How long had it been since she’d properly admired A City’s nightscape?
Rushing out early and returning late every day, swamped with endless meetings, unending documents, and ceaseless business deals.
There was never enough time.
Before she knew it, years had slipped by.
It felt like just yesterday she’d taken over the family business, yet years had already passed.
When she first stepped in, so many looked down on her, doubting she could uphold the vast Ouyang family empire. Countless others schemed to swallow or carve up the Ouyang legacy.
Her parents’ generation was too mediocre. After her grandparents passed, they couldn’t hold things together.
The Ouyang family’s business slid downhill, losing heaps of money.
Worse, her extended relatives, eyeing the Ouyang fortune, dug endless traps, tripping up her parents time and again.
As the eldest daughter and granddaughter, she had no choice but to dive into the family business in her teens. With sheer grit, she steadied the ship, foiled her relatives’ plots, and secured her footing bit by bit.
Now, those relatives avoided her like the plague, terrified of her.
When meetings were unavoidable, they fawned over her or stayed silent, fading into the background.
Given many were her parents’ aunts or uncles, close kin, Ouyang Ya couldn’t just crush them outright, she had to leave them a way to survive.
Her parents still maintained ties with them, after all.
Take her mother, for instance. She refused to cut off her own family, even though Ouyang Ya’s uncle had been particularly troublesome back then. Her mother still visited home, so Ouyang Ya couldn’t destroy him.
All she could do was stop visiting her uncle’s house during holidays. He knew why and dared not complain.
That Ouyang Ya’s mother could still visit was enough for him.
If even his sister stopped coming, their family’s tie to the Ouyangs would truly break, a bad outcome.
Now, in A City’s business world, the Ouyang family was the top dog. Many acted based on Ouyang Ya’s mood.
If her mother cut ties, her uncle’s business would suffer. Opportunists would pounce, driving him to bankruptcy and debt in no time.
“Miss, come have some fruit.”
Zhan Yuan’s gentle voice broke her reverie.
Ouyang Ya realized she’d been staring out the window for half an hour.
Pulling back her distant gaze, she returned to her desk and sat down.
Zhan Yuan had placed disposable forks on the fruit platter for her convenience.
After dinner, she ate some fruit, not much, but sampled each type.
“Zhan Yuan, I need to handle some documents and then meet a client for business. Go have dinner. From tomorrow, cook a bit more so we can eat together, no need for you to go hungry.”
“You said it yourself, three meals a day to keep the stomach healthy.”
“You’ve nursed my stomach back to health, we can’t let yours suffer.”
Zhan Yuan smiled faintly. “I’d love that, and thank you, Miss, for your care. It warms my heart, sweetens it too.”
His eyes held a trace of affection as he spoke.
Ouyang Ya met his gaze, catching the emotion in it.
Her heart skipped a beat, unbidden.
But she quickly regained her composure and said, “Go on, then.”
Zhan Yuan nodded, starting to tidy up.
Soon, he left the CEO’s office.
Ouyang Ya’s eyes followed him until the door closed, then she looked away.
Recalling his gaze, she sank into thought.
