As Beautiful As You – Tan Songyun, Xu Kai

As a junior employee of Guanghua Group, Ji Xing has been working day and night on project investigation reports to save up for a new house down payment. She finally finished the report in the early hours and took a short rest before hurriedly packing her files and calling her mother. Her mother was once again concerned about her marriage.

Although Ji Xing has a stable relationship with her boyfriend, she isn’t in a rush to get married; saving for the down payment is more important at the moment. Today, she heard that it was the first day of the new senior executive from Dongyang Group joining the company. Ji Xing rushed to the subway station, only to find that the subway was malfunctioning. In order to get to the company on time, she resorted to using a shared bicycle.

At every traffic light, she widened her eyes to avoid delays. Despite her efforts, she was blocked by an annoying guy on the road, causing her bike to swerve slightly. An unfortunate delivery guy, trying to avoid Ji Xing's bike, accidentally scratched a luxury car. Inside the car was Han Ting, the new executive from Dongyang Group. Initially, seeing the delivery guy get involved, he thought the delivery guy was unlucky.

But within two minutes, Ji Xing hurriedly returned on her bike, breathlessly explaining that she was chasing the culprit who violated traffic rules and implicated them. She voluntarily left her contact information for compensation. In a rush to get to the company, Han Ting, sitting in the car, immediately felt his heart race when he saw Ji Xing. She was his middle school crush, and he couldn’t believe he saw her here.

Han Ting signaled the driver to let it go. The car windows were tinted, so Ji Xing didn’t see who was inside. She just gratefully turned her head, puzzled by such a generous car owner. Ji Xing rushed to the company, where her boss was presenting the PPT she had painstakingly created to the leaders. This wasn’t the first time her boss plagiarized her hard work. However, this time, Ji Xing had been cautious.

She had intentionally left out a few words on a professional chart in the PPT. The experienced Han Ting immediately noticed the issue and directly asked the person in charge about the calculation method. The plagiarist was stunned, giving Ji Xing the chance to stand before everyone and professionally and thoroughly explain each detail. The leaders were very pleased.

In the evening, Guanghua Group's female executive, Ceng Di, called Ji Xing and asked her to accompany her to meet a potential client. To be cautious, Ji Xing specifically asked her close friend for help in dressing up for the event. She attended the banquet arranged by Ceng Di in full attire and accompanied the potential client in a card game. Coincidentally, Han Ting was also there.

Seeing Ji Xing with playing cards in her hand, he was reminded of ten years ago when they used to play cards together. Ji Xing, with her excellent card skills, always won. Han Ting was filled with emotion, meeting this exceptionally intelligent girl again. Ji Xing easily won two rounds, earning the admiration of a fat man sitting next to her.

Han Ting didn’t like the way the fat man looked at Ji Xing, so he called Ji Xing's boss and quietly reminded him. Ji Xing was then called away by her boss. Due to her outstanding performance, she left a deep impression on the potential client. During the card game, she had already introduced her company’s products vividly and engagingly. Although Han Ting remained calm and composed, he was secretly impressed.

Even after ten years abroad, Han Ting still can't forget a small wonton restaurant back home. Upon returning to the country, he immediately called his old friend Xiao Yixiao. Over the years, Xiao Yixiao has appeared to be a company manager, but in reality, he has been acting under the direction of Ji Xing, including the acquisition of many major projects. Many subsidiary companies were actually planned and established by Han Ting, making Han Ting the real big boss!

Discussing the dinner tonight, Xiao Yixiao noticed right away that Han Ting knew Ji Xing and inferred that Han Ting must really like her, confirming his guess with Han Ting. However, Han Ting immediately denied it. Although he knew Ji Xing many years ago, she didn’t reply to his messages back then. After so many years, their relationship had faded. Despite his words, Han Ting knew that seeing Ji Xing again still made his heart race.

In the evening, Han Ting looked at the phone number Ji Xing had left in the morning. After adding her on WeChat, Ji Xing thought he was the car owner from the morning incident. She immediately apologized and inquired about the compensation, which made Han Ting secretly laugh, as she didn’t recognize him. He decided to continue his disguise.

