He smiled self-mockingly and looked up at the sky.

Winter nights fell early, and by now the light was already dim. Snowflakes drifted down to the ground in large patches. After just one night, it would surely be a vast white world.

Memories drifted away with the floating snowflakes.

More than three years ago, Lin Zhi Hua graduated with a master’s degree from Stanford.

At that time, he had another decent plan. The company he founded during his graduate studies had just taken shape and was preparing to make great strides…

Lin’s mother made a phone call. The Lin Corporation building was on the verge of collapse, Grandfather Lin had fallen ill, and Lin Chang Ji and other “Lin family members” holding Lin family shares were planning how to grab more money before Lin Corporation fell.

Lin Zhi Hua sat idle for a night, thinking about many things. He thought about how he had fled abroad due to “physical issues,” about the Lin family members, and about the elite education arranged by his grandfather when he was young…

Finally, he sold his newly formed company and returned to China with a batch of funds.

At that time, there was a gap between him and Grandfather Lin, but no resentment.

Lin Zhi Hua still remembered what he had said: I’ll take over Lin Corporation, but from today on, the “Lin” in Lin Corporation is the “Lin” of Lin Zhi Hua.

After that came more than three years of bold reform and adjustment. Lin Corporation was renewed and flourishing.

He knew there was nothing wrong with his body; it was a psychological issue.

But what did that matter?

He never thought humans needed to put an animal’s first instinct as their top priority. He wasn’t interested in women, so there was no need to be interested.

Grandfather Lin, his parents, and everyone around him all tried to plan out a path for him.

Once he didn’t follow the plan, they would do things to hurt him under the banner of “for your good.”

Many people might succumb to the “coercion” wrapped in their parents’ banner of “love.”

But Lin Zhi Hua couldn’t.

He, Lin Zhi Hua, could only choose, not be forced.

His own life was naturally his to decide.

The snow was heavy. Lin Zhi Hua had only been standing for a short while, but his shoulders were already white.

His pale fingers had turned slightly red, becoming icy in the cold.

Should he have not returned in the first place?

As soon as this thought arose, Lin Zhi Hua smiled lightly, as if thinking of something, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. In an instant, this man who seemed to have merged with the snowflakes returned to reality, and his surroundings also felt a bit warmer.

Lin Zhi Hua took out his phone, opened an interface labeled “Jiao Jiao,” and gently kissed it.

If I hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t have met you.

——

In the Cheng household.

To be honest, Gu Xue Jiao didn’t want to eat this meal—an elderly Bai Xiu Mei who had never really liked her, and a mother-daughter pair who hated her bitterly…

Most of this family probably didn’t welcome her either.

“Mom, Dad, Happy New Year!” Cheng Shuo smiled first, followed by Li Si Tong presenting gifts.

“Mom, Dad, Happy New Year!” After Li Si Tong spoke, she glanced at Xue Jiao. “Ming Ze, Jiao Jiao, hurry and wish your grandparents a Happy New Year!”

“Grandpa, Grandma, Happy New Year!” Cheng Ming Ze said with a smile.

“Same to you, same to you!” Old Man Cheng and Bai Xiu Mei’s eyes crinkled with smiles as they handed out red envelopes.

“Grandpa, Grandma, Happy New Year,” Xue Jiao also said with a smile.

“Jiao Jiao, Happy New Year!” Bai Xiu Mei spoke before the old man, still smiling, as if treating her no differently from other grandchildren, and also handed her a red envelope.

Xue Jiao accepted it, smiling even more happily.

Not bad, not bad, quite substantial.

“Ming Jiao, hurry and give New Year greetings to your uncle and aunt!” Cheng Kai looked at Cheng Ming Jiao.

It had been some time since Xue Jiao had paid attention to Cheng Ming Jiao. She looked very haggard, having lost quite a bit of weight, with a pallid complexion.

If before she had been seven parts beauty plus makeup to reach nine parts, now with this haggard appearance, she was only five parts.

Her eyes also looked a bit strange.

“Uncle, Aunt, Happy New Year.” Her voice sounded normal though.

