She is his woman. (Mo Zhicheng goes public with his relationship) (Dedicated to Yi Yi for the diamond donation)

The moment Leng Tingyu saw them kiss, she finally understood what a sense of defeat truly felt like. Undeniably, she had been pampered like the stars surrounding the moon since childhood, sailing through life with the wind at her back. Yet, fate was fair: while it had blessed her with exquisite beauty and a prestigious lineage, it made her path of love rugged and winding. She believed the day would come when the willow flowers would bloom and the village bright would appear, but...

At that very moment, it took an immense amount of courage for her to suppress the shock surging within her. Only the faint, trembling moisture in her eyes betrayed her vulnerability. Yet, she had her dignity and her pride; no matter how unacceptable it felt in her heart, she would not bow her head or admit defeat to that woman in such a setting. Therefore, she forced down all her chaotic emotions, offered a calm smile, and said lightly, "Mr. Mo has finally returned."

Seeing the situation, Ye Linglan felt the awkwardness and politely greeted Leng Tingyu, "Hello, President Leng."

Leng Tingyu looked over at her. "I heard you secured that case. Thank you for your hard work these past few days." Influenced by a lifetime of rigorous etiquette, her speech and demeanor carried the unique, aristocratic aura of a high-society lady. Even though she envied the woman before her, it was not enough to make her behave like a hysterical, jealous shrew in public, nor would she act petty in front of the man she loved and make herself appear small-minded—something that would only incur Mo Zhicheng's annoyance, which was by no means a wise choice.

This was the extent of Leng Tingyu's intelligence.

Mo Zhicheng led Linglan out of the elevator. Although he had noticed the faint traces of tears in Leng Tingyu's eyes, he still appreciated the woman before him. Mo Zhicheng smiled at her, and Leng Tingyu continued, "I thought you'd be resting for another day. There are some important documents waiting for your approval. Since you're here, I'll send them over to you later."

"Alright!" Mo Zhicheng replied concisely.

"Also, you have a business engagement coming up in a few days. Should I assign someone to accompany you?"

Sensing the unspoken rapport between the two, and realizing even more that such a tacit understanding was not built overnight, Linglan originally intended to tactfully step aside. However, Mo Zhicheng turned back to look at her, and seeing her hesitation, he murmured, "Linglan will come with me."

"What?" Surprise greeted her words, while Leng Tingyu's posture froze completely. Mo Zhicheng smiled and added, "Arrange your work for the next few days!"

Ye Linglan was stunned for a moment. "Oh, alright, Mr. Mo!" A moment later, she lifted her eyes to look at the other woman, only to see that exquisite face drained of all color and plunged into gloom.

***

She had promised him that she would try her best to keep up with his pace, but his footsteps were so swift that they had already caught her off guard.

Over the course of several consecutive days, Mo Zhicheng brought Ye Linglan along to every single banquet. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, Ye Linglan stepped into the public eye, becoming the focus under the magnesium flashes. Mo Zhicheng made no attempt to hide the fact that he kept her by his side; even in the presence of reporters, he would naturally wrap his arm around Linglan's waist.

Under the flashing lights that rose and fell in succession, Linglan narrowed her eyes, utterly unaccustomed to the attention. Held closely in his embrace, she could even feel the gazes cast by the daughters of elite families—gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and lingering regret.

Before long, he and she became a couple much discussed in financial and entertainment news. When Ye Shenghan saw the graceful silhouette of the woman on the television screen, dressed in a flawless, perfectly fitted evening gown, he almost failed to recognize her. Wearing light makeup, her brows and eyes were fresh and clear, yet he could vividly sense her awkwardness in front of the lenses, along with a hint of an instinctive desire to hide.

Yet...

She was held by the waist by Mo Zhicheng, becoming the most dazzling pair at a certain charity auction. As he looked at the scrolling captions at the bottom of the screen—*Financial Tycoon Mo Zhicheng Attends Public Event with Girlfriend for the First Time; Unveiling the Modern-Day Cinderella's Path into High Society*.

"According to reports, Mr. Mo Zhicheng, Chief Executive Officer of Tiancheng Group, attended a charity auction accompanied by his girlfriend, making his romantic relationship public for the first time. He spent a fortune at the auction, personally presenting his girlfriend with jewelry worth tens of millions."

Ye Shenghan stood frozen. When he saw Mo Zhicheng win the 'Star of Sierra Leone' with the highest bid of the evening and personally fasten it around Ye Linglan's neck in front of everyone, Ye Shenghan grabbed a nearby wine bottle and hurled it with a violent crash, ruthlessly smashing the television screen to pieces.

The explosive sound reverberated deeply through the living room. The screen went black, and the entire world fell silent!

——Mo Zhicheng makes his romantic relationship public for the first time.

——The modern-day Cinderella's path into high society.

Those cruel words battered into his mind in a fragmented mess, feeling like sharp blades that stabbed repeatedly, tearing his chest to shreds. The man's frame trembled uncontrollably, his wide-open eyes filled with sheer disbelief.

Yet, she was held in his arms, accepting that 'Star of Sierra Leone'. What did this mean?!

Ye Shenghan looked at the room littered with haphazardly lying wine bottles, the air thick with a pungent smell of alcohol. "Ah—" he wailed in agony, sweeping his arm across the table to clear away the empty bottles in one frantic motion. *Ye Shenghan, you have lost. You have lost thoroughly and completely. Bai Yucheng has returned to the Bai Corporation, and Ye Linglan has left your side. What else do you have left? What else!!*

His broad back slowly slid down amidst endless torment until his knees hit the floor. With a desolate droop of his head, he let out a loud, derisive laugh. Everything was over. Over...

