Fake heiress tore up the script, acted lazy and dumb, and got eliminated.

Chapter 3My place was almost ruined by a kitten.

"Grrrllll～"The sound echoed through the apartment like a battle drum. Lu Wei's stomach had begun its daily protest against her empty bank account.

"You didn't have dinner at the Gu family?" her uncle Lu Ming asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. His tailored suit contrasted sharply with the messy pile of instant noodles wrappers in the trash bin.

"They were too busy celebrating their perfect daughter's success to notice I existed," Lu Wei muttered, tugging at the hem of her oversized sweater. The fabric smelled faintly of cat fur - a souvenir from her afternoon with the orange tabby.

Lu Ming turned toward the stove, his movements precise as he lit a flame under a dented aluminum pot. "What do you want? I'll cook."

"Lobster thermidor, truffle-infused ribeye, spicy—""We have instant noodles," he interrupted, his voice as crisp as shattered glass.

"Fine. Just... no cilantro." She slumped onto the dining chair, watching him rummage through cabinets. Moonlight filtered through the blinds, casting silver bars across his shoulders. For someone who claimed to be a simple businessman, he moved with military precision.

Her phone vibrated on the table. A text from her best friend: "Heard you confronted Gu Hua today. Risky move!" Lu Wei's thumb hovered over the keyboard. In the original timeline, Gu Hua would use this incident to paint her as a jealous rival. But now that she'd been given a second chance—

"Dinner's ready."

Lu Ming placed a steaming bowl before her. The simplicity of the scene—a single egg floating atop broth, green onions wilting like surrender flags—belied none of the storms brewing around them. As she stirred the noodles, his phone rang.

"Sir! We caught him red-handed in the emergency stairwell," a tinny voice announced. Lu Ming's knuckles whitened around the receiver. "Contain him. I want every detail he knows."

Across the table, Lu Wei froze. In her previous life, this mole had nearly destroyed Lu Corporation's billion-dollar bid. But how had her uncle anticipated it? The plot threads tightened. Was he truly the cold-hearted villain from her memories, or had she misjudged him?

The orange tabby sprang onto the windowsill, its golden eyes glinting. "Bad kitty! Stay away!" Lu Wei brandished her chopsticks like a sword. The beast pounced, claws clicking against porcelain as it pinned her wrist.

"Lu Wei! What's happening—"

"Species discrimination! This is sexual harassment!" she shrieked, though laughter trembled in her voice. The cat's purrs grew louder, vibrating through her bones. "Someone should report this to Cat PAWS!"

Lu Ming pried the yowling furball off her, his jaw twitching. "You're twenty years old, not a kitten toy."

"But look how he looks at me!" She pointed accusingly. The tabby tilted its head, tongue lolling in what could only be described as a lascivious grin. "It's like... destiny's cruel joke!"

The next morning, Lu Wei boarded her uncle's black Maybach, clutching a thermos like a life preserver. Inside bubbled iced cola with floating goji berries—her version of self-care.

"What's with the..." Lu Ming glanced at her precariously balanced drink.

"Health fad. It's called... quantum wellness." She tapped the container solemnly. Beneath the lid, carbonation fizzed like trapped champagne. "Live for the moment, but hedge your bets."

The car turned onto Maple Avenue, where ancient oaks guarded iron gates. Through the windshield, Lu Wei glimpsed a castle from a fairy tale—turrets, ivy-clad walls, and a fountain sculpted with cherubs holding pitchers.

"This is Grandpa's... retirement community?" She gaped at marble columns framing stained glass windows. In her mind's eye, her grandfather remained the gruff man from faded photos—bald, scowling, arms folded across a polyester shirt.

"Lu Family Estate," Lu Ming said flatly. "Father prefers privacy."

They passed uniformed staff trimming rose bushes. Each step closer to the manor felt like ascending an altar. When they entered the foyer, crystal chandeliers fractured sunlight into rainbows, illuminating a man carved from obsidian.

Grandmaster Lu Li-sen adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, scrutinizing his son. "You return merely to dump this..." His gaze flicked dismissively at Lu Wei, who suddenly wished she'd worn heels instead of fluffy slippers.

"Father, please," Lu Ming interjected. "She's endured enough hardship."

The old man's scarred eyebrow arched. "Hardship? She lives in a mansion while my granddaughter rots in poverty." His voice cut like a guillotine.

Lu Wei bristled. So much for familial warmth. In this man's eyes, she saw reflected the contempt she'd always feared. But wait—the original plot stated Grandfather Lu despised Gu Hua. Why was he turning that scorn on her?

"Actually, sir," she blurted, "I was just leaving my slipper print on your immaculate floor—"

Her foot slipped. Marble became ice. Arms flailed. Time slowed as she plummeted—until landing in an undignified split, legs stretched impossibly wide. Silence. Even the chandelier seemed to hold its breath.

"Impressive," Lu Ming muttered, face buried in a hand.

Grandmaster Lu's lips twitched—a seismic shift in his stoic mask. He turned without another word, robes billowing like a dark cloud.

"Welcome home," Lu Ming whispered, helping her up. His fingers trembled ever so slightly.

As the car sped toward the airport, Lu Wei pressed her face against the cool glass. The castle receded into a chess piece on a distant board. Her phone buzzed: "Gu Hua starts volunteering at orphanages tomorrow. Opportunity?"

She grinned, tapping a reply: "Game on."

In the rearview mirror, the tabby sat perched on the rear shelf, tail curled around paws. Their eyes met—his lazy, hers determined. Destiny, she thought, scratching at the window fog. Let's see who really wears the boots here.