A swell of chatter filled the hallways of the university’s stadium, parents and friends fawning over the college graduates one more time before they left to go take their seats to watch the ceremony. Ying Sheng leaned against the wall, biting her lip anxiously as she glanced around at all of the graduates in her year. She could hardly believe that she was wearing the black gown herself.

She had made it. Her business plan received a good grade, she passed every one of her last classes, she finished up her internship at the university’s business office, and she got everything she needed for her graduation set up. It had been more work than she had ever had to do in her entire life, but she faced it head on and got it done. That was all that mattered.

Ying Sheng reached up and lightly fluffed her hair, preparing herself for the walk across the stage to get her diploma. She wanted to look good, even if she didn’t have a whole family out in the stands cheering for her. She looked around again, her eyes glancing over the crying mothers, the proud fathers, and the supportive siblings. She didn’t have any of those.

Her friends were working now, but they promised to celebrate with her later on. She was fine with that. She was just grateful that they wanted to celebrate her because she actually wanted to celebrate herself.

She had worked hard. She had fought through her own darkness, refusing to let it eat her alive when she knew that the light wasn’t too far ahead. If she gave up, she wouldn’t even be giving herself a chance. She couldn’t do that to herself. She had too many dreams and hopes. She couldn’t just abandon them.

Ying Sheng was determined to take her bakery seriously after she graduated. She knew that she had to take out money and spend it to make money, and she was devoted to the ups and downs that she would have to go through. It was all part of business, which she had been thoroughly studying for the past four years. She had the knowledge. She just had to take the leap.

”You look beautiful,” a voice sounded beside her.

Ying Sheng whipped around to see Liam standing beside her in a black suit, prompting her eyes to widen in shock.

”Me? You… you look amazing,” she murmured in awe as she reached out to trail her fingertips down one of the lapels of his suit jacket. She wasn’t all that upset about her parents not bothering to come because the most important person in her life had showed up.

He was the one who cared about her, who mattered to her. She had learned that she couldn’t worry about those who didn’t make an impact on her life. They could ignore her and wish her the worst. It would only hurt her if she let it, and she refused to allow herself to get beaten down by people who didn’t matter to her. She was worth more than that.

”Thanks. It’s a special occasion, so I wanted to dress up for it,” Liam replied as he winked at her. He reached out to gently take her hand, lifting it to his lips for a playful kiss to her knuckles.

Even if it was playful, Ying Sheng could still feel the passion. She was still grateful for the touch and his presence, which meant the world to her. Someone would be cheering her on for her accomplishments, and that was what mattered.

”I can’t believe I almost let my parents convince me that I would amount to nothing. Today… I’m a college graduate,” Ying Sheng breathed out in disbelief, her head shaking. It was a big step, one that she was proud of. She had struggled and fallen multiple times, but she had constantly gotten back up. She couldn’t be kept down for long.

”And tomorrow, you can be whoever you want to be. One day, you’ll be a business owner,” Liam added with a proud smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close.

Ying Sheng knew that he was right. The power was in her hands. After spending so long thinking that she was powerless, she finally realized that she had more control over her life than she had previously realized.

”And as long as I’m with you, I’ll be a happy girl,” she pointed out as she smiled at him. There were plenty of things that she wanted to change in her life, but he wasn’t one of them. He was right where she belonged.

”I’m not going anywhere,” Liam promised her before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “Except right now because I think you guys are getting ready to go onto the floor.”

Ying Sheng looked around her to see the graduates starting to walk to the floor of the stadium to find their seats. She drew in a calming breath to steady herself, realizing that she had to part from him now.

”I guess I should go,” she murmured, stalling on the spot as she turned back to him. Even if he was going to be in the stands, she was still going into this part alone. However, she was meant to do this, and she wouldn’t let her own nervousness hold her back.

”I’ll see you right after the ceremony, and I’m taking you out,”Liam told her warmly, sharing a smile with her before lightly cupping her chin. He leaned forward and gently kissed her, his eyes fluttering shut.

Ying Sheng leaned into the kiss, her lips curling up at how warm and soft it felt. It ended too fast, but she knew that she needed to go so that she didn’t miss her own graduation ceremony. She pulled away and squeezed his hand before turning to follow some of the other graduates onto the sleek floor of the stadium. Just then she heard someone calling her name.

”Ying Sheng!” Ying Sheng stopped and turned to see her father running towards her.

”Dad, you came!” Ying Sheng said gleefully as she hugged her father.

”Of course I came. I wouldn’t miss my daughter’s big day for any reason.”

Ying Sheng smiled and nodded, “Okay, I have to go.”

Her father smiled and hugged her. “I’m proud of you.”

Ying Sheng blinked away the tears that were threatening to come out and flashed her dad a smile before walking away.

She faced multiple rows of chairs, graduates filling most of them as they chatted and waited for the ceremony to start. She walked around and found her seat on the third row near the center, her fingers twining together nervously as she got settled.

Not too long ago, she thought that she would never make it to this part. She hadn’t been able to see her future because she wasn’t sure if she’d have a notable one or not. However, the storm clouds cleared out, and the sunlight broke through. No matter what, the sun always found a way to come out.

Ying Sheng sat up in her seat as she heard the commencement music start playing, the university’s faculty moving into their positions on the stage. She adjusted her black gown absentmindedly, preparing for her walk once the speeches ended.

Her mind was racing the entire time people were talking, unable to properly latch onto their words. She could only hear her own thoughts, her own hopes for what would happen once she got that diploma and walked out of here. Even if her business plan had a few kinks that could be fixed, she believed that she had enough hope and drive to make her business into everything that she wanted it to be.

It would be a haven for families, a place for their happiness to bloom. She would see children smiling, cooperating parents, and beautiful interactions. The baked goods wouldn’t be the only sweetness in her bakery. She would ensure that it was a happy place for all.

”Graduates, please stand,” the President of the university announced.

Ying Sheng drew in a deep breath, holding it until they were told to come to the stage to receive their diplomas. She followed her row to get in line, her heart rate steadily increasing with each and every step she took.

”We made it,” the girl in front of her giggled to her friend.

Ying Sheng smiled a little at that sentiment. It was true. They had all made it, and she knew that all of them had struggled in some sort of way. The journey into adulthood wasn’t a smooth one. It felt lonely and scary, but they either faced it head on or cowered from it.

Even after feeling like giving up, Yingcontinued to persevere. She wanted to make a few people proud, and those people were herself and Liam. Just by heading to the stage, she felt like she had done that. It was her first step into a new world.

As the names were called and the line grew shorter, Ying Sheng shifted her eyes around the crowd, searching for Liam. Like a magnet, her eyes were soon drawn to him toward the top of the stands. She smiled, knowing that he could see her too. He had always had his eyes on her.

”Ying Sheng.”

When Ying Sheng heard her name be called so that she could walk across the stage and get her diploma, everything else around her went silent. It was just her,Liam, and the path ahead. To her, that was all that mattered. Her journey had just begun, and the first step was now.