Chapter 351

Imperial Capital, Building 8, Hesheng Xiaoyun Road.

Building 3, a 520-square-meter large open-plan apartment, in an independent executive office.

Dense data charts and documents flickered on the computer screen.

On the video conference screen, overseas team members appeared one by one, reporting work progress clearly and forcefully.

"Dong, dong, dong!" A somewhat urgent knock on the door sounded.

Jin Mi Shu furrowed her brows slightly, said something in a low voice, and muted the video conference.

"Come in."

Immediately following, personal assistant Shangguan Qiuya walked in quickly, holding a tablet computer in both hands, and stood before the desk.

"Speak, what is it?"

"Jin Dongshi, Tang Zong just sent an email regarding the security issue you mentioned earlier. I feel it is very necessary to report it to you."

"Oh?" Jin Mi Shu's expression was slightly startled; her full chest heaved gently as she stood up from behind the desk and paced out.

Shangguan quickly handed over the tablet.

Jin Mi Shu took the tablet and gently touched the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Her gaze swept rapidly across the lines of information.

"Where is Liu Liu Jia Yi now?"

"She has been staying in Yancheng according to your arrangements, currently mainly responsible for security services in residential complexes like Yanjing Tiancheng and Shengyuan Jiajing."

"Then let her be the driver. Go to Quancheng now, and have the people from Jin Dun take over the security services at Yunjingtai. You handle the specific details; I don't want to see any accidents happen."

"Understood, I will arrange it immediately." Shangguan Qiuya felt a chill in her heart.

"Also!" Jin Mi Shu paused and continued: "From now on, there is no need to notify me of any news regarding Liu Liu Jia Yi. Let her serve Tang Zong with peace of mind, and keep all of his information and movements confidential from the outside, including from me."

"Received."

The office door was gently closed, and Jin Mi Shu returned to behind her desk.

She picked up the steaming black coffee beside her, lowered her head to take a sip, and continued the video conference.

It was just that the team elites far across the ocean discovered that this Jin Dongshi's mood seemed to have suddenly become very pleasant.

Her tone was gentle, her posture relaxed, and even her speaking speed had slowed down.

……

Huajing Hotel, in a somewhat noisy corridor.

"Holy crap, Tang Song! It really is you! You've changed quite a bit! I almost didn't dare to recognize you." Zhang Lei widened his eyes, looking in astonishment at the big handsome guy in front of him.

Tall and straight, full of energy, skin smooth and delicate, and the clothes he wore clearly weren't cheap.

His temperament was excellent; he looked just like a big celebrity.

In his impression, although Tang Song had always been quite handsome, he was nowhere near as dazzling as he was now.

A bright smile appeared on Tang Song's face as he stepped forward and draped an arm over Zhang Lei's shoulder.

"I was just looking at our junior high photos yesterday, and today I ran into you; my luck is really good."

Mentioning luck, his heart stirred slightly.

Could it be that the 【Luck +1】 he just acquired had taken effect?

Zhang Lei said with some emotion: "Sigh, after moving a few times, I don't even know where I lost my junior high photos."

"Then I'll scan them into digital versions and send them to you later."

"Come, come, come, it's not easy to run into each other, let's add each other on WeChat quickly. QQ used to be popular, but now I've forgotten my QQ password."

Zhang Lei touched his beer belly, then looked at Tang Song's well-proportioned, robust physique.

He clicked his tongue: "I used to feel that our looks were on par, but after all these years, I've let myself go, while you've only gotten more handsome. I'm envious."

"I was quite fat before too; I only got better after working out."

The two chatted with emotion while adding each other as WeChat friends.

In junior high, Zhang Lei was the most prominent "second-generation rich" in the class.

Calling him a "second-generation rich" was actually a bit of an exaggeration.

His father was a construction contractor, and because of the national policies and the favorable environment in those years, he made quite a bit of money from projects, which indeed made him a rich man in the townships of that era.

Zhang Lei's life was also particularly good; he spent money lavishly, had the latest smartphones, and all kinds of game consoles and handhelds.

He could be considered the most popular boy in school.

