The CEO has a sudden awakening, while the heroine is a cruel and calculating woman.

The train finally pulled into the station. Yan Xiaonian sat by the window, gazing at the bustling crowd on the platform, her heart a tangled mess of complex emotions. Her hands gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white. After much hesitation, she slowly rose, dragging her heavy, leaden legs toward the train door. Every step felt as if it drained her entire strength; she did not know what this step signified, yet deep within her, a faint voice cried out, longing for an answer.

Xiao Sheng pulled his Lamborghini to a screeching halt outside the high-speed rail station, the tires emitting a harsh sound as they tore against the asphalt. He pushed open the door and, ignoring the curious stares of passersby, ran madly toward the train. His hair was disheveled by the wind, sweat beads rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and remorse. Just as he reached the carriage door where Yan Xiaonian stood, the doors slid open. Their eyes met, and for a moment, a thousand words choked in their throats, leaving them speechless.

Xiao Sheng broke the silence first. His eye sockets were rimmed with red, tears welled up, and his voice trembled so violently that every word seemed to require immense effort. "Xiaonian, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. I was blinded by greed and malice, which is why I did those things to hurt you. Please, give me a chance to make amends." As he spoke, he slowly knelt on one knee and pulled a pre-prepared ring from his pocket. It shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, seemingly carrying all his hope and determination. "This is one I chose for you again, representing my resolve to start over."

Yan Xiaonian looked at him, and tears once again spilled from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and soaking her clothes. She remembered walking with Xiao Sheng in the garden, his gentle whispers under the moonlight; she remembered them embracing during difficult times, the warmth and strength they had given each other; and then she thought of their lost child, the tiny life that had perished before it was born. Her heart ached intensely, as if thousands of needles were pricking it. Yet, seeing Xiao Sheng’s sincere repentance and the despair and longing in his eyes, her resolve wavered, like a lonely boat in a storm, unsure of which way to steer.

"How can you guarantee you won't do it again?" Yan Xiaonian asked, her voice choked with sobs—weak, yet firm. She needed a promise, a reason to trust him once more.

Xiao Sheng looked up, meeting her eyes directly with absolute determination. "I swear on my life that from now on, I will only be good to you, protect you, and cherish you. I will never let you suffer the slightest harm again. If I break this vow, may the heavens strike me down!"

Yan Xiaonian remained silent for a long time; time seemed to stand still in that moment. Finally, she slowly extended her hand, trembling slightly, and took the ring. Xiao Sheng stood up, overcome with emotion, and pulled her tightly into his arms, as if holding a lost treasure finally regained. They wept in each other's arms, their cries intertwining, venting the pain, regret, and longing of these past days. In this moment, they seemed to have recovered their lost selves, deciding to let go of the pain of the past and start anew, indifferent to the surprised or blessing-filled gazes of those around them.

After reconciling, Xiao Sheng brought Yan Xiaonian back to the Xiao residence. Throughout the journey, he held her hand tightly, as if afraid she might vanish again. Back home, Xiao Sheng knew that to fully repair their relationship, the truth had to be brought to light to give Yan Xiaonian closure. He mobilized every resource at his disposal to conduct an exhaustive, all-encompassing investigation into Su Yao. Once the private investigators received their orders, they tracked leads like keen-scented hounds, working day and night, leaving no stone unturned.

Soon, all of Su Yao’s heinous deeds were exposed. A thick stack of documents lay on the table, every page bearing witness to Yan Xiaonian’s painful memories. It turned out that from the very beginning—spreading rumors about Yan Xiaonian and Lin Yuxuan in social circles to incite internal conflict within the Xiao family, to plotting traps, bribing paparazzi to steal photos, and maliciously editing them to create false appearances of an affair, and even insanely paying thugs to harm her in an attempt to cause a miscarriage—everything had been orchestrated by Su Yao, all to replace Yan Xiaonian, marry into the Xiao family, and satisfy her own selfish desires.

Looking at the ironclad evidence before him, Xiao Sheng trembled with rage, his hands balled into fists, his knuckles cracking. His eyes were filled with remorse and self-reproach—remorse for failing to see people for who they were and being blinded by Su Yao’s superficial pretense, mistaking a venomous snake for a harmless rabbit; and self-reproach for allowing Yan Xiaonian to suffer so much, every scar feeling like a blade piercing his own heart.

He organized the evidence into a file and handed it to Yan Xiaonian with trembling hands. "Xiaonian, this is proof of her crimes. I will make her pay a heavy price." Yan Xiaonian took it, her hand shaking slightly; every sheet of paper felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. At that moment, the hatred in her heart surged like a tidal wave, and she secretly vowed never to let Su Yao escape justice.

