Chapter 4: A New Encounter
A year later, I saw Xie Yao at a gala. He'd gone to a decent but not elite university and started his company earlier than in our last life. Without my family's backing, his funds were tight. He'd pitched to my mother, but she turned him down, calling his project a money pit. In our last life, she'd invested because of me. This time, she saw it for what it was.
Xie Yao looked the part of a young mogul—custom suit, sharp features, drawing eyes. A striking woman in a red dress clung to his arm, staking her claim. Whispers identified her as Shen Zhaoyue, his fiancée and co-founder. I overheard snippets: he'd chased her relentlessly. My heart twinged. In our last life, I was the one who pursued him, melting his icy exterior. I never imagined he'd chase someone else.
A memory flickered. He'd once mentioned a colleague, "Yue," someone he clicked with. I thought it was a guy until a woman answered his phone one night, saying he was too drunk to talk. I brushed it off—Xie Yao worked hard, and I trusted him. But when I mentioned it to my mother, she pulled him into her study. He came out stormy, snapping at me later: "Enough, Mingwei! You got what you wanted!" I thought he was just stressed. Now I realized "Yue" was Shen Zhaoyue. My mother had forced him to cut ties with her.
At the gala, I was pitching my own startup when Shen Zhaoyue interrupted, her smile venomous. "What's a spoiled princess like you doing competing with us commoners? Your mom's pocket change could fund a dozen projects." The investors' eyes shifted, dismissing me as a dilettante. She went on: "You're not here for Xie Yao, are you? He told me how you stalked him, even made him give up Tsinghua because of your obsession."
I looked at Xie Yao, waiting for him to deny it. He didn't. Instead, he said coolly, "Miss Xin, this investment is crucial for us. Please, step aside." His words confirmed her lies. I stood frozen, humiliated, until a hand slid over my shoulder.
"Funny, I didn't know my fiancée was chasing anyone," a voice drawled. Qi Wensheng, my ally and nominal fiancé, grinned dangerously. Tall, with a model's face and a rogue's charm, he stole the room's attention. He vouched for my project, but the investors hesitated, taking our cards but making no promises.