The next morning, Ji Xing heard her colleagues excitedly announce that Zhao Xingbo, the client they entertained last night, had signed the contract. The company had successfully secured the deal, and the promised bonus from Ceng Di was within reach. Ji Xing was very happy. Shortly after, someone delivered a large bouquet of flowers to her, drawing envious looks from everyone. A curious colleague pulled out the card from the bouquet and deliberately read out the name “Zhao Xingbo.

” It was sent by the manager of the partner company, sparking whispers among the staff. They speculated that Ji Xing had gone out with Zhao Xingbo last night and secured the contract in just one evening, with the other company’s boss even sending flowers. These thoughts quickly led to wild imaginations. Han Ting’s sudden entry into the family business immediately aroused his elder sister’s vigilance.

She was wary of having her hard-earned position taken away and began rallying her trusted followers within the company, constantly trying to trip Han Ting up. This time, she forced Han Ting to make a military order to double Hanhai’s stock value within two years. After leaving the company, Han Ting went to a place he used to love. Many years ago, he and Ji Xing had cared for a stray cat there, sharing many beautiful memories.

Xiao Yixiao came to find him there, worried after hearing Han Ting’s military order earlier in the day. With a pile of tricky issues in the company and numerous aspects to handle, no one could guarantee that they could double the stock in two years. Guanghua Technology was about to hold a celebration banquet. Ji Xing excitedly called her best friend. Since it was a celebration, her friend suggested she wear a black cocktail dress.

With her fair skin and beautiful appearance, she might as well shine and shut up those who liked to gossip. At the celebration banquet, Ji Xing appeared in a black cocktail dress, and Han Ting felt she was surrounded by twinkling stars. Xiao Yixiao, dressed in an expensive suit, walked arm in arm with Han Ting to the stage. In front of everyone, she sincerely thanked Han Ting for his years of care.

Ji Xing saw the deep affection in Xiao Yixiao’s eyes towards Han Ting, and with her female intuition, she immediately sensed that her boss had long admired Han Ting. On the stage, Xiao Yixiao and Han Ting looked like a perfect match, which was understandable. Despite this, Ji Xing felt a twinge of jealousy; her middle school crush had so quickly become “taken”!

Ji Xing inadvertently overheard a conversation between the department leader and her supervisor in the restroom. During the day, the leader had specifically mentioned giving Ji Xing a promotion and raise, but it turned out to be a sham. The department leader always plagiarized Ji Xing's achievements, shamelessly deceiving her and blocking her path to promotion. Hearing this, Ji Xing felt a wave of disappointment.

Upon leaving the restroom, Ji Xing encountered Zhu Lei, who did not work in the same department. Zhu Lei pretended to invite Ji Xing to join his sales department. After being rejected, Zhu Lei took advantage of Ji Xing's departure to deliberately slap her butt. Such frivolous and inappropriate behavior made Ji Xing very angry, and she immediately accused him of sexual harassment. Zhu Lei, instead of apologizing, loudly claimed in front of everyone that Ji Xing was dressed provocatively and had been flirting with him.

Ji Xing was publicly humiliated, and she was so angry that her eyes turned red. Han Ting and Tang Song were just about to go out to meet a client when they saw Ji Xing on the verge of tears. Han Ting immediately asked Tang Song to stay and went to meet the client alone. Someone nearby reminded Ji Xing that there were many clients at the celebration banquet and suggested she consider the impact and downplay the issue. However, Zhu Lei refused to apologize, leaving Ji Xing no choice but to call the police.

The police arrived and reviewed the surveillance footage, but it was unclear, making it difficult to prove Zhu Lei's actions. It seemed the issue would be brushed aside until Tang Song provided footage from the event's robot monitor, which clearly showed what had happened. Thanks to Tang Song's timely evidence, Zhu Lei could not deny it, and Ji Xing's innocence was proven. Xiao Yixiao, upon hearing the news, immediately comforted Ji Xing and arranged for someone to drive her home.

That evening, Ji Xing told her boyfriend about the incident. Her boyfriend was very concerned about her situation, and Ji Xing understood this well. She didn’t want to go to work anymore but had to keep going due to her mortgage. The next day at work, she noticed everyone's sharp glances. A considerate colleague quietly told Ji Xing that Zhu Lei had been fired the previous night, thanks to Tang Song's intervention. Many colleagues now suspected Ji Xing of having a relationship with the newly appointed supervisor, and there were unpleasant comments about her on the company’s internal network.

