The door slammed shut with a loud bang. Cheng Zhili was extremely disappointed. Why couldn't her parents accept reality?

Back then, she agreed to get engaged to Ji Yunyang out of consideration for her family. Now, the Ji family wants to break off the engagement and blames her for not winning Ji Yunyang's heart.

Her mother knew perfectly well that the Ji family's withdrawal of investment and annulment of the engagement had little to do with her and Ji Yunyang, but she insisted on blaming it all on her.

Perhaps this will make Mom feel a little better. It doesn't matter anyway, she can't help with things at home now. She wants to leave for two years temporarily.

That evening, she went to beg Cheng Zhibo, who frowned and asked her, "Are you really that heartless?"

Cheng Zhili looked back at him calmly and respectfully: "Brother, do you really think I'm heartless? What else do you want me to do? I can't make decisions about Song's mother. I don't have the power to change the current situation at home."

Cheng Zhibo looked away, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes: "If you leave now, what will happen to Mom and Dad?"

"Isn't there you, brother? Besides, what use am I if I stay at home? Just locked in my room every day, waiting for Mom to come home and vent her anger?"

Cheng Zhibo opened his mouth again, speechless. He was somewhat dejected. While blaming Cheng Zhili, he also blamed himself for his lack of ability.

"Can't you and Song Wenwen think of another way?"

“Brother, you know that over the years, Aunt Song has always supported Dad and Mom at the board meetings. I can’t even bear to ask about the stocks Aunt Song lost. What else do you want her to do? Do you think it’s possible for her to use the money to help the family?”

"From another perspective, with you and Song Wenwen around, we can be considered a family."

Cheng Zhili stopped talking and just gave a mocking laugh.

Cheng Zhibo himself was embarrassed to look, but he still stubbornly said, "As the Cheng family gradually improves, won't it be the same for her?"

"I don't know if it's good or bad. I only know that Cheng's is a deep pit right now. If Mom and Dad can give the shares and management rights to Song's mother, then I can go and ask again."

"Absolutely not. If that were the case, would the company still be called Cheng's? In any case, our Cheng family must maintain absolute control."

Cheng Zhili shook her head: "Since that's the case, there's nothing I can do. Brother, I'll ask one last question. University starts next month. Can you help me get my ID card and passport back?"

"Now that the family is at such a critical juncture, you want to leave?"

"Then what can I do if I stay? Like Mom said, seduce Ji Yunyang and tie him down with my body? Make the Ji family change their mind about withdrawing their investment?"

Cheng Zhibo stared at his sister in astonishment, unable to believe that she, who was always gentle and polite, could say such a thing with such a blank expression.

"It's no use, bro. I just want to go to the university and major I like."

Cheng Zhibo clenched his fist, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Cheng Zhili wasn't exactly heartbroken, but she was a little disappointed. She was now confused about what she meant to her family, and what her family meant to her.

"What are you going to do if I don't help you?" Cheng Zhibo asked as Cheng Zhili was about to leave.

She replied very seriously, "I will jump from here."

She and Cheng Zhibo both lived on the third floor, below which was a soft lawn. Jumping down wouldn't kill them, but they would definitely be injured, or possibly disabled.

"Am I not obedient enough to you? I just want to fight for myself this once."

Cheng Zhibo looked at his sister, seemingly having finally made up his mind.

"You've been very unhappy these past few years, haven't you?"

"I wouldn't say that, after all, everything I have was given to me by the Cheng family."

Cheng Zhibo felt like he'd been rebuked again. In the end, what had the Cheng family given him? If it hadn't been for the mistaken identity swap due to the Cheng family, his sister would have been happy and content with Song Xia, except for a few years of hardship in her childhood.

Just look at Song Wenwen. Who in the industry doesn't envy Song Wenwen these days? Because everyone knows that Song Xia will probably give her most of her assets.

All of this should have belonged to Zhili. Zhili didn't have to be forced to study hard from a young age. She could have been educated happily and didn't have to bear the shackles.

They wouldn't have to obey their families into engagements at a young age, nor would they have to be forced to cancel their engagements and suffer ridicule from outsiders after their families gradually fell into ruin.

He and his parents kept emphasizing how much effort the Cheng family had put into raising Zhili, but this couldn't be considered a favor at all. If she were with Song Xia, she would be much freer and more relaxed than in the Cheng family, instead of being unable to attend her desired school and major as she is now.

Just thinking about it made Cheng Zhibo feel incredibly guilty. What right or qualification did his Cheng family have to continue to restrict Zhili?

He felt even more heartache when he thought of his little sister, who was so sleepy but still insisted on dancing and practicing the piano when she was little.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get to school on time."

Cheng Zhili gently hugged him: "Thank you, brother."

"I'm sorry, you've suffered a lot of injustices at home over the years."

“I don’t think so. It’s because of your strictness that I was able to get into school so easily. I’m just going to school. I’ll come back. This place will always be my home.”

Unbeknownst to the brother and sister, their conversation was overheard by Yu Peiyan outside the door. Looking through the crack in the door, her expression became even more cutting.

"Trying to escape my grasp? Did you even ask for my opinion? At such a critical juncture for the Cheng family, how can you stand idly by?"

She went downstairs, emptied the fruit platter into the trash can, and then went back to her room to collect all her documents, so when Cheng Zhibo went to look for them the next day, he couldn't find anything.

"How could it not be here?" Cheng Zhibo's expression turned serious. "I remember putting it here!"

"Of course I changed locations." Yu Peiyan stood at the door and sneered, "So you've learned to go against your mother now?"

Cheng Zhibo turned around abruptly: "Mom, I just don't want Zhili to miss the start of school. Anyway, the current predicament at home is not something Zhili can solve. Why don't you let her go?"

How do you know she can't solve it?

Cheng Zhibo became wary: "Mom, what are you trying to do?"

“What to do? If Ji Yunyang is gone, there’s Li Yunyang, Liu Yunyang… Mom has to find her a good home.”

"Mom, are you crazy! With the Cheng family in its current state, what kind of good fiancé can they find for Zhili? Besides, she's not even eighteen yet. Is it appropriate for her to keep getting engaged?"

"I'm not crazy." Yu Peiyan stared wide-eyed. "If it really wasn't suitable, would her own mother not care?"

So that's what they were planning all along!

Cheng Zhibo finally understood why his sister wanted to leave so soon. His mother's current thinking was too obsessive, to the point that she wanted to take everything from Song Xia.

Song Xia, someone with absolutely no background, built such a large business empire; would she be the kind of person to suffer losses? Her mother's actions will only invite Song Xia's revenge and retaliation! Even he knows that his mother is being far too naive!