"The only elder who cares about me is Mrs. Cui. I have already told her that I just want to take it one step at a time. No one can predict the future. I am not living to make assumptions about my future self."

"Therefore, you still cannot confidently tell my mother about Su Yuyao."

"Because it's unnecessary, he won't marry me, I know that very well."

Jiang Tian frankly revealed the truth.

An inscrutable look flashed in Cui Linye's eyes.

“Then I can offer you another option, if you’re willing.”

He thought Jiang Tian would be curious, but to his surprise, Jiang Tian showed no curiosity whatsoever and instead calmly shook her head.

“I don’t want to take any particular path. Life will push me down whichever path I want to take, and I will just keep going down that path. So, Mr. Cui, I appreciate the help you might offer, but I don’t need it. I’m doing just fine now.”

Cui Linye clearly hadn't expected Jiang Tian to not respond. He looked at her and said, "You don't even want to listen?"

"Yes, our relationship isn't that close, and I don't want you to be my savior. We've known each other for a while, and even though we haven't seen each other for years, I know very well that there's no such thing as a free lunch with you. So, if I have to pay a price, I'd rather it be this way. I'm fine now, even if it's just dating Su Yuyao, I'm quite happy."

A hint of mockery flashed in Cui Linye's eyes.

He looked at Jiang Tian and said in a disdainful tone, "You mean you're happy with Su Yuyao? Jiang Tian, ​​you've been manipulated, haven't you?"

Jiang Tian shook her head. She remained silent and did not continue speaking, clearly refusing to talk to Cui Linye.

Cui Linye never imagined he would experience such a defeat.

He stared at Jiang Tian with a deep gaze, trying to get her to start a conversation again, but Jiang Tian clearly wasn't taking the bait.

After a few minutes of stalemate, Cui Linye pushed his coffee cup and said, "The coffee's cold. Go get me another one."

"OK."

Jiang Tian stood up and walked out.

Seeing her walk out without hesitation, Cui Linye suddenly loosened his tie, feeling somewhat irritated.

He's a novice when it comes to relationships; he's better suited to negotiating terms directly with others.

For someone like Jiang Tian, ​​who is invincible because he has no desires, some of his schemes are difficult to even begin, yet he cannot stop them.

Not long after, Jiang Tian opened the door and brought him a fresh cup of coffee again.

Cui Linye took a deep breath and said to Jiang Tian, ​​"What do you like? Do you still like those dresses?"

Jiang Tian suddenly looked at him.

Cui Linye realized he had said the wrong thing, and his expression changed accordingly.

"Young Master Cui, what exactly are you trying to say? I've already told you, I'm no longer the Jiang Tian I used to be. I hope you won't use childhood memories to hurt me anymore, okay?"

“I didn’t try to hurt you,” Cui Linye replied somewhat stiffly. “I just wanted to start a conversation.”

Jiang Tian suddenly stood up and said to him, "I'm sorry, Mr. Cui, I will refund the money you paid. We will not be able to serve you today. Please make yourself at home."

Then she went outside.

Seeing Jiang Tian's attitude, Cui Linye felt somewhat at a loss for the first time.

On the other side, Jiang Tian called Su Yuyao back, and Su Yuyao answered immediately.

Were you at work just now?

Jiang Tian has her own principles; she doesn't send him messages during work hours, and he knows that.

Jiang Tian nodded.

The two people are on a video call.

Jiang Tian has a head of black hair, and when she smiles, she seems to have dimples. She looks serene, warm, and beautiful.

Su Yuyao stared at it, somewhat mesmerized.

When are you coming back?

Su Yuyao smiled smugly: "What's wrong? Did you miss me?"

"No, I wanted to tell you something."

Su Yuyao didn't take it seriously and asked, "What is it?"

“I wanted to tell you that I might be going to the Cui family's house frequently during this period. We are partners, and even if you are not by my side, I don’t want to hide it from you.”

"What do you mean?" Su Yuyao frowned.

He didn't understand why Jiang Tian wanted to go to the Cui family. Was the Cui family so easy to get into?

Su Yuyao suddenly remembered what Jiang Tian had told him: she had a past with Cui Linye, so—

"Is it because of Cui Linye?"

"No, it's because of Madam Cui. Madam Cui is suffering from severe depression, and she recently experienced some unpleasant symptoms. She was kind to me when I was a child, and to repay her, I agreed to Cui Linye's request to visit Madam Cui regularly. Madam Cui likes me, and she's happy when I visit her."

Jiang Tian explained the whole story in one breath.

But Su Yuyao's expression remained stiff.

After a long while, he asked, "Now can you tell me what your relationship with Cui Linye is? I hope I can know some of the truth instead of being kept in the dark all this time."

Jiang Tian looked at Su Yuyao: "I want to wait until you come back to talk about it..."

"No need, I want to hear it now. Find a quiet corner, it's quiet here too, and we can have a good talk. I want to hear your whole past, okay?"

Jiang Tian hesitated for a few seconds, but finally said, "Okay."

Then, Jiang Tian found a secluded place.

Su Yuyao finally learned about a previously unknown past.

Jiang Tian has no memory of her biological parents.

Her mother was said to have worked as a maid in a noble family, but for some unknown reason, she was later dismissed.

For reasons unknown, she soon married Jiang Tian's father.

After Jiang Tian was born, her father fell off a bridge and died while drunk; and her mother, due to not receiving timely care after childbirth, became increasingly ill and bedridden.

At that time, Jiang Tian, ​​who was still nursing, had little chance of survival.

However, one day, Jiang Tian's mother made a phone call, and soon a group of people arrived and took Jiang Tian away.

Her mother passed away not long after.

The group took Jiang Tian to a professional foster care institution, and after she turned five, she was taken to the Cui family.

At that time, Jiang Tian was clueless and knew nothing, but she knew that her benefactor was Madam Cui, because Madam Cui would come to see her from time to time.

Madam Cui's fondness for Jiang Tian was obvious.

The first thing she said to her was, "You look a lot like your mother."

Jiang Tian didn't understand what that meant, but Madam Cui's kindness to her was genuine.

When Jiang Tian was first brought to the Cui family, it was actually because Madam Cui wanted to secretly raise her as her daughter—nominally a servant, but in reality an adopted daughter.