A flicker of hope ignited in Huo Yunting’s eyes, only to be instantly extinguished when he saw the name flashing on his phone screen. Disappointment washed over him. The call was from Chi Xuan. The moment he answered, her cheerful voice filled the line. “Yunting, my grandfather’s birthday is coming up, and my parents have put me in charge of the invitations. I’m just passing by the Huo Corporation building. Are you free? I could drop yours off, and we could grab lunch?” Huo Yunting’s expression was indifferent. “Fine.” “Great, talk to you in a bit then.” After hanging up, the call, instead of easing his frustration, only soured his mood further. He stared at the documents in his hands, unable to focus on a single word. He couldn’t believe Chi Muzhen was being this stubborn. That she could actually bring herself to not contact him at all. A sharp rap on the door. Ke Ning entered with a file, his expression grim. “Mr. Huo, I’ve just received word that the auction for the land in the eastern district might be moved up.” Huo Yunting’s expression sharpened. “Notify the project head and the shareholders. Meeting in five minutes.” By the time Chi Xuan arrived, Huo Yunting was still in his meeting. Ke Ning was the one who greeted her. “Miss Chi, the CEO’s meeting just began. He asked me to show you to his office to wait for him.” Chi Xuan offered a gentle smile. “Thank you.” After ushering Chi Xuan into Huo Yunting’s office, Ke Ning added that she should let him know if she needed anything, then departed. Once the door was closed, Chi Xuan walked over to Huo Yunting’s desk. As she was about to place the gilt-edged invitation down, her peripheral vision caught sight of a red brocade box on the corner of the desk. Her hand froze. The box clearly held jewelry. Her own birthday was approaching—could this be a gift from Huo Yunting? After a moment’s hesitation, Chi Xuan picked up the box. *It’s for me anyway,* she thought. *A little peek shouldn’t hurt, right?* With that thought, she opened it. Inside lay the very necklace Huo Yunting had bought at the Seattle auction. She had asked him back then who it was for, but he hadn't answered. Now she knew—he had been planning to surprise her. Her mood instantly lifted, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile. She closed the box and placed it back where she had found it. When Huo Yunting returned from his meeting, an hour had passed. Seeing Chi Xuan, he had a hint of apology in his eyes. “Something came up. A last-minute meeting.” Chi Xuan smiled and stood up, her expression gentle. “I understand. I’ve already ordered us some food; it should be here soon.” “Good.” “Oh, I left the invitation on your desk. My grandfather’s birthday is next Saturday. You’ll be able to make it, won’t you?” Huo Yunting’s brow furrowed. “I have a business trip in a couple of days. I’m not sure if I’ll be back by Saturday, but I’ll do my best.” “Okay. By the way… have you heard from my sister recently? Whenever I call her, the line is always busy. Do you know where she is?” At the mention of Chi Muzhen, Huo Yunting’s brow tightened, and his voice turned cold. “Why are you looking for her?” Chi Xuan bit her lip, her face a mask of concern. “You know my sister doesn’t get along well with the family. She wasn’t brought back home until she was sixteen, and she’s always felt our parents favor me. I think they had a falling out recently. Since grandpa’s birthday is next Saturday, I wanted to ask her to come, to use it as a chance to patch things up with everyone.” After a few seconds of silence, Huo Yunting said icily, “I’ll talk to her about it.” Seeing that he was unwilling to discuss it further, Chi Xuan dropped the subject and steered the conversation elsewhere. … Just as Chi Muzhen finished the proposal, she received a call from Chi Zhen. “Next Saturday is your grandfather’s birthday. You will come back.” Chi Muzhen’s lips thinned. “I’ve just started a new job,” she said, her voice cool. “I might be too busy. I can’t promise I’ll have the time.” His voice, laced with anger, shot back through the phone. “What could possibly be more important than your grandfather’s birthday?! No matter what, you must be there on Saturday. And you’d better bring Huo Yunting with you!” The Chi family’s situation was no longer what it once was. A month ago, Old Master Chi had insisted that Chi Zhen ensure Huo Yunting attended his birthday banquet. It was a power move, a way to intimidate others and warn them against scheming against the Chi family. Chi Muzhen considered it. She realized she needed to tell them about the divorce in person anyway, to avoid any future complications. