As long as things worked out, she could date someone for a while; if they didn’t, they could break up. She hadn’t had her fill of such a carefree, blissful life yet!
Zhang’s mother sighed and continued, “Where are you going to find someone who’s perfect in every way and meets all your standards? Feelings grow over time. Look at the younger daughter of the second branch of the Wang family next door. She got married through an arranged introduction last year, and now she’s already pregnant. The young couple are living such a lively, happy life.”
“Mom.” Zhang Yanyan shook her head. “I have money and free time. My life is comfortable and carefree. There’s no need for me to put a shackle around my own neck just for the sake of getting married and making my life harder.”
Zhang’s parents exchanged a helpless glance. They knew their daughter’s personality—once she made up her mind about something, it was difficult to change it. All they could do was remind her again and again to pay more attention to marriage and not devote all her time and energy to work.
Scenes of this sort began taking place every few days, and Zhang Yanyan grew thoroughly fed up with being nagged.
Her work was already stressful enough, so she finally found an opportunity to share her plan with her parents.
“Dad, Mom, you two can handle the company’s day-to-day affairs for a while. I want to travel around the world and clear my head. Maybe I’ll even meet someone suitable along the way. Then you won’t have to keep an eye on me all the time.”
Zhang’s parents couldn’t talk her out of it and eventually had no choice but to agree. They repeatedly reminded her to stay safe while she was away, to message them regularly and let them know she was all right, and to tell her family immediately if anything happened.
And so, Zhang Yanyan set aside her work, packed her bags, and embarked on a journey around the world.
Zhang Yanyan had even considered asking her parents to have another child—a younger brother or sister—thinking it might be better than having them focus all their attention on her.
But after another thought, she realized that her parents were already getting old. Giving birth at their age carried extremely high risks. If something happened to her mother, it would be disastrous. In the end, she abandoned the idea.
Zhang’s parents: Well, thank you for that!
During her travels, Zhang Yanyan visited famous mountains and rivers, wandered through quaint towns in foreign countries, admired lakes and seas, and experienced the different customs and cultures of every place she visited. Her days were relaxed and carefree.
Later, during a video call with Lin Yue and Zhou Yutong, she happened to learn about Song Ze and Tang Tang’s current circumstances.
After serving their sentences and being released from prison, Tang Tang’s family had already fallen into ruin. She had no family connections or background to rely on. On top of that, she had abandoned her university studies halfway through and now had a criminal record. Whenever she applied for a job, she couldn’t even make it past the interview stage.
Song Ze’s family was hardly any better. With no stable source of income, he could only scrape by doing odd jobs, stumbling through one difficult day after another.
When Tang Tang was released from prison, only her mother came to pick her up.
But her mother had become terribly haggard over the years. Her hair had turned completely white, and she passed away not long afterward.
Tang Tang became completely alone. She ran into obstacles everywhere in the lowest rungs of society and eventually had no choice but to survive by doing temporary labor. She would spend the rest of her life in poverty and misery.
Thinking back on the past, Zhang Yanyan wondered whether they had ever regretted their choices.
Lin Yue also brought up Zhou Nian in passing. “Oh, right—there’s Zhou Nian, too. After she recovered from the injuries she suffered that time, it was as if she’d finally come to her senses. She never mentioned that scumbag Song Ze again and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her studies. She graduated successfully this year and even got engaged to the older boy who lived next door.
“That guy had liked her for many years. He’d always looked after her quietly and treated her exceptionally well. The two of them are living a very happy life now.”
A certain kindhearted onlooker heard this and let a fleeting smile cross her face before concealing her contribution completely.
During a trip to an island, Zhang Yanyan met a young man named Lu Yu, who was a few years younger than her.
Lu Yu was handsome and pleasing to the eye. When he smiled, his brows and eyes curved beautifully. He was cheerful and gentle, and he was also very good at providing emotional support.
Most importantly, that face, that build, those legs, that waist… Tsk, tsk, tsk. Absolutely perfect.
