Ruan Yao rolled over restlessly, burying her face in the soft blanket.
The plan was sound, but she knew nothing about the operations of Ruanshi Jituan.
In her previous life, she had tried to learn, wanting to share the family’s burdens, but the complex reports and technical parameters left her dizzy.
She simply wasn’t cut out for it, and in the end, she followed her own interests and studied design in college.
Asking her to keep a constant eye on Su Mingyuan was like having an amateur supervise a project. Even if Su Mingyuan were up to something, she wouldn’t be able to tell.
She needed an ally.
Someone absolutely trustworthy and highly skilled in the business.
A name suddenly came to mind.
Lin Weiwei.
Ruan Yao abruptly sat up in bed.
How could she have forgotten about her?
Lin Weiwei was one of the impoverished students from mountainous regions that the Ruan family had long sponsored. She was outstanding in her studies and diligent in her work.
A few years ago, after being admitted to Jingbei University of Science and Technology, she occasionally visited the Ruan family in her free time, often bringing local specialties from her hometown.
After graduating last year, Lin Weiwei naturally joined Ruanshi Jituan as an intern and was assigned to work under Su Mingyuan.
In Ruan Yao’s memory, Lin Weiwei’s skin wasn’t particularly fair, but her eyes were bright, radiating a determined spirit. She was quiet and reserved, yet maintained a relatively close relationship with the family.
In her previous life, when Lin Weiwei came to the house to deliver documents, she had subtly warned Ruan Yao while Su Mingyuan was away answering a phone call, saying that her cousin had been spending a lot of money lately and that she should keep an eye on him.
But back then, Ruan Yao had been too sheltered by her family to suspect anything.
Not long after, Lin Weiwei disappeared from the company.
Su Mingyuan explained to the family that Lin Weiwei had ill intentions and had tried to seduce him, so he had fired her.
Her mother had sighed for a long time, lamenting how even such a good child could change after entering society.
The Ruan family also stopped sponsoring Lin Weiwei after that.
Looking back now, that explanation was full of holes.
Lin Weiwei was resilient and proud—how could she possibly do such a thing?
She must have discovered Su Mingyuan’s gambling secret. Fearing exposure, Su Mingyuan had struck first, slandering her and driving her away.
He might have even threatened her with her family back in her hometown, forcing her to keep silent.
Ruan Yao rested her chin on her hand, her resolve growing stronger.
No one was more suitable to be her ally than Lin Weiwei.
She was highly capable, understood the business, worked under Su Mingyuan, and could easily keep tabs on his movements. Most importantly, she was grateful to the Ruan family.
Lin Weiwei would definitely help her.
With this pressing concern resolved, Ruan Yao relaxed completely, sinking back into the bed.
As the tension in her mind eased, Huo Yanzhi’s face involuntarily surfaced in her thoughts.
Along with his distant and indifferent gaze in the rainy night.
A pang of something like a kitten’s scratch tugged at her heart—a mix of grievance and sourness.
In her previous life, Huo Yanzhi hadn’t been like this.
He had clearly said that he fell in love with her at first sight, captivated by her beauty.
Why, in this second chance, did her face no longer seem to work?
Ruan Yao indignantly touched her cheek—it was still smooth and soft.
She climbed out of bed and leaned closer to the dressing table mirror, examining herself from left to right.
The reflection showed snow-white skin and delicate features, flawless in every way.
Ruan Yao raised her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing her slender neck.
She recalled the hotel suite from her previous life, where she and Huo Yanzhi had their first reckless encounter.
She had been drugged, her consciousness drifting in and out, her body burning as if on fire.
In the darkness, she couldn’t see anything clearly, only remembering a pair of large, well-defined hands, their calloused fingertips gently tracing the contours of her brows and eyes over and over.
His scorching lips lightly nibbled at her neck, grinding against her sensitive skin.
In her ear was the man’s suppressed, hoarse voice, repeatedly calling her name.
“Yaoyao.”
“Yaoyao.”
In her memory, she woke up to see the man emerging from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets slid down his broad shoulders and firm chest, disappearing into the lines of his abdomen.
That face belonged to someone Ruan Yao had only ever seen in financial magazines and news reports.
Tall, unfamiliar, and exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
She had made a grave mistake—she had slept with the head of the Huo family in Jingbei.
Huo Yanzhi walked to the bedside, looking down at her from above.
His eyes were as dark as ink that could never be diluted, swirling with undercurrents she couldn’t comprehend.
“Why are you crying?”
He seemed to let out a faint, mocking laugh, leaning down to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eye with his cool, precise fingertips.
