Tang Zhelan felt that it had been a long time since she stepped inside the building of the Tang Enterprise. People turned their heads and looked at her in surprise. Those who had been working for the company for years obviously knew who she was.

  Who hadn't heard of Tang Zhelan who lost miserably in a power struggle against the empress a few months ago?

  What was she doing here anyway? Did she come back to bring trouble to their newest CEO, Tang Moyu?

  Tang Zhelan strode confidently towards the elevator and joined the others inside, pushing the button leading to the floor where Tang Moyu's office was. She was stylish and fashionable as ever as people remembered her to be.

  With her huge sunglasses covering her eyes and with her dressed extravagantly in red, topped with a black coat which was paired with high stilettos, no one would assume that she had lived in Lijiang for the past months as a commoner.

  When she reached her destination, she stepped out of the elevator and was greeted by Cheng Ning.

  "Good morning, Miss Tang. Please follow me," the empress's assistant politely said.

  It was obvious that the empress had been expecting Tang Zhelan's arrival today.

  "Lead the way," she said in return as she noticed that the company not only had a massive change in the management but also with how things worked within.

  Cheng Ning brought her to her cousin's office and let her in. Tang Zhelan found Tang Moyu seated behind her desk with Gu Yuyao and Lu Tianxin speaking with her. The three stopped whatever they were talking about and glanced her way.

  The Gu heiress looked at her with curiosity while her cousin, Lu Tianxin had a complex expression written on her face upon seeing her. Tang Zhelan raised a slender brow and didn't say anything.

  She knew that Gu Yuyao had now become the CFO of the Tang Enterprise while Lu Tianxin became the Deputy CEO who was working alongside the empress.

  "I see that you're finally here." Tang Moyu regarded her. "Let's not waste time anymore, Zhelan."

  "I'll leave you be. I still have some work to be done." Gu Yuyao flipped her long hair and left her friend's office.

  Lu Tianxin bit her lip, wondering if she should stay or not. Eventually, she decided to follow Gu Yuyao out after excusing herself to her cousins. She knew the reason why Tang Zhelan was here anyway.

  Although she and Tang Zhelan never got along growing up, she heard from Tang Moyu that their cousin had been living in seclusion and as a commoner, something Lu Tianxin never thought Tang Zhelan was capable of.

  Tang Zhelan had been a spoiled, arrogant girl who'd always fought her way and competed with Tang Moyu when they were growing up. So it came as a shock when Lu Tianxin heard the news about their cousin's whereabouts from Tang Moyu. Hopefully, Tang Zhelan would change her ways as she freed herself from the influence of their family.

  "It took you some time to get back here," Tang Moyu said as Tang Zhelan took a seat across from her, removing her sunglasses and putting it inside her expensive purse.

  "I needed some time to think about your proposal," Tang Zhelan replied. "But I do admit I admire your guts, going against the elders of our family."

  It hadn't been the first time a daughter from the Tang family tried to stop the ridiculous family tradition they had, but none of them had gone as far as the empress. If it was Tang Moyu's way to get even with their family that betrayed her in the past, none of it mattered for Tang Zhelan anymore.

  "So, have you decided?" Tang Moyu asked, leaning back comfortably on her seat.

  "It's not that I have any choice, right?" Tang Zhelan crossed her legs and rested her chin with one hand. "You knew I'd eventually sign it away." She eyed her cousin.

  "Actually, I'm not certain that you'll accept the offer," The empress replied. It was hard to know what Tang Zhelan was thinking now since she separated from her parents' care.

  Tang Zhelan scoffed. She doubted her cousin's claim. Tang Moyu wouldn't bother to locate her if the possibility to convince her was quite low.

  "Enough chit chat, Moyu. Give me the doc.u.ments, so I can sign it," she demanded.

  The empress pulled the folder from the huge pile of doc.u.ments over her desk and passed it to Tang Zhelan who immediately reviewed the contents of each page before signing it.

  "You know what would happen after this?" she heard Tang Moyu question her.

  "I have also denounced my rights over my inheritance before I came here. I trust that you wouldn't stop midway, Moyu. I'll wait and see how this family will end."

  Tang Moyu retrieved the signed papers and checked them. She then glanced at her cousin who was weirdly calm and collected. She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent conversation with Tang Zhelan like this.

  Furthermore, she was also surprised when the report came back to her that Tang Zhelan was working as a manager of a small inn in Lijiang. Tang Moyu couldn't even imagine this cousin of hers, smiling at their guests politely and not being rude to her subordinates. After all, Tang Zhelan's reputation was quite bad before Tang Moyu replaced her in the company.

  "So, what do you plan to do now?" she asked her. "You better not regret this and blame me later, Zhelan."

  Tang Zhelan shrugged. "Enjoy my freedom and see the world? Who knows?"

  She stood up and placed the sunglasses back on her face. Now that she has done the purpose of her visit, there's no reason for her to stay here any longer.

  "Don't worry, Moyu. You wouldn't see me around for some time," Tang Zhelan told the empress. "But you better not forget to invite me to your wedding when the time comes." She then eyed the box of chocolate roses on Tang Moyu's desk, her lips curling into a smile.

  Tang Moyu raised a brow and didn't bother to say more. She watched as her cousin left her office, with Cheng Ning seeing her out.

  Tang Zhelan left the building in a very good mood; the smile on her face stayed as if something good had just happened. She waited in front of the building until her car stopped, with Zhao Feng at the driver's seat. She opened the door at once and buckled her seat belt.

  "Let's go. It's time for us to go home," she told the man accompanying her.

  "This will be a long drive. You better not complain on our way," Zhao Feng reminded her.

  When he confessed to her a few weeks ago, he thought that she would find it disgusting and would distance herself from him, but Tang Zhelan never did. She only asked him for some time to sort her thoughts and deal with the problems she had to have before giving him her answer.

  'I don't want to force myself. I would have denied you right here, right now if I didn't have an ounce of feelings for you, Zhao Feng, but I also know I'm not ready,' she told him.

  "It's fine, as long as you'll take the wheels." She grinned back. "I didn't plan on staying behind the wheels for hours, the last time I drove to Lijiang."

  "You could have just booked a flight instead of driving there," he commented.

  "And to leave my 'baby' here? No way!" There's no way she would abandon her car. "Let's go. The faster we leave Shenzhen, the faster we will arrive in Lijiang."

  Tang Zhelan never felt as free as she was right now. With Tang Moyu gaining an upper hand against their family, the Tang family's downfall would come sooner or later.