013 Things remain the same but people have changed

"Assistant Liang, make yourself clear, what exactly is going on? How can the president possibly not let me go?" Yan Yuzhen reached back and grabbed Liang Yu's arm, only to be shaken off by him, a fleeting look of disgust in his downturned eyes.

He turned his gaze on Yan Yuzhen, his voice cold, "I already made myself very clear, a more suitable person has returned, and you, the spare tire, should step down and yield your place." With a light snort, he walked away leisurely.

Stung by the snort filled with irony and mockery, Yan Yuzhen's face flushed red, then turned white with anger. Damn that Liang Yu, wasting such a good-looking face, and now he dares to mock her.

She turned her head to glance at the president's office door; she was unwilling, yet she didn't have the courage to go in and demand an explanation.

She was just a secretary, only by recognising her place could she stay by his side.

A more suitable person?

That second-rate actress, Kang Jinse?

Heh...

There's still plenty of time, let's see who has the last laugh.

...

Yun Ya changed into the princess dress that Kang Jinse had bought for her the day before, a pink pouf dress adorned with beads and sequins in her usual over-the-top style, but on Yun Ya, paired with her exquisitely chiseled little face, it was as if a little princess had stepped out of a fairy tale.

Yun Ya had naturally chestnut-colored hair, fine and soft with slightly curled ends, waving like the sea, thick and lush. Wearing a crown set with broken diamonds, it sparkled with a dazzling light when hit by the sun.

Kang Jinse had to admit, the daughter Ji Lanyi gave birth to was truly outstanding. Wherever she stood, even though she was young, her nobility and elegance seemed to be carved into her bones, like a natural-born princess.

At this moment, Kang Jinse's heart was full of jealousy. If only Yun Ya were her and Brother Shen's child, how wonderful that would be; she would certainly cherish her and mold her into the most noble of socialites.

But alas, she was Ji Lanyi's child, and the blood of Ji Lanyi ran through her veins. Whenever someone saw this child, they would remember Ji Lanyi, and would only praise Ji Lanyi for having borne such a good daughter.

This was something she would never allow.

She regretted it.

A dark shadow fleetingly crossed Kang Jinse's eyes as she walked over and took Yun Ya's hand, smiling, "You truly are our family's little princess."

Before leaving, Yun Ya asked Aunt Die to take good care of Yun Miao at home. Yun Miao knew Yun Ya was leaving and held her hand tightly, fear in his clear eyes.

"Good boy, Miaomiao, I will be back soon. You must listen to Aunt Die at home, okay?"

Miaomiao slowly let go of her hand.

From the earliest stages of their existence in this world, their blood ties had already bound them tightly together. They developed together, were born together, and grew up together. She was him, he was her, they had long been inseparable.

The interdependence of their past lives, the years they spent fleeing together, those times that were cold but indescribably joyous, were the most beautiful memories in Yun Ya's life. Though later years brought much suffering, his presence gave her hope, the determination to live on.

Miaomiao, in this life, I will never leave you again.

As she sat in the limousine heading to the party, Yun Ya tried to recall what was so significant about tonight's party, but even after racking her brains, she couldn't come up with anything. In her past life, she was thrown out of the house for angering Kang Jinse and ended up on the streets with Miaomiao. Later, Aunt Die, also driven out of the Ji Family, took her back to her hometown. It was a decade before she stepped foot in Jiangzhou again, and by then, when she returned with a heart set on revenge, everything had changed.

She was too naive, falling into the traps of those so-called relatives, leading to Miaomiao's death, and after being drained of her last bit of value, she was put on a sickbed, and eventually, she died tragically from an allergic reaction to medication.

Those memories had become too fuzzy, yet every time they surfaced, they were etched so clearly on her heart, so deep they could be felt on the bone, numb with pain.

She looked out of the car window with a calm gaze, watching the night scenery flash by. The brilliant lights occasionally glinted across her fair and tranquil face, casting a chill colder and more desperate than the darkness of the night.

Kang Jinse kept herself busy all the way, touching up makeup, checking her clothes, and drafting in her mind, completely ignoring the little girl sitting beside her, whose face bore an expression utterly mismatched with her age.

The venue for the party was located in the villa district in the northern part of Jiangzhou. Unlike the Redwood Villa District where the Ji Family's estate was located, this district was ancient, dating back to the last century, with a retro style including two-story detached houses with small gardens and towering wutong trees planted along the roads. During this season, the lush greenery of the wutong was dense. Walking under these trees, the wutong leaves twirled downward, dancing with Xuan'er in the serene sunlight, creating a peaceful haven reminiscent of an earthly paradise.

The car had to stop outside the villa district, where dedicated servants would lead the way in. Kang Jinse looked at the small western-style houses popping out of the greenery, set against the backdrop of a vast, cloudless sky, and they looked particularly fresh and elegant.

"I didn't expect Jiangzhou to have such a villa district. Why haven't I heard of it before?" Kang Jinse muttered to herself.

The leading servant just smiled without speaking. Not everyone can live in this villa district; even with status like the Ji Family, money can't buy a square meter of land here.

"Hello, please present your invitation," the servant politely asked.

Kang Jinse felt a bit embarrassed, "I'll go in when the person I'm waiting for arrives."

The servant didn't bother with her further and turned to greet the next group of guests.

A black Audi stopped, and the servant jogged up to open the door. A man around fifty, impeccably dressed in a suit, stepped out. Kang Jinse's eyes widened instantly.

This was the man she saw on TV every day.

It was the Mayor of Jiangzhou, Su Yongding.