Cheng Shuo smiled and handed her a red envelope, saying with some concern: “Why has Ming Jiao lost so much weight? Earlier, I wanted to bring you to the annual party, but you didn’t go.”

In previous years, when Gu Xue Jiao looked the way she did, Li Si Tong wouldn’t let her go to the annual party, and Cheng Ming Jiao would ask to go to the annual party to see what it was like. Cheng Shuo always took her along, but this year, she surprisingly didn’t take the initiative to go.

“It’s nothing. Ming Jiao didn’t do well on her finals, so she was in a bad mood and lost weight,” Liu Ya Zhen smiled, though it looked forced.

“Ming Jiao, if you didn’t do well, just work harder. Don’t worry, it’s just one bad exam. You’ll have more opportunities in the future. Do your best on the next test,” Old Man Cheng said with concern.

Cheng Ming Jiao didn’t speak. Liu Ya Zhen bumped her, and only then did she nod slightly.

Xue Jiao’s eyes narrowed a bit as she looked at Cheng Ming Jiao, who kept her head down, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Why did Cheng Ming Jiao seem a bit off?

It seemed like she had already been very quiet at the end of last semester. Since no one was causing trouble, Xue Jiao hadn’t paid much attention to her, but seeing her suddenly today, why had Cheng Ming Jiao become like this?

Liu Ya Zhen was also strange. When Xue Jiao was giving New Year greetings, she quickly returned a red envelope, unlike her former self who would occasionally mock and ridicule.

Looking carefully at her eyes, despite the heavy makeup, fatigue was evident with dark circles under her eyes.

Soon, the New Year’s Eve dinner was served, and Xue Jiao withdrew her puzzled gaze.

This meal was eaten peacefully. Liu Ya Zhen and her daughter were quiet and didn’t cause trouble, making the atmosphere at the table harmonious.

“By the way, aren’t Ming Ze and Jiao Jiao going to have the competition finals at the beginning of the year?” Old Man Cheng suddenly asked.

“Yes, the competition is in March, the last one,” Cheng Ming Ze answered.

Old Man Cheng smiled: “Haha, well done! Ming Ze should strive to secure admission to the university he wants to attend, and so should Jiao Jiao!”

“Thank you, Grandpa,” Cheng Ming Ze smiled modestly.

Old Man Cheng raised his glass and stood up: “Come, let’s congratulate Ming Ze, Jiao Jiao, and Ming Yu for all achieving first place in their grades last semester, and also wish Ming Ze and Jiao Jiao good results in the new year! Ming Jiao, work hard too, and catch up with your grades in the new year.”

Everyone smiled, raised their glasses, and stood up. Even the young Cheng Ming Yu raised his glass and stood up. Only Cheng Ming Jiao remained seated.

Liu Ya Zhen pinched her, and only then did Cheng Ming Jiao stand up.

The old man frowned slightly.

“Come on! Cheers!” Cheng Shuo smoothed things over.

“Bang—” Cheng Ming Jiao’s glass smashed on the ground, breaking into pieces.

“Breaking for peace, peace year after year,” Bai Xiu Mei quickly recited.

But Cheng Ming Jiao suddenly looked up, pointing at Gu Xue Jiao with a ferocious expression: “Her surname is Gu! Why is she in our home?! Get out! Get out of our home! Get out of my life!”

Everyone was stunned as if they had seen wrong.

“Ming Jiao! Ming Jiao!” Liu Ya Zhen quickly hugged Cheng Ming Jiao, patting the back of her hand, trying to soothe her.

“Gu Xue Jiao! Why don’t you go die!!”

“Cheng Ming Jiao!” The old man immediately became furious. Cheng Shuo and Cheng Ming Ze also frowned tightly.

In contrast, Xue Jiao, who was being cursed at, was slightly puzzled. Cheng Ming Jiao… seemed mentally unwell.

“Cheng Ming Jiao, how dare you speak like that!” Cheng Kai glared at her.

“Mom, Dad! Please stop pressuring Ming Jiao!” Liu Ya Zhen suddenly hugged Cheng Ming Jiao and burst into tears. “Ming Jiao has depression.”

“What?!” Cheng Kai’s glass fell to the ground, his face shocked.

