He smiled self-deprecatingly and looked up at the sky.
Winter nights came early, and the light was already dim. Snowflakes drifted down to the ground, large and thick. By morning, the world would surely be blanketed in white.
His memories drifted along with the falling snow.
More than three years ago, Lin Zhihua graduated with a master's degree from Stanford.
At that time, he had another promising plan. The company he founded during his graduate studies had just taken shape, and he was ready to make his mark...
Then Mother Lin called. The Lin family's empire was on the verge of collapse. Master Lin had fallen ill, and Lin Changji and other "Lin family members" who held shares in the company were scheming to grab as much money as they could before the Lin Group crumbled.
Lin Zhihua sat in silence all night, thinking deeply—about how he had fled abroad years ago due to "health issues," about the Lin family, and about the elite education Master Lin had arranged for him in his childhood...
In the end, he sold his newly established company, gathered funds, and returned to China.
At that time, though there was distance between him and Master Lin, there was no resentment.
Lin Zhihua still remembered the words he had spoken back then: "I will take over the Lin Group, but from today onward, the 'Lin' in Lin Group stands for Lin Zhihua."
What followed was more than three years of sweeping reforms and restructuring, revitalizing the Lin Group and setting it on a path of flourishing success.
He knew his body wasn’t the problem—it was his mind.
But what did that matter?
He never believed humans needed to prioritize their primal animal instincts. He had no interest in women, and saw no reason to develop any.
Master Lin, his parents, and everyone around him had all tried to dictate a path for him.
And if he didn’t follow their plans, they would hurt him under the guise of "doing what’s best for you."
Many might yield to such "love-wrapped coercion" from their parents.
But Lin Zhihua never would.
Lin Zhihua could only choose—never be forced.
His life was his own to decide.
The snow was heavy. After standing outside for just a short while, his shoulders were already dusted white.
His pale fingers had turned faintly red, chilled by the cold.
Should he never have come back?
The thought had barely formed when Lin Zhihua chuckled softly, as if recalling something. A hint of warmth softened his expression, pulling him back from his icy detachment. The world around him seemed to thaw slightly.
He took out his phone, opened an interface labeled "Jiao Jiao," and gently pressed a kiss to the screen.
If I hadn’t come back, I would never have met you.
——
The Cheng Household.
To be honest, Gu Xue Jiao really didn’t want to attend this New Year’s dinner. There was Old Lady Bai Xiumei, who had never liked her much, and the mother-daughter pair who outright despised her...
Most of this family probably didn’t welcome her presence.
"Happy New Year, Mom and Dad!" Cheng Shuo said cheerfully, followed by Li Sitong presenting gifts.
"Happy New Year, Mom and Dad!" Li Sitong said, then glanced at Xue Jiao. "Mingze, Jiao Jiao, come greet your grandparents!"
"Happy New Year, Grandpa and Grandma!" Cheng Mingze said with a smile.
"Happy New Year to you too!" Old Master Cheng and Bai Xiumei beamed, handing out red envelopes.
"Happy New Year, Grandpa and Grandma," Xue Jiao also said with a smile.
"Happy New Year, Jiao Jiao!" Bai Xiumei spoke before Old Master Cheng could, her smile just as warm as if there were no difference between Xue Jiao and her other grandchildren. She handed her a red envelope as well.Xue Jiao took it, her smile growing even brighter.
Not bad, not bad, it's quite thick.
"Mingjiao, come quickly and wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year!" Cheng Kai called out to Cheng Mingjiao.
It had been a while since anyone paid attention to Cheng Mingjiao. She looked haggard, having lost a lot of weight, and her complexion wasn't good.
If she used to be a seven in beauty but a nine with makeup, now in this worn-out state, she was barely a five.
There was something odd about her gaze too.
"Uncle, Aunt, happy New Year." Her voice at least sounded normal.
Cheng Shuo smiled and handed her a red envelope, concerned. "Mingjiao, why have you lost so much weight? You didn't even want to go to the annual gathering earlier."
In previous years, when Li Sitong wouldn't allow Gu Xue Jiao to attend the gathering due to her behavior, Cheng Mingjiao would always ask to go along, and Cheng Shuo would take her every time. But this year, she hadn't even volunteered.
"It's nothing. Mingjiao didn't do well on her finals and has been feeling down, that's why she's lost weight," Liu Yazhen said with a strained smile.
"Mingjiao, if you didn't do well, just work harder next time. Don't worry, it's just one exam. You'll have more chances—just do better on the next one," Old Master Cheng said reassuringly.
Cheng Mingjiao didn't respond until Liu Yazhen nudged her, at which point she nodded slightly.
Xue Jiao narrowed her eyes slightly, puzzled by Cheng Mingjiao's refusal to look up.
What's wrong with her?
Come to think of it, she had been unusually quiet since the end of last semester. Since she wasn't causing trouble, Xue Jiao hadn't paid her much attention. But seeing her now, how had she ended up like this?
Liu Yazhen was acting strange too. When Xue Jiao gave her New Year's greetings, she quickly handed over a red envelope—nothing like her usual sarcastic and mocking self.
Looking closely, even under heavy makeup, Liu Yazhen looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.
Soon, the New Year's Eve dinner was served, and Xue Jiao set aside her questions.
The meal was surprisingly peaceful. With Liu Yazhen and her daughter keeping quiet and not stirring up trouble, the atmosphere at the table was harmonious.
"By the way, Mingze and Jiao Jiao, aren't you both heading into the finals of your competitions after the New Year?" Old Master Cheng suddenly asked.
"Yes, the competition is in March—the last round," Cheng Mingze replied.
Old Master Cheng laughed heartily. "Hahaha, that's wonderful! Mingze, aim for a direct admission to the university you want, and Jiao Jiao, you too!"
