The following days were filled with uncertainty. Lu Cheng's declaration that he wanted to fight for their relationship stirred something in Su Nian. It was both a relief and a burden. The relief was simple—he had chosen her, despite the pressure from his powerful family. But the burden? The weight of it was crushing. Being with Lu Cheng, being at the center of his world, meant she would have to face the full force of his family's expectations. The ones who would never accept her as his equal.
Su Nian sat in the quiet of her apartment, staring at the message she had received from Lu Cheng earlier that morning.
"I'll be by tonight. We need to talk more about my family. It's going to get harder before it gets easier, but I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
His words offered her a sliver of comfort, but deep down, she knew it wasn't going to be easy. The fight for their love had only just begun, and she wasn't sure she was strong enough for what lay ahead.
The sound of her phone ringing startled her from her thoughts. It was Lu Cheng. She answered it immediately, her heart pounding.
"Cheng, what's going on?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the worry she felt.
"I'm at my family's estate right now," he said, his voice low. "Things have gotten more complicated. My grandfather… he's furious. He's called a meeting with my parents and my brothers. He's trying to force me to end things with you. He's even threatened to cut me off from the family business if I don't comply."
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat. She could hear the tension in his voice, the frustration. "What are you going to do?" she asked softly, trying to steady her own emotions.
"I'm going to stand my ground," he replied firmly. "But I need you to understand, NianNian, that it won't be easy. My family is… relentless. They don't care about us. They only care about their image, their legacy."
The realization hit her like a wave. She had known that his family wouldn't be supportive, but hearing it from Lu Cheng himself made everything feel so much more real. It wasn't just about love anymore. It was about choosing each other in the face of insurmountable odds.
"Cheng," she whispered, her voice trembling, "I'm scared. I don't know if I can handle all of this. I didn't sign up for a battle like this."
He sighed, his voice softening. "I know, NianNian. And I don't want you to feel like you have to do this alone. But you need to know, this is my fight. I'm asking you to be by my side, not to fight for me, but to stay with me. I'm not asking you to be a part of this war—I just need you to be there when it gets hard."
Su Nian was silent for a moment, taking in his words. She could hear the determination in his voice, but also a hint of vulnerability. She wanted to pull him out of this mess, to protect him from his family's cold, calculating ways. But she also knew that Lu Cheng was right. This was his fight, and no matter how scared she was, she couldn't turn away from him.
"I'm here, Cheng," she finally said, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm not going anywhere. We'll face it together."
Later that evening, Su Nian met Lu Cheng at his apartment, just as the sun was beginning to set. The moment she walked through the door, she could feel the weight of the tension hanging in the air. Lu Cheng stood by the window, his expression as serious as she had ever seen it.
"How did it go?" she asked, her heart in her throat.
He turned to face her, his gaze filled with a mixture of frustration and determination. "It's worse than I thought. My grandfather has made it clear—if I don't break things off with you, he'll cut me off from the company, from everything. He's even bringing in some other families to help pressure me."
Su Nian felt a pang of helplessness. She had known it would be difficult, but hearing the full extent of Lu Cheng's family's power and control made it seem insurmountable.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lu Cheng's eyes softened, a flicker of something vulnerable flashing across his face. "I'm not going to back down. I won't let them control my life. But NianNian," he added, his voice filled with a rare gentleness, "I need you to be prepared. It's going to get messy. My family won't give up easily, and they'll do whatever it takes to make me choose them over you."
Su Nian's heart tightened. She hadn't expected it to get this bad, this fast. But in the pit of her stomach, she knew that there was no turning back. If she wanted to stay with Lu Cheng, she would have to face his family, their cold stares, their demands.
"I'm ready," she said quietly, her voice filled with a quiet determination. "We'll face them together. No matter what happens."
The next few days were a whirlwind of emotional upheaval. Su Nian found herself walking a tightrope, torn between her own fears and the love she had for Lu Cheng. She spent her days at the academy, but her mind was always on him, on the escalating tension with his family.
On the evening of the family's planned meeting, Su Nian received a call from Lu Cheng's assistant.
"Miss Su, Mr. Lu has asked that you be at the family estate tonight," the assistant said, her tone professional but there was an undercurrent of something darker beneath the words. "The meeting is crucial, and Mr. Lu would appreciate your support."
Su Nian's heart raced. This was it. This was the moment when everything would come to a head. The confrontation that could change everything for her and Lu Cheng.
She stood in front of the mirror, the reflection staring back at her seemed unfamiliar. Who was she, really? A simple student with big dreams of becoming a designer? Or was she becoming something else—a woman caught in the storm of a family's power, fighting for a love that didn't seem destined to survive in such a ruthless world?
She took a deep breath, adjusting the hem of her dress. She had made a promise to Lu Cheng. She would stand by him, no matter what.
When she arrived at the family estate, Su Nian felt the weight of history pressing in on her. The grand mansion loomed before her, its sprawling grounds almost intimidating in their magnitude. The staff greeted her with respectful distance, leading her to a grand dining room where Lu Cheng's family was already gathered.
His parents, both impeccably dressed and stern, sat at the head of the table. His two younger brothers, always the image of confidence, stood at either end of the room, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and judgment.
And then there was his grandfather. A man whose presence was as imposing as the estate itself. He sat at the far end of the table, his gaze sharp and calculating as it met hers.
"Su Nian," his grandfather began, his voice cold, "I trust you understand the gravity of this situation. My grandson's future, the legacy of this family, is not something to be trifled with. If you truly care for him, you will step aside."
Su Nian's heart clenched in her chest, but she refused to let her fear show. This was the moment when everything would be decided.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "Lu Cheng and I have made our choices. If that's not acceptable to you, then we'll face the consequences together."
Lu Cheng's hand found hers beneath the table, squeezing it tightly, as if drawing strength from her words.