A Sweet-on-the-Outside, Dark-on-the-Inside Schemer, Spoiled Rotten by the Rich and Powerful

[Powerful elite families] [Self-serving, scheming, ambitious heroine] [Taming men] [Rival men fighting for her] [Male lead goes crazy later on] [Climbing the social ladder] [Powerful men bowing their heads]

They all say dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and mice are born to dig holes, as if a person's whole life is decided from the moment they're born.

Wen Shinian, the daughter of a Song family housekeeper, doesn't believe that. She'll climb her way up, and she'll climb high and fast.

Having clawed her way up from the bottom, she learned early on that the only person she could truly rely on was herself.

As a child, she worked hard to become the emotional anchor for the Song family's autistic young master, earning a place to live in their home and the trust of the family's head.

In the eyes of outsiders, she was practically second only to the Song family themselves.

But that was nowhere near enough to satisfy her ambition.

She buried herself in her studies, voraciously absorbed knowledge, and quietly built up her connections. She was also fortunate enough to find two genuine friendships untouched by self-interest.

But before she had fully spread her wings, she was forced to leave the Song family and go abroad to study at a top university.

As it happened, this aligned perfectly with her own plans. She would improve her abilities and build a business of her own.

And along the way, she would pick out a husband to serve as a stepping-stone on her climb, using marriage to rise through the social ranks and secure her place in the highest circles.

Everything was under control. It was just that there seemed to be a few too many people eagerly throwing themselves at her...