However, judging by today's Zhang Lei, his life over the past few years probably hadn't been very satisfactory.

"By the way, Tang Song, are you still developing in the Imperial Capital? You look like you're doing well; these clothes must be expensive, right?"

Zhang Lei had previously been in contact with some old classmates, including one from the same village as Tang Song, so he knew roughly about his movements over the past few years.

He had attended a first-tier university and joined a major internet company after graduation.

Tang Song shook his head gently: "I left last November and am currently starting a business in Yancheng doing live-stream e-commerce."

"Oh? Starting a business doing live-stream e-commerce? Holy crap! That's awesome!" Zhang Lei patted his arm, his face full of envy: "That's really impressive! No wonder you're dressed so impressively and look so spirited.

Remember Zhang Yunpeng from our class? That kid used to be like a child with ADHD; he just messed around after graduating junior high.

Now he's become a minor internet celebrity by filming skits, and he was already driving a Mercedes around the Lunar New Year!

I have to say, among the channels for turning one's life around that ordinary people can access, live-stream influencer work has the highest probability."

Tang Song recalled carefully, but his memory was hazy.

He could roughly remember such a person, but he could no longer recall his appearance.

He vaguely remembered that his studies were very poor, he often shouted in class, and he liked to verbally harass female classmates.

He himself had even had a conflict with his desk mate Zhang Yan because of him.

Thinking of Zhang Yan, Tang Song's heart stirred slightly, and he asked: "By the way, Zhang Lei, do you know how Zhang Yan is doing now? Where is she developing?"

After the high school entrance exam, both Zhang Lei and Zhang Yan attended the Second High School, so relatively speaking, their contact should have been more than his.

Zhang Lei thought for a moment and said: "Zhang Yan? I really don't know her specific situation now; I haven't seen her for two or three years. Wait, shouldn't you know better than me?"

Tang Song was surprised: "Eh? What do you mean?"

"She attended Yancheng Agricultural University; isn't that in the same city as you? I thought you two had been in contact all along."

Tang Song was slightly startled: "Yancheng Agricultural University?"

"Yeah." Scratching his somewhat messy hair, Zhang Lei simply told him what he knew.

After Zhang Yan started high school, she suddenly became very, very diligent, working harder than in junior high.

She basically had no social life and studied every day.

And she was very frugal; she would only eat half of the lunch she bought and pair it with a free bowl of egg soup in the afternoon.

Because she was pretty and had the "bookworm" attribute, she was actually quite famous at the Second High School.

Her 2016 college entrance exam score just reached the second-tier line; in fact, she could barely have attended a local undergraduate college, but Zhang Yan still chose to repeat the year.

However, she really didn't have much talent for studying, and in the end, she didn't reach the first-tier line and attended a second-tier major at the Agricultural University.

Hearing this, Tang Song felt somewhat uncomfortable.

It was probably hearing that this former good friend had worked so hard but hadn't received a return.

But reality is just like that; the gap in talent is truly hard to make up for with hard work.

"I'm telling you, Tang Song, why did you suddenly think of asking about Zhang Yan? Don't tell me you have designs on her?" A teasing smile appeared on Zhang Lei's face. "But then again, Zhang Yan is actually quite pretty. Although she's a bit dull, her heart is pure, and there were quite a few people chasing her at the Second High School back then."

"It's not as sordid as you think." Tang Song shook his head. "I just happened to see her photo these two days while back home and wanted to simply understand how she was doing."

"Haha, alright. If you really want to ask, I'll help you ask Liu Shasha later; she was in the same dormitory as Zhang Yan at the Second High School, so they should be in contact quite a bit."

"Thanks, Zhang Lei." Tang Song patted his shoulder and asked: "What about you? Where are you developing?"

The expression on Zhang Lei's face was somewhat awkward: "Just messing around in Quancheng; I can't earn much money in a month, not comparable to you guys."

"Ding-a-ling—" Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Zhang Lei quickly took out his phone, a nervous look appearing on his face: "Hello, President Lin, I'll be right back!"

"Alright, alright, sorry, I have an urgent matter."

