Different ambitions

"No, no! This is just some leftover soup from dinner. I made too much. Don't worry, it's clean. I haven't touched it!" Nadia murmured softly.

Her period had just ended, and she had made this dish to take care of herself. Little did she know that the leftovers would helping a grown man recover!

Nadia then pulled out a mat from the cabinet and laid it on the floor beside the bed.

"You're injured. You should sleep on the bed," she said calmly.

"Hmph! Tell me, what do you want from me?" The man finished the bowl of soup in one gulp and set it down, suddenly asking with a cold snort.

He had encountered all kinds of women, innocent, sweet, sexy, mature, you name it. But they all approached him because of his background, hoping to gain some benefit from him.

So, although he had been through many romantic encounters, he had always remained untouched. He knew how to keep himself clean and stay composed.

But tonight, in that moment of urgency, he didn't know what came over him. He had lost control and felt a surge of desire for this woman.

Hearing the man's arrogant tone, Nadia squinted her eyes and retorted angrily, "Sir, have you lost so much blood that your brain isn't working? You were the one who crawled into my room, took advantage of me, and then fainted on my bed. If I hadn't seen that you were injured and pitied you, I wouldn't have taken you in and cared for you.

You're seriously injured, being chased, and your background is unknown. If you don't cause me any trouble, I'll be thanking my lucky stars!"

She had always been a kind-hearted person. Even if a stray cat or dog was injured in front of her, she would take it in and care for it.

Pity me?

The man's heart skipped a beat. In his twenty-four years of life, it was the first time he had heard a woman say she pitied him.

Nadia didn't spare the man another glance. She put away her phone and lay down on the mat, minding her own business.

Whether he sleeps or not, it didn't matter to her. After all the fuss, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

Besides, the man had a fresh wound on his abdomen that had just been stitched up. He probably wouldn't have any improper thoughts about her, right?

"Was that your first kiss?" the man asked again.

Nadia was drifting off to sleep, mumbling a faint "Mm-hmm..."

Yes, it was her first kiss...

She had intended to save it for her boyfriend, Shepard, but it had been taken by this man.With a sense of regret and frustration, Nadia gradually fell into a deep sleep.

The man smiled knowingly, appreciating her straightforward nature. He candidly replied, "What a coincidence, that was my first kiss too."

But Nadia didn't hear his words; she was already asleep.

He also admired her cooking skills. Despite his aversion to eating liver, he had willingly accepted the "Liver and Red Date Soup" she made!

"Since you saved me, I took your first kiss, and even touched you for the first time, how about I marry you to repay you?" the man asked, seemingly to himself.

Nadia's only response was the soft sound of her breathing as she slept. Realizing she was already asleep, the man chuckled helplessly.

It seemed she didn't take him seriously at all!

Little did she know, from the moment he kissed her, he had felt a strange sense of familiarity with this woman.

The feeling was subtle, yet it felt like destiny.

When Nadia woke up again, it was already the next morning, and the power was still out in her house.

As she came to, Nadia realized she was lying on her bed, not on the mat beside it.

Her thoughts paused for a moment, and then she suddenly remembered what had happened the previous night. She sat up abruptly.

The mat was still laid out on the floor next to her bed, and an empty bowl sat on the nightstand. There was no one else in the room.

Could she have been sleepwalking last night?

Just as Nadia was beginning to think that the events of the previous night were nothing but a dream, she glanced down and saw the bloodstains on her nightgown. She was startled.

Last night wasn't a dream! That man...

Nadia quickly got out of bed and opened the door, looking around. She let out a small sigh of relief, guessing that the man from last night had been taken away by his companions.

Well, it's good that he's gone!

She was just an ordinary college freshman in a bustling city. Not only did she have to earn money to support herself, but she also had to pay for her boyfriend Shepard's graduate school tuition.

Nadia's life was already very tight; she couldn't afford to take care of another person.

The events of last night felt like a dream. Although she had lost her first kiss, she had saved a life. In a way, she felt she had earned some good karma for her grandmother.

Nadia let out a relieved smile, not giving much thought to what had happened the previous night.

She took off her blood-stained nightgown and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

The power had been out all night, leaving her covered in sweat.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she was startled to see a jade pendant suddenly hanging around her neck.

The pendant was intricately designed, with a lifelike dragon coiled around the character for "cold."

Could it have been left by the man from last night? But why would he leave such a precious pendant for her? It looked quite valuable!

The man from last night was not only mysterious but also being chased! His identity must be anything but not simple.

Could he be from the underworld? Or perhaps someone in politics? Or maybe...

Anyway, regardless of his identity, she didn't want to get involved in his troubles!

With a firm resolve, Nadia quickly took off the pendant and tossed it onto the sink.

"A new day, a new start. Nadia, let's give it our best at work today!"

After showering and getting dressed, Nadia stood in front of the dressing mirror, giving herself a pep talk.

As she was about to leave, the door to another room opened. Her roommate and best friend, Elise shuffled out in her slippers, yawning and looking disheveled.

Nadia smiled and greeted her, "Good morning, Elise!"

"Morning, Nadia. Hey, why are you heading to work so early?" Elise stretched lazily, her sleepy eyes fixed on Nadia.

Elise was not only Nadia's hometown friend, college classmate, and roommate but also her best friend. They had taken a break together to work as interns at the same interior design company, making them colleagues who shared everything with each other.

The two had a deep connection, yet their personalities couldn't be more different.

Elise was inherently lazy but an absolute gold digger. She changed boyfriends faster than she changed clothes, with a particular fondness for rich and handsome men.

