The mansion felt vast and silent, a gilded cage where two strangers were forced into an uneasy truce. Xia Yue, with a defiant sigh, pulled a thin quilt from the cabinet and made her bed on the plush sofa. "You sleep on the bed, I sleep on the sofa," she announced, her voice echoing a little in the large room. "Don't worry, I sleep very honestly, I won't make any noise, I absolutely won't disturb you." Sha Hao, a figure of quiet intensity, merely opened his laptop, the glow illuminating his focused face. "No need, you can sleep on the bed." But his words were brushed aside; Xia Yue found the sofa surprisingly comfortable, a small rebellion in a world not her own.

A strange thought flickered: Do tycoons always work this hard? The air hung heavy with unspoken questions until a sharp, insistent knock sliced through the silence. "Knock knock knock!" Xia Yue, barefoot, hurried to the door. "Uncle He?" The visitor was the steward of the old house, bearing the same name as the brother from the villa, his face impassive. He handed over a modest bag. "This is what the mistress ordered, young mistress keep it safe." A greeting gift, Xia Yue surmised, a polite smile on her face as she accepted it. "I won't disturb your rest then." Uncle He vanished into the night, leaving Xia Yue alone with the bag, a growing unease settling in her chest.

Sitting back on the sofa, a prickle of anticipation mixed with dread, Xia Yue tore open the package. Her face immediately drained of color. A silent gasp escaped her lips, unheard by anyone but herself. *[Phew! Are people from wealthy families so open about this? They actually sent over one, two, three, four, five boxes! ]* Her mind raced, a frantic whisper: *[This is practically murder, good thing this is a fake marriage.]* She stroked her chin, her gaze drifting to Sha Hao, still hunched over his laptop. *[I heard that tycoons do it seven times a night, I wonder if sugar daddy can keep up.]* Across the room, Sha Hao stiffened, a faint, tell-tale blush creeping to the tips of his ears. Xia Yue, noticing the subtle shift, thoughtfully lowered the air conditioner temperature, oblivious to the true nature of his reaction.

She tossed the unsettling package aside and opened her phone to King of Glory, a small escape. But her usual gaming partner was absent. Who would cheer her on? Her partner, known by the ID Sweet Little Kitten, was affectionately called Meow Meow by Xia Yue. *[Meow Meow, how come you're not online today?]* A long silence, then "Typing. . ." appeared. Finally, a cascade of words filled her screen: *[Wahhh, sister monkey, the CP I shipped got together! My brother actually brought home a woman inferior to my goddess in every way. That woman has nothing except her face. I saw clearly how much my brother liked the goddess, he even promised to marry her when she gets back. I really cannot accept this result now. Although I know he doesn't have feelings for the current woman, he's already tainted, even if my goddess comes back, he wouldn't be good enough for her anymore, wahhh. . . Why do men's hearts change so quickly. . .]* A jolt went through Xia Yue. This story, so intensely dramatic, felt oddly, unsettlingly familiar. She sat up abruptly, a strange chill creeping up her spine, and began tapping furiously: *[Ah this. . . I feel that your brother is the real scumbag who has let down two girls! ]* The conversation spiraled, a shared fury against an unseen villain, a bond forged in righteous anger.

The shrill sound of an alarm shattered the moment. Eleven o'clock. Time to sleep, yet Xia Yue felt unnervingly awake, a restless energy buzzing within her. She glanced at Sha Hao, still engrossed in his work. Was he a machine? Did he ever tire? A sudden impulse guided her downstairs, her slippers soft against the polished floor, to prepare a glass of warm milk. As she started back up, a hand materialized, snatching the glass. Sha Hao's brother, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint, finished the milk in a single gulp, then slowly, deliberately, licked the milk stain from the corner of his mouth. "Thanks sister-in-law, how did you know I was thirsty?" Xia Yue's mind went blank. "Could it be this was prepared for my brother? Sister-in-law, don't you know my brother only drinks coffee not milk?" Xia Yue nervously curled her fingers, forcing a straight face. "Who said that, this was for me to drink." A knowing smirk played on his lips. "Oh~ I see. . ." His gaze felt like a burning touch, following her as she made another glass of milk, an unsettling weight on her back.

