Lixue sighed, shaking her head as she led the way to the dining room. "Rules like that are ridiculous. If you’re going to work with , you’ll eat with too. No exceptions."
Aster hesitated for a mont before nodding. "Understood, madam."
Lixue sat at the long dining table, which looked far too extravagant for just one person. It had been set with an elaborate breakfast, but the emptiness of the space made it feel uninviting. She gestured for Aster to sit across from her, and though the woman looked slightly unsure, she eventually complied.
As they began eating, Lixue glanced at her phone, she hadn’t checked her phone before going to bed, and when she woke up, she was too preoccupied with Mo Ran’s absence and the lingering exhaustion from the night before.
She also hadn’t thought much about where he could have gone—after all, he was always busy with work, and it wasn’t unusual for him to leave early for etings.
Lixue scrolled through her phone as she took a sip of her tea, her fingers pausing when she saw Mo Ran’s ssage.
[Mo Ran: Had to step out early. Don’t cause trouble while I’m gone, wifey.]
Her brows furrowed slightly as she tapped to see the ti he had sent it. Early morning. He must have left not long after she fell back asleep.
She scrolled further.
[Mo Ran: At the Mo estate.]
Lixue’s fingers tightened around her phone. So he was with his grandparents. That explained why he hadn’t told her beforehand—he probably knew she wouldn’t take it well.
Fei Baeya and Mo Zhengrong were traditional, powerful figures who commanded respect with every word. Their stance on the entertainnt industry had been clear for years, and now that she had officially stepped into the spotlight, it wasn’t hard to guess what the conversation was about.
Still, Mo Ran had chosen to go alone, facing their scrutiny without a word to her.
Lixue exhaled and set her phone down.
She had never expected approval from them, but a part of her still felt unsettled knowing Mo Ran was dealing with their dissatisfaction on her behalf.
"Is sothing wrong, madam?" Aster’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Lixue shook her head and picked up her fork. "Nothing important. Let’s eat."
Aster gave her a long look but didn’t press further.
The al passed in quiet efficiency, with Aster filling Lixue in on details about the gem black market. It was only after breakfast, when Lixue sat alone in the lounge, that her thoughts drifted back to Mo Ran.
Would he co back irritated? Would he brush it off like it was nothing?
She tapped her fingers against her thigh, eyes narrowing slightly.
Madam, is sothing wrong?" Aster asked, noticing her expression.
Lixue quickly schooled her features into sothing more neutral. "No, just thinking."
Aster didn’t pry, instead focusing on her al. After a mont, she spoke again. "If I may ask, why gems? With your connections, there are a lot of more straightforward businesses you could get into."
Lixue took a sip of her tea before answering. "I don’t like relying on connections. I want sothing I can build myself, from the ground up. And I have an eye for valuable things. Why not use it?"
Aster humd in thought before nodding. "Then I think the black market visit will be a good start. It’s a place where experience matters more than status."
Lixue smirked slightly. "Good. Then let’s make so plans after breakfast."
As they continued their al, Lixue’s mind drifted once more to Mo Ran. She hoped he was handling everything well, but knowing him, he was probably already on his way back, unconcerned with whatever his grandparents had thrown his way.
She just hoped this wouldn’t turn into sothing worse down the line.
Lixue drumd her fingers lightly against the table, her gaze unfocused as she mulled over the thought. She wasn’t one to dwell on things she had no control over, but the unease lingered.
Mo Ran had never once tried to stop her from pursuing her career—if anything, he had supported her in his own way. But his grandparents were different. If they had truly summoned him because of her involvent in the industry, what would that an?
Would they demand he put a stop to it? Would they pressure him to make her leave the spotlight?
She scoffed softly at the thought. As if Mo Ran would listen to anyone when he had already made up his mind.
Still, the fact that they had summoned him at all ant they weren’t planning to stay silent about it.
Lixue exhaled, setting her teacup down with a quiet clink. It wasn’t as if she had been seeking their approval. She had entered the industry for herself, not for them. But knowing that Mo Ran had to bear the weight of their disapproval on her behalf left a sour taste in her mouth.
She didn’t like being a point of contention, especially when she hadn’t even done anything wrong.
"Madam?" Aster’s voice broke through her thoughts. "Shall I confirm the arrangents for the black market visit?"
Lixue looked up, pushing aside her lingering thoughts. "Yes. Let’s move forward with it."
Aster nodded and pulled out her phone to handle the details.
Lixue leaned back against the chair, fingers absentmindedly tapping against the armrest. She wasn’t going to let the Mo elders’ disapproval rattle her. They could think whatever they wanted.
But if they thought she would step back just because they didn’t approve, they were sorely mistaken.
But she knew she couldn’t head to the gem market looking like this, she would have to find a disguise, wearing a mask won’t cut since people already knew how she looked like with mask on.
"Let’s talk about this so ti later, I have to head to dream. Apparently more deals had co in and now I have to pick the ones I like. I guess ca cos with these things.."
Aster smirked slightly. "That’s the price of fa, madam."
Lixue rolled her eyes but stood, stretching lightly before glancing at the ti. Mo Ran still hadn’t returned.
"Prepare a car," she said. "We’ll head to Dream Entertainnt soon."
Aster nodded and stepped away to make the necessary arrangents.
Lixue made her way upstairs to change. Now that she was officially in the industry, she had to be mindful of her appearance whenever she left the house. Even a casual visit to the company could turn into a dia spectacle.
She pulled out a sleek yet understated outfit—dark jeans, a fitted blouse, and a tailored coat. Sothing elegant but not too eye-catching. She tied her hair into a simple ponytail, slipping on sunglasses as a last-minute precaution.
By the ti she returned downstairs, Aster was already waiting by the door.
"The car is ready," Aster inford her.
Lixue nodded, grabbing her bag before stepping outside.
As they drove toward Dream Entertainnt, her mind wandered again to Mo Ran.
She wasn’t naïve. The entertainnt industry wasn’t a place where love and family could thrive easily. It was a battlefield where reputation was everything, and the higher you climbed, the easier it was to fall.
She had chosen this path knowing the risks.
The question was—how long would Mo Ran’s family sit back and watch before they tried to intervene?
Lixue arrived at Dream Entertainnt in the usual sleek black car, stepping out with her signature grace. She had already noticed the change in the way people looked at her—not outright suspicion, but curiosity.
It had started small—just a few glances here and there, whispers that quickly died down when she walked past. But now, it was clear that people were beginning to wonder.
She adjusted the sunglasses perched on her nose, walking through the lobby as if she didn’t notice the way so of the staff subtly turned their heads in her direction.
The way she carried herself, the car she arrived in, the fact that she never seed fazed by anything—it all painted a picture that didn’t quite match the image of a struggling newcor. And after Yu Jia’s vague yet pointed post, people had started looking deeper.
Lixue wasn’t naive. She knew curiosity could quickly turn into investigation.
She needed to be careful.
As she stepped into the elevator, she casually checked her phone, scrolling through the ssages from her manager. More offers, so urgent matters that needed her attention—nothing out of the ordinary.
The doors slid open, and she stepped into the executive floor, where she was supposed to discuss the contracts that had co in.
It was only when she entered the eting room and saw the way the executives looked at her—like they were trying to place her—that she realized just how much the speculation had grown.
Could it be that they had found sothing?
Due to Yu Jia’s post, maybe her relationship with the Yu family?
If it was that why did they look at her weirdly.
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