Gao Xueying had always been submissive around her, but this time, she straightened her spine, her gaze even carrying a hint of disdain.
Whether it was during their time as study companions in England, after returning home and entering her social circle, or even in front of Zhu Ze, she had always been obedient—so Ye Shengsheng had never seen her as a threat.
Ye Shengsheng was proud, unrestrained, and lived freely, never holding herself to traditional standards of ladylike behavior. As the only cherished daughter of Ye Huaisheng and Ruan Qinglan, her social circle was meticulously curated, and those fake socialites active on social media rarely crossed paths with her.
This was the first time she had been betrayed by a close friend—though perhaps "friend" was no longer the right word. Still, to have stayed by her side for over four years, Gao Xueying must have had some skill.
Objectively speaking, climbing into Zhu Ze’s bed wasn’t necessarily better than clinging to her. After all, even the most passionate love had an expiration date, and given Gao Xueying’s modest background, forging a lasting relationship with Zhu Ze would be an uphill battle. So this move was… questionable.
It was hard to say whether she was being shortsighted or if she should just be wished good luck.
The art gallery was quiet, bright spotlights shining on the display cases, their glass surfaces reflecting the two women’s figures.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ye Shengsheng noticed the other young socialites catching wind of the tension, exchanging eager glances in the corner.
Those people were practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of drama, but she refused to give them the satisfaction. With an icy tone, she brushed past Gao Xueying without a word.
But as they passed each other, Gao Xueying suddenly grabbed her bare arm. "Can we talk?"
Her grip was tight, fingers trembling slightly—her body language betraying emotions she couldn’t fully conceal.
Ye Shengsheng stopped, tilting her head to look at her, a mocking smile at the corner of her lips. "Sorry, my time is precious. I don’t waste it on people with questionable morals."
"I admit, what I did was wrong," Gao Xueying said, her eyes slowly reddening. "But do you really have no fault in this?"
Playing the victim, feigning innocence—these were her specialties. If not for the betrayal, Ye Shengsheng might have even pitied her teary-eyed act.
One by one, she pried Gao Xueying’s fingers off her arm. Though her movements were slow, they carried finality. Looking down at her, she said, "Of course I have faults. My biggest mistake was being too kind—funding your education, introducing you to jobs after your family went bankrupt, bringing you into my life…"
The words were cutting. Gao Xueying flinched as if stripped bare, her chest heaving. "You’ve always been like this—looking down on everyone."
During their first year studying abroad in England, Gao Xueying’s family had gone bankrupt. Aside from the tuition already paid, she didn’t even have living expenses.
Ye Shengsheng was her classmate, the school’s golden girl.
Beautiful, wealthy, naturally brilliant yet lazy, she arrived at school in luxury cars every day, her jewelry never repeating.
Jewelry design was an expensive major, often requiring precious gemstones as materials. Just to help his daughter complete her projects, Ye Shengsheng’s father had bought an aquamarine mine in Xinjiang’s Altay region.
The bullying at school was subtle.
When Gao Xueying’s latest design—made with cheap materials—was mocked by the entire class again, she finally broke down, sobbing in the bathroom.
The sound of running water came from the sink. Then, through the door, Ye Shengsheng asked if she wanted to be her study companion.
From then on, her life changed completely.
She stayed in the guest room of Ye Shengsheng’s high-end apartment, rode in her luxury cars to school, even borrowed her expensive jewelry for balls.
But these privileges came at a cost.
She woke up early to buy Ye Shengsheng coffee, completed assignments for her while she slept in, fended off unwanted suitors at school, nodded along to her endless complaints…
The moment they graduated, the Ye family whisked Ye Shengsheng back to China as if she’d suffered terribly abroad—even arranging a fiancé for her.
Gao Xueying felt like none of her efforts mattered.
Her voice trembled with resentment. "I came to tell you—whether you marry Zhu Ze or not, I’ll be with him."
Ye Shengsheng nearly laughed. "Please, the two of you deserve each other. Stay together and spare the rest of society."
With that, she strode past her as if she were invisible.
Gao Xueying stared at her retreating figure, hands clenched into fists. "Since you don’t care about anything, I assume the IAI competition means nothing to you either?"
That made Ye Shengsheng pause. She glanced back, smirking. "It’s not even dark yet, and you’re already dreaming."