"Thank you, Grandpa," Cheng Mingze said with a reserved smile.
Old Master Cheng raised his glass and stood. "Come, let's toast to Mingze, Jiao Jiao, and Mingyu for all achieving first place in their grades last semester! And let's also wish Mingze and Jiao Jiao great success in their upcoming competitions! Mingjiao, work hard too—catch up in the new year."
Everyone stood up with smiles, raising their glasses—even young Cheng Mingyu stood with his cup. Only Cheng Mingjiao remained seated.
Liu Yazhen pinched her, and Cheng Mingjiao finally stood.
Old Master Cheng frowned slightly.
"Come, cheers!" Cheng Shuo said, smoothing things over.
Clang!
Cheng Mingjiao's glass fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.
"Breaking brings peace, breaking brings peace," Bai Xiumei quickly chanted for luck.
But Cheng Mingjiao suddenly looked up, her face twisted with fury as she pointed at Gu Xue Jiao. "Her surname is Gu ! What is she doing in our house?! Get out! Get out of our home! Get out of my life!"
Everyone froze, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing."Mingjiao! Mingjiao!" Liu Yazhen immediately embraced Cheng Mingjiao, patting the back of her hand in an attempt to soothe her.
"Gu Xue Jiao! Why don't you just die!!"
"Cheng Mingjiao!" Old Master Cheng erupted in fury, while Cheng Shuo and Cheng Mingze also frowned deeply.
Xue Jiao, the one being cursed at, looked slightly puzzled. Cheng Mingjiao... seemed mentally unstable?
"How dare you speak like that, Cheng Mingjiao!" Cheng Kai glared at her.
"Mom! Dad! Please stop pressuring Mingjiao!" Liu Yazhen suddenly burst into loud sobs while holding Mingjiao. "Mingjiao has depression."
"What?!" The cup in Cheng Kai's hand fell to the ground, his face filled with shock.
"What's going on?" Old Master Cheng also grew anxious.
Cheng Mingjiao was a child of the Cheng family, a granddaughter they had watched grow up. Seeing her suddenly like this, everyone became worried.
Liu Yazhen continued crying.
The last time she had decided to deal with Xue Jiao, Mingjiao had been in a frenzied state, stabbing a doll while screaming Gu Xue Jiao's name.
At the time, Liu Yazhen hadn't paid much attention. Later, after earning Li Shu's resentment, she had been too busy maintaining her social standing among the ladies' circle to care for Mingjiao.
It wasn't until the end of the semester, when she saw Mingjiao's plummeting grades and clearly abnormal mental state, that Liu Yazhen began to panic.
"Explain what's going on..." Li Sitong asked with a frown.
"Just take your daughter and stay away from mine! Mingjiao is like this because of Gu Xue Jiao!!" Liu Yazhen shouted.
"Yazhen, calm down. Explain clearly—what exactly happened to Mingjiao?" Bai Xiumei's expression darkened. Though she had been disappointed in this granddaughter before, blood ran deep, and she still cared.
"Mingjiao... Mingjiao developed depression because of Gu Xue Jiao..."
"How is this Jiao Jiao's fault?" Li Sitong widened her eyes. "Besides, Mingjiao's condition doesn't seem like depression to me. It's more like a mental—"
"Shut up!" Liu Yazhen's eyes bulged, no longer caring about the audience. "Your daughter has ruined mine! What more do you want?"
"Sister-in-law, the important thing right now is understanding Mingjiao's condition!" Cheng Shuo frowned. He still cared deeply for this niece he had doted on for years. The priority now was her well-being, not arguments or blame.
Between sobs, Liu Yazhen said, "Gu Xue Jiao and Mingjiao had many fights at school. Because of her, Mingjiao lost all her friends and was ostracized by everyone. The psychological pressure was too much! And then Gu Xue Jiao kept provoking her... Mingjiao... Mingjiao just couldn't take it anymore!"
She covered her face and wept, as if everything was Xue Jiao's fault.
The others froze, turning to look at Xue Jiao. Cheng Kai's gaze grew noticeably colder, and Bai Xiumei's face turned icy.
Xue Jiao took a deep breath, set down her cup, and looked straight at Cheng Mingjiao—
"Mingjiao, you have to admit one thing: there will always be people in this world who are better than you. You couldn't accept that the Gu Xue Jiao you once looked down on had surpassed you. You grew jealous, made mistakes, and then your classmates began to fear and avoid you. As I kept improving, you spiraled further into madness until you couldn't take it anymore and drove yourself to this state. But why didn't you just work harder? Why not strive to catch up to me instead?"Xue Jiao paused for a moment before continuing, "I, Gu Xue Jiao, was once like this too. You pushed me into the dirt, left me with no friends—the few I had only wanted to harm me. You flaunted your excellence... But I knew envy was useless. I worked hard, pushed myself to become who I am today. And now, it's you who's filled with resentment..."
"But no one is born to forever be nobler than another. Envy is never the solution."
Xue Jiao shifted her gaze to Liu Yazhen and said earnestly—
"Mingjiao's condition is a psychological issue. You don’t need to hate or blame me. The only way you can save her is to teach her—envy gets her nowhere."
"Ahhh—!" Cheng Mingjiao covered her ears and screamed.
"Eldest!" Bai Xiumei slammed her hand on the table, her voice icy. "We won’t be having this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner. Take your family and leave first."
Cheng Shuo glanced at Cheng Mingjiao and finally nodded. "Alright."
As he led Xue Jiao and the other two to the door, he stopped and said softly to Cheng Kai—
"Jiao Jiao... is actually right. Mingjiao’s problem can’t be solved by running away."
With that, he left with Xue Jiao and the others.
OpenNovel