Unlike Yun Zhen, Su Jingyi didn't come from a prestigious family, but she was smart enough to enter the same university as Yun Zhen with the support of a scholarship she earned through her own hard work. That was why even though she was now a director of Yun Zhen group who earned thousands per month, Su Jingyi still lived frugally alone in a secluded residential apartment complex in Shenzhen.

  When Su Jingyi first met Yun Zhen, she thought that he was nothing more than a spoiled young master who looked down on plebs like her. It wasn't until they were forced to work alongside each other that Yun Zhen proved to her that he was more than just a pretty face from a wealthy family.

  It might have been his persistence to prove to everyone that he was capable of managing a massive business company like the Yun Group, which attracted her to Yun Zhen. Since then, a beautiful friendship blossomed between the two and they were often found in each other's company, comparing notes on their lessons, arguing over strategic approaches. Su Jingyi usually wins.

  Such a beautiful friendship and wonderful memories they shared together. Su Jingyi was afraid to lose it if she confessed what she felt about him because she knew exactly how Yun Zhen would react to it. She knew… she knew that he would feel conflicted about it and the last thing she wanted to do was to cause problems for him.

  Su Jingyi watched as the car Yun Zhen was in drove away from her apartment complex until it was out of her sight. The grip she had on her umbrella tightened as the rain continued to pour in the city. The coldness of the night wasn't able to numb the pain in her heart.

  With her hair styled in curly waves and dressed in a fitted black evening gown, Su Jingyi looked out of place from where she was standing. With a solemn expression on her face, she sighed to herself, forcing her body to move and enter the apartment building, slowly strolling towards the elevator.

  Unlocking the door of her apartment and stepping inside reminded Su Jingyi of the reality that she was alone, here in Shenzhen. Although technology nowadays allowed her to make phone calls to her loved ones and friends, she was still missing some physical company.

  At the age of thirty-one, there was no doubt that she had long graduated from a spinster to become a thornback. Spinsters are women between twenty-three to twenty-six who weren't able to get married.

  But she had passed that age five years ago. She was considered old. Not that she cared what people thought of her being unmarried. It wasn't their business to poke into her private matters anyway.

  Were they too bored and idle in their lives that they would have time to poke on someone else's life? Wasn't this also the reason why she and Yun Zhen never dared to attend any class reunions events they were invited into? Su Jingyi didn't see the point anyway.

  Usually, this kind of event only allows people to brag about what they achieve in life since their last meeting and not just because they want to be reacquainted with others.

  Thornback? So what? They weren't the ones who would have to deal with her prospective husband if ever she chose the wrong one. If she stopped working and prioritized getting married, Su Jingyi wouldn't be able to secure her younger brother's future.

  The answering machine beeped, indicating a new message left for her.

  "Sis, don't forget to pick me up tomorrow." Su Jingyi heard her brother say, reminding her of the promise she made.

  How silly. Su Jingyi chuckled and shook her head. She slipped off her high-heeled shoes and went straight to her kitchen to get something to drink. She remembered that when she was a young girl, around the age of twelve, she thought that by twenty-five, she would probably be married, living in a decent house with a large garden, and have a child.

  Then she hit her twenties and life couldn't slow down as her responsibilities came piling, one after another. Su Jingyi then realized that she absolutely did not have her shit together yet, but that was okay. She watched as her colleagues and friends got married happily when she remained neck-deep in her work, with schedules enough to fill every inch of her year planner.

  Opening her fridge, Su Jingyi poured herself a cup of water before rummaging through her cupboards to take her pills on time. It was a good thing that she already had dinner at the banquet and won't have to worry about what she would need to wash early in the morning.

  To be honest, it wasn't because of Yun Zhen that she wasn't married yet. In fact, it was reasonable to say that she had chosen to marry her work instead of dating a man, in prospect to get married. At least with work, her mind was preoccupied with things that needed to be done, instead of wasting her time wallowing in self-pity for her feelings that could never be returned.

  Alas, she finally reached her limit. She had no doubt that Yun Zhen would throw a fit once the news of her resignation reached his ears. Yun Zhen didn't like being kept in the dark for too long, but it was too late now. His grandfather, Chairman Yun had already accepted Su Jingyi's resignation.

  She only needed to wait for thirty days before it became effective. It should be enough time for her to make preparations and handover her responsibilities to her successor. Su Jingyi was sure that Yun Group would be fine without her now. It wasn't like before, when the competition between Yun Zhen and his brothers was too fierce, to the point that it was hard to tell who would come victorious.

  Anyway, Su Jingyi already did her part of her deal with Yun Zhen, and it was time for her to venture into something else that wasn't related to him or Yun Group. She wasn't sure what would await her in the future, but Su Jingyi wanted to regret nothing in her life, even if it includes walking away from the person that mattered to her the most.