Gao Xueying hadn’t sought her out in public for no reason.
Her tone was taunting. "The professors always praised your talent, but they never knew—I did so many of your assignments. So, do you dare compete against me in this?"
Finally, their confrontation reached its core.
Ye Shengsheng studied her profile, struck by how pitiful she was—pretending she could defy fate when she had nothing to her name.
But Gao Xueying had guessed one thing right.
Backing down publicly wasn’t in her nature.
A fierce competitive spirit surged within her. For the first time, Ye Shengsheng truly looked at her.
Standing at the center of the gallery, she arched a brow, her smile dazzling. "Fine."
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. The bet between Ye Shengsheng and Gao Xueying was officially on.
——
Noon approached, the sun blazing overhead.
Cool air streamed evenly from the vents. The Rolls-Royce’s soundproofing kept the grating cicada cries outside.
Ye Shengsheng took several deep breaths to quell the irritation in her chest.
How ridiculous—why had she agreed to compete with Gao Xueying in the IAI?
Ruan Qinglan called, asking why she’d gone out at this hour. Ye Shengsheng explained that after everything that had happened, she needed to stew in her anger before returning home. Ruan Qinglan chuckled unapologetically on the other end.
So, she was the only one truly upset.
Her phone buzzed with a notification. A text popped up on the screen:
「Day 1」
The sender was an unknown number, but Ye Shengsheng didn’t need to guess who it was.
Before the screen dimmed, she typed back: 「Nonsense. Dismissed.」
Then promptly blocked the number.
Thanks to these scoundrels, her blocklist was getting crowded.
Rolling her eyes in the shadows, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
——
Even on a Sunday, Beijing’s CBD was packed.
In the CEO’s office, Peng Yu retrieved his boss’s phone—only to find the outbox wiped clean.
As a high-level workhorse, he had long grown accustomed to overtime as the norm. He hadn’t gone home last night, staying up with the PR team until now, dark circles sagging under his eyes like they might reach his feet, his chin rough with stubble.
In contrast, Bian Che looked far more refreshed.
Scorching sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the greenery near the air vent swaying gently.
His sharply arched brows and piercing eyes gave him a striking presence, even as he lounged lazily in his chair, exuding the spoiled, rebellious charm of a wealthy young master.
"How’s the PR team’s proposal coming along?"
He snatched a lighter from the table, the orange flame flickering to life as a wisp of smoke curled upward.
The air hung silent for a beat before Peng Yu quickly pulled out his iPad, bending forward to present the finished slides. "They’ve prepared two drafts of the plan..."
SKY was a flight base that had risen to prominence in the capital over the past two years, offering services ranging from helicopter tours and pilot licenses to airborne parties.
Yesterday, a young heir had been rejected during a helicopter marriage proposal and, in a moment of despair, tried to take his own life—fortunately, the staff intervened in time.
The real problem, however, was that the entire proposal had been livestreamed, with netizens witnessing his near-suicidal breakdown.
Amid the flood of comments, rival companies had begun stirring the pot in the replies. The PR team had been urgently summoned to handle the fallout.
When Peng Yu learned the nature of the crisis, he exhaled in quiet relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. At least it wasn’t the boss getting caught coming out of the closet.
A notification pinged from the executive office. Bian Che had somehow already finished reviewing the entire presentation. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Go with the PR team’s plan. Avoid any compliance seminars for now—we don’t need some obscure department fishing for trouble."
Peng Yu nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Bian Che straightened slightly before reclining back into his chair, spinning the lighter in his palm a few times before tapping the desk with his knuckles. "Let me borrow your phone again."
Peng Yu’s heart lurched uneasily. Were the two of them using his phone to communicate under the radar?
The man from the hotel room had left a lasting impression on him. If this ticking time bomb over YYBB ever detonated, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Despite his reluctance, he unlocked his phone and handed it over with both hands.
Bian Che snatched it, typed out a message, and hit send right in front of Peng Yu.
"Message failed to deliver."
The other person had blocked the boss? Peng Yu’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
Who would’ve thought that in this relationship, the boss was the desperate one? He stared intently at Bian Che’s face, scrutinizing his reaction.
Under the scattered light, Bian Che licked his lips—and then, unexpectedly, smiled. The corners of his mouth lifted inch by inch as he magnanimously declared:
"Clock out."
