Dawn, Dusk, and the Forest

At ten o'clock at night, the lights were still on in the president's office on the top floor of Chen Guang Group.

Chen Guang sat behind a million-yuan ebony desk, running his fingers over the financial reports on his tablet, his brows slightly furrowed. His assistant, Chen Mo, stood to the side, barely daring to breathe. The young president controlled a business empire with an iron fist and was famous for his coldness. Even the partners who had worked with him for years had never seen him smile.

"We'll discuss the Mu Corporation's proposal tomorrow." Chen Guang shut off the tablet, his voice utterly devoid of warmth. He stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dazzling city below, but his eyes remained cold. From taking over the family business to turning Chen Guang Group into an industry leader, he had grown used to hiding behind a mask of indifference. Words like love and warmth were nothing but useless frills to him.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, Lin Xi was bent over her desk in an old apartment building, revising a design draft. The dim yellow light of her desk lamp fell across her face, and sweat dampened the stray hairs on her forehead. Tomorrow was the day of her interview at Chen Guang Group. For this opportunity, she had stayed up for three nights straight and drawn more than ten versions of her smart-home interaction designs.

"I have to succeed."