Li Xiaotian and the others left the kindergarten. Gao Xiaomei sat in her office, her heart unable to calm down, feeling as if she were dreaming.
Just moments ago, she had thought she had lost her job and was heartbroken.
But then, Jiang Hai, the Governor of Jiangnan, and the Director of the Education Department had visited the kindergarten. And she had witnessed a scene she would never forget.
What she hadn't expected was that the parent named Li Xiaotian, as he was leaving, had casually said something.
"You're called Gao Xiaomei, right? From now on, you are the principal. I hope you always keep your original intentions."
Then, she had truly become the principal of the kindergarten, and the youngest principal among all kindergartens in Jiangnan.
Tears streamed down Gao Xiaomei's face. The surprise had come too suddenly. At the same time, she felt incredibly fortunate that she had always acted according to her conscience, which had brought her such an opportunity.
Days turned into weeks. Ye Qingmei remained unaware of what had happened at the kindergarten. After all, Li Xiaotian had handled everything and didn't want to bother her with it.
However, due to Li Xiaotian's various actions in Jiangnan, even though his identity had been kept confidential, the high-ranking members of the major families in Jiangnan were all aware of his existence.
He was a mysterious figure, a great individual whom even Governor Jiang Hai looked up to.
Within the major families of Jiangnan, people were warned to never provoke a certain mother and daughter in Jiangnan, even if they had offended Governor Jiang Hai.
As a result, Ye Qingmei's company, Fengxing Finance, received cooperation requests from major Jiangnan families. In just one month, Fengxing Finance had become the leading financial institution in Jiangnan.
One day, as Ye Qingmei was busy with business at her company, her secretary approached her, reporting that a middle-aged couple had arrived at the front desk, requesting a meeting with her.
Normally, such matters wouldn't need to be reported to Ye Qingmei. However, the couple who had arrived were no ordinary people. The man was a prominent figure in the financial world of the Qin Dynasty, which was why the front desk staff at Fengxing could not afford to be dismissive.
"A middle-aged couple? They want to see me?" Ye Qingmei asked, a look of confusion on her face. The couple who wished to see her were named Zhao Tianlong and Fang Yuan.
Zhao Tianlong was a well-known figure in the financial sector of the Qin Dynasty, with a net worth of billions. Fang Yuan, while not as prominent as her husband, was also the chairwoman of a listed company. Thus, the couple had significant backgrounds.
However, Ye Qingmei was perplexed. Regardless of their reasons, there seemed to be no need for them to meet her.
Cooperation? Zhao Tianlong was already a magnate in the Qin Dynasty's financial world and wouldn't likely be interested in Fengxing Finance, which was developing in Jiangnan. As for Fang Yuan, her business was in real estate, which had no connection to finance. Therefore, Ye Qingmei couldn't fathom why the couple wanted to see her.
"Then please invite them up," Ye Qingmei said to her secretary after a moment's thought.
Meanwhile, in the lobby of the Fengxing Finance building, a middle-aged couple waited.
The man's expression remained unchanged, but the woman's eyes were red with emotion.
"Is it her? Is it her?" Fang Yuan kept asking.
Zhao Tianlong frowned but, feeling sympathetic towards his wife, replied in a gentle tone.
"It should be. She looks so much like you."
"Long Ge, do you think she'll recognize us?" Fang Yuan asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
"She certainly will. If she had known her identity long ago, she probably would have come to our Zhao family to acknowledge us," Zhao Tianlong said with a hint of pride in his tone. He continued,
"I didn't expect that a woman without anyone to rely on could possess such a large company. Although it's insignificant to our Zhao family, her company's prospects are very good. If managed well, her future is immeasurable."
"The Zhao family has always wanted to develop its industries in Jiangnan. I think Fengxing Finance is quite suitable."
Hearing this, Fang Yuan frowned slightly, her eyes reddened as she looked at Zhao Tianlong. Then, she spoke.
"Long Ge, you're not allowed to covet her company. I know you always think of the family's interests, but we owe her too much. We should compensate her well in the future, not take from her."
Zhao Tianlong frowned, showing slight displeasure, but he nodded and remained silent.
Fang Yuan let out a sigh of relief but was immediately filled with worry. She wondered if bringing her husband to Jiangnan was the right decision.
The Zhao family in the capital was known for prioritizing profit over familial affection. If the family were to learn about the situation in Jiangnan, if they knew the truth, they would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to establish a presence in Jiangnan.
"Sigh!" Fang Yuan sighed inwardly, unsure if coming to Jiangnan was the right thing to do. Yet, she couldn't help herself. Even knowing it might bring trouble to the other party, she couldn't resist coming to Jiangnan to see her.
"At worst, I'll give up my assets, and let the Zhao family leave her alone," Fang Yuan thought to herself.
A short while later, Ye Qingmei's secretary came downstairs to invite Mr. and Mrs. Zhao Tianlong to the reception room.
Zhao Tianlong frowned, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. He said,
"She's not coming to greet us personally?"
"Long Ge, she doesn't know our identities after all, and she's managing such a large company at such a young age. She must be very busy," Fang Yuan quickly replied, afraid her husband would get angry.
Zhao Tianlong did not respond to Fang Yuan, but his displeasure remained evident.
After finishing her tasks, Ye Qingmei went to the conference room. As soon as she entered, a middle-aged woman stood up. Upon seeing the woman's appearance, Ye Qingmei froze on the spot.
Ye Qingmei's mind raced, completely blank. She had never seen the middle-aged woman before, yet she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity and warmth from her.
Who is she? Ye Qingmei was filled with questions.
"Min'er. Min'er. We're sorry. We're late." Fang Yuan's eyes instantly welled up, and tears flowed involuntarily.
Fang Yuan quickly walked up to Ye Qingmei and stopped, opening her trembling hands, wanting to embrace Ye Qingmei, but hesitating.
Ye Qingmei quickly took a few steps back, her face a mask of bewilderment and surprise. She stammered,
"Madam, may I ask who you are?"
For some reason, after Ye Qingmei uttered these words, the woman before her became extremely sad and burst into tears.
Ye Qingmei became flustered, feeling an inexplicable pang in her heart. She considered a possibility, but she was unwilling to believe it.
"You are Ye Qingmei, aren't you? I am Zhao Tianlong, and this is my wife, Fang Yuan!" Zhao Tianlong walked over, his face devoid of any emotion, explaining to Ye Qingmei.