Feeling extremely depressed, Ji Xing's department leader, who had a close relationship with Zhu Lei, was unhappy and put pressure on Ji Xing, hoping she would quit. That day, the leader assigned Ji Xing a lot of work, forcing her to work late. The department's employees complained, blaming Ji Xing for their troubles. Ji Xing endured the pressure and completed most of the work, finally finishing in the early hours. Exhausted, she dragged herself downstairs.

As the elevator doors slowly opened, Ji Xing looked up and saw a familiar face—Han Ting had just finished work too. They shared the elevator ride, and Ji Xing, physically and emotionally drained, thought of the previous night’s events and thanked Han Ting again. She realized that the event’s robot didn’t have a camera installed, and it was thanks to Han Ting's strategy that Zhu Lei confessed.

It was raining outside, and Ji Xing’s boyfriend didn’t come to pick her up, so Han Ting offered her a ride home. Seeing her confused expression, Han Ting asked Ji Xing when she had changed her phone number. Upon learning that she had changed it when she started university, Han Ting finally understood why he never received any replies to his messages.

Ji Xing was assigned by her supervisor to follow up on the software operation at the hospital. During the process, she saw many patients becoming impatient due to a malfunction in the hospital's smart medical system. Ji Xing took the initiative to check the smart software system and soon resolved the issue, allowing the hospital to function normally again. The malfunctioning system was actually managed by Han Ting's company, and he quickly came over.

Seeing Ji Xing single-handedly fix the problem, Han Ting was very grateful. Ji Xing smiled and said that they were even now. As they left the hospital together, Han Ting invited Ji Xing to ride with him. Ji Xing, wary of the comments on the internal network, declined, saying she didn't want to be talked about. Han Ting understood Ji Xing's concerns and suggested she shouldn't let rumors hinder her. Someone reported Ji Xing's achievement at the hospital to her supervisor.

Originally intending to suppress Ji Xing, the supervisor found himself helping Ji Xing gain more recognition instead. Ceng Di unceremoniously punished the supervisor. To put pressure on Ji Xing, the supervisor called her to the office and assigned her parts of the work from the R&D, marketing, and sales departments. Ji Xing was dumbfounded, as she was clearly from the marketing department and now had to do basic work as well.

When Ji Xing questioned this, the supervisor stammered and couldn't explain, only saying that since she was an elite, she should take on more responsibilities. Ji Xing recalled hearing the supervisor in the restroom discussing how they kept giving her false promises to make her work harder. Seeing the supervisor's worsening behavior, Ji Xing became even angrier.

She had a glimmer of hope when she went to see Ceng Di, but Ceng Di had already developed a strong dislike for Ji Xing due to the rumors about her and Han Ting. Ji Xing, being young and beautiful, was now more urgently being pushed out of the company. After expressing her grievances to Ceng Di and seeing her cold reaction, Ji Xing decisively resigned.

The supervisor, seeing Ji Xing's resignation letter, immediately sneered and told her she had a month's notice period during which she must complete all her tasks. Fed up with the supervisor's attitude, Ji Xing threw away her work ID and walked out. She knew this meant forfeiting her month's salary and bonuses. As she left the company, she crossed paths with Han Ting.

Although they didn't speak, Han Ting understood the situation and asked Tang Song to arrange another interview for Ji Xing. While at home after resigning, Ji Xing kept busy. A junior, knowing she was temporarily unemployed, invited her to join his 3D printing project. Ji Xing had previously helped him with a business plan and was familiar with the project, but she was unsure if she could apply her expertise and hesitated.

One day, Ji Xing received an invitation for the "New Field Fishing Village Investigation Project," a grassroots survey. She was dining with a friend at the time and was unsure about going. Her friend, having browsed pictures of the beautiful village scenery, suggested that Ji Xing take the opportunity to relax. Seeing the company project itinerary, Han Ting deliberately scheduled his trip to the fishing village to spend more time with Ji Xing.

On the first day in the village, Ji Xing "accidentally" ran into Han Ting. Han Ting suggested she consider another development company with comparable salary and benefits. The fishing village, being quite remote, had many villagers who delayed treatment because of the inconvenience of visiting big hospitals. Han Ting investigated the village's situation and placed the company's "Smart Dentist Xiao Bai" in the village's health clinic, which received a lot of praise.

