"Mom" Xia Yingying said, her voice steady and clear, "You and Dad were right. I shouldn't waste another moment chasing Tang Qing."
Wen Ming froze mid-step, turning slowly. Relief, profound and sudden, washed over her features, followed by a warmth that reached her eyes. Her prayers answered. She'd always despised Tang Qing's arrogant entitlement. "Oh, Xiao Ying..." she breathed, her voice thick with emotion.
"Mom's going to make your favorite dumplings!" Wen Ming declared, already heading towards the kitchen, a new lightness in her step.
"Mom, I'm stuffed!" Xia Yingying protested with a helpless laugh, patting her stomach.
Their moment was shattered by raised voices at the front door. Xia Yingying descended the grand staircase with effortless grace, a stark contrast to the simmering tension below.
"Tang-ge, it's not my fault Sister Xia starved herself!" Hu Mingyou's voice was a practiced blend of concern and faux innocence. She spun towards Xia Yingying, her eyes wide and aggrieved. "Sister Xia, please don't be angry! I only mentioned how busy Tang-ge was organizing my gala dress. It's all for the company's benefit! I never meant to monopolize his time..." She trailed off, the picture of misunderstood sacrifice.
Tang Qing's gaze snapped upward, arrested by the figure on the stairs. Even in oversized jeans and a baggy polo, her hair pulled carelessly back with wispy strands framing her face, she possessed an ethereal quality. Her skin was luminous jade, her eyes striking pools of dark intensity holding an unnerving, newfound depth.
Xia Yingying met her ex-best friend's gaze, a cold clarity replacing past naiveté. "How did I ever fall for this act?" She thought.
"Starve over him?" Xia Yingying's laugh was light, dismissive. "Don't be absurd, Hu-jie. I was cramming for finals." Her tone turned deceptively sweet, laced with subtle steel. "Really, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to make me look foolish." She said then she thought"Hmph. Two can play this game."
Hu Mingyou blinked, genuine surprise flickering before she masked it. The old Yingying would have flown into Tang Qing's arms or erupted in jealous tears by now. She hadn't even looked at him properly.
"Now, if you'll excuse me" Xia Yingying continued, her voice cool and distant, "I'm quite busy." She turned without a backward glance.
Tang Qing's jaw tightened. Rage, hot and unfamiliar feeling surged through him. No one dismissed him. The Tang family stood among Hai City's Five Aristocratic Houses. People groveled for his attention. The Xia wealth was substantial, but they lacked the pedigree. What infuriated him most wasn't her defiance, but her utter indifference. He despised her, yet her cool disregard scraped at his ego, leaving an unsettling void.
"Big Brother Tang" Hu Mingyou cooed, placing a placating hand on his arm, her voice the epitome of reason. "Don't mind Sister Yingying. She's just... hurt. Maybe you should stay? I can skip the gala..." Her words, meant to soothe, expertly painted Xia Yingying as the petty, unreasonable one.
"My Mingyou is always so considerate" Tang Qing said, the warmth returning to his voice as he looked down at her. "But nonsense. Let's go collect your dress." He offered her his arm.
Xia Yingying didn't spare them a glance. She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. "Bring the dress to the villa tonight," she commanded crisply.
"Boss? Is that really you?! Oh my god, I—" The excited voice on the other end was cut off as she ended the call.
Li Lizue stared at her phone, then grinned wickedly at her colleague, the handsome man adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "Cheeky as ever, Boss." He chuckled. "Guess we're burning rubber tonight, Xuexue. The boss demands her gown!"
*****************
"Master Lu, the invitation to the Hai City Charity Gala." Gu Ting, his assistant, presented the thick cardstock envelope with trembling hands. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the arctic 16°C blast from the office AC. Most wouldn't understand the oppressive atmosphere, but Gu Ting knew it intimately. One word described his employer's current mood: Terrifying
Lu Quinzue didn't look up from the financial report. A single, dismissive "Hmm" was his only acknowledgment.
Gu Ting stood frozen, the silence thickening. Lu Quinzue finally lifted his gaze, his sharp, sword-like brows drawn together, his eyes glacial. The most formidable bachelor in Hai City, an investor whose reach spanned continents, radiated an aura of absolute command.
"Prepare the jet for Hai City. Departure before 16:00." The command was icy, precise.
"Yes, sir. Immediately!" Gu Ting practically fled, checking his watch. "Ten minutes to mobilize the private jet crew."He broke into a run.
Lu Quinzue's phone vibrated on the polished ebony desk. He picked it up without glancing at the caller ID.
"Big Brother Lu! When are you coming back?" A young woman's voice bubbled with forced cheer.
"Tonight." His reply was toneless.
"Okay, Ah-Xue! I'll wait for you at the—"
"Unnecessary." He terminated the call before she finished.
Gu Ting reappeared, slightly breathless. "Sir, the jet is prepped and cleared. Departure in 45 minutes."
Another "Hmm." Lu Quinzue stood, a dark silhouette against the panoramic city view, and strode from the office without another word.
*************************
Xia Yingying met Li Lizue in a discreet corner of an upscale cafe. The sleek garment bag lay beside them.
