The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

He recalled every moment he shared with Shen Yao, from their first meeting to their falling in love.

Countless "chance encounters," her perfectly balanced shyness and strength, her precise catering to his preferences, her occasional glimpses of vulnerability that needed protection...

Those moments that once moved and touched him now seem like faded movie scenes, shrouded in a carefully calculated shadow.

Love? Or not?

Did she have even the slightest bit of genuine feeling for him?

This problem gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

He refused to believe that the girl who cuddled in his arms, was jealous of him, and lingered with him day and night was acting out a script that he had been indulging in from beginning to end!

With trembling hands, almost as if in self-torture, Xiang Yuchuan abruptly tore open the seal of the file folder.

Several photos slipped out and scattered on the table.

Even though Shen Yao was fully armed, he could recognize her at a glance.

One photo shows Shen Yao exchanging an envelope with a man wearing a baseball cap whose face is obscured at a street corner;

The other photo shows Shen Yao alone in a run-down print shop, flipping through thick stacks of documents...

Ironclad evidence.

All doubts and self-deception were shattered at this moment by these few cold photographs.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly gathered the photos together, stuffing them back into the file folder, his movements slow and stiff.

That's the end for Xiang Yuchuan.

You've had everything you could ever want for over twenty years, and you got played by a woman? That's your own stupidity, just accept it.

Have some class; don't act like a sore loser.

He repeatedly told himself to suppress the piercing pain and humiliation with his remaining self-respect and pride.

She looked up at her father, who forced a self-deprecating smile that was more like a grimace than a cry:

"I understand, Dad. You and she... both won. It was my own stupidity."

Looking at his son's forced composure but actually distraught state, Xiang Junqi felt both heartache and anger, and sighed heavily.

"Yuchuan, you are the only child in our Xiang family!"

"It's because we spoiled you too much that you've spent these four years in college indulging in debauchery and neglecting your studies! From today onwards, you don't need to go back to Shanghai. Your graduation procedures have already been taken care of by your family."

At this moment, Xiang Yuchuan was disheartened and felt utterly disgusted with Shanghai, his family, and the woman named Shen Yao.

How could he possibly hate Shen Yao? Everything she did was merely placing pieces on a chessboard tacitly approved by her family.

He can only hate his family and himself.

Shen Yao knew that even if he was completely fooled, he would never retaliate against her.

Too lazy to argue, and with no will to resist, Xiang Yuchuan simply asked numbly, "Then where do I go?"

"You worthless, good-for-nothing bastard!"

Just then, a powerful roar came from the inner room.

Then, Xiang Yuchuan's grandfather, a sprightly and imposing old man, strode out, leaning on his cane.

Although he was old, he stood upright with sharp eyes like an eagle, and at that moment he was pointing his cane at Xiang Yuchuan's nose, his beard trembling with anger:

"Four years! Four years of fooling around outside! You got completely fooled by an eighteen-year-old girl! You've utterly disgraced the Xiang family!"

The old man was heartbroken, his eyes filled with a stern disappointment. "I think you just need a good beating. You've been living too comfortably!"

He looked at Xiang Junqi and ordered, "Send this good-for-nothing to the field army! Let him suffer for a year, to properly temper his spoiled brat habits. He can come back when he knows his place!"

Xiang Yuchuan suddenly looked up, staring at his grandfather in disbelief.

He has been pampered since childhood, how could he have ever suffered that kind of hardship?

"Think about it carefully. Your grandfather went to Hong Kong. If he finds out, things won't be so simple."

Looking into his grandfather's eyes and seeing his father's silent demeanor, Xiang Yuchuan knew that there was no turning back now.

Yeah.

He gave a bitter smile.

Leave this chaotic place, go to a completely different, disciplined place, numb yourself, forget that woman, forget everything.

"...Yes, Grandpa."

The old man, leaning on his cane, his chest heaving slightly with anger, fixed his sharp gaze on Xiang Yuchuan, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority:

"Break up, immediately! Right now!"

Xiang Junqi, his face also grim, added from the side, his tone more moderate than the old man's, but equally resolute:

"Yuchuan, I've had enough of your lesson. Let's break up."

