After contracting to have a child, the icy female CEO became addicted.

"..."

Xia Yunxi's sobs still echoed in the room.

Outside the dark gray floor-to-ceiling window, the drone still hangs high in the air, its light shining directly into the room.

The sound of crying gave Wenzhi a headache.

She rested her elbows on the sofa armrests, pressed her fingers against her temples, stared intently at Xia Yunxi, and asked.

"Do you really like Jiang Ran?"

"...Huh?"

Xia Yunxi was stunned, her sobs stopped abruptly, and she looked at Wen Zhi with red eyes, clearly not understanding the meaning of her question.

"Answer my question, I want to know."

Wen Zhi emphasized it again, her gaze burning.

Xia Yunxi was stunned for a moment, her eyes clearly darting away, but in the end, she nodded and gave a definite answer right in front of Wen Zhi.

Seeing her reaction, Wen Zhi suddenly smiled.

Wen Zhi's eyes darkened, and her voice lowered as well, "If you really like him, how could you push him away to someone else?"

"I......"

Xia Yunxi opened her mouth, meeting Wen Zhi's unwavering gaze. After a long pause, she finally said, "I do like him. I don't know if he'll remember our promise after his divorce, but for something so impossible, I've waited a year..."

Yes.

Xia Yunxi waited a year just to see Jiang Ran get a divorce.

I believe he'll keep his promise to her after his divorce and be with her afterward...

Can......

"Yunxi, this isn't what you call liking someone."

Wen Zhi sighed helplessly, looking at the girl in front of her who was five or six years younger than her. Her limited knowledge and understanding left her stuck in place.

No one helped her, and she didn't know how to help herself.

Wen Zhi wasn't angry, nor did she react with the expected rage or teasing. She simply looked at the young girl in front of her with a sense of pity.

"Yes, I like him... I've liked him ever since I met him in college. I thought we'd never see each other again after graduation, but I never expected to meet him here. Although the timing of our meeting isn't quite right, I really do like him!"

Xia Yunxi blinked, not feeling any pressure from Wen Zhi, and her tone gradually relaxed.

Like a friendly older sister, Xia Yunxi rarely spoke so much to Wen Zhi at once: "I think this is fate, this is destiny..."

Wen Zhi smiled helplessly, raised her index finger and shook it a few times, her tone light: "You're wrong, Yunxi. This is fate, but not destiny."

"You're pinning your hopes for happiness on Jiang Ran, which puts invisible pressure on him. In other words, you're indulging in self-pity."

As Wen Zhi spoke, she refilled the glass in front of her with water, then took out a thin cigarette, lit it, and the minty flavor reminded her to stay awake, with smoke swirling around her.

Xia Yunxi was stunned.

Beyond the smoke, Wen Zhi's voice rang out, tinged with a helpless bitterness, "And you entrust whether you two will be together to the gift of fate. You think it's destiny. Then one day, when you two are fighting and breaking up over the mundane things of life, you will also break up with him because your destiny has run its course."

"...How could this be?"

Hearing Wen Zhi's words, Xia Yunxi spoke with some difficulty, "As long as we have money, things like tea, rice, oil, and salt can all be taken care of, right?"

"For marriage, material things are the foundation, and love is the icing on the cake."

Wen Zhi smiled, looking at Xia Yunxi as if she were looking at her past self. She didn't slander her, but simply said, "Yunxi, my sister likes Jiang Ran, and she will most likely never leave him in this life. After hearing your story, I think Jiang Ran doesn't like you yet. You are trying to use fate to bind him, which is moral blackmail."

"The beginning of a relationship is an opportunity bestowed by God, while the outcome is a personal choice we make in reality."

"So you and Jiang Ran are indeed destined to be together, but you didn't hold on to him and pushed him to someone else. In essence, this is just a way of shirking responsibility. Saying it makes you feel better."

"Jiang Ran didn't actually do it because he's a good person, but you did it for your own selfish reasons."

"This isn't love; this is weighing the pros and cons."

Wen Zhi spoke at once, looking at Xia Yunxi, each word crashing down like a hammer.

This was the first time Xia Yunxi had heard such a statement.

She considers herself very independent. She has come a long way from that family background and has not been trapped by her brother's dowry. She is trying her best to say goodbye to her past self and become a truly independent person.

All her perceptions are self-generated; her family of origin did not provide her with a good education or love.

Xia Yunxi never imagined that one day she would hear such educational words from the mouth of the boss she worked for.

She suddenly felt like laughing.

Xia Yunxi looked at Wen Zhi and saw her take another puff of her cigarette. Her figure was alluring, and her fair skin glowed under the white light. All of this required money to maintain.

"Second Miss, aren't what you're saying just another form of moral blackmail?"

After much back and forth, Xia Yunxi smiled. She looked at Wen Zhi, her inherent pride making her straighten her back: "I'm different from you. You were born into a good family and probably didn't suffer much hardship growing up, right? As for me, I climbed up step by step on my own merits. Without all those weighing the pros and cons, in this ruthless society, I probably would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even a trace."

Who would have thought that Xia Yunxi would be so eloquent? Wen Zhi almost got tricked by her.

Wen Zhi chuckled and stuck her cigarette butt into the ashtray, saying calmly, "Then you should understand even more clearly that you shouldn't pin your hopes on others to save you, because you have to complete your own life's lessons yourself."

"See your own light first, then meet your fellow travelers."

"Actually, you see, even you know that hard work is your strength. Only when you have the ability to love yourself can you love others, right?"

Contrary to expectations, the confrontational conversation, which began as an interrogation, has now turned into a peaceful discussion.

Although she didn't know how much Xia Yunxi had actually taken to heart, Wen Zhi still took out her backpack and then took out a black card from it.

She placed the black card between her slender, pale fingers on the coffee table, and the conversation finally got to the point.

Wen Zhi smiled, her tone calm but somewhat commanding: "Here's one million. Consider it compensation for waiting a year for my brother-in-law. Take the money and leave Jiang Ran!"