Ji Xing, the developer of this smart software, was delighted to see her work making a difference. Among the people Ji Xing treated was an unfortunate patient who had lost a leg in a car accident. Unable to afford a prosthetic limb, the patient found walking very painful. Seeing Ji Xing's expression, Han Ting knew she was thinking of her mother. Learning more about the woman's tragic story the next day, Ji Xing was deeply moved.

She recalled her junior's invitation to the 3D printing project and thought about how meaningful it would be to create an affordable prosthetic limb for this unfortunate person. In the evening, unable to sleep, Ji Xing walked to the seaside alone, thinking about work. At this time, Han Ting also came, and the two met unexpectedly.

Under the starlight, Ji Xing and Han Ting chatted softly. After so many years since graduation, Ji Xing felt that, compared to the vast universe, humans seemed so insignificant. Han Ting found these words familiar, recalling that during the physics competition in their senior year of high school, the group that included both Ji Xing and Han Ting had won an award. Ji Xing had used these words as her acceptance speech. Han Ting involuntarily repeated Ji Xing's speech from the award stage, and their shared topic took them back to their high school days. Even now, Han Ting still felt that Ji Xing was the brightest star in his heart.

After completing the grassroots investigation project, Ji Xing returned home first. She had already decided to work in 3D printing and declined the olive branch offered by Han Ting. Over the phone, Ji Xing told Han Ting that Dongyang was a great company, but she still decided to start her own business.

Her boyfriend, Shao Yichen, returned, which gave Ji Xing a huge surprise. The two had fallen in love during university and were now preparing to buy a new house. Ji Xing had a very high opinion of Shao Yichen and was full of confidence, already considering him as her other half in life. In the evening, Ji Xing called her friends for a small gathering and announced her decision to start a business. Her friends were surprised, thinking she was going to announce her wedding plans. They cautiously reminded her that starting a business might not be as easy as they imagined, but it was Ji Xing's decision. Shao Yichen supported her unconditionally, even giving her the down payment he had just saved as startup capital, which deeply moved Ji Xing.

Her friends all envied Ji Xing for having such a high-quality boyfriend like Shao Yichen, and Ji Xing agreed. After much thought, she secretly put the bank card back into her boyfriend's coat pocket. On the day Ji Xing was handling her resignation procedures, Han Ting tried to persuade her again. Previously, Ji Xing had been developing medical software, and suddenly turning to 3D printing might mean she lacked experience, funding, and venue support. Ji Xing appreciated Han Ting's job offer but said she only wanted to start her own business at the moment.

Su Zhizhou successfully pulled Ji Xing into starting a business together. He borrowed a large warehouse from his father as their startup venue. Initially, he thought his father would give him a generous startup fund, but to his surprise, they received no financial support. It was Ji Xing who gave Su Zhizhou the 400,000 yuan she had painstakingly saved. Although the makeshift office was simple, it had a large platform, which Ji Xing was very satisfied with. After a day of nonstop organizing, she went home to report the day's achievements to her boyfriend, Shao Yichen.

Han Ting was also closely following Ji Xing's entrepreneurial progress. He heard that she had found an office space, obtained a business license, and started seeking financing from well-known company owners. As someone experienced, Han Ting knew the difficulties of financing and estimated that Ji Xing would face constant setbacks. When she was about to hit a dead end, he instructed his assistant, Tang Song, to contact Ji Xing to see if she was still interested in joining Dongchen.

When Ji Xing received Tang Song's call, she thought he was persuading her to join the new company again and decisively refused. However, Su Zhizhou reminded Ji Xing not to forget about Han Ting, a business mogul with money and resources. He suggested that if Han Ting agreed to invest in their project, it could be beneficial. At Su Zhizhou's insistence, Ji Xing agreed to take him to meet Han Ting and discuss financing.

When Han Ting heard Ji Xing's intentions, he got straight to the point, stating that Dongyang Medical was interested in a 3D printing project. If Ji Xing agreed, she could be the project leader, thus enjoying Dongyang's strong financial and sales channel support. Han Ting's suggestion was very reasonable, but Ji Xing still refused. This time, she wanted to start her own business and create something truly her own.