He hung up the phone.

Zhang Lei's face was awkward: "Well, I'm still hosting some very important clients here and can't leave for too long. How about this, after I'm done here, I'll treat you to a drink tonight."

Running into an old classmate he hadn't seen in 6 or 7 years, he was also filled with emotion and really wanted to have a good chat with Tang Song.

But he really couldn't get away, and there was no other way.

Tang Song nodded: "Sure, I'll be in Jing County for these two days."

"Bye, wait for my call!" Patting Tang Song's shoulder, Zhang Lei jogged away.

Licking his somewhat dry lips, Tang Song shook his head with a light laugh and opened the private room door to walk in.

Ever since starting university and dedicating himself wholeheartedly to his studies and work, his contact with former classmates had been severed.

Like Zhang Yan and Zhang Lei, classmates and friends who were once very close, he didn't even know their current situations.

For example, Zhang Lei, this former second-generation rich kid, had now also been smoothed out by life.

……

"Boom, boom, boom—" The roar of the engine sounded.

The Porsche 911 accelerated and merged into the afternoon traffic of Yancheng.

Inside the quiet and luxurious cabin, both remained silent, neither speaking.

Xu Ning lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, occasionally stealing a glance at Lin Empress Mu Xue in the driver's seat, like a child who had done something wrong.

After a long while.

"Seeing Xiao Xue, you now..."

"Shut up!" Lin Empress Mu Xue gripped the steering wheel tightly, her gaze sharp: "I'm driving right now, don't disturb me!"

Xu Ning's lips trembled a few times, and she mumbled: "I was wrong, I'm sorry."

"Hoo—" Lin Empress Mu Xue exhaled and turned up the air conditioning.

Although she was money-grubbing and vain, and had many small flaws, she was at least sincere toward her friends.

Especially toward Xu Ning, who had helped her many times when she was in a predicament.

Right after graduation, her income was actually very low, and Xu Ning, who was a live streamer, took the initiative to help her pay part of the rent.

The toiletries she used in her daily life were also gifts from Xu Ning.

The two often went to the barbecue stall next to "Yancheng Vocational and Technical College," drinking beer and eating skewers while fantasizing about a beautiful future life.

For her, who had been ridiculed and isolated by classmates at school, that was a very warm memory.

However, the warmer it was back then, the more painful the subsequent rupture was.

Soon, the car drove into the underground garage of the Lanfeng International high-end apartment complex and stopped steadily in a parking space.

"Get out."

"Oh, oh, alright, I'll take the luggage... thank you, Seeing Xiao Xue."

"Bang!" The car lights flashed, and the car was locked.

Lin Empress Mu Xue pulled one of the suitcases and strode toward the elevator lobby.

Xu Ning quickly jogged to keep up, looking curiously at the surrounding environment.

This was probably where Seeing Xiao Xue lived now.

She naturally knew about the Lanfeng International high-end apartments.

After all, having lived in Yancheng for a few years, she, who also loved luxury goods and showing off, had been to the restaurant here.

Walking into the spacious and luxurious elevator, Lin Empress Mu Xue swiped her access card, and the button for the 20th floor lit up automatically.

"Ding—" The elevator stopped on a floor.

Immediately following, several well-dressed men and women walked in, including two foreigners with high noses and broad eyes.

Seeing Lin Empress Mu Xue standing there, big smiles immediately appeared on their faces.

They took the initiative to greet her:

"Hi Luna!!"

"Good afternoon, Luna! How are you enjoying your weekend so far?"

…

Seeing several familiar colleagues, Lin Empress Mu Xue smiled and responded in English, sharing her wonderful weekend with them.

Xu Ning, beside her, showed a look of astonishment, opened her mouth, and wanted to ask something, but didn't dare to speak.

What she didn't expect was that Seeing Xiao Xue's English was actually this good now.

And she even knew these friends who clearly looked very impressive.

In the year she had been away, she seemed to have undergone many changes.

Compared to the Seeing Xiao Xue of back then, there was a feeling of similarity yet difference.

Walking out of the elevator, the expression on Lin Empress Mu Xue's face became cold again.

