"So you let power go to your head, it cost you a son, and now you’re going to judge a noble person by your own petty standards? You really have some nerve!"

Director Huo snapped his head toward her, unleashing the full force of the intimidating aura he had cultivated over years in power.

His entire life had been smooth sailing. He saw himself as a great, upstanding man, and the only people he had ever wronged were Tianhao and his mother. But if he had to do it all over again, he would still make the same choices!

This was the first time, aside from the Old Man, that someone had berated him to his face—and it was a young slip of a girl.

"Xia Zhaoyun, heh," Director Huo sneered. "You’re just a young girl, but did you think I couldn’t figure out your little scheme? In a way, we’re quite similar—we both do whatever it takes to reach our goals!"

"I’ll say it again. If you had come to me to negotiate in good faith, I might have granted your requests. But if you think you can get more by latching yourself onto Tianhao’s memory, you are sorely mistaken."

"I, Huo Xunchang, despise being threatened more than anything. Don’t be a snake trying to swallow an elephant, little girl. Quit while you’re ahead; it’s better for everyone."

Xia Zhaoyun’s lips curled into a faint smile as she raised an eyebrow. "What are you afraid of?"

"What could a girl like me possibly be plotting? I have my own two hands to support myself, and I do so with a clear conscience. I live in a spacious company dorm. I’m beautiful and talented. I’m already in a position that many people envy."

"However, from now on, I’m afraid everyone who sees me will be reminded of Brother Hao, whom people are starting to forget. I wonder, Director Huo, how long will it take for *you* to remember him?"

"Oh, that’s right, I forgot. You still have three other sons. You’re not exactly missing the poor little thing left behind by a backwards custom like arranged marriage."

Director Huo’s old face burned with humiliation. It had been a long time since he’d lost his composure. Looking at the girl, who was smiling like a little fox, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth and hiss, "Your terms!"

A flash of pain and regret crossed Xia Zhaoyun’s eyes. "Director Huo, I am not like you. Not everything I do is driven by a hidden agenda. I told you before: if no one is there to love and cherish Brother Hao, then I will!"

"From now on, if anyone uses their connection to him to take advantage of others or public property, I will be the first to stand against it."

"If there’s nothing else, Director Huo, I need to get back to work..."

With that, she turned, got on her bicycle, and rode away.

Xia Zhaoyun let out a long, shaky breath. Her limbs still felt a little weak. ’There’s nothing for it,’ she thought. ’I’m just a regular employee, dependent on the factory for my livelihood.’

’I just launched a preemptive strike against my benefactor, banking on Huo Xunchang’s lingering guilt over his son and his obsession with his own reputation.’

’He might stoop to summon me once, but he won’t do it a second time.’

’As long as I keep a low profile from now on and don’t use Huo Tianhao’s name to cause any real trouble, Huo Xunchang will consider it beneath him to move against a young woman like me.’

’Still, starting today, my role as the young, mourning "widow" of Huo Tianhao is now out in the open. After all, I’ve met the family!’

After about an hour of running errands, Xia Zhaoyun passed the supply and marketing co-op. She bought a popsicle and sat down on a wooden bench by the entrance to rest, taking the opportunity to look over the documents in her hands.

Inside the co-op, several salesclerks kept craning their necks to peek at her, the burning flames of gossip making them restless. After some pushing and shoving, a round-faced girl, the youngest among them, was finally elected as their temporary spokesperson.

"Comrade Xia Zhaoyun," the round-faced girl said, patiently waiting for Xia Zhaoyun to finish her popsicle. She smiled and handed her a cup of warm water with brown sugar. "Even though it’s early summer, girls shouldn’t have too many cold things. Here, drink this to warm your stomach."

Xia Zhaoyun turned to look at the girl intently, then smiled and said, "Thank you." She took five cents out of her pocket and handed it to her.

The round-faced girl looked a little surprised, but she didn’t refuse the money. She took it and casually stuffed it into her pocket. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked worriedly, "Are you alright? I heard from the comrades in Garment Workshop Three that the head director himself called for you. Was it about what happened in the cafeteria this morning?"

The girl wasn’t really waiting for an answer. Instead, she stared at Xia Zhaoyun’s perfectly beautiful profile, feeling a genuine sense of pity for her. "Have you really decided to stay in mourning for Mr. Huo? Comrade Xia Zhaoyun, you’re so young. You’ll face many hardships in life; love is only one of them. Aren’t you going to try and move on?"

"When you get older and see everyone else happily paired off, won’t you regret being all alone?"

"None of us are as brave as you."