Zhang Yanyan had always been a sucker for good looks. Moved by his thoughtfulness as well, the two naturally ended up together and dated for several years.
Throughout the relationship, Zhang Yanyan had never considered marriage. She had made that clear to Lu Yu from the very beginning. She simply wanted to enjoy the easy, pleasant time they spent together.
That was until she unexpectedly discovered that she was pregnant. When she received the examination report, she was filled with confusion. They had used protection every time, so where had this baby come from?
After learning the news, Lu Yu took the opportunity to solemnly propose marriage to Zhang Yanyan.
Watching the ambition in his eyes, Zhang Yanyan narrowed her own, a trace of regret rising in her heart.
After all, she had always been extremely satisfied with Lu Yu’s looks.
Sigh. What a pity. No one stays exactly the same forever.
She didn’t waste time arguing with Lu Yu. Instead, she directly gave him a generous settlement payment, and the two parted amicably.
After all, he was the child’s biological father, and Zhang Yanyan didn’t want to be too ruthless. Fortunately, Lu Yu was sensible enough and didn’t continue pestering her.
Yes, she was just that heartless. She could abandon the child’s biological father, but she was perfectly happy to keep the child.
After returning to Rong City, Zhang Yanyan gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. Zhang’s parents personally chose their formal names. The boy was called Zhang Dong, and the girl was called Zhang Tongtong.
The two children were adorable, so Zhang Yanyan entrusted them to her parents’ care.
The elderly couple had been longing for grandchildren. Now that they had adorable children by their side, they spent every day doting on them and enjoying a peaceful life. They no longer had the time or energy to pressure Zhang Yanyan into getting married.
As Zhang’s parents were getting older, they announced their retirement and handed complete control of the Zhang Group’s affairs over to Zhang Yanyan.
After taking over the Zhang Group, Zhang Yanyan continued to conduct herself as she always had—calm, decisive, and possessed of an exceptional eye for opportunities.
She made early investments in emerging industries such as new energy and cultural tourism while optimizing the group’s traditional business sectors. Under her leadership, the company continued to expand, its business operations grew steadily, and its momentum became increasingly vigorous. In just two years, she had driven the company’s performance to new heights.
During that period, the company’s senior executives also “voluntarily” cooperated, doing everything they could to help her implement her strategic plans. The company operated smoothly, and not a single problem arose.
As the children gradually grew older, Zhang Yanyan began making arrangements for the company’s future.
She divided the shares of the Zhang Group into two portions, leaving one for her son and the other for her daughter. She then officially announced her retirement from the group, completely freeing herself from the burden of work.
After retiring, Zhang Yanyan finally began living the leisurely life she had long dreamed of.
This time, she turned down every social engagement and declined all invitations to business events. She settled down peacefully with her parents in the old Zhang family residence.
The courtyard of the old house was filled with the flowers and plants her parents loved. Every morning, Zhang Yanyan practiced tai chi with them in the yard, basking in the warm sunlight while listening to them chatter endlessly about neighborhood gossip and share amusing stories about the children.
In the afternoons, she would carry a wicker chair into the courtyard and watch the children chase one another around as she told them about the customs and cultures of different places and handed out the little gifts she had brought back from her travels.
In the evenings, the whole family would sit around the dining table, eating the home-style dishes her mother had prepared and talking about everything that had happened during the day. Their life was simple, warm, and peaceful.
Zhang Yanyan lived this way for five whole years.
The children gradually matured as well. Zhang Dong grew into a lively, cheerful young man, while Zhang Tongtong blossomed into a graceful young woman. The two elders remained hale and hearty, though the passage of time had still etched faint traces across their faces.
But fate had other plans. In the year Zhang Yanyan turned sixty, her parents passed away one after the other. They departed peacefully, having both reached a ripe old age and come to a natural end.
Though Zhang Yanyan was heartbroken, she knew that birth, aging, illness, and death were simply part of life. Her parents had lived long, full lives, and in the end, she was able to accept reality with peace in her heart.
Following their wishes, she had them buried together.
After a long while, Zhang Yanyan gradually emerged from her grief.