"Boss, it's been too long! Things got hairy after you stepped back," Li Lizue leaned in, her voice low. "We hit a serious cash crunch. Turns out Chen Dixon was bleeding us dry. We exposed her and booted her from Takwen Group."
Xia Yingying's expression remained impassive, but a cold fury settled in her gut. "Chen Dixon. My most trusted... and the other knife in my back. "Noted," she said, her voice dangerously calm. "She'll be dealt with. What else?"
"Right... there's this investor," Lizue continued, lowering her voice further. "Massive offer for a controlling stake. Ghost-level privacy. Tana burned half her neurons trying to crack his firewalls. All we got was a name."
"Which is?"
"Lu Quinzue."
Xia Yingying's breath hitched. "Lu Quinzue."The name resonated like a struck gong. Hai City's most elusive and powerful magnate. Wealth beyond comprehension. Influence that shaped nations. "This... this is the backing I need."
A chilling memory surfaced: her broken body pulled from the sea, given dignity in death by his men. " I owe him that."
She stood, taking the garment bag. "Keep me updated." Her tone offered no room for further chatter.
Li Lizue just sighed, watching her boss's retreating back. "Still the Ice Queen."
"Mom!" Xia Yingying called, entering the sunlit living room. "I'm attending the gala tonight."
Wen Ming looked up from her embroidery, surprised. "Sweetheart? But you always said those events were stifling..."
"Time to try new things, Mom," Xia Yingying replied, a rare, genuine smile touching her lips as she adopted a slightly coquettish tone. "Expand my horizons."
Her mother beamed, pride shining in her eyes. "That's my girl."
Xia Yingying sat beside her, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Mom... there's something else. Something I've built. I have a company. A significant one."
Wen Ming stared, then a soft chuckle escaped her. The determined glint in her daughter's eyes reminded her so much of her younger self. "Oh, Xiao Ying," she murmured, setting her embroidery aside. "You truly are my daughter. Come." She stood, offering her hand. "I have things to show you, too."
They entered the master suite. Wen Ming moved a section of paneling, revealing a hidden safe. From it, she withdrew not jewels, but a meticulously preserved portfolio. She opened it to reveal breathtaking sketches – landscapes and portraits so vivid they seemed poised to leap from the paper.
Xia Yingying gasped, leaning closer. The style was achingly familiar. Her mind raced. "This... this is the style Hu Mingyou claimed as her own masterpiece in my past life!" She thought.
"Come closer, Xiao Ying," Wen Ming whispered, pointing to a delicate signature in the corner of a moonlit forest scene. "This was my name, once."
"Night Li," Xia Yingying breathed, the pieces crashing together. The fabled child prodigy artist who vanished at the height of her fame... was her mother. And Hu Mingyou had stolen these very drawings from their home. That's how she won the Nation Wide Artist Contest weeks after the gala. The timeline was shifting, but the threat remained.
"Mom," Xia Yingying implored, turning to face her, eyes burning with intensity. "You have to enter the Nation Wide Artist Contest. Show them who Night Li truly is."
Wen Ming gently touched her daughter's cheek. "Baby, the spotlight... it's not for me anymore. I have my family. I have peace."
"Then let me," Xia Yingying countered, excitement sparking. "I can replicate your style. I've studied it forever! And... I see details here," she pointed to the edge of a magnificent dragon sketch, "that could be expanded. Made even more breathtaking." Details Hu Mingyou couldn't replicate, details she blamed on 'artistic evolution' to the judges.
Wen Ming's eyes softened, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. "Alright, sweetheart. If this is your passion, show me what you can do." Perhaps, she thought with a secret maternal hope, such talent will catch the eye of someone truly worthy for her.*
"Mom? Mom!" Xia Yingying waved a hand, snapping her mother out of a clearly pleasant daydream. "Where'd you go?"
"Just thinking," Wen Ming replied, her smile turning mischievous, "about how incredibly fortunate your future husband will be."
Xia Yingying rolled her eyes dramatically. "Thank goodness Grandma isn't here to amplify that." She managed a small smile. "I'm heading up to work on the sketches, Mom."
As her daughter left, Wen Ming felt a complex surge of pride and apprehension. The spotlight life was brutal. She prayed Xiao Ying had the strength to navigate it and achieve what she herself had walked away from.
In her room, Xia Yingying carefully placed the portfolio in her drawer. Then, she pulled out several high-security lock sets. Within the hour, a discreet locksmith had replaced every exterior lock on the villa.
She handed the new keys to her parents as her father returned home.
"What's all this?" Mr. Xia asked, examining the keys.
"For opening doors, obviously," Xia Yingying replied with feigned innocence.
"Smart comeback," he chuckled, but his eyes were questioning. "I know that. Why the change?"
"Security upgrade, Dad. Mom approved." Wen Ming nodded confirmation.
"My daughter is smart," Mr. Xia declared, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Speaking of, your mom and I are stealing away for a date night. You'll have to dazzle them at the gala solo."
He pulled Wen Ming close, his gaze adoring. Watching them, Xia Yingying felt a familiar pang – not of envy, but of profound gratitude and a fierce determination. "This perfect love, this sanctuary... I will protect it this time. No matter the cost."