Chapter 370 - New beginnings (1/2)

7 MONTHS LATER

A swell of chatter filled the hallways of the university's stadium, parents and friends fawning over the college graduates one more time before they left to go take their seats to watch the ceremony. Ying Sheng leaned against the wall, biting her lip anxiously as she glanced around at all of the graduates in her year. She could hardly believe that she was wearing the black gown herself.

She had made it. Her business plan received a good grade, she passed every one of her last classes, she finished up her internship at the university's business office, and she got everything she needed for her graduation set up. It had been more work than she had ever had to do in her entire life, but she faced it head on and got it done. That was all that mattered.

Ying Sheng reached up and lightly fluffed her hair, preparing herself for the walk across the stage to get her diploma. She wanted to look good, even if she didn't have a whole family out in the stands cheering for her. She looked around again, her eyes glancing over the crying mothers, the proud fathers, and the supportive siblings. She didn't have any of those.

Her friends were working now, but they promised to celebrate with her later on. She was fine with that. She was just grateful that they wanted to celebrate her because she actually wanted to celebrate herself.

She had worked hard. She had fought through her own darkness, refusing to let it eat her alive when she knew that the light wasn't too far ahead. If she gave up, she wouldn't even be giving herself a chance. She couldn't do that to herself. She had too many dreams and hopes. She couldn't just abandon them.

Ying Sheng was determined to take her bakery seriously after she graduated. She knew that she had to take out money and spend it to make money, and she was devoted to the ups and downs that she would have to go through. It was all part of business, which she had been thoroughly studying for the past four years. She had the knowledge. She just had to take the leap.

”You look beautiful,” a voice sounded beside her.

Ying Sheng whipped around to see Liam standing beside her in a black suit, prompting her eyes to widen in shock.

”Me? You… you look amazing,” she murmured in awe as she reached out to trail her fingertips down one of the lapels of his suit jacket. She wasn't all that upset about her parents not bothering to come because the most important person in her life had showed up.

He was the one who cared about her, who mattered to her. She had learned that she couldn't worry about those who didn't make an impact on her life. They could ignore her and wish her the worst. It would only hurt her if she let it, and she refused to allow herself to get beaten down by people who didn't matter to her. She was worth more than that.

”Thanks. It's a special occasion, so I wanted to dress up for it,” Liam replied as he winked at her. He reached out to gently take her hand, lifting it to his lips for a playful kiss to her knuckles.

Even if it was playful, Ying Sheng could still feel the passion. She was still grateful for the touch and his presence, which meant the world to her. Someone would be cheering her on for her accomplishments, and that was what mattered.

”I can't believe I almost let my parents convince me that I would amount to nothing. Today… I'm a college graduate,” Ying Sheng breathed out in disbelief, her head shaking. It was a big step, one that she was proud of. She had struggled and fallen multiple times, but she had constantly gotten back up. She couldn't be kept down for long.

”And tomorrow, you can be whoever you want to be. One day, you'll be a business owner,” Liam added with a proud smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close.

Ying Sheng knew that he was right. The power was in her hands. After spending so long thinking that she was powerless, she finally realized that she had more control over her life than she had previously realized.

”And as long as I'm with you, I'll be a happy girl,” she pointed out as she smiled at him. There were plenty of things that she wanted to change in her life, but he wasn't one of them. He was right where she belonged.

”I'm not going anywhere,” Liam promised her before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. ”Except right now because I think you guys are getting ready to go onto the floor.”

Ying Sheng looked around her to see the graduates starting to walk to the floor of the stadium to find their seats. She drew in a calming breath to steady herself, realizing that she had to part from him now.

”I guess I should go,” she murmured, stalling on the spot as she turned back to him. Even if he was going to be in the stands, she was still going into this part alone. However, she was meant to do this, and she wouldn't let her own nervousness hold her back.