What came into view was a familiar face—a handsome but cold face.
Xuejiao had come to understand this person and knew that beneath his cold exterior, there was a gentle character.
Her red, tear-streaked eyes looked like those of a helpless rabbit. Lin Zhihua stood before her, and seeing her look up at him, he tilted his chin slightly, bringing her small face into his sight.
Noticing that she didn't take the handkerchief he offered, Lin Zhihua reached out and gently wiped her tears away.
"A girl's tears are like pearls. What sad thing could make you want to lose such precious pearls?" His voice was cold, but Xuejiao could hear the tenderness beneath his words.
She sniffled and shook her head.
Lin Zhihua put the handkerchief away and pulled something out from behind his back—a small panda plush holding bamboo. It was the one from the claw machine.
Xuejiao froze in surprise.
"For you," he said, sitting down beside her. The man, dressed in an expensive suit, unhesitatingly took a seat on the steps by the fountain.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Xuejiao accepted the plush toy. "Thank you…" she murmured.
Holding the panda she had wanted so badly, her heart gradually calmed.
"So, tell me, what happened?" His tone was casual.
He turned to face her, his striking features framed by a pair of deep, dark eyes that seemed to see through her.
It occurred to her that she didn't have anyone else to talk to. She had a friend.
"The home I live in doesn't feel like mine. My only family—my mother—doesn't trust me or defend me. My aunt and cousin can't wait to see me fall into despair…" Xuejiao began. She couldn't help but pour her heart out to this "stranger."
Since coming to this world, she had tried her best to live as Gu Xuejiao. She longed for family, just as Gu Xuejiao had. Over the past month, she had started to feel hopeful. She and Li Sitong had been getting along well, and she had even dared to say, I will make you proud.
But now, that hope felt shattered.
Lin Zhihua waited quietly for her to finish before speaking. "I'll say this again: the more you care, the more it will hurt. The reason you feel this way is because your mother is someone you care about. The sharpest knives always come from the ones closest to your heart. If you stop caring, you won't be hurt."
He paused for a moment, his voice softening. "But someone will stand up for you."
Xuejiao hugged her knees and rested her chin on them. "How could there be such family members?"
Lin Zhihua looked at her, his voice low and steady. "My parents once hurt me deeply. My relatives schemed against me, all for their own gain. Even my grandfather conspired with his younger son to… murder me."
The last two words left Xuejiao stunned.
Murder?
She looked at him, wide-eyed, suddenly feeling that her own situation was trivial in comparison.
"You…" She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
"But I wasn't upset—not at all." Lin Zhihua's tone was calm, almost detached. He had long stopped feeling anything for those people. They had shown their true colors, and he had simply cut off every hand that reached out to harm him.
But for Xuejiao, family was something she had longed for in her previous life. The idea of family was precious and irreplaceable to her.
Seeing the sorrow in her eyes, Lin Zhihua felt a strange softness in his heart. She looked so worried, so sincere. "Don't be sad," she said gently. "From now on, we should learn to love ourselves more."
Her voice was warm and soothing, like a ray of light piercing through the dark.
Lin Zhihua's heart softened further, and for the first time in years, he felt a surge of warmth. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but he welcomed it.
For a moment, he even wanted to take this fragile girl home and protect her forever.
But he restrained himself. Instead, he reached out and lightly patted her head. "Little girl, emotions are complicated. Your mother might love you, but she may also hurt you. You can't sever the bond of blood between you, and that's why you feel aggrieved."
Xuejiao blinked, startled by his words.
"It's normal to feel this way," he continued. "Most people who struggle with family relationships feel the same. But I hope you'll remember this: you shouldn't let it affect you too much. This won't be the first time, nor will it be the last. No matter how many knives come your way, don't let them hurt you."
She bit her lower lip and nodded firmly.
Lin Zhihua's gaze lingered on her lips for a moment before he quickly withdrew his hand. "Little girl, will you still cry?"
"I haven't cried in a long time! This was just… an exception!" she replied defensively.
"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Xuejiao's eyes widened. "It is! Today was just… special."
"Well, I hope I won't see you cry again," he said softly. Because it makes my heart ache.
"I won't!"
She hesitated before asking, "By the way, sir, what do you do for a living?"
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to keep calling me 'sir'?"
Xuejiao paused, exhaled slowly, and then said his name, "Lin Zhihua."
"Good." He nodded, his lips curving slightly.
"But you still haven't answered my question. What do you do?"
"I'm a businessman."
Xuejiao's mouth fell open. "What? I wouldn't have guessed!"
"What do I look like, then?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Most businessmen look approachable. You're so…"
"Not all businessmen are kind-looking. I'm a very kind businessman," Lin Zhihua said, his tone laced with humor.
Xuejiao smiled. "Thank you, Lin Zhihua. Really, thank you. It might seem presumptuous, but you're my only friend."
Lin Zhihua froze for a moment. "Friend?"
"Yes. Lin Zhihua, you won't forget your old friends, will you?"
Old? Lin Zhihua's expression shifted.
Xuejiao laughed. "I'm kidding! You look like you're only a couple of years older than me."
Lin Zhihua: Even more piercing.
She smiled gently. "You feel more like… an older brother to me."
Just as Lin Zhihua's lips started to curl into a smile, her next words shattered him.
"Well, goodbye for now!" she said, standing up.
"I'll walk you—"
"No need! See you!" She waved as she ran off.
Lin Zhihua watched her figure disappear into the distance, a soft smile on his face.
What should I do? he thought. I really want to keep her by my side forever.
Lin Zhihua returned to the Lin Group headquarters.