Turning a corner in the spacious and bright corridor, the two arrived before a dark brown door.

On it, the characters "2002" were written on a golden nameplate.

Lin Empress Mu Xue gripped the door handle, used fingerprint recognition, and opened the heavy door.

"Gulu-lu—" "Da-da-da—"

Footsteps, mixed with the sound of suitcase wheels rolling.

Xu Ning cautiously examined the surrounding environment.

Exquisite foyer, solid wood composite flooring, multi-layered ceiling, gorgeous crystal chandelier, leather sofa, wool carpet, large floor-to-ceiling windows, high-end furniture and appliances...

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sky presented a deep gray tone, the cloud layer thick and low, as if within reach.

Through the bright and spacious glass curtain wall, one could see high-rise buildings and bustling traffic.

The hustle and bustle of the city were vividly presented before her eyes.

This apartment was completely finished to the standard of a five-star hotel.

It was much better than the renovation of the Yanjing Huating apartment they lived in before.

It was indeed the style Seeing Xiao Xue liked most.

Xu Ning stood in the living room, somewhat cowering: "Seeing Xiao Xue, do... do you live alone now?"

"Heh." Lin Empress Mu Xue sat down on the sofa, her tone mocking: "Don't tell me you still want to share an apartment with me? Do you have money? This high-end apartment in the city center, with this standard of renovation, has a normal rent of about 5,600 yuan; how much money do you have now?"

After Xu Ning left, because she was depressed and worried about her online persona being exposed by others.

She hadn't looked for a roommate for that 130-square-meter Western-style house at Yanjing Huating.

The 4,600 yuan monthly rent put her under immense pressure.

To maintain appearances, she could only hold on, saving money in other areas, such as walking to work and canceling afternoon tea.

"I..." Xu Ning lowered her head, tears flowing down again, crying: "Seeing Xiao Xue, I was deceived. He said he was using my money to invest to prove it to his parents, and even made me take out online loans for him, saying the returns were very high..."

Lin Empress Mu Xue's brow twitched: "Did you borrow it!?"

"I... I..." Xu Ning shrank her neck: "I was wrong..."

"Fool!" Lin Empress Mu Xue stood up and slapped her hard on the head: "If you were just a gold-digger being kept by someone, I could still look at you with some respect.

But you, you're supporting someone else, earning money and borrowing money for them to squander, and even letting them take advantage of you for free.

Now you're back in Yancheng with a mountain of debt? And you remembered me? You really have some talent!"

Xu Ning hugged her and cried loudly.

Her mouth kept saying things like "I'm sorry" and "I regret it so much."

Lin Empress Mu Xue gritted her silver teeth, but in the end, she didn't push her away.

Regarding Xu Ning, she felt both disappointed and angry in her heart, as well as some heartache and worry.

Seeing her in such a miserable state now, her mood was truly complicated.

A long time later, Xu Ning, tired from crying, slumped on the sofa and told her about her experiences over the past year.

After leaving Yancheng, she and her "rich, handsome" boyfriend went to Hangzhou, a top-tier city for internet celebrities, to work full-time as a live streamer.

Her boyfriend was the type to spend money lavishly, and the apartment they rented was also very expensive.

To support the two of them, Xu Ning live-streamed for a long time every day and no longer bought any luxury goods.

Later, her boyfriend suddenly said that a good buddy of his wanted to take him to get rich, but it required a sum of startup capital.

Her boyfriend encouraged her to borrow money from online lending platforms and friends.

She had doubted it, but she never dared to face it.

The only motivation supporting her was to gain the approval of her boyfriend's parents and get married to live a peaceful life as a wealthy wife.

Like a gambler who had already staked everything, she simply couldn't afford to lose.

Until a while ago, her boyfriend suddenly said the investment money had been lost.

He told her to go find fans to borrow money for turnover, and even hinted that she could use her body for transactions.

Xu Ning finally woke up.

But it was too late; not only were her savings from these years completely wiped out, but she also owed hundreds of thousands in debt.

She was harassed by debt collectors every day.

