Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Xie Yan and I were following the script of childhood sweethearts who eventually drifted apart.

We developed feelings for each other during our teenage years, but before we could ever reach the point of confession, he met his woman of destiny, Xu Wan.

Under pressure from Xie’s Parents, his destined lover broke up with him on the eve of graduation and flew abroad alone.

A disheartened Xie Yan finished university with me by his side. Afterward, he started his own business.

Just as his career was taking off and he finally had the capital to stand up to his family, the “white moonlight” who had once abandoned him chose to return to the country and submitted her resume to his company.

Driven by some inexplicable mindset, Xie Yan actually kept her by his side as his personal secretary.

This all happened right on the eve of our two families announcing our engagement.

Up to this point in the story, it seemed I was destined for the role of the villainous supporting female lead. I was supposed to start making life difficult for the heroine, constantly causing trouble, and eventually suffering the consequences of my own actions.

However, I wasn’t going to do that. On the contrary, I understood Xie Yan perfectly.

After all, following closely in his footsteps, I had also found myself a six-foot-two personal male secretary. Only then did I realize something.

People simply need someone close to them who knows how to look after their needs. Especially for “overbearing CEOs” like us.

I inherited my family’s company earlier than Xie Yan did. After all, out of the three years of high school, Xie Yan spent two of them falling in love. Meanwhile, I never stopped my studies.

During my freshman year of high school, I had already mastered everything needed for the college entrance exams. Over the next two years, while Xie Yan was on dates holding hands with Xu Wan-playing out a drama of her running and him chasing-I was under my mother’s guidance, beginning to study international finance.

During summer breaks, while Xie Yan was taking Xu Wan for joyrides and racing cars by the river, I was flying abroad with my mother to attend various financial seminars in person.

After the college entrance exams, I got into my desired university and major with almost no effort, officially beginning to learn corporate management under my family’s arrangement.

Xie Yan, however, failed the exams because he was too heartbroken over his breakup. The Xie Family spent a fortune to buy his way into a private university that had a decent reputation among the wealthy. As luck would have it, it was in the same city-even the same district-as my university.

Madam Xie pleaded with me to look after him.

I agreed with a smile, my gaze toward Xie Yan appearing deep and tender. “I believe Ah Yan is just temporarily shaken. No matter what he becomes, I will stay by his side until he pulls himself together.”

Xie’s Parents looked at me with satisfaction, their eyes even carrying some deeper considerations.

If Xie Yan continued to be unmotivated, the best way to ensure he could hold onto the family business was to have a woman by his side who could bring him immense benefits and was deeply devoted to him.

Following that, the Xie Family handed over three projects to us in succession. My mother was equally pleased by this.

On the eve of my departure for university in the Imperial Capital, she called me into her study.

“What do you think of that boy from the Xie Family?” she asked me.

“Mediocre,” I replied. “To be honest, he doesn’t even compare to half of me.”

My mother burst into laughter upon hearing this and affectionately patted my head.

She said, “Yuanyuan, remember this: in the face of profit, anything can be a weapon-including emotions. You can like other people, but that liking must never be placed above your ideals and ambition. As for the Xie Family, if you’re willing to play along with them, then go ahead. Even if you actually take a fancy to him, it doesn’t matter. After all, he’s just a man; who says you can only have one?”

I lowered my eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up at my mother with a curved smile.