"Mr. Lin!" Chen Yan stood at the entrance, rushing to meet him as soon as he arrived.
"Is everyone here?" Lin Zhihua asked as he stepped out of the car.
"Yes, sir," Chen Yan replied. "The meeting was postponed by half an hour. All the managers are now waiting in the conference room."
"Good," Lin Zhihua said as he walked briskly toward the building.
Chen Yan hurried to keep up, stealing a quick glance at his boss. "Sir, that half-hour delay… Was it something important?"
Lin Zhihua gave a brief nod. "It was."
That one word left Chen Yan puzzled. Lin Zhihua was a man who prioritized work above all else. To delay a meeting with the top executives of the company, it must have been something urgent. But… why wasn't he aware of it?
Chen Yan didn't dare ask further.
As they approached the private elevator, a young woman in a fitted dress hurried down the staircase, deliberately tripping herself to fall toward Lin Zhihua.
Lin Zhihua immediately stepped back, letting her fall into empty space.
"Mr. Lin…" The woman's voice was trembling and pitiful as she looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.
Lin Zhihua's expression didn't change. His cold gaze swept over her as he gave a simple, chilling order. "I don't want to see this person in Lin Group again. Deduct the monthly salary and half-year bonuses of whoever recruited her. And whoever trained her will lose their bonuses for the entire year."
Without sparing her another glance, he turned and stepped into the elevator.
Chen Yan, following closely, glared at the young woman. Her plan had clearly backfired. If she had approached Lin Zhihua in any other way, she might have at least gotten a polite rejection. But throwing herself at him? She had chosen the worst possible tactic.
Chen Yan sighed inwardly. In all his years as Lin Zhihua's assistant, he had never seen his boss show interest in any woman. Well… maybe one.
"Mr. Lin! I'm sorry! Please don't fire me!" the woman wailed as the elevator doors closed.
Inside the elevator, Chen Yan hesitated before speaking. "Sir, that delay earlier…"
Lin Zhihua's gaze remained fixed ahead, his tone indifferent. "It was important."
Chen Yan didn't press further. He had no idea what had been more important than a major company meeting, but judging by Lin Zhihua's expression, it wasn't up for discussion.
Meanwhile, back at the Cheng household, the atmosphere was tense.
Xuejiao returned home to find the entire family gathered in the living room. The tension in the air was palpable, but she remained calm, slipping off her shoes and heading upstairs without a word.
"Jiaojiao, wait a moment," Cheng Shuo called out, his tone kind.
She paused, turning to look at him.
Cheng Shuo patted the seat beside him on the sofa. "Come, sit here for a moment."
Reluctantly, Xuejiao walked over and sat down. Cheng Shuo was one of the few people who had treated her fairly, and she didn't want to disrespect him.
"Mom and Dad, since everyone is here, let's address the situation directly," Cheng Shuo began, looking at the elderly Cheng couple. "You already know what happened today. Jiaojiao didn't instigate anything. In fact, Mingjiao's behavior was entirely unacceptable."
"Big Brother!" Liu Yazhen interrupted, her voice sharp. "Mingjiao was just caught in the moment. She didn't mean to say those things! Besides, Jiaojiao actually kicked her! How can you say she's not at fault?"
Cheng Kai's face darkened at his wife's words. He loved his daughter, but he wasn't blind to her faults. Mingjiao's behavior had embarrassed the family.
The old man, Cheng Shuo's father, cleared his throat and addressed Cheng Mingjiao directly. "Mingjiao, apologize to your aunt and cousin. Now."
Cheng Mingjiao clenched her fists, her head lowered. She refused to speak.
"Mingjiao!" Cheng Kai bellowed, his patience wearing thin.
Still, Cheng Mingjiao remained silent, hiding behind her mother.
The old lady, Bai Xiumei, sighed and waved her hand. "Alright, don't make a fuss. Don't scare the children."
She turned to Mingjiao, her tone softening. "Mingjiao, I heard you ranked 18th in the grade this time? That's excellent progress. Keep working hard."
Mingjiao murmured a soft response, clearly pleased with the praise.
Then Bai Xiumei looked at Xuejiao. "And Jiaojiao, I heard you passed all your exams this time? That's a great improvement. Keep it up, and I'm sure you'll do even better next time."
Her words were polite, but the underlying comparison between Xuejiao and Mingjiao was clear.
Liu Yazhen seized the opportunity to boast. "Yes, Mingjiao has been doing so well. She's really putting in the effort. This time, many students' grades dropped, but Mingjiao's ranking still went up. It's not easy to maintain such steady progress!"
The old lady nodded approvingly. "Indeed. Both children have done well. This incident was just a misunderstanding. Let's have them apologize to each other, shake hands, and move on. In the future, Mingjiao, help Jiaojiao with her studies. Work hard together."
Mingjiao smirked inwardly. As long as she wasn't the only one apologizing, it wasn't a loss.
But Xuejiao spoke up, her tone cold. "I won't apologize."
The room fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Xuejiao's face was calm, her voice steady. "I don't regret what I did. If Cheng Mingjiao says those things again, I'll still respond the same way. I'm not wrong, so I won't apologize."
She turned to Cheng Mingjiao, her gaze sharp. "But if you think you were right, Mingjiao, why don't you say those words again? Call me and my mother foxes. Go on."
Mingjiao's face turned pale. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word.
Xuejiao continued, her voice icy. "You didn't say those things in the heat of the moment. You've always thought that way. You've always disrespected me and my mother. And now, you think you can get away with it by apologizing insincerely? No. I won't accept it."
The room was heavy with silence. Even Cheng Shuo didn't know what to say.