Han Ting thought everything was going according to his plan. However, after explaining Dongyang's current resources and strong background, he was still disappointed when Ji Xing ruthlessly rejected him. After leaving Dongyang, Su Zhizhou and Ji Xing reflected on the generous conditions that Han Ting had offered. Su Zhizhou was still regretful and suggested that Ji Xing reconsider. He proposed that they could use Dongyang as an experimental base.

If their project succeeded, they could accumulate experience and channels before starting anew. Ji Xing was dissatisfied that Su Zhizhou was so easily persuaded. This was their first collaborative project, so how could they give up so easily? Han Ting had made thorough plans. Although Ji Xing had not yet agreed to join Dongyang, Han Ting remained confident. He believed that with a little patience, Ji Xing would face setbacks in her startup and eventually embrace Dongyang.

Back at home, Ji Xing carefully examined the dense notes on Han Ting's proposal that she had seen on the table earlier in the day. She found that some of Han Ting's suggestions were indeed very constructive, identifying even the smallest flaws. Tang Song suggested to Han Ting that he should confess his feelings earlier, as secret admiration is inefficient for adults. However, Han Ting reminded him that this was not just a matter of emotions.

He thought Ji Xing's 3D printing project was excellent and that Ji Xing had great talent in software development. As long as the right opportunity arose, this promising investment could be completely successful. When Ji Xing's girlfriends heard that she had her own studio, they all sent flowers to celebrate. Su Zhizhou was dazzled by so many beautiful girls, and each of them had prepared a gift for the opening, making the office lively and cheerful.

At noon, Su Zhizhou invited a few girls to a barbecue, busying himself by the grill and leaving a deep impression on Ji Xing's friends. Ji Xing's friend, Lu Linjia, mentioned that she had a blind date the next day and invited Ji Xing to accompany her to avoid any awkwardness. She added that the guy worked in medical equipment, which might be useful in the future. Ji Xing was tempted and agreed to go.

Coincidentally, the blind date was Han Ting's nephew, a distant relative. Han Ting's aunt insisted that her son go on the date and, fearing he might run away midway, had Han Ting personally monitor him until the date was over. Ji Xing arrived a bit late and ran into Han Ting directly at the hotel. Just having rejected him the day before, Ji Xing deliberately claimed she was there to meet an investor out of spite.

Han Ting, who was just making a call in the corridor, greeted Ji Xing and then continued towards the private room, only to find that they were in the same room. What a coincidence! Han Ting sarcastically remarked that he thought Ji Xing was there to meet that investor.

Tu Xiaomeng quickly tried to help Ji Xing get closer to Han Ting, mentioning that Ji Xing had been looking for investors recently and had met many unreliable clients, including one particularly "shameless" one who tried to poach her. Tu Xiaomeng was describing Han Ting without realizing he was the one she was talking about, while Ji Xing, sitting nearby, turned green with embarrassment. Lu Linjia didn't like the blind date guy.

Back at home, her girlfriends were curious about the type of man Lu Linjia liked, given her high standards. Blushing, Lu Linjia said she preferred someone gentle and considerate. After listening, Tu Xiaomeng gossipingly summarized that Lu Linjia's ideal type seemed to match Ji Xing's boyfriend's type perfectly! Shao Yichen brought a lunchbox to Ji Xing's office. Everyone in the office praised Ji Xing's handsome boyfriend.

After eating the lunch made with love, Ji Xing was even more motivated to work hard. This was her first startup, and she had to plan well. The software prototype was taking shape, but the printer had not yet arrived. Su Zhizhou suggested renting a printer first instead of buying an expensive new one.

Su Li helped Ji Xing find an investor named Wu Lanxiang. Due to a scheduling conflict, Ji Xing asked her partner, Su Zhizhou, to attend the meeting. It was Su Zhizhou's first time meeting a client, and he was very nervous. However, with Su Li there, he felt a bit more at ease. Unexpectedly, the client Su Li found was using business as a pretext to flirt.

During the negotiation, Su Zhizhou found the conditions proposed by the other party to be extremely harsh, far beyond their expectations, and the cooperation fell through. As they were leaving, Su Zhizhou saw Wu Lanxiang trying to take advantage of Su Li by putting his arm around her shoulders. As the three of them exited the elevator, they ran into Wu Lanxiang's wife. Wu Lanxiang quickly withdrew his hand. Mrs. Wu misunderstood Su Li and said some harsh words.

