Unlike my little uncle, Jing Tian didn’t move at all. Seeing how anxious I was, he smiled in a comforting manner and tussled my hair. He asked, “Are you sure you’ll be able to get into the top 10 rank by the end of the semester?”

I hesitated for a moment. “I think so.”

Jing Tian patted my shoulders. “There’s no need to hide you true capability anymore. It’s time to leave those baggage behind.”

I nodded. Jing Tian looked at the time and told my little uncle, “Let’s reschedule, it’s getting late already and Nanxing should get her rest. By the way, I’m going to go bid on a piece of land tomorrow, you coming?”

My little uncle’s eyes lit up. “Where is it?”

.

Lin Ran clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Another chance lost,” he sighed.

I glared at him. “Will you only be satisfied when the whole world burns down?”

Lin Ran shook his head. “I’ve been hoping for a fight between these two since I was in university. I wanted to see who was more powerful once and for all but unfortunately it’s so hard to pit them against each other.”

I turned to look at my little uncle who was dragging me away and Jing Tian who was calm and collected. There was invisible tension between them. They were both powerful but somehow they were able to be tolerant of each other.

Tong Le had Tong Group’s annual party after my final exam. I made it into the top 10 ranking by the skin of my teeth. I was ranked 10th. Lin Ran was ecstatic, it gave him a rush of accomplishment. Jing Tian didn’t say anything but I could feel the warmth in his eyes. He approved.

The proudest person had to be my little uncle. It was like he was my tutor, he was so happy. He had the manager of the PR department of his company personally come to Garden Huan to design a dress for me. This was the first annual party for Tong Group since they settled at M City so it was very important.

My little uncle had many ladies asking to be his date but he rejected all of them. That was because he had already decided that he would go with me.

When Jing Tian heard that, his face darkened but it made flowers bloom in my heart.

Even under my little uncle’s watching eyes, I managed to sneak chances to ambush Jing Tian with kisses. My sneak attacks always made Jing Tian feel quite helpless. Initially he resisted them but eventually he had come to accept them.

I believed I had planted my roots in his heart, it was why he was so pissed when my little uncle had me be his date. However, Jing Tian had no excuse to stop my little uncle so he had no choice but to take a defeat this time.

During this party, I would appear in my new identity. In the past, I was the barely known 2nd miss of the Nan Family. I was critiqued the moment I was born, an existence no one cared about.

But now, I was the proud daughter of the Tong Family. My background didn’t change but everything else did. 

I had no idea how the public would react to this. On the day of the party, I appeared in a light green gown. I held my little uncle’s arm and accompanied him with grace and dignity.

He introduced me proudly to everyone we met, “This is my niece, Nanxing. She is my sister’s only daughter, the most precious princess of the Tong Family.”

Everyone praised me from head to toe, including the wealthy ladies who had mocked me behind my back before. It was like they had met me for the first time. They praised me until the muscles on their faces stiffened. It was quite hilarious.

When we walked to a silent corner, my little uncle told me, “Nanxing, this is a wonderful lesson for you to learn. Human heart is the hardest thing to read. What you’ve seen is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s brilliant that you’ve learned to hide your strength in the past, but now it is your time to shine because you are now the symbol of our Tong Family and the daughter of your parents.”

I chuckled. “So what? I’m nothing more than a mascot?”

My little uncle glared at me. “Be serious. After the heavy hits on the Tong Family, you and I are the only ones left. Since you’ve stirred up the people on the dark net, then you have to start to bear the burden of being a part of the Tong Family. In the future, I will need you to stand firmly by my side facing the storm that will come our way.”

I nodded heavily, “My little uncle, I will make you and the Tong Family proud!”

My little uncle smiled. “Nanxing, always remember this, no matter what happens, even if the sky is falling, you always have me and the Tong Family to support you!”

My eyes were watering. After 2 lifetimes, I finally found my roots. I promised him, “Nanxing will be obedient and uphold our family pride!

My little uncle’s gaze softened but his smile was sad. He said softly, “Nanxing, no matter what happens, don’t be scared because I’ll always be there for you!”