Yun Mingyue finished her lunch and drove her unassuming BMW X7 from the garage toward the office.

Ever since learning Zhou You was interning at the subsidiary, she hadn’t set foot in headquarters. Fortunately, the digital age kept work flowing smoothly.

Tap, tap… tap, tap…

As she walked through the building, veterans from headquarters greeted her one after another.

“Chairman.” The word echoed around her.

“Mm.” Yun Mingyue replied with a gentle smile.

That smile left the greeters utterly bewildered.

The cold beauty of Hangcheng. The formidable leader of Yun Group. Today… unexpectedly warm? Like a girl freshly in love?

A shiver ran down their spines. They hastily dismissed the absurd thought. President Yun was the group’s goddess—she’d saved the company alone. With a failed marriage behind her… how could she possibly seek another man?

Radiating spring-like warmth, Yun Mingyue strode forward—only to bump into her daughter near the chairman’s office.

Yun Daidai clutched a bento box, eyes unfocused, stumbling dazedly ahead.

*Zhou You really won’t eat my bento again… even though this one’s better.*

“What’s wrong?” Yun Mingyue frowned at her daughter’s pitiful state.

Yun Daidai didn’t react. She kept walking until she bumped into her mother.

Looking up, she saw Yun Mingyue’s radiant glow—and her heart clenched.

“You seem happy today?”

“Just so-so.”

“Hmph. You’re practically glowing.” Yun Daidai snorted, resentment bubbling up for no reason. “You and your sweetheart must be having a wonderful time.” Her tone turned sour; the air itself felt acidic.

Yun Mingyue’s face cooled. *This child, born only to continue the bloodline.*

“Very happy. Especially seeing you so pitiful—it genuinely lifts my mood.”

“…”

Yun Daidai bit her lip hard. A thin line of blood beaded on her pink skin.

“You’ll lose what you think you can hold onto… just like me.”

She turned away from Yun Mingyue’s darkening expression, circling past with the bento box, whispering inwardly:

*It’s okay. Once isn’t enough? Try twice. Twice isn’t enough? Try thrice. Success will come.*

Her resolve ran deeper than Zhou You could ever imagine.

Yun Mingyue watched her go, brow furrowed, then let out a soft scoff.

“Empty curse. I’m far more proactive than you think. How could a cat ever let go of the fish-shaped snack it’s set its eyes on?”

…

Back at her desk, Yun Daidai stared blankly at the bento. Her heart-wrenching fragility made nearby male colleagues ache to comfort her.

Veterans kept her identity secret—unsure if she was there for training or other reasons—so the men admired her purely for her beauty.

Ding-ding… ding-ding…

Her phone lit up: Ning Moxin.

Snapping out of her haze, Yun Daidai recalled her request: changing her college application from Didu University to Hangcheng Z University.

She’d earned Didu through sheer effort. Unlike Zhou You—who balanced studies *and* caring for her—she’d had full focus.

*That he still got into Hangcheng Z… is quietly terrifying.*

“Hello? Auntie Ning.” She stepped aside. The caller was Hangcheng Z’s president—a legendary beauty spoken of only in whispers.

“The matter is settled,” Ning Moxin’s voice flowed like a gentle stream, soothing and calm.

“Really?! Thank you!” Yun Daidai’s eyes brightened; gloom lifted slightly.

“I’m surprised you’re so eager for Hangcheng Z. Why not apply earlier?”

Yun Daidai’s fists tightened. Her eyes stung. “I… wanted the same school as the one I like. Even though he broke up with me… and now hates me…”

Ning Moxin had seen this before. Boys rarely spoke without resolve. *When love is gone, it’s gone.*

“I was too foolish… *sobs*… I’ll hang up—”

“Let me share a story.” Ning Moxin hesitated, then wove a softened version of truth: a girl redeemed herself; the boy forgave her; they lived happily.

*(In reality, he never would.)*

“Th-thank you…” Tears fell. To feel cared for again… felt so good.

*He gave me three years. I’ll give four. Or more.* Her resolve hardened.

Elsewhere, a woman with waist-length hair coiled elegantly, dressed in flowing ancient robes as if stepped from an ink-wash painting, placed a modern smartphone on her desk. A crimson mole beneath her left eye added subtle allure.

“Love… is the cruelest word.”

Ning Moxin sighed, reopened WeChat after weeks of freshman chaos.

Ink-Wash Years: [Long time no see, everyone.]

Ice City Romance: [Welcome! Welcome! *throws flowers.jpg*]

Blooming Fortune: [Indeed, it’s been a while.]

Ink-Wash Years: [Have you all met Xiao You?]

*(She’d chosen “Xiao You” as a tender nickname for Zhou You—distinct from how Yun Mingyue and Chen Tangtang addressed him.)*

*Since Xiao You studies at Hangcheng Z… should I arrange a meeting?*