Yan Xiaonian decided to take revenge on Su Yao herself. The hatred burned like a raging fire in her chest. For days, the image of Su Yao’s ugly face and the tragic memory of losing her child replayed in her mind. With every thought, the flames of vengeance grew higher.

She found out which high-end club Su Yao frequented and carefully chose a black, form-fitting outfit. Its tailored design highlighted her slender yet upright frame, making her look like a warrior about to charge into battle. For her makeup, she abandoned her usual gentleness; her brows were cold and sharp like swords, her eyeshadow dark and murderous, and her lipstick the color of clotted blood. Her entire presence exuded an chilling aura.

Stepping into the club, the atmosphere of decadent luxury rushed to meet her. The lights flickered seductively, and the music was deafening. Yan Xiaonian’s gaze was like a torch, cutting through the crowd and locking directly onto Su Yao. Su Yao, dressed in a gorgeous gown, was laughing and chatting with others, swirling a glass of red wine, a look of smug satisfaction on her face, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Yan Xiaonian approached step by step, the sound of her high heels against the marble floor sounding like a countdown to death. Su Yao looked up inadvertently, and instantly, her smile froze. Her complexion turned as pale as paper, and her body began to tremble instinctively as she tried to stand up and flee.

Yan Xiaonian gave her no chance. She lunged forward, grabbing Su Yao’s wrist with the force of an iron vice. "Where do you think you’re going?" Yan Xiaonian asked coldly, her voice squeezed through her teeth, devoid of any warmth and carrying the chill of a Siberian wind, capable of freezing one instantly.

Su Yao tried to act calm, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet Yan Xiaonian’s gaze. "What… what do you want?" Yet her trembling voice betrayed her terror, and the wine in her glass spilled onto her gown, staining it a deep crimson, resembling the bloody fate she was about to face.

Yan Xiaonian sneered, a sound that cut through the noisy club. "What do I want? You made me lose my child and ruined my life—today is the day you die!" With that, she raised her hand and swung it in an arc, slapping Su Yao hard across the face. With a crisp, sharp sound, Su Yao’s head snapped to the side, blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and a clear red handprint bloomed on her cheek, the pale skin swelling rapidly.

People around them turned to look, the music seeming to dip in volume, yet no one dared to intervene. Everyone was stunned by the ferocity of Yan Xiaonian’s presence, like seeing an enraged lioness.

But Yan Xiaonian did not feel that was enough. She scanned the table, saw an untouched glass of red wine, grabbed it, and poured it over Su Yao’s face without hesitation. The wine ran down her cheeks and neck, staining her clothes red. Su Yao’s carefully styled hair fell in disarray over her face, leaving her in a pathetic, wretched state, her former elegance completely vanished.

Next, Yan Xiaonian grabbed Su Yao by the hair and slammed her head against the table. With a dull thud, Su Yao let out a painful wail, a bruise instantly swelling on her forehead. Yan Xiaonian roared as she vented her rage: "This is what you deserve, you vicious woman!" Every word was saturated with her hatred and fury, the fire in her eyes threatening to burn Su Yao to ash.

Su Yao tried to resist, waving her hands in the air, pleading, "Xiaonian, please, spare me..." But Yan Xiaonian ignored her, her actions becoming even more ruthless. Only through such violent catharsis could she begin to vent the pain in her heart.

Xiao Sheng arrived shortly after. Seeing the scene, he did not intervene. He knew that the pain in Yan Xiaonian’s heart needed an outlet, and that Su Yao truly deserved death. He stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching Su Yao with cold, indifferent eyes, as if looking at a stranger.

Seeing Xiao Sheng, Su Yao clung to him like a life-saving straw: "Mr. Xiao, save me, I was wrong..." Xiao Sheng looked at her with disgust, his eyes filled with contempt: "You brought this upon yourself."

In the end, Xiao Sheng handed Su Yao over to the police. With the overwhelming evidence, Su Yao was brought to justice and faced a long prison sentence. The police car sped away, taking Su Yao—and the dark past—with it.

As for Xiao Sheng and Yan Xiaonian, after enduring this ordeal, they cherished each other even more. They held a grand wedding at the Xiao residence, inviting friends and family to announce their love to the world. At the wedding, Yan Xiaonian wore a pristine white gown, her smile radiant, and Xiao Sheng stood in a suit, his eyes full of deep affection. From then on, Xiao Sheng focused on his business, and Yan Xiaonian dedicated herself to charity, giving back to society with love. The shadows of the past had completely dissipated, and they walked hand-in-hand toward a happy future, writing their own beautiful chapter.