Back in the room, she placed the milk on the table, a deep, shuddering sigh escaping her. "What's wrong?" Sha Hao looked up, pushing his frameless glasses higher on his nose bridge, his eyes betraying a flicker of curiosity. Xia Yue looked at him, a mixture of exasperation and something akin to fear in her eyes. "Nothing." Her thoughts, however, were anything but silent. *[Should I say your brother seems to be seducing me?]* A dismissive wave of internal logic. *[If I say he likes me that would definitely be impossible. There must be some grand scheme, tsk tsk, this rascal is too evil!]* Her mind then clung to a desperate anchor, a mantra against the rising tide of strangeness: *[Two hundred million, two hundred million, two hundred million, two hundred million! Heh heh, no one can stop me from making money!]* Sha Hao stiffened again, a tremor running through him. *Money-grubber!* Ever since this bizarre ability to hear Xia Yue's innermost thoughts had manifested, Sha Hao had been gripped by a profound, unsettling doubt. Had he truly transmigrated? Were the events of his past life a lie, a dream? How else could a person, a world, change so dramatically? He lowered his eyes, concealing the turbulent thoughts swirling beneath the calm surface, a desperate attempt to maintain his composure.

The next morning, the silence of the old Sha residence felt heavier, pregnant with unspoken secrets. They departed early, the deserted streets a stark contrast to the bustling city they were heading towards. Lady Sha, however, had ensured their exit was not unnoticed, preparing an overwhelming collection of gifts, big and small, a physical manifestation of a life Xia Yue felt she didn't truly inhabit. A pang of guilt, quickly followed by a fierce possessiveness, struck her. She wasn't genuinely married, yet the thought of relinquishing these treasures brought a wave of pain. Xia Yue clutched her chest, a dramatic, internal cry of anguish. Sha Hao glanced at her, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "What's given to you is yours, just keep it." Xia Yue's face lit up. "Really?" "Yes." "Hee hee, thank you sugar daddy!" Sha Hao flinched at the unusual moniker, but said nothing. *As expected of a tycoon, so generous!* Xia Yue's mind immediately began to calculate, converting gifts into cold, hard cash, a comforting ritual amidst the unsettling reality.

But her fleeting joy was short-lived. Before they even reached home, her agent, Jian Brother, called. Work. This time, a livestream promotion, a collaboration with a famous influencer. Xia Yue's reputation was a tarnished thing, good jobs eluding her like ghosts, forcing her into a cycle of cheap hype and public scorn. A wave of dread washed over her. She desperately wanted to refuse. She remembered this particular event from an "original book," a whisper of a future she shouldn't know. The poor-quality fruits, the rotten durians, the public outcry, her own humiliation. Rejecting it, however, was impossible. The pay was too substantial, the company wouldn't allow it. Perhaps, she thought, a spark of defiance igniting, she could subtly warn the unwitting buyers.

"Um. . . could you send me to the company?" Her voice, barely above a whisper, held a tremor of unease. "Okay." Only after Sha Hao spoke did the driver execute a seamless U-turn. Xia Yue opened her phone, reviewing the information from Jian Brother. The livestream's theme: "Help Farmers," promoting unsold agricultural products. A noble intention, corrupted by scamming middlemen. She decided then, a silent vow echoing in her mind, to say and do as little as possible, to become a mere backdrop in this pre-written drama. She didn't notice the gradual hardening of Sha Hao's expression beside her, his gaze subtly falling on her. On the surface, he was calm, composed. But beneath, a typhoon raged. *What did she just think? What does she mean by described in the book?* The answer, terrifyingly clear, lay just beyond his grasp. One touch, one thought, and he would know. Yet, Sha Hao didn't dare to pursue it, a primal fear seizing him.

It wasn't until the driver's voice cut through the heavy air that Sha Hao snapped back to the present. He realized Xia Yue had already exited the car, vanishing into the imposing building of her company, leaving him alone, adrift in his fractured reality. He reined in his frantic thoughts, pinching the bridge of his nose, then strode with measured steps into the company, a desperate attempt to anchor himself. No matter the truth, no matter the terrifying implications, work, he reminded himself, still had to be done. Even a tycoon, he thought bitterly, couldn't escape the relentless demands of the world, or the terrifying whispers of a destiny he was only just beginning t