Hatred?

Lin Mengxi's expression stiffened.

A twisted, crazed look of revenge flickered in her eyes.

After Ye Chen deleted her from WeChat and blocked her phone number, the desire for revenge surged like the unrelenting waters of the Yellow River.

Yet, before she could devise a plan for revenge, she learned that the wildly popular Wuxia Cream was actually a product of Ye Chen's company.

This was something she couldn't accept!

The person who once groveled at her feet, someone she didn't even consider worthy as a backup option, had transformed into the successful CEO of Yiren Ruxue, a status she could no longer hope to reach. This realization drove her into a state of pathological madness.

Had it not been for their unexpected encounter at the Mountain Stream Sales Office, Lin Mengxi might not have fallen into such twisted emotions.

But that very encounter led her to cast aside all pride and attempt to rekindle the relationship—only to be met with cold rejection and a swift block from Ye Chen.

To Lin Mengxi, this was humiliation—humiliation of a degree she had never experienced before.

From that day forward, driven by her obsessive desire for revenge, she swore that she would make Ye Chen regret it—absolutely!

Destroying everything Ye Chen had built was, in her mind, the best form of revenge.

Consumed by this twisted vendetta, she discovered that the key developer of Wuxia Cream was Pang Jun, the very person responsible for its success. She became convinced that if she could make Pang Jun betray Ye Chen and reveal the formula, Ye Chen's future would crumble.

Following the trail further, she found that Pang Jun had previously served as Deputy General Manager at Yundai and that Yundai's CEO, Ding Chengjun, was an old acquaintance of his.

That's why she was here today.

But by now, Lin Mengxi's intentions had shifted beyond simple revenge. She knew the value of the Wuxia Cream formula. With Ding Chengjun's help, she planned to seduce Pang Jun and extract the formula. Selling it for hundreds of millions and securing shares in future products seemed easily achievable. Not only could she destroy Ye Chen, but she could also reach financial freedom and climb to the top—no longer needing to marry into wealth to change her fate.

To Lin Mengxi, this was the perfect way to rewrite her life.

Perhaps, without realizing it, her desire to leverage the Wuxia Cream formula for personal gain had begun to outweigh her thirst for revenge.

But whether it was rewriting her destiny or seeking revenge, she wanted both.

Facing Ding Chengjun's teasing inquiry, Lin Mengxi's stiff expression softened.

She crossed her long legs and let out a soft laugh.

"President Ding, how can you say I want to destroy Ye Chen? I'm just looking out for myself, rewriting my future. They say survival is key, and if this destroys Ye Chen but brightens my life, why should I pass up this opportunity?"

Lin Mengxi's response completely sidestepped Ding Chengjun's question about hatred.

Seeing that Lin Mengxi wasn't keen to explain further, Ding Chengjun didn't press.

To him, any grudges between Lin Mengxi and Ye Chen were irrelevant. What mattered was the Wuxia Cream formula.

"Haha, fair point. In this era, relationships and emotions mean nothing—money and profit reign supreme. Even fathers and sons turn on each other over wealth. Why should classmates be any different?" Ding Chengjun laughed heartily.

He extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business!"

"Pleasure doing business!" Lin Mengxi replied, her soft hand meeting his.

Feeling the smoothness of her hand, Ding Chengjun felt a surge of desire, but he quickly suppressed it.

"Since we've agreed to work together, isn't it time you told me your name?" Ding Chengjun asked as she withdrew her hand.

"Lin Mengxi."

This time, she didn't hide it.

"Alright, Miss Lin. How do you plan to provide dirt on Ye Chen? Don't tell me it's just your word?"

Lin Mengxi smiled and pulled a USB drive from her bag.

"There are documents, photos, videos, and conversations—I've organized everything."

"Good." Ding Chengjun took the USB drive.

"President Ding, about Pang Jun?" Lin Mengxi asked.

"Don't worry. We'll exchange WeChat contacts, and I'll send you everything I know about him," Ding Chengjun replied.

"Good. I hope our next meeting is for the transaction."

"Haha, I feel the same. Two hundred million, plus 5% annual profits from formula products. I'll draft the contract and wait for you to sign." Ding Chengjun laughed.

After exchanging contacts, Lin Mengxi swayed her graceful figure as she left, much to Ding Chengjun's lingering gaze.

However, little did she know, what she thought was a foolproof plan was barely a blip on Ye Chen's radar.

In the end, her scheming not only failed to harm Ye Chen but also cost her everything, dragging her into the abyss.

Elsewhere, no matter how wildly Ye Chen imagined scenarios, he never anticipated that Lin Mengxi—his high school goddess—would embark on such a self-destructive path.

After days of non-stop work, Ye Chen finally made time to accept an invitation from Zhang Jingshan, Li Changfeng, and Zhao Jiwei.

At Nanguo Manor, a secluded haven for private meetings among the elite, Ye Chen drove his Mercedes G-Class directly to a lakeside cabin.

Zhang Jingshan, Li Changfeng, and Zhao Jiwei were already waiting.

"Brother Ye!"

"Brother Ye!"

As soon as Ye Chen stepped out, they greeted him with enthusiastic smiles.

"Weren't you guys going to catch some fish for a feast? Where are the rods?" Ye Chen asked, noticing their empty hands.

"Brother Ye, we don't need to bring anything. Nanguo Manor is famous for its exceptional service. The fishing area is fully equipped with top-notch gear!" Zhang Jingshan laughed.

"Oh..."

Ye Chen wasn't too familiar with this. Despite his status in a previous life, Nanguo Manor had long ceased to exist.

"Alright, lead the way."

Without embarrassment, Ye Chen nodded with a smile.

"Right this way, Brother Ye!" Zhao Jiwei hurried ahead to guide him.