When she was fourteen, Yun Nan's adoptive parents passed away unexpectedly. She grew up alone and suffered many hardships. However, she remembered her parents' last wishes and went through a lot to find the Yun family. She'd thought that her hardships had finally ended when she returned to them.
However, Yun Liu was afraid that she would lose her position in the Yun family with Yun Nan in the picture, so she deliberately slandered and set her up in every way possible to sow discord between her and her family.
The little bit of guilt Yun Nan's family felt towards her had long been exhausted by Yun Liu's scheming.
Yun Liu's poor acting skills could be seen through at a glance, but the Yun family believed her every time; they would move heaven and earth at a single tear from her eyes.
The flame in Yun Nan's heart that yearned for their love gradually died out as her disappointment accumulated little by little.
However, she remembered her adoptive parents' words; she had to repay her birth parents for bringing her into this world. Thus, she joined her family's company.
Her brother—Yun Zhang—had established a film production company called the Yun Corporation and wished to make a name for himself. He wanted to support Yun Liu, who'd graduated from a film academy, and make her a celebrity. However, due to poor management, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Yun Nan graduated with a Ph.D. and was already somewhat known in the film industry. She gave up on the offers from renowned companies and joined Yun Zhang's company to aid him instead. After all, she was a member of the Yun family; it was her duty to do her best for her family.
That was her original intention, but it became a weapon that Yun Liu and Yun Zhang used to manipulate her.
Fortunately, Yun Nan had signed an agreement with Yun Zhang under the reminder of her good friend Fang Xi and avoided selling her entire life to the Yun family.
Thanks to her efforts, Yun Zhang's company was revived and even made it into the top three movie production companies. Yun Zhang was no longer the beleaguered man he was in the past, and Yun Liu became a B-list celebrity with a strong fanbase.
They slowly began to take Yun Nan's efforts for granted—as a matter of course. They felt that they could trample on her hard work as they pleased.
Marrying Shi Nian was her risky move against the Yun family, but it seemed to have worked out so far.
Yun Nan fell asleep to those thoughts.
...
When Shi Nian came out of the bathroom, he saw a small bump situated near the edge of the bed. He was confused for a moment before he was again reminded that he had a new roommate.
When he got closer, he saw that Yun Nan was already asleep. Her small figure was curled up in a ball, forming a lump under the covers.
A blanket was folded up to form a barrier line on the bed, separating the bed into two sections; he had two-thirds of the bed, and Yun Nan had one-third. Pleased at her sensible allocation, Shi Nian took another look at the small human bundle.
'Seriously, why is she sleeping curled up like a baby at her age? I heard that sleeping in this position is a sign of insecurity. How can a girl who is so ferocious feel vulnerable?'
He leaned against the headboard and took out his phone to flip through the information about Yun Nan that Chang Yuan had collected. His frown deepened the more he read. 'No wonder she came to me for help,' he silently fumed. 'The Yun family's behavior was outrageous!'
He turned to look at the little bundle. Yun Nan was sleeping soundly.
He then sent a WeChat message to Chang Yuan, "Keep a close eye on Yun Nan and be sure to assist when necessary."
"Roger that," Chang Yuan replied instantly.
When sleep came for him, a thought suddenly occurred to Shi Nian, 'Why am I so concerned about her?'
'For Grandpa! Yes, that's it! I'm only taking care of her so that Grandpa can feel at ease! That's all… there is… to it…'
...
Yun Nan woke up, and the sight of her unfamiliar environment shocked her for a moment.
The Yun family had given her the guest room on the first floor, right next to the kitchen. Every day, she would be woken up early in the morning by the sound of the staff preparing breakfast in the kitchen. It was so quiet this morning she thought that she had overslept.
When her brain finally kicked into gear, she remembered what happened yesterday and heaved a sigh of relief.
'It's a new day, and a new life awaits me,' she thought hopefully.
Once set, the biological clock can be quite difficult to change. She found that she hadn't overslept; she'd gotten up at the usual early hour.
She quietly went downstairs and rummaged through the fridge for some breakfast ingredients. Fortunately, there was enough to make breakfast for two.
As they'll be working in close contact for the next five years, Yun Nan decided not to bicker with Shi Nian. If making delicious food was all it takes in exchange for a harmonious collaboration, then why not? She had nothing to lose by doing so.
Suddenly, she received a WeChat message from Fang Xi, "Come over to the studio when you have time. The preparations are almost done."
Yun Nan smiled and replied, "Okay! I'll be there after settling some things at the company."
…...
When Yun Nan arrived at the company, everyone looked at her strangely, but Yun Nan didn't care—she was used to it.
Although she was the real daughter of the Yun family—Yun Zhang's biological sister—thanks to Yun Liu, she had always been seen as the interloper trying to steal what isn't hers.
The assistant director from yesterday was startled when he saw her before he quickly put on a fake smile and greeted, "Director Yun, you're back. Mr. Yun is waiting for you in the conference room!"
Yun Nan was expressionless as she gave a slight nod.
When she entered the conference room, she was met with the sight of Yun Liu crying softly next to a worried Yun Zhang, appearing as if she had suffered a great injustice.