The day she moved out of her father's house, Ye Xia didn't bother with a grand farewell. She simply packed a few of her mother's belongings and left. Her stepmother, Wang Feng, and her half-siblings, Ye Lei and Ye Xin, watched her from the front door, a mixture of disbelief and smug satisfaction on their faces. They thought they had won. They thought they had finally gotten rid of the ugly duckling.
"Don't come crying back to us when you and your mother have nowhere to go," Wang Feng said, a sneer on her lips. "Life is hard without a man's support, you know."
Ye Lei, her half-brother, snickered. "Yeah, go back to your hovel, you fat pig. We don't want you here anyway."
Ye Xia turned around, and the new confidence in her eyes startled them. She was no longer the meek girl who would cower at their words.
"I won't be coming back, Wang Feng," Ye Xia said, her voice calm and even. "My new home is in Azure Dragon Bay. The one with the four connected villas. I'm sure you've heard of it."
The color drained from Wang Feng's face. Azure Dragon Bay was the most prestigious residential area in the city, where only the ultra-wealthy resided. It was a place she and her family could only dream of living in.
"That's… that's impossible! You're lying!" Wang Feng sputtered, her voice rising in a panicked shriek.
"Try me," Ye Xia said simply, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Don't worry about us. Worry about yourselves. I've heard Father is getting into some new business ventures. Be careful, a small misstep in the business world can lead to a very long fall."
Ye Xia watched their shocked faces as she and her mother got into a sleek, black Rolls-Royce that had pulled up to the curb. The driver, a professional chauffeur she had hired with her new funds, saluted her and opened the door. As the car pulled away, Ye Xia saw her father, Ye Jian, coming out to see what the commotion was. He looked at the departing luxury car, then at his wife's pale face, and a look of confusion and unease crossed his features. The seed of doubt had been planted.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. Ye Xia took charge of her life with a ferocity she never knew she possessed. She hired a team of personal trainers and nutritionists, and the weight began to melt off her body at an astonishing rate, thanks to the System's enhancements. The 'Aptitude for Finance' reward made the intricate world of stocks and investments seem as simple as a children's game. She spent her days learning, investing, and planning her revenge.
One of her first targets was Lin Mei, her 'best friend.' In her past life, Lin Mei had been a struggling model, always complaining about her lack of opportunities. This time, Ye Xia decided to give her a "helping hand." She used her new connections to leak a fabricated rumor to a high-profile gossip blog, claiming that Lin Mei was an escort and that her modeling career was nothing but a front. The information was false, but the damage was immediate and irreversible. Lin Mei's contracts were canceled, and she was blacklisted from the industry.
Ye Xia sat in her private cinema room, a content smile on her face as she watched the news report about Lin Mei's sudden fall from grace. She wasn't just a victim anymore; she was a predator, and the hunt had only just begun. The second person on her revenge list was Jiang Chen. In this timeline, he was just a fledgling businessman with a small, insignificant company. In her past life, she had used her connections to secure a massive investment for him from a family friend, a deal that had been the foundation of his wealth. This time, she would not only deny him the investment but also ensure that he got nothing.