Instead of helping to explain, Wu Lanxiang smeared Su Li. Just as Mrs. Wu was about to slap Su Li, Su Li grabbed her hand and slapped Wu Lanxiang instead. This kind of shameless man deserved it. After clarifying the truth in one breath, Su Li walked away confidently. Su Li's boldness deeply impressed Su Zhizhou. He had never seen a girl slap a man directly, making him see Su Li in a new light.

After parting ways with Su Zhizhou, Su Li felt frustrated. Although the slap was satisfying, she knew her job might be jeopardized. To unwind, Su Li went to a nightclub and met a charming "bad boy. " They had a few drinks, danced, and ended up spending the night together. In the morning, Su Li received a call informing her she was fired, but she remained unaffected.

After exchanging a few words with her "partner" from the previous night, she left without even exchanging phone numbers. Su Li had no idea that the person she spent the night with was Xiao Yixiao. To celebrate their fourth anniversary, Ji Xing and Shao Yichen attended a concert, where they ran into Han Ting and Ji Xing's former company manager. Ji Xing introduced Shao Yichen, and Han Ting felt very disheartened upon learning that Ji Xing now had a boyfriend.

During the concert, Ji Xing had to leave suddenly for work. Shao Yichen patiently waited at home. When Ji Xing finally returned, he took out a diamond ring and proposed. Ji Xing accepted the ring but, given the critical period in her career, she had no plans to get married at the moment. Ji Xing and Su Zhizhou tried numerous ways to borrow a printer but to no avail.

Eventually, Su Zhizhou contacted a college classmate and paid a large deposit, only for the person to disappear. Realizing they had been scammed, Su Zhizhou understood that they had lost 300,000 yuan just like that. Ji Xing had even borrowed 100,000 yuan from Su Li, and now they were truly in dire straits. Unable to find financing channels, Su Zhizhou reluctantly went to see Han Ting, showing him their developed software, hoping Han Ting could solve the financing issue.

After carefully reviewing their progress, Han Ting candidly stated that although they had a personal relationship, business was business. He urged Su Zhizhou to reconsider the previous proposal. Due to several days of intense work and irregular eating habits, Ji Xing collapsed at work. Her colleagues took her to the hospital and called Su Zhizhou. Han Ting, who was nearby, heard about Ji Xing's collapse and immediately rushed to the hospital with Su Zhizhou.

Ji Xing lay on the hospital bed, receiving an IV, her face pale. Han Ting felt heartbroken seeing her like this and urged Su Zhizhou to quickly come up with a solution.

Ji Xing woke up to find Su Li by her side. Remembering the 100,000 yuan she borrowed from Su Li, which was now lost, Ji Xing felt bitter. Su Li comforted her, saying there was no need to worry since the company had just started and wasn't bankrupt yet.

Han Ting had his subordinates keep an eye on Ji Xing's situation. When he heard she was finally discharged, he prepared to help her secretly again. Ji Xing turned on her phone and saw numerous missed calls from her boyfriend, Shao Yichen. It seemed that Shao Yichen's father had been involved in a fraud case, and Shao Yichen was urgently returning to his hometown to handle the matter.

After a brief rest, Ji Xing plunged back into work. With no progress on financing, Ji Xing assured her employees that their salaries would be delayed by only a few days. The employees were understanding and urged Ji Xing and Su Zhizhou to take care of themselves.

As the company hit rock bottom, Su Zhizhou couldn't hold on any longer. He presented Ji Xing with a detailed plan and urged her to reconsider collaborating with Han Ting. With such a strong backing, subsequent software development and implementation would be smooth. While they were pondering, they suddenly received an invitation from Han Ting's eldest sister.

Tang Song reported the sister's moves to Han Ting, asking if they should intervene immediately. After all, Su Zhizhou and the others were on the brink of collapse and might see the sister's invitation as a lifeline. Han Ting did not agree. He believed that the entrepreneurial journey is fraught with challenges that require strong willpower and a clear mind. If Ji Xing lacked this discernment, she would struggle to achieve success in the future.