Nadia was diligent and unambitious. She had a boyfriend, Shepard, who was also her high school classmate. They officially started dating after their college entrance exams last year.

Although they were admitted to different universities due to their varying grades, they were fortunate to be in the same city, allowing them to meet every weekend.

Since Nadia attended a community college, she had more free time compared to Shepard, who was at a four-year university.

From her freshman year, Nadia started working part-time to support both herself and Shepard.

Shepard mentioned that his excellent academic performance had prompted his teacher to recommend him for early graduate school exams. To support him, Nadia took a leave of absence from school to work, and after covering her own expenses, she gave the majority of her earnings to Shepard.

Nadia and Shepard have been together for almost a year, sharing a platonic love.

During this time, their interactions were limited to holding hands and hugging, their relationship as pure as freshly fallen snow.

Elise, though not knowing much about Shepard, was skeptical about their relationship. As the saying goes, "poverty and lowliness make a couple's life sorrowful." Both Shepard and Nadia came from rural backgrounds, and Shepard even relied on Nadia's earnings for his graduate school fees. What future could a man like that have?

Now, there was a pile of client orders in the office waiting for Nadia to handle. Nadia could only smile wryly, "No choice! A client urgently needs a decoration design today, so I have to hurry!"

"Be careful on your way and stay safe! Oh, by the way, I'm out of facial cleanser. Can I borrow yours?" Elise asked, picking up a cup and heading to the water dispenser.

If Elise were as hardworking as Nadia, she thought, she would probably work herself to death.

In some ways, Elise looked down on Nadia, the girl from the countryside. Though they were from the same hometown, Elise had grown up in the county town with her parents, while Nadia had stayed in the village.

Elise considered herself a city girl, unlike Nadia, whom she saw as a rustic, background-less country girl.

In Seaside City, a bustling metropolis, Elise had mastered the art of dressing, behaving, and socializing like a true city woman.

Nadia, on the other hand, despite her natural beauty, paid little attention to her appearance or clothing. She lived a simple life, going from home to work and back, naively dreaming that hard work alone could transform her from a sparrow into a phoenix.

To Elise, this was nothing but wishful thinking.

Publicly, Elise called herself her best friend, but she neither understood nor wanted to understand Nadia. She believed they were from different worlds. Elise was determined to marry a wealthy man someday. She knew how to apply makeup, dress up, and flirt with rich men. Nadia, with her plain and simple demeanor, focused solely on her work and never took time to enhance her beauty. Elise thought, what rich man would even notice her?

As it stood, only someone like Shepard, who shared a similar modest background, would be interested in Nadia.

Nadia was unaware of Elise's thoughts, but she knew herself well. She never saw herself as a sparrow and had no aspirations of becoming a phoenix.

Nadia was practical, doing what she needed to do. She believed that if she was truly gold, she would shine one day.

Nadia noticed that Elise hadn't mentioned anything unusual happening at home the previous night, which made her think Elise must have slept well. It was just as well that Elise didn't know about the events in her room last night, sparing her from unnecessary trouble.

Nadia smiled with relief, put on her shoes, and opened the door. "The face wash is on the sink in my bathroom. Help yourself! I'm heading out now!"

"Okay, bye!" Elise waved at Nadia, finished her water, and then walked into Nadia's room alone.

She went straight to the bathroom, and while reaching for the face wash on the sink, she noticed something green and shiny nearby.

Elise took a closer look and saw it was a jade pendant. Curious, she picked it up to examine it.

The pendant was crystal clear with emerald green veins running through it. It was definitely high-quality jade!

"When did Nadia get such a valuable treasure?" Elise muttered to herself in amazement.

Coming from a family that sold imitation jewelry, Elise had a good eye for real jade.

She decided she would ask Nadia about the pendant when she got to the office later.

Thinking about it, Elise couldn't resist putting the pendant around her neck and admiring herself in the bathroom mirror.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Elise left Nadia's room and went to answer the door, mumbling to herself, "That girl Nadia must have forgotten her office keys again!"

She casually opened the door, only to find two men in black suits standing there with serious expressions.

"Who are you looking for?" Elise asked, blinking and smiling nervously, feeling a sudden sense of caution..

The man in front looked Elise up and down, noticing the Mitchell Family heirloom pendant around her neck. He quickly bowed and greeted her respectfully, "Good day, Young Madam!"

"Young Madam?!" Elise was taken aback, staring at the man in confusion. "What do you mean, Young Madam?"

The leading man smiled knowingly and explained, "The jade pendant around your neck is a family heirloom left to you by the Eldest Young Master!"

Family heirloom jade pendant!

Elise instinctively looked down at the pendant hanging from her neck. While she was pleasantly surprised, she also realized something very serious.

The person in front of her seemed to be someone important, but this pendant actually belonged to Nadia...

What should she do? Should she tell him that the pendant wasn't hers?

After some contemplation, Elise decided to probe for more information first. "I still don't understand what you're talking about."

"Madam, hello! We are from the Mitchell Family Corporation. I am the butler of the Eldest Young Master of the Mitchell Family.

You can call me Uncle Lee. The Young Master sent me to fetch you," the man explained patiently to Elise..

The Young Master had given strict orders to bring back the woman who had saved him.

"The Mitchell Family Corporation?!" Elise was shocked, her joy making her a bit tongue-tied.

"You mean the Mitchell Family Corporation that has dominated the entertainment, business, and political sectors, and has been the nation's top profit earner for ten consecutive years?!"