She had absolutely no heart for live streaming anymore, couldn't stay in Hangzhou, and ran back to Yancheng in a dejected state.

Lin Empress Mu Xue, sitting opposite her, listened with rapid breathing, her blood pressure soaring.

"Xu Ning."

"Oh, oh, I'm here!" Xu Ning quickly sat up straight: "Seeing Xiao Xue, I didn't mean to ask you to help me pay back the money, and I know your situation; I just have nowhere to stay for the time being, and my heart is very, very painful. You don't know, I've wanted to die many times."

Lin Empress Mu Xue looked at her calmly: "Then go die."

"I..."

"Don't pretend to be pitiful with me here; if you wanted to die, you would have died long ago. Being like this now is just self-inflicted; I know you too well, you're just too greedy..."

Lin Empress Mu Xue's words were particularly cold, each one piercing Xu Ning's heart.

Xu Ning's face grew paler and paler, and she bit her lip without refuting.

After a few minutes, Lin Empress Mu Xue stood up: "Have you eaten?"

"No, I haven't eaten for a day. I came to Yancheng by train last night, sat at the train station for half a day, and finally went to Yanjing Huating to find you."

"That's the bathroom over there; go take a shower and change your clothes."

"Oh, oh, alright." Xu Ning quickly stood up, opened a suitcase, took out a change of clothes and a towel, and walked quickly toward the bathroom.

"Click—" As the glass door was gently closed, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

Back then, for the sake of that lying scumbag, she had deeply disgusted this best friend of hers; she hated herself to the core.

She ran over to find this former best friend, actually wanting to be scolded by her.

This, instead, could make her feel a bit more comfortable.

Her gaze swept across the entire bathroom, and her eyes trembled violently.

On the exquisite shelf, high-end skincare products were everywhere: Bvlgari, Chanel...

The bath towels were all 3,000-yuan Morgan & Tina ones.

Immediately, her gaze paused.

Beside the mirror, a set of men's skincare products and a razor were placed neatly, clean and tidy.

On the shelf in the corner, there was also a Versace men's bathrobe.

Recalling every scene since they met, Xu Ning seemed to understand something in her heart.

She took off her clothes and took a quick shower.

She blew her hair dry.

After crying loudly, being scolded severely, and taking a comfortable hot shower, Xu Ning felt she had finally come back to life.

Recalling the past year, she only felt as if she had been under a spell, dazed and confused.

Walking out of the bathroom, she saw Lin Empress Mu Xue sitting on the single sofa.

"Seeing Xiao Xue, can I use your cosmetics? I came in such a rush that I didn't bring many things."

Lin Empress Mu Xue was silent for a moment: "They're in the bedroom walk-in closet; you can use the cosmetics, but don't mess with my other things."

"Mm-hmm, alright."

Xu Ning walked lightly into the walk-in closet.

Once she saw the situation inside, she stood frozen in place, opening her mouth wide in surprise.

On the vertical shelves: Hermès Birkin, Chanel Le Boy black-and-silver calfskin, LV Capucines handbag, Hobo bag...

In the wardrobe: piece after piece of luxury fashion, hairbands, hats...

In the vanity drawers: all kinds of classic accessories, watches, and even a Vacheron Constantin Overseas.

This... isn't this the walk-in closet the two of them fantasized about and sketched out when they were drunk back then?

With her eye for things, she could naturally tell these were all genuine.

The value of all these things combined was unimaginable.

Seeing Xiao Xue had actually realized the dream they had always had.

An inexplicable sense of loss surged in her heart, almost swallowing her whole.

When she chose her top-tier benefactor back then, it was just so that one day she could live a life like this.

She applied light makeup in a daze.

On the way out, Xu Ning's footsteps paused again.

On the rack at the exit, several items were hanging quietly.

There were hairbands, room cards, Porsche car keys, and an exquisite blue-and-white work badge.

A while before she left Yanjing Huating, Lin Empress Mu Xue had just joined Rongxin Venture Capital as a receptionist.

She said she wanted to change tracks, create a new self-media account, and change her career to build a persona as a high-knowledge financial expert.

