’s injury is not serious, but she suffers from long-term malnutrition and osteoporosis. It is recommended she recuperate for a while.”

Phó Trầm Uyên, the most powerful man in the Imperial City, appeared. “The Phó estate is spacious and dignified, with a separate small courtyard. My advice is to bring your grandmother there to convalesce. Do you agree?”

Tô Nghiên nodded in gratitude. “If it’s not a bother, of course.”

In the luxurious living room, Phó Trầm Uyên got straight to the point. “I want to marry you.”

“Marry? Are you joking? I’m already married. Moreover, I have a child.”

“But as far as I know, you’re about to get divorced, aren’t you?”

Although she was divorcing, she couldn’t remarry so quickly. “A life-saving grace cannot force me to repay with my body.”

Phó Trầm Uyên handed her a contract.

“I suffer from an addiction that medication can no longer control, requiring a woman’s assistance for treatment. Tiểu Cẩn suffers from autism and needs companionship. Ms. Tô, your role is to cooperate with my treatment and accompany Tiểu Cẩn. The contract duration is 2 years. After the divorce, Ms. Tô will receive 1 billion in cash, plus a villa in every major city.”

This was not a mere suggestion; it was a lifeline. A lifeline to save her grandmother and escape Thẩm Dật Hiên.

While Tô Nghiên contemplated, little Tiểu Cẩn walked in and hugged her. “She… she… is Mom.” The autistic boy, speaking for the first time, called her mother.

“Mr. Phó, I accept the contract.” Tô Nghiên made her decision.

The next day, Tô Nghiên returned to the rental apartment, carrying the divorce papers.

“Nghiên Hiên, you weren’t home. Where did you go? When are you coming back? In 30 minutes, bring the divorce papers to the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Thẩm Dật Hiên, instead of signing, tried to bribe her. “I can take you to live in a villa. Don’t be angry anymore, you’ll have a good life now, what else is there to be angry about? Let’s go.”

“You haven’t been exposed for faking wealth. You can give me a taste of the privileged life I couldn’t access. What do you have to be angry about?” He remained unrepentant.

“Fine, using your money to buy flowers was my mistake. Here’s 1 million, consider it a tenfold repayment.”

“You don’t even want 1 million?” He sneered.

“Yes, all my savings combined are not worth the bouquet you gave Lâm Tuyết. We’re getting divorced.”

Immediately, Thẩm Dật Hiên received a document from the Phó family’s legal team. He was panicked and furious. “Tô Nghiên, when did you connect with the Phó family? Why did the divorce agreement come from the Phó family’s legal team?”

“Rest assured, leave it to me to handle.” Phó Trầm Uyên’s words from last night had become reality.

“Tô Nghiên, do you think Phó Trầm Uyên is interested in you? He’s just playing around. You gave up the position of Thẩm Madam to run off and become someone else’s mistress. How did you become so money-grubbing?”

“Didn’t you also play around with me? Young Master Thẩm.”

Tô Nghiên stood firm, refusing to look back. She revealed that she had contacted Thẩm Dật Hiên’s mother and the media, threatening to publicize their past chat logs. Cornered, Thẩm Dật Hiên’s mother called, forcing her son to divorce or lose the inheritance.

Thẩm Dật Hiên delivered his final insult: “For you, I even… even acknowledged an illegitimate child as my son. That night, I personally witnessed you entering the wrong room.”

Tô Nghiên was heartbroken, but she showed no weakness. To intimidate her, Thẩm Dật Hiên produced an invitation card.

“Phó Trầm Uyên is about to get married. Do you know what kind of family the Phó family is? A century-old elite family’s daughter can marry Phó Trầm Uyên. Do you think they will tolerate you continuing as Phó Trầm Uyên’s mistress?”

Tô Nghiên saw Phó Trầm Uyên choosing invitation envelope covers. He really was getting married soon.

“I’m not joking with you, I want to marry you.” Phó Trầm Uyên’s words felt like a knife twisting in her heart. What was he doing?

Even though she agreed to the marriage, Phó Trầm Uyên kept his distance. He suffered from a “craving for touch,” but her presence only worsened the addiction. “You were staring at me just now, and I couldn’t focus on work. Therefore, before the marriage, please be mindful and keep your distance from me.”

The pain of abandonment from her ex had not healed, and now came the coldness from her new associate. But she had to persevere. She spent time with Tiểu Cẩn, even cooking chicken soup for Phó Trầm Uyên’s business trip.

Before leaving, Phó Trầm Uyên gave her the business card of Trương Vu Thiên, the master painter who had been reclusive for ten years. “You paint very well. He has agreed to take you as a disciple.” This was her biggest dream. A surprising act of warmth beneath his cold exterior.

One month later, Thẩm Dật Hiên and Lâm Tuyết encountered Tô Nghiên taking Tiểu Cẩn to school.

“Tô Nghiên, Phó Trầm Uyên even forced you to become a nanny. How dare you shamelessly stay at the Phó estate? How did you fall so low?” Lâm Tuyết scoffed.

Thẩm Dật Hiên tried to pressure her: “You don’t know how much Phó Trầm Uyên values his fiancée. For the wedding, Mr. Phó has booked an entire island. The wedding dress alone required a custom design team of 3,000 people.”

Tô Nghiên knew about the extravagant preparations, but she didn’t back down. When Thẩm Dật Hiên offered her the master’s invitation (the one Phó Trầm Uyên had already secured for her), demanding she return, Tô Nghiên simply smiled.

“Brother and sister? Is that what you call brother and sister?” She retorted to Lâm Tuyết’s mockery about her “brother and sister” relationship with Dật Hiên.

“Mr. Phó, thank you very much. Thẩm Dật Hiên and I are divorced.”

“You’re welcome. We will hold the wedding one month from now,” Phó Trầm Uyên announced.

“This is just a transaction,” Tô Nghiên reminded him.

“Tiểu Cẩn needs a legitimate mother,” he replied, his eyes distant.

Everything seemed settled until one morning. Tô Nghiên received a flurry of messages.

“This morning you didn’t reply, and I thought you were angry, but apologizing over the phone didn’t feel sincere.”

Phó Trầm Uyên had flown eight hours from abroad, only to confirm she wasn’t angry about his small joke the previous night.

“Isn’t all this back and forth a hassle?” Tô Nghiên asked.

“Not a hassle. Confirming you’re not angry is more important.”

He, the richest man in the Imperial City, the man with an addiction requiring a woman’s touch, the man who would hold a lavish wedding for another woman in a month, was standing before her. His initial coldness was slowly being replaced by an inexplicable yearning.

“A Nghiên, I can assume that you weren’t upset by my actions last night. So, can I continue to play a few small games in the future? Just between the two of us, nobody else knows, okay?”

“A Nghiên, you are truly beautiful.”

He kissed her, a quick and decisive kiss.

“I have a very important meeting after 9. I have to go.”

Less than two hours after returning from a long flight, he left again. Tô Nghiên watched his retreating back.

“Suddenly, I don’t want to go on the business trip anymore. You affect me greatly.”

The Rolls-Royce sped away, leaving Tô Nghiên standing there, her hand touching her recently kissed lips. She was divorced, free from Thẩm Dật Hiên. She was about to marry Phó Trầm Uyên in a cold contract. But this man was sheltering her grandmother, protecting her dreams, and slowly breaking his own rules. This contract might be a transaction, but it was opening a new chapter, where she was no longer the outcast, but the only woman capable of soothing the pain of a powerful patriarch. The future still held many contradictions, but this time, Tô Nghiên chose to stand on her own two feet, no longer the victim of anyone’s game.