Take the blame for someone else.

I gazed at Qian Duobao standing beside her, my heart a whirlwind of emotions. To say I wasn’t jealous would be a lie, but deep down, I felt painfully inferior, convinced I was nowhere near his equal.

Even though I knew I was unworthy of Jin Yulian, watching her become someone else’s bride in front of my eyes suffocated me, a dull ache blossoming in my chest. Was I really to hand over the woman I loved most to another? What power did I have to win her back?

To reclaim Jin Yulian would be simple, in truth—if only I possessed enough money. One hundred million wouldn’t suffice? Then a billion. In the real world, few women could resist the lure of wealth, but ironically, money was exactly what I lacked.

Where could I possibly get it? Given my current situation, earning even ten thousand was a struggle, let alone a hundred million. I bit my lip in frustration, the sharp pain pulling me back to reality: winning Jin Yulian was as impossible as reaching the heavens.

I felt even more awkward at the thought of her seeing me, so I hid among the other workers. There were six or seven of us in total, and since Jin Yulian was focused on the renovations, she didn’t notice me.

Xu Qingyun accompanied Qian Duobao and Jin Yulian as they toured the house, fawning over them like a lapdog. Yet here I was, earning my keep under his thumb—was I not even worth as much as a lapdog myself?

They chatted and laughed together. From Qian Duobao’s tone, he seemed pleased, though he pointed out a few areas that needed reworking. Xu Qingyun quickly instructed Huang Daqiang to take note and arrange for the changes.

Qian Duobao continued to accompany Jin Yulian on her tour, but she seemed distracted. After glancing around for a quarter of an hour, she took a phone call, then told Qian Duobao that something required her attention at the office. She had no opinions about the renovations and left all decisions to him before preparing to leave.

I saw her drive herself away rather than leave with Qian Duobao, which suggested that, though they were soon to marry, their relationship was hardly intimate. Their union seemed more a transaction than a romance.

Regret suddenly washed over me. If only, that night in her car, I’d taken her in my arms—would Qian Duobao now be wearing a green hat? That night, Jin Yulian had seemed willing, yet I’d let the chance slip by. What a pity, how foolish I’d been. Now there was no such opportunity.

Watching Qian Duobao parade around, brimming with arrogance, I could hardly resist the urge to see him cuckolded.

Xu Qingyun ushered Qian Duobao into the master bedroom, and we followed. The room was at least sixty square meters, with a massive adjoining bathroom.

Two walls of the bathroom were made of transparent glass. One could lie on the bed and observe everything happening inside with perfect clarity.

Xu Qingyun sidled up to Qian Duobao, eager to please. “Mr. Qian, what do you think of this design? You can admire your lady’s beauty from the comfort of your bed.”

Huang Daqiang chimed in, forcing a laugh. “Very romantic, Mr. Qian.”

Qian Duobao nodded in satisfaction. “Xiao Xu, in a few days my imported bathtub from Italy will arrive. Make sure it’s installed perfectly—it cost over two hundred thousand dollars.”

Xu Qingyun grinned, obsequious. “Don’t worry, Mr. Qian. We’ll make sure everything is to your satisfaction.”

Bitterness twisted inside me. The thought of my goddess bathing there, with Qian Duobao leering from the bed, was unbearable. But what could I do? Sleep with Jin Yulian and ruin their wedding?

For days, I was unsettled. Finally, the imported bathtub arrived. The workers used a crane to lift it carefully from the truck.

Huang Daqiang oversaw the unpacking. The tub was nearly two meters square. Someone remarked, “This thing is enormous—even if you were bathing with your lover, it’s overkill.”

“Yeah! With a tub this size, there’d be room for three, not just two!” another joked.

“What are all these fittings? What are they for?”

“Rich folks and their tastes—nothing we poor folks could ever understand.”

Their ribald jokes cut me like a knife. My first love, my goddess, was about to be handed over to another man. Yet what choice did I have? Watching her become someone else’s bride, I was unwilling to accept it—but what could I do?

Invite Jin Yulian out, sleep with her? But that would only hurt her.

Still, if a man cannot fight for himself, he deserves nothing. I couldn’t just watch her become someone else’s wife; I had to win her back.

Suddenly, I heard Huang Daqiang roar, “What are you daydreaming for? Get over here and help carry this tub!”

The bathtub weighed at least a thousand pounds, and it was too large for the elevator. Even with the stairs, it would take more than a dozen men to move it.

Someone suggested, “Brother Huang, it’s too big to lift by hand. If we damage it, we’re all in trouble.”

Huang Daqiang thought for a moment. “We’ll use the crane to lift it to the third floor.”

Though the villa had only three and a half floors, the ceilings were high—equivalent to a five-story building. The master bedroom was on the third floor, so the tub had to be hoisted in through the large window—tricky work that required great care.

Xu Qingyun came in person to supervise. After more than two hours, the tub was finally inside. Then came the hardest part: carrying it into the bathroom itself, which took over a dozen men.

Just then, Xu Qingyun received a call and had to leave. He told Huang Daqiang to take charge. Before he left, he warned, “Be careful! If you damage that tub, you can forget about your pay. It’s worth over a million—more than any of your lives.”

Huang Daqiang thumped his chest. “Don’t worry, Brother Xu, I’ll take care of it!” Xu Qingyun clapped him and another foreman on the shoulder. “If you get this done, drinks are on me at the KTV tonight. But if anything goes wrong, you know the consequences.” With that, he hurried off.

Huang Daqiang directed us to carry the tub into the bathroom. My mind was filled with images of Jin Yulian naked in that tub, Qian Duobao pawing at her. Resentment boiled within me, when suddenly—Bang!

Huang Daqiang shouted at me, “You idiot, are you trying to get yourself killed?” The tub had struck the glass.

With so many men carrying it, it wasn’t even my fault, but as I looked at Huang Daqiang’s ugly face, I’d had enough. On purpose, I jerked my hands. Another bang resounded, even louder.

Everyone panicked and set the tub down. To our horror, one corner had cracked.

Now Huang Daqiang was truly frantic. “Li Shuifeng, you’re finished! You’ve broken the tub—what are we going to do?” Since the tub was damaged, everyone feared for their wages. With Huang Daqiang’s outburst, all responsibility was shifted onto me. Clearly, they wanted me to bear the blame.