As her best friend, she naturally knew that Lin Empress Mu Xue had always longed to be respected and envied by others.

So even knowing that it was quite expensive and exhausting, she still wanted to build such a persona.

Hesitating for a moment, Xu Ning gently flipped the work badge and saw the content on it.

In the center was Lin Empress Mu Xue's ID photo, wearing formal attire, with her long hair styled neatly—she was very beautiful.

Below was the specific job information.

Luna (Lin Empress Mu Xue)

Senior Assistant to the Committee

…

Slover (HK) Trust

Xu Ning's heart skipped a beat, her eyes dazed.

Returning to the living room in a dejected state, looking at Seeing Xiao Xue, who was standing there elegant and stylish, a feeling of a lifetime having passed surged in her heart.

She had changed; she had truly changed so much.

It was no longer a bluffing pretense, but a blooming with full confidence.

What exactly happened to her over this year?

"Let's go." Lin Empress Mu Xue said calmly and strode out.

Xu Ning was stunned and quickly followed.

…

The elevator stopped slowly on the 3rd floor, and the two walked into an elegantly decorated Hong Kong-style tea restaurant.

Lin Empress Mu Xue ordered a few signature dishes at random, picked up the lemon water handed to her by the waiter, and sipped it elegantly in small mouthfuls.

Xu Ning gritted her teeth and asked: "Seeing Xiao Xue, do you have a boyfriend? When did that happen?"

Lin Empress Mu Xue set down her water glass and said calmly: "No."

"Then what... what kind of work do you do now?"

Lin Empress Mu Xue raised her head, a faint smile appearing on her face: "An executive at a foreign financial company; the people I ran into in the elevator just now were my colleagues."

"Ah!" Xu Ning exclaimed, her eyes full of disbelief: "You... really?"

"Heh, you can choose not to believe it; I don't need to explain it to you." Lin Empress Mu Xue shook her head, a faint reverie appearing in her gaze.

This reunion with Xu Ning made her recall her past self once again.

To her, Xu Ning was like a fixed coordinate.

Only when looking back at her could she discover how far she had already come.

This was the importance of choice.

Xu Ning chose to gamble, meeting her so-called top-tier benefactor in person, delusional about striking it rich.

During the time she was doing self-media and modeling, many "top-tier benefactors" had found her, trying to tempt her with the future, money, and benefits.

Fortunately, she didn't act impulsively like Xu Ning; she held her bottom line and knew what she truly wanted.

In fact, if not for the bombshell of the 100-million-dollar family trust, would she have fallen so quickly, shamelessly clinging to him?

Regarding Tang Song, she never denied the fact that she was greedy for money and money-worshipping.

But she also had principles; since she chose him, she would wholeheartedly rely on him and please him.

Xu Ning was silent for a long time, then suddenly said: "Seeing Xiao Xue, you remember Wen Qiuyue, right? I ran into her again at an event in Hangzhou; she has her own fashion brand now, and I heard she's doing very well."

Hearing this name, Lin Empress Mu Xue's pupils trembled.

Wen Qiuyue was the arrogant and domineering socialite who had humiliated her at an event before; her family was in the clothing business.

Her family background was very poor; after knowing she couldn't be a flight attendant during university, she started working as a part-time model, interviewing for events everywhere.

During that time, she was publicly ridiculed by an interviewer for being tacky and having no taste.

This incident was taken by many classmates to mock her.

Later, she gritted her teeth and used her credit card to buy a full outfit of A-grade high-quality replicas.

She was then mercilessly exposed and slapped in the face by Wen Qiuyue in public, who said she was wearing counterfeit products and was simply insulting their brand.

She even told her to go to the bathroom to change her clothes, or else don't go to the event site.

In order to get that precious 1,000-yuan part-time fee, she squeezed into the smelly mall bathroom amidst eyes full of disdain and contempt.

She cried in the narrow stall while changing her clothes.

This was also the true catalyst that led to her subsequent transformation.

The more one lacks something, the more one longs for it.

It was precisely because she had experienced such shameful and inferior humiliation that she wanted to prove herself and make others envy and be jealous of her.