An Yanqing had always been proud by nature; if her family refused to give her love, she disdained to ask for it. When she transferred to First High School, she initially lagged far behind in every subject, but her competitive spirit drove her to study day and night, forgetting to eat or sleep. After Zhong Chu managed to outrank her only twice, the two of them began to tie for the top spot.
Zhong Chu’s actions were intended to break her spine—to crush her proud bones into dust.
Just as An Yanqing understood her, Zhong Chu knew exactly where her weaknesses lay; she knew exactly where to poke to make An Yanqing ache, to make her truly suffer.
Zhong Chu’s throat felt parched, and she clenched her fingers hard. Despite having firmly resolved to humiliate An Yanqing, the words that left her mouth were unexpectedly strained: “Don’t you think you’re being too greedy? Are you worth a higher price? Do you even deserve it?”
However, An Yanqing’s reaction today was destined to disappoint her.
An Yanqing smiled again, but this time the smile held no warmth. The coldness in her eyes almost froze Zhong Chu solid as she asked back with effortless grace: “Then what about you? What price do you think you are worth?”
Her back remained ramrod straight, much like her unbreakable pride.
The coin An Yanqing had just pulled from her pocket spun between her fair fingertips. Then, she raised her hand and tossed it nonchalantly; the silver light traced a graceful arc through the air.
Zhong Chu’s fury had not yet fully vented before it was interrupted by this motion. The circular metal was gilded with a dazzling glow by the sunlight, and her eyes subconsciously followed the glimmer.
It wasn’t until a crisp clink echoed that the coin rolled to Zhong Chu’s feet. It spun around countless times until it bumped against the tip of her shoe. Once the last of its momentum spent itself, the rustling sound finally faded into silence.
The surroundings fell into a dead hush, so quiet that Zhong Chu felt as if she could hear her own rapid heartbeat.
Only An Yanqing’s low, mellow voice was carried over by the breeze, drilling clearly into her ears.
It sounded just like a tender endearment whispered with a smile while she held her by the shoulder: “I think that should be enough, baby—to buy your disappearance from my sight.”
Even when she expressed anger, she did so with immense restraint.
After dropping those words, she turned and walked away, her pace neither hurried nor slow. It was only long after her silhouette had vanished from view that Zhong Chu slowly moved her stiff body to pick up the coin.
The coin was icy, having long lost the body heat it had gathered while being toyed with in its owner’s hand. She gripped the coin in her palm, then walked over to the contract An Yanqing had stepped on, slowly picking up the white sheet of paper.
The white paper was stained with dirt, appearing exceptionally eyesore. it was just like the rift between them; even if one wanted to wipe it away, it would leave an indelible mark forever.
Zhong Chu bent her body slightly, clutching the paper as her gaze swept line by line over the black-and-white terms of the contract. There was no pleasure in having humiliated An Yanqing, nor was there any anger at being humiliated in return—only a sudden sense of bewilderment.
“Chu-chu, you’ve gone a bit too far.”
Hearing the voice, Zhong Chu looked up. When she saw her grandfather leaning against the second-floor railing with a helpless expression, it felt as though she had suddenly found a pillar of support. The heavy emotions accumulated in her heart instantly snapped, and tears burst from her eyes.
She had always been proud, so she turned her face away, stuffed the items into her pocket, and wiped her tears away heavily, not wanting her grandfather to see her crying so helplessly.
But she felt aggrieved to her core; ten thousand chaotic thoughts crashed within her, unable to find an exit. Amidst her low sobbing, a sentence escaped her lips uncontrollably, sounding like a petulant outburst: “Grandpa, I really hate her.”
Back then, although Zhong Chu’s actions were childish, they did have some effect. At the very least, she never saw An Yanqing in her home again after that.
But she also understood that An Yanqing was not the type of person to give up her own interests for the sake of “face,” and Zhong Chu’s passive resistance could not sway her grandfather’s mind. In places she couldn’t see, the deal went through anyway.
Immediately following that was this marriage.
It was so coincidental that Zhong Chu couldn’t help but suspect if this was An Yanqing’s revenge against her.
She clearly knew she hated her, yet she insisted on binding their lives together for the long haul. No matter how much they disliked or loathed each other—tormenting and entangling one another—they could never escape.
With An Yanqing’s somewhat extreme and stubborn temperament, this was truly something that “bastard” was capable of doing.
Zhong Chu poked her head out from behind Elder Zhong, and An Yanqing was quietly watching her.
Facing her glare, An Yanqing remained unruffled and calm, even wearing a faint smile on her face. She was just as composed and indifferent as she had been on the day she was humiliated.
However, in Zhong Chu’s eyes, this situation only reignited her fighting spirit. Even if she was momentarily at a disadvantage, it didn’t mean she would stay down forever. She would eventually find a way to reclaim her dignity in front of An Yanqing.
Elder Zhong turned around and gently patted Zhong Chu’s head. “Your father and mother are still busy; I’m afraid they won’t make it back by noon.”
Zhong Chu’s wandering thoughts were pulled back to reality by these words. The corners of her lips instinctively pressed downward, but having grown accustomed to such things, she only grumbled softly, “I already guessed as much.”
The Zhong parents were natural workaholics. It wasn’t that they didn’t care for their only daughter, but when forced to choose between their frantic work and their daughter, they ultimately chose their career. They couldn’t even find the time for major milestones like their daughter getting her marriage license or meeting her partner.
Elder Zhong struck his cane against the floor once, glanced at the quiet An Yanqing, and said to Zhong Chu: “You should start paying more attention to the company’s affairs. The family has let you play freely for all these years, always following your whims because we only wanted you to be happy and never said much.”
“But your parents only have you as a child. The Zhong family industries will eventually have to be handed over to you.”
His tone was gentle, and though Zhong Chu was reluctant, she understood this was a responsibility she couldn’t evade.
She had grown up competing with An Yanqing for grades in various fields. Although she was repeatedly suppressed by An Yanqing holding the position of “eternal second place” with remarkable stability she wasn’t someone others could easily pull down.
Zhong Chu wasn’t lacking in intelligence; her heart just wasn’t in managing the family business. Previously, her family was happy to give her freedom to pursue her own ideals.
An Yanqing had cultivated a deep presence in the entertainment industry for years, her fame known to everyone. Similarly, the name “Designer Zhong” held an unshakeable status in the fashion world.
For the cover of Mr. magazine, because Zhong Chu was on good terms with He Yu, she had proactively offered to help her out. Before the design drafts were even finished, the resource had fallen into the hands of An Yanqing—whom they had always disliked—so naturally, Zhong Chu was indignant.
She stared intently at An Yanqing’s face, thinking of how to break that damned composure. With a myriad of thoughts swirling, she spoke up: “Grandpa, in that case, I want Yinhe Media.”
The tables have turned—the chance to get her revenge had arrived, hadn’t it?
To be An Yanqing’s direct boss and make that bastard act according to her whims—how thrilling would that be!