Ji Xing and Su Zhizhou went to negotiate with Dongke. Han Ting's cousin offered an additional 10 million yuan in investment but required a little more than one-third of the shares. When Ji Xing questioned whether the original creative team would remain intact, the cousin did not give a direct answer. Ji Xing began to hesitate, but Su Zhizhou was tempted. He advised Ji Xing not to worry about the future and to secure the financing to keep the company running, with further decisions to be made later.

Ji Xing found Su Zhizhou's view short-sighted. She carefully reviewed Dongke's business model and its past acquisitions. Dongke typically entered companies through financing, quickly diluted their equity, and then took control. After considering all possibilities, Ji Xing hurried to Dongke and rejected their financing offer.

After Tang Song reported this to Han Ting, he immediately went to see Ji Xing. Han Ting's terms were similar to his cousin's, but he assured that only Ji Xing's software development team would be used, with no additional members joining. With Han Ting's promise, Ji Xing confidently signed the contract.

Ji Xing heard that Shao Yichen was coming back and excitedly went to pick him up at the airport. Shao Yichen, always supportive of Ji Xing's career, was genuinely happy for her upon hearing the good news. Han Ting gave Ji Xing the contract, and as she signed it, he noticed a diamond ring on her left ring finger. Han Ting felt a mix of emotions; the girl he had secretly loved for ten years was about to be taken by someone else.

Xingchen Company successfully secured financing, and all employees received their salaries and bonuses. Everyone was eager to showcase their talents in the upcoming work. Su Li brought in clients from the medical equipment sector that she had previously contacted. Every time Su Zhizhou saw her, he felt a renewed sense of admiration and began to pursue her, although he was repeatedly rejected, he remained hopeful.

Shao Yichen and Ji Xing had dinner together. Every time he saw her passionately discussing work without any mention of marriage, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. In the evening, Ji Xing invited Shao Yichen to watch a movie and then apologized, promising to accompany him to visit his parents once this busy period was over. Shao Yichen did not respond, simply changing the subject and urging her to watch the movie.

The two started watching a movie while imagining a beautiful future. Shao Yichen reminisced about their biggest dream: to open a small restaurant, hire some chefs, and then spend time fishing and visiting beautiful places together with the one he loved. Now, as they got busier, they gradually forgot the simplest form of happiness.

Ji Xing gradually fell asleep while watching the movie. Shao Yichen pulled the blanket over her and saw that she had been working on a wedding plan on her laptop before closing it. He felt very comforted; even though his girlfriend was busy, she still cared about their future. The next morning, Shao Yichen prepared breakfast. Usually, Ji Xing would give her boyfriend a hug before leaving, but this time, he let go of her embrace and calmly proposed breaking up. Ji Xing was shocked—they were already at the age to discuss marriage, and now they were breaking up?

The taxi driver downstairs kept urging with phone calls. Ji Xing saw that Shao Yichen had made up his mind, leaving the engagement ring on the table before she left. She still had to attend a high-end software development industry conference that day. When she arrived at the venue, Ji Xing wiped away her tears and forced herself to get out of the car with a strong spirit.

Han Ting had been waiting in the banquet hall for a while. When Ji Xing arrived, she didn't notice Han Ting and sat down moodily. Han Ting noticed Ji Xing's unusual state and introduced her to his business partners, but Ji Xing was distracted. At the banquet, Su Li was also present. Every time she saw Ji Xing and Han Ting together, she couldn't help but feel jealous. Su Li intentionally mentioned to her partners that Ji Xing was just a small employee in the company before. Han Ting saw through it and took the opportunity to remind Su Li not to embarrass Ji Xing so much.

In Han Ting's impression, Ji Xing had never been in such a state. Realizing something might have happened, Han Ting specifically asked Ji Xing to ride home in his car when they left. Ji Xing returned to an empty house and noticed that the engagement ring left on the table that morning was also gone. She was very scared. After dating Shao Yichen for four years, she always thought their relationship was stable and would lead to marriage. But everything changed so suddenly! Ji Xing couldn't understand and immediately went out to find Shao Yichen to ask him if he had cheated on her.

