3:00 a.m.
A time so late that even malicious spirits might hesitate to venture out.
Yet Su Liumeng was still riding the high of the day’s excitement, immersed in her own world.
Outside the window, it was so quiet not even a single dog bark echoed through the night.
Her computer screen displayed the homepage of her Weibo.
Seven years of consistent updates—finally, after so long, she was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, witnessed by tens of thousands of followers.
Su Liumeng had hidden this account well—not even her parents knew about it.
And the few real-life friends who did were the kind who wouldn’t gossip or spread rumors.
Her account didn’t have an overwhelming number of fans, but the ones she had were highly engaged.
Especially over the past week—after certain developments in her love life—there had been daily comments urging her to post updates.
[Meibao, Meibao, when are you gonna push your goddess down? Front row seat waiting for the next part!]
[I really wanna know what your goddess looks like. I totally ship you two.]
[Seven years of friendship turning into fate—this is literally some romantic novel plot. If even this ends in heartbreak, I’ll stop believing in love entirely.]
[We want pics! Of you and your crush! Second round of waiting for a photo together.]
Su Liumeng had just uploaded a short daily update and now sat grinning like a fool while staring at the flood of sweet comments.
She picked a few pleasant ones and replied:
[No photos, sorry~ I don’t want our lives disturbed. But she really is very beautiful. Hehehe… blissful giggles.]
She added a cute emoji and rested her chin on her hands, gazing at the bare desk in front of her. Something suddenly felt missing.
Oh, right—
She smacked her forehead in frustration.
If she had a framed photo of Xiaoyan here, that would be absolutely perfect.
But… how could she even ask for a photo?
That girl was a bit wary and reserved—sneaking a picture would definitely be out of the question.
Even though it was ridiculously late and dark circles were already forming under her eyes, Su Liumeng remained wide awake, her mind buzzing with wild thoughts.
*****
The next morning.
Riiing riiing…
At eight o’clock, she rolled over in bed, nearly flinging her phone across the room.
“Jiujiu…”
A voice came through the phone.
“Are you dating someone? Been hiding it this whole time, huh? Still trying to keep it from the family?”
“Speak up—who is it?”
“Your mom doesn’t want to nitpick with you, but with your half-baked skills…”
Jiujiu—that was Su Liumeng’s childhood nickname.
She curled her lips in slight annoyance.
Half-baked or not, she had handled everything cleanly.
Plus, she had changed her ID number in advance, so there was no way anyone from the Su family could trace her movements.
If they were heading in the completely wrong direction, how could they possibly follow her trail?
“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? Is it because you think your mom doesn’t care about you anymore?”
Su Liumeng tried to act cutesy to weasel her way out.
“Can’t a daughter have a bit of personal freedom? I’ve got two months of vacation—can’t I just enjoy my life a little?”
If her parents ever found out that the person she liked was Si Xinyan…
She could already imagine getting at least two or three “Seven Wolves of Parental Love” beatdowns.
There was just no way she could say it out loud.
Not that it was completely impossible for the two of them to be together.
But she could vividly picture the shocked look on her mother’s face upon hearing the truth. Not because the relationship itself was unacceptable—but because it tied into deeper, more complex issues rooted in a massive family legacy.
Not something that could be explained in a few words.
Besides, she didn’t want to drag Xiaoyan into the Su family’s mess.
She’d keep it a secret for as long as she could.
On the other end of the line, her mother rarely fell silent like this.
Then came a softer voice.
“You’ve been through a lot lately. It’s not that I don’t love you—I do. And I know it hasn’t been easy for you, walking this path.”
“Young people should experience love… It’s okay to have a little fun now and then.”
She paused for a moment, then added, “Just be careful. As long as you don’t end up pregnant, there’s no big issue.”
Su Liumeng blushed instantly.
She couldn’t bring herself to admit it—but… there was already a child involved.
Just… not hers.
“Mooom, what are you saying…”
Su Liumeng buried her face into the blanket, showing a rare and delicate, girlish side of herself.
“Your daughter isn’t that kind of careless person, okay?”
Not that she hadn’t wanted to be careless…
But the other party clearly didn’t want that.
Of course, that was something Su Liumeng only dared to say in her heart.
Saying it out loud would just earn her another “Seven Wolves” lecture filled with love and fists.
Her mother, having never seen her daughter act like this before, chuckled teasingly.
Even iron trees could bloom, huh.
People really do change when they fall in love.
Anyone who had been crushed under Su Liumeng’s iron-fisted schemes would be shocked speechless to see this side of her.
Her mom still didn’t know the gender of the person Su Liumeng liked, let alone who it actually was.