***

At the auction, Ye Linglan watched as Mo Zhicheng vied in the bidding to win that piece of jewelry. When he walked up to retrieve the 'Star of Sierra Leone', he drew the gaze of everyone in the room. The next moment, he slowly walked over to her side, reached out to brush her long hair aside, and leaned in. Mo Zhicheng smiled faintly, his eyes filled with tenderness and pampering as he fastened the necklace on her himself. Linglan lowered her head, her willow brows slightly furrowed as she felt pairs of eyes zero in on her all at once. Mo Zhicheng's fingertips gently brushed against the dazzling brilliance of the gemstone, and he dropped a kiss into her hair, murmuring in a low voice meant only for the two of them to hear, "Very beautiful!"

When he looked down at her again, his eyes overflowed with appreciation!

Linglan only felt a heavy weight around her neck. Under the lights, the clear and translucent gemstone seemed to refract a series of eerie rays of light. She was still unaccustomed to such gestures from him.

After leaving the venue and returning home, Linglan placed the gemstone necklace into its brocade box. The sound of running water drifted from the bathroom; the man was taking a shower.

Not long after, he emerged leisurely, clad in a bathroble, holding a towel in one hand to dry his hair. His entire face seemed veiled in a fine mist, with water droplets clinging to his resolute facial contours.

Mo Zhicheng casually stretched out and lay sideways against the head of the bed, studying the woman before the vanity mirror. Through the clear glass, he saw that her neck was bare, and his brows furrowed in displeasure. "You don't like it?"

Ye Linglan snapped back to reality. Without turning her head, she simply looked at him through the mirror and smiled. "No!"

"Then why did you take it off the moment we got home?"

"It's awfully heavy. Who sleeps wearing a gemstone that big? I'd worry I wouldn't be able to sleep well, and there are plenty of thieves in this neighborhood—I'd have to be on guard."

"Oh, is that so?"

Hearing her explanation, Mo Zhicheng's displeasure gradually dissipated, replaced by a faint smile as he continued to gaze at her with an appreciative look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she muttered.

"Because you're beautiful!" He continued to smile, then patted the space beside him. "Come here."

"What is it?"

"Just come here..." Mo Zhicheng urged again. Unable to win against him, Linglan gave in to his wish. The moment she drew close to his side, she was caught off guard and pulled down, settling securely into place right beside him. True to form, he preferred resting his head on her lap, burying himself comfortably in her embrace. Closing his eyes with a smile, Mo Zhicheng took her hand and placed it against his forehead. "Give me a massage. Dealing with all those people for a whole day is exhausting," he mentioned casually.

Linglan knew that with his status, attending such banquets was both exhausting and impossible to refuse. After accompanying him for just a few days, the lavish world of wine and meat had already left her physically and mentally drained, let alone the fact that he constantly had to navigate that circle. At that moment, she truly felt a sense of sorrow for him. Beneath the dazzling halo, not everything was as glamorous as people imagined.

She gently massaged his temples for him. Mo Zhicheng let out a comfortable sigh and murmured softly, "That feels wonderful!"

Linglan grew somewhat distracted. Over these past few days, she had still been secretly contacting Bai Yucheng to see how things were going on his end. Yesterday, the Bai Corporation's stock had even hit its limit-down. With Bai Yucheng currently at his wits' end, Linglan's expression darkened at the thought. She lowered her gaze to look at the man resting with his eyes closed.

Lost in thought, Linglan finally made up her mind and cautiously tested the waters, asking, "Are you going to rest directly in a bit, or do you still have work to do?"

Mo Zhicheng paused, murmuring wearily, "Work!"

Her heart sank. She asked again, with careful hesitation, "Are you still busy with the acquisition?"

"Mhm." He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at her with a faint, subtle smile. "The net has been cast for so long; it's about time to pull it in and catch them all."

The movement of her hands paused for a fraction of a second before she swiftly masked her emotions and replied with a light smile, "Is that so? You look entirely confident."

"Heh..." He reached out to pinch her tender cheek and said, "Being in a great mood helps!"

"What has you so happy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mo Zhicheng's deep eyes reflected her delicate silhouette. "Having you here—is that reason enough?" The deadpan seriousness of his tone left Linglan momentarily dazed, yet a question slipped past her lips before she could stop it: "By the way, what kind of background does that company you're so urgently trying to acquire have, that it's making you worry this much?"

"The Bai Corporation..." He stroked her red lips thoughtfully. Yet, it felt as though something heavy had slammed into Ye Linglan's heart, sinking deeper and deeper. Fear seeped into her dark eyes. She never imagined that... it really was him... behind the scheme!

Noticing her reaction, Mo Zhicheng frowned, then pushed himself up from her lap and asked, "What's wrong?"

She immediately shook her head, concealing her flurry of panic, and continued to smile at him. "Nothing. I don't really understand these things anyway, I was just curious."

"Curious about what? Tell me..."

Ye Linglan asked cautiously, "The Bai Corporation doesn't have much of a connection with Tiancheng, but I see you paying so much attention to it, so I was curious. Still, I suppose it's nothing—you must have your reasons for doing this. But the Bai Corporation has weathered several major economic crises and still managed to stand tall in Nanjiang. Acquiring it won't be as simple as you think."

Mo Zhicheng nodded slightly. "You're right, but I have a way."

"What way?" Ye Linglan blurted out, her clear pupils instantly contracting.

Mo Zhicheng looked at her with a smile at the corner of his lips. He picked up a strand of her soft hair and tucked it behind her ear. "You want to know?"