Then, in a tone that was both domineering and unyielding, he informed her:
“If you’ve slept with me, you’ll have to marry into the Huo family.”
“I’ll settle the Ruan family’s debts.”
“You have no other choice.”
Terrified, she burst into tears, shrinking under the covers, daring only to whimper pitifully.
At the time, Huo Yanzhi’s brow seemed to furrow slightly. Without another word, he left his business card, dressed quickly, and left.
Remembering the heavy burden on her family, she was even more afraid of offending the Huo family. The next day, trembling with fear, she dialed the number on the card.
After that, she went from being a debt-ridden outcast to the envied Mrs. Huo.
Pulling her thoughts back from the memories, Ruan Yao looked at herself in the mirror.
It was still the same face.
She puffed out her cheeks at her reflection in the mirror, feeling somewhat deflated.
Had Huo Yanzhi’s tastes changed?
Impossible.
Ruan Yao reassured herself.
It must have been the heavy rain and the pitch-black night. From across the street, he simply hadn’t seen clearly who she was.
Yes, that must be it.
This thought eased the lingering sense of grievance and bitterness in Ruan Yao’s heart.
Now, there were no misunderstandings or hatred between them, and she clearly understood her own feelings.
This time, she would skip all the doubts and torment and go straight to him.
She would also use her knowledge of the future to help him and the Huo family avoid those disasters.
The light in Ruan Yao’s eyes gradually brightened, but it soon turned to frustration.
But… how could she see him again?
Ten minutes later.
Ruan Yao stood outside Ruan Sheng’s door and knocked.
“Come in,” came Ruan Sheng’s muffled voice, the kind he made while gaming.
Ruan Yao pushed the door open and entered.
Ruan Sheng was wearing headphones, his fingers clattering across the keyboard as colorful game effects flashed across the screen.
“Brother,” Ruan Yao called out softly as she walked over.
Ruan Sheng, speaking into his headset, muttered irritably, “Just go home! Go home already! If you’re not joining team fights, do you have social anxiety or something?”
Ruan Yao reached out and removed one of his headphones.
“What?” Ruan Sheng turned his head, and when he saw it was her, the impatience on his face instantly vanished. “What’s up, my little princess? Not sleeping yet?”
Ruan Yao pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, her voice serious. “Brother, can you take me somewhere?”
"What place? In the middle of the night." Ruan Sheng's gaze drifted back to the screen.
"Not now," Ruan Yao shook his arm. "Three days from now, that Qixing Business Summit, take me with you."
Ruan Sheng's hand paused, nearly costing him a kill in the game.
He finally shifted his attention completely away from the computer, looking at her strangely. "Why do you want to go there? It's just a bunch of suits having meetings, boring as hell."
Ruan Yao knew he would say that.
But Huo Yanzhi would be at that summit.
"I want to broaden my horizons," Ruan Yao began deploying her signature skill, hugging his arm and gently swaying it. "I've graduated, I can't be completely clueless about family matters, right? Mom and Dad would definitely want me to learn more."
Ruan Sheng snorted, pinching her cheek. "Oh, has our little princess changed her tune? Just the other day when I asked you to intern at the company, didn't you say looking at reports gave you a headache?"
"That's different," Ruan Yao said matter-of-factly. "Interning is work, this is observation, learning."
She blinked her eyes, misty and pleading, clasping her hands together under her chin like a little animal begging for candy.
"Brother, please just take me, okay? I'll stay quietly on the sidelines, I promise I won't cause any trouble."
Ruan Sheng was most susceptible to this act of hers.
Though he was helpless against her pestering, he felt a bit pleased inside.
His sister showing interest in business was ultimately a good thing.
"Alright, alright, I give up," he raised his hands in surrender. "I'll take you, I'll take you, okay?"
"You're the best, brother!" Ruan Yao immediately beamed with joy.
"But I'm warning you, it's really boring. Don't start crying and begging to go home later," Ruan Sheng tapped her forehead.
"I won't," Ruan Yao promised immediately.
Ruan Sheng watched her delighted expression, squinting suspiciously.
"I mean, what's gotten into our little princess today? Suddenly interested in this kind of thing?"
He leaned in closer, lowering his voice with a teasing, gossipy look. "I haven't even interrogated you yet. That black umbrella you brought back today—does it belong to some boy?"
Ruan Yao's heart skipped a beat.
Her cheeks warmed slightly, her eyes darting away as she mumbled, "A friend's umbrella."
"Right, a friend's," Ruan Sheng laughed with an expression that clearly said "yeah, right," ruffling her hair. "Go to sleep."