And Su Liumeng didn’t dare imagine the scene when everything was eventually exposed.
“What about that Ye family boy? Didn’t he like you? You really feel nothing for him?”
Su’s mother launched into another long-winded lecture.
“If you two get married, it would be a powerful alliance. It benefits both families.”
“After all, if you fail in the succession struggle, you’ll lose all your value.”
Her words were difficult for outsiders to understand.
“A person must always leave themselves a way out. Marrying into the Ye family would at least guarantee you a life of comfort. It could even delay your father’s early exit from the center of power.”
“Enough.”
Su Liumeng suddenly exploded in anger, losing her temper at her mother for the first time.
“Family this, family that—I’ve had enough of hearing it!”
“Can’t I choose who I love for myself?”
“And who says I’m bound to fail?”
Su’s mother fell silent for a moment.
“It’s not that I’m nagging… but you know very well, if you fail, the only outcome will be getting married off.”
Su Liumeng bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears.
“Just two months.
“During these two months, we won’t interfere in anything you do.”
Her mother’s tone hardened into a cold ultimatum
“You carry the blood of the Su family. Even in death, you must contribute to it.”
“Su Liumeng, don’t forget where you come from.”
“…Okay.”\
Su Liumeng bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. Her small hand dug into her thigh, already drawing blood from the force.
“That person making waves on your school’s confession wall lately—what was the name again? Their surname was Si, I think.”
“I hope you’re not too deeply involved.”
“Because you know the consequences… If your mother wants someone to disappear, there are plenty of ways to make it happen.”
Strangely, Su Liumeng didn’t panic at those words.
Instead, she let out a breath of relief.
If her mother had truly known more, she would’ve already sent people storming into the school.
Fortunately, Su Liumeng had long set “Si Xinyan” as a forbidden keyword—anyone mentioning her would only see vague references like “Classmate Si.”
She knew exactly how critical that was.
This was the result of her mother not looking too closely.
If she ever did get serious, it would be all too easy to uncover Si Xinyan’s full name.
A name by itself might not prove anything—but it could spark connections in someone’s mind.
And Su’s mother was not someone who gave second chances once she knew the truth.
That was the real reason Si Xinyan’s identity remained safely hidden.
They said they’d give her two months of freedom, and that was it—just two months. Absolutely no further interference.
Su Liumeng used the response she had long prepared.
“Your daughter understands her mission and knows exactly what she must do.”
She realized that her earlier words had been a little naive.
She let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Of course, she shouldn’t have expected more—how could true familial affection exist in a great and powerful family?
She had thought that her mother’s recent change in attitude meant she could finally act spoiled without consequence.
But all of that… was merely an illusion brought on by her passing the fifth trial.
Maybe it was better this way—it shattered her last remaining illusion.
As an heir to a powerful household, one could not indulge in emotions like true love.
Every budding feeling had to be ruthlessly crushed.
Blood trickled down between her fingers.
All the gentleness in Su Liumeng’s eyes vanished, replaced only by a deep, icy cold.
She wasn’t just going to participate in the succession battle—
She would win it.
If she didn’t want others interfering in her life, she would need absolute authority.
She would keep climbing, step by step, until she was powerful enough to protect herself—
And protect Xiaoyan.
Su Liumeng forcefully suppressed the turbulent emotions in her eyes.
As long as she could pass the sixth trial, then even if Si Xinyan’s identity was exposed, she would have the qualifications to sit at the table and speak.
After the sixth trial, she would at least be a Sequence Seven inheritor—
Which came with the right to choose one’s own partner.
But for a girl of the Su family to love openly and without fear, to openly cherish someone under the sunlight without having to worry about consequences—
She would need to climb even higher, to a position where no one could sway her anymore.
Beep—
Their conversation had ended on a rather sour note.
The call was forcefully cut off by Su’s mother.
Su Liumeng’s entire body was limp, almost powerless, as she collapsed bonelessly onto her large bed.
More than ten years of life—
Every single conversation with her parents felt like this, piling on unbearable pressure.
Very few people could understand…
The relentless weight she lived under.
At eleven or twelve years old, she had already suffered countless emotional breakdowns.
The root of it all had been planted from the very beginning.
And she was fortunate—so incredibly lucky—
To have met someone who could understand all of it.
Thinking back now, that kind of luck didn’t feel like a coincidence at all.
Because—
Si Xinyan also had to bear the same suffocating pressure and despair.
Just like two similar flowers blooming in different worlds—
They were bound to be drawn to one another.
Under the same sky, two people of the same age, shaped by the same fate—
That strange and delicate connection suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
And perhaps—
That is the very magic of destiny.