Su Yiling closed her bedroom door and settled at her desk, the familiar glow of her laptop screen illuminating her face in the darkened room. Outside, the sounds of her parents' continued discussion drifted faintly through the house, mixing with the distant hum of evening traffic.
She moved to her desk and opened her laptop, the screen's glow casting sharp shadows across her face in the darkened room. Research had become second nature - first in her previous life out of desperation, now out of cold calculation.
Her fingers moved across the keyboard with practiced efficiency. "Gu Yisheng Beijing businessman."
The search results populated immediately. Business magazines with glossy covers featuring a tall, serious-faced man in expensive suits. Headlines like "The Tech Visionary Reshaping Industries" and "Twenty-Five and Unstoppable" splashed across financial journals. Financial journals analyzed his investment strategies and market disruptions. Social media showed carefully orchestrated glimpses of corporate meetings and industry events.
Su Yiling scrolled through the images slowly, studying each photograph. Gu Yisheng never smiled in any of them. His expression remained consistently unreadable - controlled in a way that suggested he'd learned early that showing vulnerability was a liability.
She recognized the type immediately. In her previous life, she had encountered similar men in the business world when she followed Fu Yao to his business meetings-individuals who had learned early that showing vulnerability was a liability. The question was whether Gu Yisheng was simply cautious or genuinely ruthless
One article caught her attention: "The Gu Family Legacy: Three Generations of Innovation."
The patriarch had built a modest technology company in the 1980s. His son had expanded into telecommunications and finance. Now, Gu Yisheng was pushing into artificial intelligence and sustainable energy, each generation more ambitious than the last.
Su Yiling made notes as she read, her handwriting sharp and precise, mapping out the family's business relationships and potential vulnerabilities. If her family was going to compete for this partnership, she needed to understand what Gu Yisheng valued beyond financial capability.
The next search was more delicate: "Gu Yisheng's personal life relationships."
The results were frustratingly sparse. A few mentions of him attending charity galas alone. Speculation about whether he was single by choice or simply too focused on business for relationships. One gossip blog claimed he had been engaged years ago, but the details were vague and unverified.
Su Yiling leaned back in her chair, considering what she had learned. Gu Yisheng appeared to be exactly what her father had described him to be: brilliant, successful, and intensely private. The kind of person who would evaluate potential business partners with the same meticulous attention he applied to everything else.
Her phone buzzed against the desk surface.
A message from an unknown number: My mother asked me to tell you she can meet tomorrow at 7 PM. There's a small tea house on Qingshan Road called Peaceful Moon. She'll be there. - Song Qing
Su Yiling typed back quickly: I'll be there.
She deleted the conversation immediately and returned to her research, opening a new search window. If she were meeting with Song Wei tomorrow, she needed to refresh her memory about Li Ran's current public image.
The search results for "Li Ran actress" were extensive but sanitized. Professional photos, carefully crafted interviews about her dedication to her craft. The public image was flawless - the beloved actress who had risen from humble beginnings through talent and determination alone.
Su Yiling's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
She dug deeper, searching through entertainment blogs and gossip sites from years past. It took nearly an hour before she found what she was looking for - brief mentions of Li Ran's early career, including references to a "dedicated personal assistant who helped manage her rapid rise to fame."
The assistant was never named, but the timeline matched what Su Yiling knew about Song Wei's employment. She made more notes, building a timeline of events that she could present to Song Wei the next day. The key would be convincing the older woman that Su Yiling was serious about exposing Li Ran's crimes, not just collecting gossip.
A soft knock interrupted her concentration.
"Come in," she called, quickly minimizing her browser windows.
Jihan entered carrying a steaming cup, his expression concerned in the way that had become familiar. "Still studying?"
"Research," Su Yiling said, accepting the tea. The ceramic was warm against her palms.
He perched on the edge of her bed, studying her face in the laptop's glow. "You know, Mom and Dad are really proud of how seriously you're taking your academics this year."
"Are they?"
"They were worried after the difficulties you had before." He paused, choosing his words with care. "But seeing you so focused now - it means everything to them."
Su Yiling felt the familiar pang of guilt. Her parents had suffered through her academic struggles in her previous life, they never understanding why their formerly excellent student had suddenly lost interest in learning.
"People change," she said quietly.
"Some people do. Others keep making the same mistakes over and over." Jihan stood, moving toward the door. "I'm glad you're one of the ones who learns."
After he left, Su Yiling sat in the quiet room, processing his observation. Her family had noticed the changes in her behavior, but they were interpreting them as natural maturation rather than something more dramatic.
That was probably for the best.
She reopened her browser windows and continued her research, this time focusing on the Lin family's current business ventures. If they were her father's primary competition for the Gu partnership, she needed to understand their vulnerabilities.
The Liu family's corporate website was polished and professional, highlighting success in real estate development and regional manufacturing. But Su Yiling noticed something interesting in their recent project announcements - several ventures had been delayed or scaled back.
She cross-referenced this with local business news and found subtle mentions of "restructuring efforts" and "strategic realignments."
Corporate euphemisms for financial trouble.
Su Yiling made another note. If the Liu family was struggling, it might explain their desperation to secure the Gu partnership. It might also create opportunities for her own family to gain an advantage.
Her final search of the evening was the most personal: "Su Yiling's academic achievements, college entrance examination."
The results were sparse - her name on honor roll lists from middle school, then nothing from her high school years. In contrast, extensive coverage existed of Lin Xiaoli's academic success, including selection for prestigious scholarship programs.
Her best friend had continued to excel even as Su Yiling had faltered.
This time would be different.
Su Yiling closed the laptop and prepared for bed, her mind already organizing tomorrow's priorities. Meet with Song Wei. Gather evidence against Li Ran. Maintain perfect academic performance. Begin positioning her family for success in negotiations with Gu Yisheng.
It was a complex game with multiple moving pieces, but she felt more capable of playing it than she ever had before.
As she settled under her covers, one final thought occurred to her: somewhere in this city, Gu Yisheng was probably conducting his own research, evaluating the families he was considering as potential partners.
She wondered what he would find when he looked into the Su family's background.
More importantly, she wondered if he would see them as worthy allies or potential threats.
Either way, Su Yiling intended to be ready for him.