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll do my best to make time.” Chi Zhen said nothing more and hung up abruptly. Xu Rou, frowning, expressed her dissatisfaction. “You already sent Xuanxuan to give Huo Yunting the invitation. Why did you have to bring it up with Chi Muzhen too?!” Xu Rou could never bring herself to like this daughter who hadn’t grown up by her side. Even though she bore a strong resemblance to Chi Xuan, it didn't matter. Shortly after she had given birth to the twins, a feng shui master the family trusted deeply had appeared at their door, unannounced. He had told them that if Chi Muzhen remained with the family, she would bring them ruin and death. After much deliberation, the family had made a decision. They abandoned Chi Muzhen at the gates of an orphanage. Who could have known that at sixteen, Chi Xuan would suddenly fall gravely ill? No one in the family was a match. Desperate, they had no choice but to find Chi Muzhen. As twins, their genetic makeup was highly compatible. The match was a success. Chi Muzhen donated her bone marrow to Chi Xuan, and in return, she was allowed to stay. But every time they looked at her, the family remembered the feng shui master’s words. It remained a thorn in their sides, and their attitude toward Chi Muzhen was always cold. This was especially true for Xu Rou. Having learned that Chi Muzhen was adopted by a rural family in a remote area, she felt her daughter carried the stench of the countryside. It was jarring to see her standing next to Chi Xuan, the daughter she had treasured for over a decade. Later, Chi Muzhen’s refusal to obey her only made things worse. Xu Rou could barely exchange two sentences with her without getting angry, and their relationship deteriorated. Now, the mere mention of Chi Muzhen filled Xu Rou with disgust. Chi Zhen shot her a look. “Don’t forget,” he said coldly, “Muzhen is the one who is currently Huo Yunting’s wife.” Xu Rou scoffed. “If Xuanxuan hadn’t gone abroad, would she have ever had the chance to marry him?! Anyway, Xuanxuan’s back now, and it’s obvious Huo Yunting doesn’t like her. They should just get a divorce so he can marry Xuanxuan. It would be better for everyone!” Chi Zhen frowned at her words, but he couldn’t help but consider the idea. Every time he had hinted for Chi Muzhen to use a little pillow talk to get Huo Yunting to help the Chi family, she had refused, much to his displeasure. It had been three years, and they were still childless. If they did divorce so he could marry Chi Xuan, it would only benefit the Chi family. But Chi Zhen was cautious. He wouldn’t make a move until he knew where Huo Yunting stood. “We’ll discuss this later. And I’m warning you, don’t you dare say a word of this in front of Muzhen before I agree to it. If you cause a scene, you’ll have me to answer to!” Xu Rou’s face paled, then she snapped, “Fine. They’re going to divorce sooner or later anyway. I’m not interested in being the bad guy!” After a moment of silence, Chi Zhen said in a low voice, “Try to be a little kinder to Muzhen sometimes. After all, we do owe her.” A look of disgust flashed in Xu Rou’s eyes. “If you want to be nice to her, you do it. Don’t drag me into it! I only have one daughter, and that’s Xuanxuan! And don't you forget what that feng shui master said later—” “Xu Rou!” Chi Zhen cut her off, his eyes blazing with fury. “If I hear you mention that again, don’t blame me for what happens!” His shout left Xu Rou pale and shaken. It was only after he stormed out of the room that she recovered. A wave of fear washed over her, but it quickly morphed into a deeper loathing for Chi Muzhen. If it weren’t for Chi Muzhen, none of this would be happening! That evening, as Chi Muzhen was packing up to leave work, Shen Tian burst into the office. “Muzhen! Any plans for tonight?!”