Zeng Yicheng was the picture of success, a self-made entrepreneur in the eyes of the public, but he had no idea what truly fueled his rise.

I had always been the “good girl,” yet I broke ties with my family for his sake. My father, though stubborn and sharp-tongued, was soft-hearted; he couldn’t stand to see me struggle and had been helping him behind the scenes all along.

He was always arrogant and full of himself, and I catered to his every whim. Perhaps that was my mistake—it made him feel he could control everything, even to the point of rekindling things with his first love behind my back.

Looking back, my parents were right after all: some people can endure hardship with you, but they can’t handle prosperity.

In this gamble of a relationship, I lost.

At that thought, I called home. Hearing my mother’s voice as she fought back tears, a wave of guilt and sorrow washed over me.

“Come home, Xiaoxiao. Your father and I can take care of you for the rest of your life.”

What on earth had I been doing these past few years? How could I have let the family who loves me so much suffer like this?

I couldn’t even bear to imagine their grief if they had received news of my death—the unbearable agony of parents outliving their child.

I made a promise to my father; I was determined to step up and help him with the family business.

I returned to my world—a social circle that Zeng Yicheng could likely never hope to reach in his lifetime.

As the only daughter of the Ling Group, I was born with a silver spoon, a true princess of the corporate world.

My phone didn’t ring again until that evening. I spared it a glance. I assumed Zeng Yicheng had finished coddling Ning Kexin and finally found the time to deal with me.

I gave a cold smile, blocked his number, and turned my attention to the bidding proposal my assistant had just delivered.

My only saving grace was that I had never abandoned my career for him. Years of professional experience allowed me to handle these matters with effortless precision.

I was still the Ling Xiaoxiao who could make her parents proud.

After a few days of intensive preparation, I attended the bidding conference as the representative of the Ling Group. This time, I was the client.

I knew Zeng Yicheng would be there, but I was confident I could face him with absolute composure.

He, however, lost his cool in front of everyone. He stared at me in utter disbelief, unable to mask the shock written all over his face.

Zeng Yicheng had always had soulful, affectionate eyes. When he looked at me, they used to hold nothing but my reflection—something I was once deeply infatuated with.

But now that they were clouded with other emotions, I realized they were no different from anyone else’s.

“The bidding process will now officially begin,” I announced with a polite smile, never sparing him another glance.

The results would be announced in a few days. In the meantime, my father planned to host a banquet to formally announce my appointment as the General Manager of the Ling Group.

I readily agreed. This was the life I was meant to lead.

What I hadn’t expected, however, was that the event coordinator had invited Zeng Yicheng as well.

Zeng Yicheng was polished and successful, wearing the label of a “self-made entrepreneur,” but he had no idea what lay behind his success.

As a girl who had always been obedient, I broke ties with my family for his sake. My father, though stern in speech, was soft at heart; unable to bear seeing me live a hard life, he had secretly helped Zeng Yicheng quite a bit.

He was always arrogant and conceited, and I constantly accommodated him. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he felt he could control everything—even going so far as to cheat on me by getting back together with his first love.

Looking back, my parents were right after all: some people can weather the storms together, but they cannot share in the prosperity.

In this gamble, I had lost.

Thinking of this, I made a call back home. Hearing my mother trying to hold back her tears, my heart ached with sorrow.

“Come home, Xiaoxiao. Mom and Dad can take care of you for the rest of your life.”

What had I done these past few years? How could I have caused so much pain to the family who loved me so deeply?

I couldn’t even imagine how heartbroken they would be if they learned of my death—the tragedy of parents burying their child.

I promised my father that I was determined to help him with the family business.

I returned to my own circle—a circle that Zeng Yicheng could never hope to reach in his lifetime.

As the only daughter of the Ling Group, I was born a privileged princess.

When my phone rang again, it was already evening. I glanced at it; Zeng Yicheng must have finished soothing Ning Kexin, right? So now he had time to deal with me.

I smiled, blocked his number, and began to review the tender proposals sent by my assistant.

The only thing I was grateful for was that I had never abandoned my career for Zeng Yicheng. Years of work experience allowed me to handle problems with ease.

I was still the Ling Xiaoxiao who could make her parents proud.

After a few days of intensive preparation, I attended the bidding conference as the representative of the Ling Group. This time, I was the client.

I knew Zeng Yicheng would show up, but I could face him with a calm heart.

Yet, he lost his composure in public. He looked at me in disbelief, unable to hide the shock on his face.

Zeng Yicheng had a pair of soulful eyes. When he looked at me, they used to be filled with my reflection—that was once what I was most infatuated with.

But when those eyes were clouded with other emotions, it turned out they were no different from anyone else’s.

“The bidding conference is now officially open,” I announced with a smile, never sparing him another glance.

The results would be announced in a few days. During this time, my father planned to host a banquet to announce my appointment as the General Manager of the Ling Group.

I gladly agreed; this was the life that truly belonged to me.

But what I didn’t expect was that the person in charge had also invited Zeng Yicheng.