On the day of her return to China, she was tied up and coaxed by the richest man to get her marriage

“Jing Shu, I used to think that I would always have a way out.”

Yu Jinzhao's pupils darkened, and he looked at Song Jingshu with calm and gentle eyes.

But the image of her being sent abroad by her father and brothers three years ago kept flashing through her mind.

She cried and said she didn't push her grandmother. She was helpless and scared, but what she got in return was the disappointed and critical look from her father and brothers.

She knew that her father and brothers loved her. They sent her abroad only because they felt that she was willful and had done something wrong, and that she needed to reflect on her actions.

But their distrustful attitude turned into a thousand and ten thousand needles in that instant, piercing the depths of her heart.

That profound pain, even after three years, has not eased at all. Instead, it has been suppressed in the darkness, and the mere thought of it makes her feel as if her flesh and blood are being torn apart.

She finally understood a truth: in this world, no one will pamper you without limits.

Yu Jinzhao gritted her teeth, a pain flashing across her drooping eyes. She gulped down a mouthful of coffee, forcefully swallowing back the continuous, dull ache in her chest, hiding it deep inside once more.

With just one sentence, Song Jingshu fell silent.

She stared intently into Yu Jinzhao's beautiful eyes, which were warm and gentle, like gems that had been polished and refined by time.

Her heart trembled, as if her heart was blocked by sour cotton.

She knew that Yu Jinzhao had been plotted against and framed by his stepsister and stepmother.

She thought time could heal everything, but it turns out the hurt only deepened in Yu Jinzhao's heart.

Perhaps to Yu Jinzhao, her father and brother's distrust, and their subsequent act of sending her abroad, felt like an abandonment.

Being abandoned by your beloved family would break anyone.

That's when she realized that affection could be taken back.

So she reined in all her indulgence and willfulness.

Because she subconsciously believed that her pride and indulgence were nurtured by her father and brothers, and now that they wanted to take it back, she had no choice but to obey.

Thinking of this, Song Jingshu felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart and couldn't help but reach out and hug Yu Jinzhao. All comfort seemed pale and powerless at this moment. She could only say in a firm and solemn tone,

"Today, I believe in you."

She had expressed these words to Yu Jinzhao more than once, hoping only to heal the wounds in Yu Jinzhao's heart, even if only a little.

If Yu Jinzhao is so open and honest with a friend who has no relation to her, how much more so would she be willing to hurt her grandmother who raised and doted on her?

Looking at Song Jingshu's beaming face, Yu Jinzhao felt a surge of warmth from the sincerity and enthusiasm emanating from her bright, sparkling eyes.

But at the same time, the sense of loss is even stronger.

Outsiders believed her, but her family did not.

"Thank you, Jing Shu." Yu Jinzhao thanked her sincerely. To her, trust was a precious treasure that she cherished.

"Don't be sad. Outsiders always see things more clearly," Song Jingshu said softly, her voice gentle and warm, encouraging her word by word.

"Once you cure Grandma, the truth will come out."

Yu Jinzhao smiled, her suppressed mood improving somewhat.

Song Jingshu thought for a moment, then asked with concern, "What are your plans for today? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I want to establish the first Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute in the country."

Yu Jinzhao's clear fingertips tapped the rim of the cup, producing a pleasant sound, like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating shallow ripples.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China is struggling and gradually declining because it places too much emphasis on inheritance. Many TCM families work in isolation, unwilling to promote good prescriptions, leading to the industry's decline. Good TCM practitioners are becoming increasingly rare, while fraudulent individuals are taking advantage of the situation, ruining the reputation of TCM.

If this continues, traditional Chinese medicine will eventually be abandoned by the world.

This harmful trend needs to be eradicated.

"The Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine...that must cost a lot of money..." Song Jingshu's mouth was slightly open. Although she didn't understand, she just felt it was very impressive and great.

"I need to change people's prejudice against traditional Chinese medicine and promote its rise in China before I can convince my father and brothers to let me save my grandmother," Yu Jinzhao said slowly with a slight smile.

"It not only requires a lot of money, but also connections and resources."

Otherwise, without any foundation or family background in traditional Chinese medicine, she would be seen by outsiders as a quack doctor practicing medicine without any real expertise, and would be classified as a fraud.

Who will believe?

Although winning over the underground city can help her gain popularity among the general public.

But public trust alone is not enough; she also needs top-tier connections and recognition from high society, and their investment, to silence all dissenting voices.

Then she can set rules requiring every student of traditional Chinese medicine to undergo exclusive certification from her research institute before they can practice medicine and truly promote traditional Chinese medicine.

This was also her mother's last wish.

"Money, connections, resources." Song Jingshu understood these three words. Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands excitedly.

"I can give you all three of those things you mentioned."

Yu Jinzhao raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Although the Yu family was a prestigious and powerful family, its prestige was far inferior to that of the four great families.

The general public is full of criticism of traditional Chinese medicine, not to mention the wealthy and noble, who are all arrogant and will not accept it.

In truth, her agreement to the marriage alliance with the Si family was also motivated by a desire to leverage the Si family's power.

But she knew perfectly well that Si Qing didn't like her, so she naturally wouldn't use the Si family's name to gain the trust of the elite circles. It could only be said that the Si family provided her with the opportunity to access high society, but she still had to rely on her own abilities to get everything she wanted.

After hearing Yu Jinzhao's idea, Song Jingshu eagerly said,

"Actually, I think you could consider my suggestion: try to win over Master Si... Once Master Si falls for you, maybe with just a word from you, he can accomplish all these things for you..."

Yu Jinzhao smiled gently.

"Just like you said, if I rely on Si Qing to gain the trust of the elite circles, they will only think that I am a vain and despicable person."

Traditional Chinese medicine is a national treasure and a part of our culture. It must not be tainted by my own selfish desires; that would go against my mother's teachings.

Besides... is she crazy to try and win over Si Qing?

That man loathed her; she wasn't about to throw her life away.

She would just maintain the current respectful relationship and wouldn't provoke him until she became stronger.

not to mention.

"If even family members are unreliable, what about outsiders?"

Yu Jinzhao pursed her rosy lips slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering like the beautiful, resounding movement of a butterfly's wings.

"I want to be an independent tree, not a vine on a tree; otherwise, if the tree falls, the vine will wither."

What others give you can be taken back at any time; only what you possess yourself truly belongs to you.

No matter how skilled the co-pilot is, it's not as good as holding the steering wheel yourself. You control the steering wheel, set your own goals, and have the power of life and death over it.

Yu Jinzhao looked down at the enamel box in his hand, confident in his plan.