Jiangcheng – Outside Zhixu Headquarters.
A sleek black car pulled up slowly at the entrance of a towering creative building. The door opened, and out stepped a well-dressed but visibly weary middle-aged woman—
Fang Lizhi, Lu Yancheng's mother.
She stood before the glass façade, gazing up at the high-rise with a complicated look in her eyes.
Five years ago, she had told Xu Zhiyi coldly:
"The Lu family does not recognize you as a daughter-in-law."and kicked her out of their home.
Now, she was standing in front of Xu Zhiyi's company, asking for a chance to speak.
—
The front desk assistant paused in surprise before accepting the business card she handed over, then made a call upstairs.
Soon, an office assistant stepped carefully into the CEO's office and asked in a low voice:
"President Xu, Madam Lu is downstairs. She's asked to see you."
Xu Zhiyi looked up from her documents, her expression calm and composed.
"Tell her to go home."
The assistant hesitated. "She said… she only wants five minutes. Even if you don't speak, she just wants to see you."
Zhiyi gave a faint smile, voice cool but resolute:
"No need. I don't waste time on people from my past."
—
Downstairs, the message was relayed.
Fang Lizhi froze. She was left momentarily speechless.
She never thought Xu Zhiyi would refuse to even see her.
"Is Miss Xu too busy? I won't take long—"
The assistant offered a polite, apologetic smile:
"Madam Lu, President Xu's exact words were—'Please don't come again.'"
"She said she no longer stands outside this building."
"She's the one inside now."
"And you… are just a visitor."
That word—visitor—stabbed like a needle through Fang Lizhi's chest.
She used to look down on Xu Zhiyi, calling her low-born, ill-mannered, unworthy of the Lu family.
Now—she wasn't even qualified to enter her office.
—
Staggering out of the building like a ghost, Fang Lizhi stood on the sidewalk in stunned silence for a long while.
Finally, she called Lu Yancheng.
"Yancheng… she won't see me."
"She's changed. She's no longer that girl who used to watch my face and beg for my approval."
On the other end, silence stretched.
Then his voice came, hoarse and low:
"If she hadn't changed… she wouldn't have survived."
—
In the Zhixu conference room, Xu Zhiyi stood at the window, watching the black car drive away in the distance.
Her assistant asked gently,
"President Xu, are you sure you don't want to see her?"
She shook her head lightly.
"What for?"
"She didn't come out of concern. She came because… I'm powerful now."
She paused, voice as calm as ever:
"They all think I came back because of old feelings."
"But they forgot—"
"I came back… to rise above them."