“I asked my mother how difficult it would be. Would I starve to death? As long as I wouldn’t starve to death, I’d follow my mother. I didn’t want to be the Eldest Young Miss of the Ning family, and I didn’t want to stay in the Ning family. At that time, I thought if my mother didn’t take me with her, I’d look for Aunt Liang Zhen or Director Pan; they’d definitely take me in. After filming ‘Yi Yao’, I understood the hardships of the world. I was confident I’d find ways to support myself. I’m stubborn like my mother. Deep down, both of us would rather sacrifice ourselves for a just cause than to lose our integrity just to survive.”

“Su Tong is an extremely smart woman. She understood my mother better than anyone in the Ning family did. Slowly but surely, she used my custody rights to make my mother give up on her rights. As for my mother, in order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, she made my father think that she only wanted money in the beginning. Coupled with Su Tong’s instigation, he hated my mother to the core. With that, their relationship of more than ten years was slowly used up.”

“During this tug of war, my mother and Su Tong reached an agreement. As long as my mother left the house, she would get my father to give up his custody of me. Both of them held up their ends of the bargain. At that time, my mother took the patent that she had applied for beforehand. From then on, the Ning Group could no longer use my mother’s designs and embroideries. This was also something Su Tong helped my mother obtain. In order to chase us out, Su Tong was willing to do anything.”

“When I became popular and won the award for best actress, the Ning family began to regret their actions and wanted me to return. At some point, they discovered the important role Su Tong played in this matter. They tried to coax me, coerce me, and bribed me; they did everything they could think of to get me to return to the family. Therefore, I announced my withdrawal from the entertainment industry. With the help from Ms. Yun Yao, Fu Le’s mother, I managed to settle down. At that time, there was only half a year left until my college entrance exam. Ms. Yun Yao and my mother founded this small studio for embroidery. It was an unpopular and niche market, but with Ms. Yun Yao’s management, our lives were not difficult. However, my mother was exhausted.”

“In a span of slightly more than a year, my mother had to go through so many hardships. She had long exhausted herself, but since I’ve yet to settle down, she continued to endure. When I finally entered university, she could no longer hold on. She was really happy when I chose to study Chinese medicine. Although she had experienced and seen the dark sides of humans, she was still delighted that I would become a doctor who could save people in the future. She had always said I should live a meaningful life and not be like her.”

“She arranged a marriage between Fu Le and me because she thought Ms. Yun Yao would be able to take care of me in the future. If she were to leave, I would be an orphan. I don’t think she believed in love anymore. At that time, she probably thought it would be enough as long as Fu Le and his mother treated me well. In the end, she only wanted me to have someone to rely on. However, I think she knew that apart from herself, there wouldn’t be anyone I could rely on.”

Song Ning wiped the tears off her face when she finished recounting the past.

Mu Chen pulled her into his arms and said, “Ning, I know it’s difficult for you to believe that you’ll be able to rely on me for the rest of your life. However, if you ever encounter hardships, I hope to be the first person you think of. Let me stay by your side and prove myself to you, alright?”

Upon hearing these words, Song Ning looked at Mu Chen with tears in her eyes.

Mu Chen grabbed Song Ning’s hand and placed it against his face before he tenderly said, “It’s fine if you want to guard your heart to avoid getting hurt, but please give me a chance to prove myself, okay?”

Song Ning nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll try.”

Under the moonlight, a warm and reassuring smile appeared on Mu Chen’s face.

Upon seeing this, Song Ning’s heart could not help but soften.

Mu Chen reached out and caressed Song Ning’s face; his fingers traced her delicate eyebrows that framed her eyes.

This girl whom he wanted to pamper and had been raised like a princess was forced to sacrifice herself due to her parents’ relationship. She had gone through unexpected changes and hardships, and yet, she remained strong like a blade of grass standing in the wind.

He could not deny that he had fallen in love with her.

At this moment, Mu Chen traced her lips with his finger. The lips under his fingertips were soft and warm. His emotions took over, and he leaned forward to kiss her.

Song Ning closed her eyes when his lips touched her lips.

At this moment…

“Is anyone here?”

A voice rang from downstairs.

Mu Chen cursed under his breath, “B*stard!”

Cheng Che was a Jinx!

Cheng Che’s voice rang out again. “Brother Chen? President Mu? Is anyone here?”

“I’ll strangle him sooner or later,” Mu Chen said through gritted teeth.