Su Meixiu wrung her hands together, lifting her head to stare at her boss. When his stormy, obsidian black eyes clashed against her mellow folds of hazel, she hurriedly averted her gaze. Even though she highly admired him, she was still terrified of going against him. She was intimidated and fearful of what he could and would do to her. She gulped.

"Four minutes remaining." Yang Feng was aggravated by her behavior. He didn't realize how weak and feeble she was until now. She could barely look him in the eyes without wanting to bury herself into a hole.

"I-I apologize for my behavior that day." Su Meixiu started, finally raising her eyes to look him in the face. Her heart sped up in fear when he raised a brow. "My behavior was uncalled for. I've made a lot of mistakes in the past and I didn't realize you were giving me so many chances."

Yang Feng found the timing of this apology too coincidental. Did she know her family's legacy was going to end? He viewed her words as a final plea for mercy.

"So, if you can give me one more chance to redeem myself, I swear I won't make the same mistakes again. I-I won't dare to come between you and the future Madam anymore."

Did that mean she had the guts to do it before? Yang Feng's face darkened. He should just throw her in the black room and call it a day. His fingers clenched into fists.

"Why do you want to stay?"

'Because my father wants me to.' Was the first thought that flashed in her mind. She placed a hand to her beating heart and stared up at him again. His onyx eyes swirled with malicious intent. She had never seen light flood into the black abyss until now. Nothing lasts long enough to stay. Her heart raced again. This time she thought about why it raced. 'Was it because she was excited? Or was it because she was scared of him?'

Her nails dug into her chest, rolling her bottom lip into her mouth. She already knew the answer. Her brain had known it a long time ago, but her heart tricked her into thinking it was something else. She admired him in every aspect. He had never looked her way, not even once. In her frantic chase to get his attention, she had mistaken her feelings. What she felt for him was artificial love pressured into her by her peers and family.

"Because I'm very good at communicating with our clients and—"

"Just like how you're specialized in communicating with your father?"

Her mouth clamped shut. Nervous beads of sweat dribbled down her forehead, her eyes watering. It wasn't like she wanted to talk to her father. She didn't want anything to do with him, but what could she do about it? He controlled everything about her life. She was his puppet. He pulled strings for her just like how he pulled her strings to obey.

She knew nothing could redeem her from what she had done.

Yang Feng's emotionless gaze only broke her more. Why couldn't he smile at her the same way he did with Zhao Lifei? Why couldn't he wrap his arms around her and reassure her that everything was going to be alright?

"President, I'm in love with you." She choked out, her words were strained with emotions. Tears poured out of her eyes like a never-ending waterfall. She hugged her quivering shoulders when the air turned deadly.

Yang Feng felt nothing for her. He didn't even blink.

"Another mistake." He abandoned her in the hallway, leaving behind a crying woman whose legs gave out from underneath her. Wretched cries of disappointment could be heard. It mixed with the sounds of his disappearing footsteps, bouncing off the walls.

"No." She whispered. "That is where you're wrong." She dropped her head, moistened dots dripping onto the burgundy rug. "There were two mistakes." She let out a cackle of laughter. His rejection provided her with the rough slap that she needed. In the end, what she felt for him was admiration, not love. She was programmed to believe it was the latter. The water of her tears was enough to malfunction the programming.

"I've said it before, my love, it's not good to eavesdrop." Yang Feng rounded the corner and grabbed the waist of Zhao Lifei who was attempting to escape down the hallways. He smiled when she jabbed her elbows against his chest. He turned her around and enveloped her in his arms, swaying her to the music flowing from the banquet.

Zhao Lifei silently stared up at him, observing his chiseled features. He raised his well-defined brow, leaning his face down so that she could observe it better.

"What is it?" He asked her, kissing her forehead and hugging her closely. He didn't like the look on her face. She looked like she was trying to remember his face. He curved his head and kissed the side of her neck, then rested his head upon her shoulder. His tensed posture finally softened when her hands slid up his spine.

"I'm just jealous about how perfect your brows are. Who do you get it waxed with?"

"It's naturally that flawless."

"That's not fair."

"Nothing in life is fair." Yang Feng chuckled, his chest rumbling with the gentle force. He squeezed her waist and kissed her one last time on the side of her neck.

"The banquet is ending." He added on, after noticing the music slowly dying down in the background. The frequent chatter was now a murmur. "Let's head home." He stroked the back of her head, pressing a kiss on her perky little nose.

She nodded her head and he began to guide her towards the back exit where it would be easier to slip by unnoticed. She dug her foot to the ground. "I want to say goodbye to your parents."

"Only acknowledge my mother." Yang Feng instructed her as he changed their course of direction. "I will speak to my father privately."

"No, don't." Zhao Lifei, as much as she tried to deny it, enjoyed his pampering, but there were some things in this world that she had to obtain herself. It would be boring if everything was handed out to her.

"Don't force your family to like me. I'll change their views by myself."

Yang Feng was worried about her. He was conflicted on how he should feel. When he looked at her, he felt all of the uneasiness wash away. A pair of sharp, defining eyes were staring up at him. She had an easygoing smile on her face, free of dismay. She was confident she would succeed.

He lifted his hand and rubbed the top of her head. "That's my girl."

Fan Jielan stood at the exit to give the final goodbyes and to wish everyone a good night. She was so used to these customary things that her face had stopped hurting a long time ago. When she first did this, she would be sore from smiling so much, but now, she didn't mind it at all. Yang Qianlu accompanied her, sharing an equally friendly smile. They were a picture-perfect couple. Not a single flaw in sight. In reality, both of them were ready to argue when they got home.

Fan Jielan straightened up when she saw Zhao Life and Yang Feng making their way towards them. Her eyes gleamed with pride at the sight of them. Both of them matched each other superbly. Charismatic and self-assured, their children would surely be splendidly dazzling.

"Thank you for inviting me to this banquet, Madam." Zhao Lifei presented her best smile, the one that reached her eyes and showed off her dimples. The small action easily pierced Fan Jielan's heart.

"Please, just call me mother-in-law."

Yang Qianlu had to do a double-take at his wife. 'When did this happen?!' He was not prepared for the drastic shift of events. He cleared his throat, his eyes straying to the other guests behind them. "Darling—"

"Or even better, mother." Fan Jielan added the finishing blow with a tender smile, the same one she always showed towards Yang Yulong and Yang Ruqin.

Zhao Lifei, who was unfamiliar with a motherly touch, did not realize the meaning behind Fan Jielan's smile. The topic of mothers was hard for her to fathom. She slowly nodded her head, processing the words in her mind.