Chapter 1

Yingcheng Huaihai Park.

A young and pretty girl in a hot pants, while looking down at her phone, casually threw the drink bottle in her hand into the nearby trash can.

Immediately, a man who was following her, his eyes gleaming as if he had smelled prey, quickly walked over and put the drink bottle into the woven bag in his right hand.

"Today's harvest is good, I should be able to sell it for a lot of money."

Lu Ming looked at the bag full of bottles and cans with joy, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled as he walked out of the park.

"So young, why not do some decent work, and pick up trash instead?"

"Exactly, he looks handsome, but he's such a failure."

In the park, the passing elderly people pointed and sighed.

Some even gave him a look of disdain.

A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Lu Ming's mouth; he seemed to have long gotten used to such remarks.

But every time he heard them, he still felt uncomfortable.

The phone rang at this moment. Lu Ming took it out, glanced at the note, and immediately forced a smile. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Hello, dear, what's up?"

"Do you still have the nerve to ask me what's up? What time is it? Why aren't you back to cook?"

"If you don't come back now, never come back!"

An angry female voice came from the other end of the phone.

"No, dear... I..."

Before Lu Ming could explain, the call was hung up.

"Ah..."

He sighed deeply, not daring to delay, and hurriedly rushed home.

Half an hour later...

In the Jiangbei wealthy villa area of Yingcheng.

In front of a luxurious European-style villa, Lu Ming, out of breath and pale, carried the woven bag and walked into the villa.

As soon as he entered the living room, a beautiful woman in a pink house dress and slippers, arms crossed and legs crossed, was sitting there sulking.

The woman's name was Zhou Qian, the owner of the villa and the only daughter of a famous clothing design company's CEO in Yingcheng.

She was also Lu Ming's wife.

However, since Lu Ming moved into the Zhou family two years ago, after he fell ill, he hadn't even touched Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian slept in the bedroom, and he could only sleep on the sofa. When Zhou Qian slept on the sofa, he could only sleep on the floor.

Moreover, the once young and capable Lu Ming, after falling ill, could no longer do any physical labor, and even running a few steps was very tiring.

Zhou Qian was busy helping her mother-in-law manage the company affairs, while Lu Ming had to take care of Zhou Qian's daily life, doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning, without any slack.

"Dear, look, I picked up a lot of bottles today. After selling them, we can buy some necessities for the elderly in the welfare home."

Lu Ming, panting heavily and pale, walked towards Zhou Qian.

"Stop right there!"

Zhou Qian dodged as if avoiding a plague, glaring at the woven bag and said, "How many times have I told you! Don't bring this garbage home. This is a villa area, not a landfill!"

Zhou Qian was almost driven mad: "Do I not give you pocket money? Are you not ashamed enough? Are you sent by heaven to ruin my life?!"

Hearing this, Lu Ming felt a stab in his heart and said with a grievance, "Dear, the pocket money you give me, half of it is taken by Mom. Besides, with my current condition, I can't do any work. Picking up bottles and selling them to visit the elderly in the welfare home, doing good deeds, might help my condition improve."

"Lu Ming, I really admire you. Look at yourself, what have you become, and you still want to do good deeds? You're not ashamed, but I am, okay?" Zhou Qian said angrily.

"Dear, are you hungry? I'll go cook."

Lu Ming said and headed towards the kitchen.

"Alright, alright, rest a bit first. You look like you're half dead."

Zhou Qian waved her hand and sighed deeply.

"Thank you, dear."

Lu Ming felt a bit warm inside.

Although Zhou Qian had always complained about him in the past two years, he knew deep down that she still cared about him.

When he was sick, Zhou Qian, despite her mother-in-law Wang Xuemei's opposition, spent a lot of money to find famous doctors to treat him, crying every day. Lu Ming remembered all of this.

Moreover, Zhou Qian never proposed divorce because she knew that once divorced, Lu Ming's life would be a dead end.

Lu Ming wanted to get better and give himself some hope, so he often picked up bottles and sold them to visit the elderly in the welfare home.

He hoped that one day, heaven would open its eyes, and he would wake up to find his strange illness suddenly gone.

After all, Zhou Qian wanted him to live, but in this family, there were many who wanted him dead.

His mother-in-law, Wang Xuemei, was one of them.

"Mom, what's up?"

At this moment, Wang Xuemei happened to call Zhou Qian.

"Qianqian, come to the company right now. I need you to go on a business trip to Liangcheng to meet an important investor. The company's financial chain has serious problems, and only you can save the company!" Wang Xuemei's anxious voice came from the other end of the phone.

Lu Ming walked over and listened.

"Mom, what do you mean? I don't understand."

"The investor is a distant relative of yours. His son has always had a crush on you. This time, he specifically asked me to bring you along. Qianqian, he is a talented and handsome man. This is a great opportunity for you. Mom wouldn't harm you."

Hearing this, Lu Ming's face turned pale.

"Mom, what are you talking about? I'm already married." Zhou Qian glanced at Lu Ming and said helplessly.

"Don't mention that wimp. Just mentioning him makes me angry. Our Zhou family has had such bad luck to encounter this broom star. He's sick and won't die, and he picks up trash and disgraces us. He's just a deadbeat! Mom is telling you now, if you don't go, I'll kick that wimp out and make him leave!"

The call was hung up ruthlessly.

"Dear, are you really going?" Lu Ming asked hopefully and cautiously.

"Can I not go?!"

Zhou Qian shouted at him impatiently and started packing her luggage.

Lu Ming stood there, clenching his fists in grievance, his eyes bloodshot.

He sighed inwardly: "There's no such thing as a peaceful life, only a predetermined fate..."

What a messed-up life...