Chapter 20: A Sense of Security

Compared to before, it was a complete transformation.

Her hair was dyed black again, pinned up neatly with a hairpin. She wore no jewelry, which made her look sharp and tidy, full of vitality.

Tanyan was stunned by her appearance. He took a sip of coffee to steady himself and said, “With this look, you really resemble a freshman just starting university.”

Though her family was poor, Xianyu’s posture and skin were exceptional.

Even at 24, she looked barely over twenty.

Upon hearing Tanyan’s remark, Xianyu smiled faintly, “If you could start over, would you be happy for me?”

Tanyan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such words from Xianyu, who loved Liang Youjia deeply.

“Of course.” Tanyan didn’t show much excitement; after all, he wasn’t sure if Xianyu would truly leave Liang Youjia—maybe she was just sulking or joking.

“You’re becoming a shareholder. This company’s future profits will give you 30%.”

Even with close friends, Tanyan didn’t take advantage. She had brought the share transfer document with her. “I’ve been looking for someone to take over, and now you’re the second largest shareholder of Weiyang.”

“Then I’ll sign.” Xianyu took up the pen without hesitation.

Her decisiveness made Tanyan narrow her eyes.

“You haven’t even read the terms carefully. Aren’t you afraid I might cheat you?”

“If you do, then consider that money lost. But I trust your character and your judgment.”

Tanyan twitched at the corner of her mouth. “As expected from a wealthy woman, you don’t really care much about money.”

Xianyu thought to herself that over the years, she had never had a strong desire for luxury or wealth. It was just a fortunate coincidence that she found a partner with considerable assets.

Besides, she had been away from the stage for some time and didn’t have a strong urge to strive.

“You probably haven’t really explored the company before. Come, I’ll show you around.”

Since it was her own company now, she should know more about it.

Weiyang occupied an entire floor of the office building. Hundreds of students had signed up for lessons, many from out of town. Whether a child could get into a dance academy or stand out among thousands depended largely on how much effort their parents were willing to invest.

However, studios like Weiyang were numerous throughout the city, and many had strong backgrounds and connections.

“If you had started this with me, plus your golden reputation, Weiyang’s business would be booming.”

Xianyu smiled bitterly. “Unfortunately, there’s no ‘if’.”

“Yeah, youth is wasted if one isn’t carefree.”

Though Tanyan’s fame wasn’t as great as Xianyu’s, she had won numerous awards in university and had been courted by many dance institutions and universities at home and abroad.

But she didn’t just settle for any ordinary job.

“Do you know why I chose to start a business?” she suddenly asked as she lowered her gaze to think.

Xianyu was stunned and shook her head.

“Because I want to put down roots in this city. I want to tell those who abandoned me that even if it’s just me alone, even if I’m a woman, I can support my family.”

Xianyu was deeply moved. It was the first time she learned that Tanyan was born into a family favoring boys, and her mother divorced early on to raise her alone before university.

“To rely on someone is to be humiliated by them,” Tanyan sneered. “I dated several wealthy heirs in college; none of them treated me like a person.”

Xianyu was momentarily speechless.

She knew Tanyan was a strong-willed woman who could not tolerate the slightest disdain from men.

She firmly believed that men and women must be equal, or a relationship could never be balanced.

She was completely different from Xianyu.

—

Back at the villa, as Xianyu packed, she found a crumpled check in her bag.

It bore Ms. Yu’s phone number copied on it.

After much hesitation, she finally dialed.

“It’s been over three days. I thought you might have lost hope.”

“No. The Liang family is so wealthy; I at least need to think carefully, or else it would be a loss.”

Yu Qingzhou sneered with contempt. “I really didn’t misjudge you. But this is better—dealing with a gold digger is easier than dealing with someone blinded by love.”

Xianyu tried to suppress the rising discomfort.

“I will leave Liang Youjia, but only after he accompanies me back to my hometown to celebrate grandma’s birthday.”

Yu Qingzhou paused, then mocked, “You’re not trying to use Youjia’s sympathy to tie him down more tightly, are you?”

The insult between the lines was unmistakable, and Xianyu couldn’t help but feel hurt.

She took a deep breath, holding back the unease in her chest, tightly pressing her fingers.

After a long while, she chuckled softly, “Do you really have no faith in A You?”

“Of course not!” Yu Qingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t dare admit in front of Xianyu that she was unsure of her son’s true feelings.

“Then why don’t you agree to me?”

Prompted by Xianyu’s provocation, Yu Qingzhou was caught off guard. By the time she realized she had been outmaneuvered, she had already agreed.

The heavy stone hanging over Xianyu’s heart finally fell.

—

Xianyu smoothed out the crumpled check. In that moment, beyond sadness, she also felt relief at securing one million yuan.

One million was no small sum; why should she cut off her financial means?

Three days later, Liang Youjia returned, his face betraying exhaustion.

As soon as Xianyu approached, he pulled her into the bathroom.

She was wearing a pair of red-soled high heels, teetering precariously. Sweat dripped down Liang Youjia’s strong abdomen.

Xianyu’s voice cracked, and she clung tightly to his head.

“I’ll take you to see the house tonight. We’ll transfer ownership tomorrow.”

Xianyu paused mid-wash, surprised. “So soon?”

“We’re about to visit grandma. How could I not hurry to marry you?”

The words “marry you” echoed repeatedly in her mind. To the uninformed, his sweet talk might be convincing.

She hugged his back. “A You, will you really marry me?”

Liang Youjia’s strong frame stiffened briefly. Without turning, his voice was resolute. “Absolutely.”

At that moment, Xianyu thought:

After so many lies, she didn’t even know which ones were true anymore.

“This house is my way of giving you security. Look, do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful.”

The house was decorated according to the designer’s plan, but he had clearly put thought into it, even adding a starry ceiling that she liked. The yard was large, perfect for this season’s fireflies.

Xianyu jumped up to catch them, trying several times before finally holding a firefly in her palm.

That night, Liang Youjia still did not stay over.

But early the next morning, he appeared punctually at their love nest to take her to finalize the transfer.

“Miss, your husband really loves you. This house is worth fifty million yuan, covers three acres, and the living area alone is six hundred square meters.”

Before signing, Xianyu glanced at Liang Youjia. He didn’t mind being called “husband.”