At Shao Yichen's rented apartment, Ji Xing searched every corner but found no trace of another woman's belongings. She cried and begged Shao Yichen to give her some time; they would marry once her company stabilized. But Shao Yichen helplessly said he couldn't just be a bystander when Ji Xing needed support. Shao Yichen made it very clear: he only wanted a simple and happy life, and Ji Xing, focused entirely on her career, couldn't be his best partner.

Shao Yichen's words were clear, and Ji Xing left in a daze. Just last night, they were happily watching a movie, and today, they broke up without any hesitation. Ji Xing was devastated and didn't want to go back to the empty apartment, so she headed straight to the nearest bar.

Han Ting noticed that Ji Xing had broken up—he didn't see the engagement ring when he saw her during the day. A friend invited to Han Ting's house saw that he had made seafood porridge. Han Ting always cooked when he had something on his mind, and this time was no exception. The friend suggested that since Han Ting knew about the breakup, he should seize the opportunity to show his feelings. Han Ting, although initially reluctant to take advantage of the situation, couldn't resist his friend's advice and changed clothes before heading out.

Ji Xing was drinking herself into a stupor at the bar, unable to sit steadily. Han Ting, watching from the side, couldn't bear it any longer and carried her into the car. On the way, he asked Lu Linjia to call Tu Xiaomeng to find out Ji Xing's address and then took Ji Xing home. Tu Xiaomeng and Lu Linjia had gone out to buy honey, so Han Ting stayed at Ji Xing's place to keep her company.

After getting drunk, Ji Xing clung to Han Ting's leg, refusing to let him leave. Han Ting sat quietly by her side, watching the girl he had secretly loved for ten years cry sadly in her sleep. She murmured another boy's name and kept saying, "Don't break up." She even apologized to her ex-boyfriend, promising to give up her startup to spend more time with him. These words reached Han Ting's ears. He deliberately responded, "You must break up," which made Ji Xing cry even harder with her eyes closed.

In the morning, Ji Xing walked out of her room feeling dejected and found her three best friends sitting on the sofa, recounting her drunken antics from the previous night. Apparently, she not only talked nonsense but also sang and howled in the living room late at night, insisting everyone drink with her. Han Ting saw all this. Although it was embarrassing to think about, Ji Xing didn't care much, since Han Ting wasn't important to her. She opened her social media to check Shao Yichen's updates, only to find that he had blocked her!

Ji Xing lay in bed, intending to mourn her lost relationship. However, Han Ting's messages kept coming, asking about her work progress and plans. Struggling to get up, Ji Xing realized that now she only had her career, and focusing on work was crucial. Su Li and Tu Xiaomeng discussed Ji Xing's breakup, noting that based on their understanding of Shao Yichen, the breakup seemed serious. However, Han Ting appeared to be Ji Xing's lucky charm, always there for her in difficult times, which might be a good thing.

Wei Qiuzi knew about her best friend's breakup. Having secretly admired Shao Yichen, she took advantage of the situation and frequently visited the hospital under the pretense of work, increasing her chances of meeting him.

Han Ting's trusted aide reported on the situation with his elder sister. She had formed a team to develop 3D printing technology. The aide suggested that Han Ting should stop investing in Xingchen, as it was a new small company that couldn't progress as fast as his sister's elite team. Han Ting disagreed, reminding his aide that he had never been wrong about such matters and that Xingchen only needed a short transition period.

Ji Xing completed the annual plan and handed it directly to Han Ting. Curious about whether she had moved on from her breakup, Han Ting invited Ji Xing to dinner, but she immediately declined. During this time, Han Ting was restless. Previously, he had missed opportunities because he was abroad. Now, finally having the chance to be close, he feared that if he wasn't careful, someone else might beat him to it.

After much contemplation, Han Ting made his best seafood porridge and delivered it to Ji Xing in a thermal container. Unexpectedly, he encountered Ji Xing's mother, who mistook him for Su Zhizhou and unhesitatingly asked for his help. Surprisingly, Han Ting managed to fix the broken faucet in the lab, which impressed Ji Xing's mother, who then added Han Ting on WeChat.

At noon, Ji Xing, her mother, and Han Ting had lunch together. Since Han Ting got his clothes wet while fixing the faucet, Ji Xing's mother kindly offered him one of Ji Xing's cardigans to wear. Seeing Han Ting in a pink cardigan with a cartoon face, Ji Xing found it particularly amusing.