“What happened?” Old Man Cheng also became anxious.

Cheng Ming Jiao was a child of the Cheng family, a granddaughter they had watched grow up. With this sudden change, everyone became concerned.

Liu Ya Zhen continued crying.

The last time she decided to deal with Xue Jiao was when Ming Jiao was shouting Gu Xue Jiao’s name while frantically stabbing a doll.

At that time, it didn’t catch her attention. Later, after being resented by Li Shu, Liu Ya Zhen was busy maintaining her friendships in the wives’ circle and didn’t look after Cheng Ming Jiao.

It wasn’t until the final exams when she saw Cheng Ming Jiao’s plummeting grades and abnormal mental state, that Liu Ya Zhen began to panic.

“Tell us what happened…” Li Si Tong asked with a frown.

“Can you keep your daughter away from my daughter?! Ming Jiao’s condition is all Gu Xue Jiao’s fault!!” Liu Ya Zhen shouted.

“Ya Zhen, don’t be anxious. Explain clearly what happened to Ming Jiao!” Bai Xiu Mei’s expression was grim. Despite her previous disappointment in this granddaughter, she was still family and still cared about her.

“Ming Jiao… Ming Jiao got depressed because of Gu Xue Jiao…”

“How is it because of Jiao Jiao?” Li Si Tong glared. “And I don’t think Ming Jiao’s condition seems much like depression; it’s more like a mental…”

“Shut up!” Liu Ya Zhen’s eyes widened, not caring that everyone was present. “Your daughter has harmed my daughter like this; what more do you want?!”

“Sister-in-law, what’s important now is understanding what’s going on with Ming Jiao!” Cheng Shuo frowned. He still cared deeply about this niece whom he had cherished for many years. The most important thing now was his niece’s condition, not arguing and quarreling.

Liu Ya Zhen cried while speaking: “Gu Xue Jiao and Ming Jiao argued many times at school, causing Ming Jiao to lose all her friends at school and be ostracized by everyone. Her psychological pressure is great. Gu Xue Jiao kept provoking her, and Ming Jiao… Ming Jiao couldn’t bear it!”

She covered her face and cried as if everything was Xue Jiao’s fault.

The others were stunned for a moment and looked at Xue Jiao. Particularly, Cheng Kai’s gaze also began to turn unfriendly, and Bai Xiu Mei’s face completely cooled.

Xue Jiao took a deep breath, put down her glass, and looked at Cheng Ming Jiao—

“Ming Jiao, you must admit one thing: there will be many people in this world who are more outstanding than you. You couldn’t accept that Gu Xue Jiao, whom you had always kept beneath you, became excellent. You were jealous, you did wrong things, and then your classmates started to fear you and distance themselves from you. Under these circumstances, I kept getting better, and you became increasingly frantic. You couldn’t bear it, so you pushed yourself into your current state. But why didn’t you try to work hard? Why didn’t you try to catch up to me?”

Xue Jiao paused, then continued: “I, Gu Xue Jiao, used to be like this too. You pushed me into the dust and left me with no friends, and the few friends I had were thinking of harming me. You flaunted your excellence… But I knew that jealousy was useless. I worked hard, I pushed myself to be what I am today, and instead, you became resentful…

But no one is born to be forever more noble than anyone else, and jealousy is never the solution.”

Xue Jiao shifted her gaze to Liu Ya Zhen and said seriously—

“Cheng Ming Jiao’s condition is a psychological issue. You don’t need to hate me or blame me. The way you can save her is by teaching her—jealousy accomplishes nothing.”

“Ahhh—” Cheng Ming Jiao covered her ears and screamed.

“Eldest son!” Bai Xiu Mei slammed her hand on the table and said coldly, “We won’t continue with the New Year’s Eve dinner this year. Take your family home.”

Cheng Shuo looked at Cheng Ming Jiao and finally nodded: “Alright.”

As he led Xue Jiao and the other two to the door, he paused and said softly to Cheng Kai—

“Jiao Jiao… is right… Ming Jiao’s problem can’t be solved by avoidance.”

After saying this, he left with Xue Jiao and the others.