He took a deep breath, looking at his good-for-nothing son with a complicated expression:

"Ask yourself honestly, can you outmaneuver her? If this continues, she'll sell you out and you'll still be counting the money for her."

He gave the old man a heavy snort, then took over the conversation, his tone filled with a pained disappointment:

"We, the descendants of the Xiang family, may be romantic, but we cannot be foolish, much less be manipulated by women! Look at yourself now! You've been completely bewitched!"

Every word and phrase struck Xiang Yuchuan's heart like a heavy hammer.

He was well aware of his grandfather's and father's worries and anger.

They were right. Shen Yao was a complete fraud, a terrifyingly clever hunter.

but……

His hand, adorned with the ring, began to tremble uncontrollably.

The phone screen became slightly slippery due to the cold sweat on his palms.

He stared intently at that familiar WeChat profile picture.

separate……

Is this the end?

He hesitated.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, his family's fury, and his utter humiliation, he still hesitated!

This realization filled him with immense shame and anger, yet he was unable to control the resistance and reluctance that welled up from the deepest part of his heart.

As Xiang Junqi and Old Master Xiang sat facing each other, their hearts sank when their gazes fell on Xiang Yuchuan.

Xiang Yuchuan was staring down at his phone screen, his fingertip hovering above it, unable to press the button.

His eyes were unfocused, his expression was dazed, and he seemed to have lost his soul, leaving only an empty shell frozen in place.

Yuchuan is someone they watched grow up.

The parents were childhood sweethearts from similar family backgrounds. After growing up, they chose to start their own business from scratch. They have a deep affection for each other and have achieved great success in their careers.

Due to health reasons, Xiang Junqi's son, Xiang Yuchuan, was born when he and his wife were nearing middle age, and naturally, he was cherished by the whole family.

From his maternal grandparents to his paternal grandparents, everyone doted on him.

He grew up in a privileged environment, never experiencing hardship or the coldness of human relationships.

Even when his elders occasionally harden their hearts and tug at his ear to "be more careful," he just lets it go in one ear and out the other, giving them a perfunctory reply.

But who could really bear to be strict with him? Let alone being beaten, they were even afraid of saying a harsh word to him.

The Fang family's Yunci and the Xie family's Yunzhou, who were from next door, were admitted to Peking University at a young age. They were outstanding in talent and acted with composure.

But what about Xiang Yuchuan? He spends all his time hanging out with spoiled brats and squandering money like water.

He left for Shanghai in a huff because he had a quarrel with his grandfather and was dissatisfied with the political and military path that his grandfather had planned for him, ostensibly to "go to university".

Faced with his rebellion, the Xiang family's indulgence only added fuel to the fire.

Their source of income has never been cut off, and their daily lives are still constantly on their minds.

They allowed Shen Yao, this sensible and perceptive girl, to get close to him, intending only to teach this wild horse a small lesson, to let him see the wickedness of human nature, and to give him a wake-up call.

But seeing him so troubled by love and so indecisive, Xiang Junqi and the old man looked at each other in astonishment, realizing that their seemingly ingenious plan had already gone astray.

They originally thought it was just a manageable experience, but Shen Yao's influence far exceeded their expectations, causing him to become deeply mired in this situation.

"Snapped!"

Enraged, the old man could no longer restrain himself and lashed Xiang Yuchuan's calf with his sandalwood cane, which whistled through the air.

Caught off guard, Xiang Yuchuan let out a muffled groan of pain as a piercing pain shot through his calf. He staggered and nearly fell to his knees.

"You good-for-nothing!"

"Even at this point, you're still so naive! What was Shen Yao doing at eighteen, and what are you doing at twenty-one? Do you have to wait for your grandfather to come back and personally teach you a lesson before you'll wake up?!"

Xiang Junqi also closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

Xiang Yuchuan clutched his burning, aching calf. He looked up at his grandfather's furious face and his father's disappointed eyes. A sense of despair, a mixture of humiliation, pain, and resignation, washed over him.

Taking a deep breath, he seemed to use all his strength, his fingers trembling, to open that familiar chat box.

Let's break up.