Zhao Lifei’s lips parted in shock. She had never expected them to be the ones supporting her.

“You were groomed to assume your grandfather’s position, why are you hesitant now that you’ve finally received it?” Yang Feng gently asked her after he allowed her to recover from this unexpected turn of events.

Zhao Lifei stared at the floor. The reason why she started Feili was that she wanted a company of her own, but that was because she feared the thought that she would never become the CEO of Zhao Corporation. She was her grandfather’s prized candidate but didn’t think she would receive the support of others. She hadn’t thought that some of the people closest to her would be the ones that watched her the most.

“My adorable Feifei,” Yang Ruqin chuckled, skipping her way to the silent woman. “There is nothing wrong in taking over the position. You know it. We all know it. You don’t have to worry about Feili. Huo Qiudong can handle it. Hasn’t he been performing exceedingly well even throughout your frequent absences?”

“Are you making fun of me?” Zhao Lifei scowed, flicking her on the forehead, earning a fake yelp of pain.

“No, I’m just stating the facts!” Yang Ruqin huffed, “You say you’re interested in Feili, but please face the music. If you truly have a passion for the investment firm, you would find every reason to go against the excuses you create for yourself. You know it too. There have been particular reasons why you’ve been running from the company. Don’t hide it. I can see it in your eyes.”

Zhao Lifei didn’t think Yang Ruqin would know that much about her. “Qinqin—”

“And don’t you dare try to lie to me. I might be an airhead at times, but I know you well, Feifei. You always made time to consult for your grandfather in the past. Why couldn’t you make time to go to Feili? Certain circumstances can’t be controlled, but there were also days that you could’ve just shown up in the company.”

Zhao Lifei sighed. So she was caught red-handed in the very end.

“Besides, d-don’t worry about Huo Qiudong ever betraying you. I-I-” Yang Ruqin’s sudden burst of confidence died down. She leaned in and whispered, “I have him under control. Don’t worry…” She sheepishly trailed off, her face bright red.

Zhao Lifei’s eyes widened, “Huh?! Wait, did anything happen between you two?!”

“Wait what?! What happened? Between who?” Yang Yulong broke into their conversation, staring accusingly at his younger sister. “A guy? Is it another lover? Who else do I have to threaten? Damn it, you little heartbreaker. Whose heart are you going to break this time?”

“I’m not going to break his heart!” Yang Ruqin huffed, “As long as he doesn’t break mine…” She added on with a small “Hehe” at the end.

Yang Yulong gagged, “Okay, I didn’t need to hear that.”

“Oh shut up. Not everyone wants to be as single as you.”

“Hey, hey, I have my reasons.” Yang Yulong shrugged, “If I wanted to find a woman, I could do so easily, but for now, I don’t want to. Before I’m tied down by a relationship, I want to travel the world, become a workaholic like my brother, and pester him into making me the Vice President instead of the stupid COO position. A girlfriend is not a priority.”

“Your lucky mother is not here or else she would have a heart attack at what you just said.” Yang Ruqin sighed.

“Look, I would love to stay here, waste my time, and wait for you guys to engage in more sibling banter, but the time is ticking and we have to regroup in less than five minutes.” Ling Fulei spoke up, turning to Zhao Lifei.

“Well, do you want to become the President of Zhao Corporation or not?” It was the question that everyone wanted to ask, especially Bai Rinuo who was willing to change her mind if Zhao Lifei didn’t want the position. It was a daunting task to become the leader of such a large company and it would ruin a person if they lose themselves to the schemes. He could see why she was such a suitable candidate. She was familiar with all sorts of hardships. He would understand how Zhao Moyao would view Feili as a test-trial company to prove her capabilities. It had been three years now and when most new companies were heavily in debt due to its start-up years, hers wasn’t. He knew there was a reason why Zhao Moyao brought it up during the meeting. It would sway the supporters of Zhao Moyao who was hesitant about having a woman on-board. It would be the first time that any woman would assume a leadership role as high as hers.

“Is that even a question?” Zhao Lifei finally smiled, “Of course I do.”

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Ling Fulei scoffed, turned around and headed towards the door. He paused and glanced back, “Yunai wants to see you. She has a lot to tell you.”

Zhao Lifei’s eyes brightened into brilliant shades of amber at the mention of the ambitious child. “I look forward to seeing her.” She glanced around the room and her eyes landed on Zheng Murong. The woman beside him must’ve been his close acquaintance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Zheng Murong stuck out his hand to which Zhao Lifei firmly grasped it in a handshake. “Please, the pleasure is all mine.” Despite being Zheng Tianyi’s fiancee in the past, she had never met his acquaintance before. She figured it was because she was too busy focusing on Zheng Tianyi to look at anyone else.

“This is a close acquaintance of mine, Bai Rinuo—”

“COO of Perfume Empire, Xiang Bai, I know.” Zhao Lifei finished for him, sticking her hand out to Bai Rinuo who gave it a firm handshake.

“You know of me?” Bai Rinuo raised a brow.

“Of course. It’s not every day that I hear about a female COO.”

“It’ll be CEO soon.” Bai Rinuo chuckled, withdrawing her hand afterward and glancing at Zheng Murong.

Zhao Lifei quirked a brow. She could practically feel the sexual tension in the air from their heated stares. She wondered if she and Yang Feng was like that before engaging in a relationship. He raised a brow when he caught her stare before giving her a wink that made her stomach flutter. He walked over, placed a hand upon her stomach and lovingly kissed her cheek. “If you’re worried about the stress, I can help you handle it.”

“No, that’s alright. I won’t stress myself out.” Zhao Lifei smiled in content when his warm hands caressed her belly a second longer before retracting his hand to prevent any suspicion. They thought they were secretive enough in their exchange, but everyone had seen it.

“You’re pregnant?!” Yang Ruqin gasped. She obviously didn’t get the memo to be silent about the entire ordeal. Yang Yulong facepalmed at his oblivious sister. It’s not a secret how dense everyone in this family was. He just hoped their children would hopefully come out better.

Every pair of eyes landed on to Zhao Lifei who slowly nodded her head. “It was supposed to be a secret, but I guess not anymore.”

“Oh my god, I’m going to be a godmother!” Yang Ruqin squealed, desiring to jump up and down, but that would literally shatter her ankles due to the red-bottom shoes adorning her feet. She rushed to Zhao Lifei and hugged her dearly, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

“I was hoping to plan a large surprise, so please don’t tell anyone yet.” Zhao Lifei raised her head and looked around the room where she saw a mixture of surprise and amusement. “That goes for all of you.” She sternly said.

“Of course.”

“What could possibly go wrong?” Yang Yulong mused, crossing his arms and giving her a mischievous wink.

“I swear—”

“Don’t worry, I’m only kidding.” Yang Yulong let out a bark of laughter before nervously glancing at his older brother who was giving him a death stare. So maybe it wasn’t the best idea to piss off a pregnant woman and a grumpy alpha male…